Office Of The President
The Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation appointed Steven J. McCormick as its president and a trustee of the Board, effective January 21, 2008.
Steve was most recently the president and CEO of The Nature Conservancy (TNC) where he served in that capacity from 2001- 2007. As president, he led the organization into a truly global presence, capable of leveraging its resources to achieve tangible lasting results at a scale that will really make a difference, for nature and for people. During his tenure, he oversaw an operating budget of over $500 million, and a highly distributed staff of over 3,000. Under Steve’s leadership, revenues from all sources increased significantly, hitting an all-time high of $1.2 billion in 2006.
Prior to his role as president and CEO of TNC, from 2000-2001 Steve was a partner at Resources Law Group, a firm based in Sacramento, which provides transactional and consulting services in land-use and natural resources law and policy, and creates innovative opportunities for conservation philanthropy.
Steve began his career with TNC in 1976 as Western Regional Legal Counsel, and rose through the ranks to spend 16 years as executive director of the California state program. In that role he led an organization-wide effort that created Conservation by Design, the strategic framework that now guides all of TNC’s work in 29 countries and every state in the US.
Beyond his impressive career at TNC, Steve has served on several boards, including the Advisory Board of the UC Berkeley College of Natural Resources, and the Advisory Board of the Harvard Business School Social Enterprise Initiative.
Steve has a B.S. Degree in Agricultural Economics from the University of California at Berkeley (1973), where he graduated with honors, and a J.D. Degree from the University of California, Hastings College of Law (1976). He also attended the Stanford Executive Program in 1993.
Linda Baron is the executive assistant for the Foundation's president. Prior to this position, Linda was a program associate for the San Francisco Bay Area Program and Communications department.
Prior to joining the Foundation Linda was an executive assistant to the president and CEO of Banc of America BrokerDealer Services, a division of Banc of America Securities. Previously, she served as executive assistant to the Mayor of the City and County of San Francisco during Frank Jordan's tenure. She has also held positions as executive assistant, legal assistant and office manager for a range of organizations, including a labor union, a management labor law firm, the San Francisco Recreation and Park Department, the San Francisco Department of Social Services, and the San Francisco Board of Supervisors.
Frank Jordan is the special advisor to the president of the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation.
Frank has worked as a career public servant for over 40 years, holding a variety of positions with the City & County of San Francisco. Frank joined the San Francisco Police Department in 1957and rose through the ranks to be named chief of police by then Mayor Dianne Feinstein in 1986. He retired from the Police Department in 1990, and served as mayor of San Francisco from 1992 to 1996. As mayor, he played a major role in converting the Presidio Army Base to a National Park, bringing Bay Area Rapid Transit to S.F. International Airport and keeping the San Francisco Giants in the city. His administration also marked great successes in major programs focusing on family, youth and children's service, in health care and social services, and in quality of life issues in San Francisco.
Frank holds a degree in government and political science from the University of San Francisco, and teaching credentials from the University of California.
Environmental Conservation
Dan Nepstad, Chief Program Officer
Genny Biggs is the communications manager for the Environmental Conservation Program Initiatives.
Genny worked for the Foundation from 2001-2005. Before rejoining the staff, Genny worked for the David and Lucile Packard Foundation's Conservation and Science Program and for the Environmental Grantmakers Association. Previously, she held positions at National Geographic Magazine, the Sierra Club, and Green Seal.
Genny holds a master’s in international relations (M.A.) and a master’s in environmental management (M.E.M.) from Yale University. She received a B.A. in English Literature from Vanderbilt University.
Charles Conn is a senior advisor for the Environmental Conservation Program and the Wild Salmon Ecosystem Initiative.
Before joining the Foundation, Charles co-founded Citysearch and as CEO led the company through its mergers with USA Network's Ticketmaster Online and Ticketmaster, as well as its initial public offering in 1998 and acquisitions of Microsoft Sidewalk, Match.com, and other companies. Prior to that, Charles was a partner with McKinsey & Company, where he served as leader of its Growth Strategy Practice.
Charles is a graduate of Boston University, Harvard Business School, and Oxford University where he was a Rhodes Scholar.
Maureen Geesey is the program assistant for the Environment Program and the Wild Salmon Ecosystem Initiative.
Before joining the Foundation, Maureen worked for First Data Corporation where she supported the legal department in both employment and intellectual property law.
Maureen received a B.A. in Political Science and a minor in History from Colorado State University and her Masters degree in Political Science from the University of Colorado with a focus on International Relations.
Heather Wright is a program associate for the Environment Program with a focus on the Conservation International Commitment.
Prior to joining the Foundation, Heather was a manager with Conservation International's Rapid Assessment Program where, in collaboration with partner organizations and scientists, she traveled to global hotspots to conduct rapid biological inventories and published the survey results and conservation recommendations. Heather's long-standing commitment to ecology and conservation science has led to her involvement with a variety of conservation-related organizations including the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI), Chicago Field Museum/CIMA, League of Conservation Voters and Friends of the Osa. She has conducted extensive field research in Central and South America, West Africa and French Polynesia.
Heather received a B.S. in Biology and a Minor in Scandinavian Literature from UCLA and her Masters degree in Environmental Science from Yale University's School of Forestry & Environmental Studies with a focus on tropical ecosystems.
Andes-Amazon Initiative
Rosa Lemos da Sá is the Initiative lead for the Andes-Amazon Initiative.
Rosa comes to the Foundation with extensive leadership experience and expertise in the field of environmental conservation, which has allowed her to play a critical and integral role in the implementation and organization of multi-national conservation projects in the Andes-Amazon region. Most recently, Rosa was the Conservation Director at World Wildlife Fund – Brasil, where she was responsible for the coordination of 50 conservation professionals, acting in the Amazon, Atlantic Forest, Pantanal and Cerrado regions of Brazil. Prior to holding that position, Rosa served as the Protected Area Program Coordinator at WWF – Brasil, and participated in the negotiation and project development of the Amazon Region Protected Areas Program - ARPA, in partnership with the Ministry of Environment, The World Bank, the Brazilian Biodiversity Fund-Funbio, and the German Cooperation Agency-KfW. Rosa has worked in the conservation field for over 20 years and is the author of numerous publications in a variety of scientific journals.
Rosa holds a Ph.D. in Wildlife Conservation from the University of Florida, Gainesville, a M.S. in Ecology from the Universidade de Brasília, D.F., Brazil, and a B.S. in Wildlife Management from the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, WI.
Jason Cole is a senior program officer with the Andes-Amazon Initiative.
Prior to joining the Foundation, Jason worked for five years with Conservation International's Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund serving as the monitoring and evaluation director and then as the South America grant director. Nearly three of his five years at CI, Jason was based in Brazil where he managed grant portfolios for the Atlantic Forest region of Brazil, in addition to portfolios covering the Andean countries of Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador and Colombia. Before this he co-founded DevWorks International, a consulting firm specializing in project design and monitoring and evaluation, where he worked mainly on World Bank and Inter-American Development Bank projects in Africa and Latin America. Jason began his international development work by managing emergency relief projects in Angola under several of the UN peace processes through the mid-90s.
Jason received a B.A. in Economics from Earlham College and spent a year at the London School of Economics. He also earned a M.A. in Development Economics from the University of East Anglia in Norwich, England.
Maia is a program assistant with the Andes-Amazon Initiative.
Before joining the Foundation, Maia worked for non-profits in Washington and California, including the San Diego River Park Foundation, Walla Walla Backyard Stream Team, Environmental Education for Kids, and conducted applied research in Costa Rica and Ecuador. She has studied abroad several times, including AFS in Argentina, School for Field Studies in Costa Rica, and New York University in Paris. Most recently, Maia worked for Fundacion Paraguaya, a non-profit micro-lending organization centered in Asuncion, Paraguay, where she helped in the development of a village-banking program.
Maia received a B.A. from Whitman College with a concentration in Environmental Studies and Politics.
Katie McCann is a program associate for the Andes-Amazon Initiative.
One of the initial members of the Foundation, Katie has been engaged in grantmaking for both the Science and Environment Programs in a variety of capacities. She has studied abroad at the University College of Galway studying international policy and spent time in Peru volunteering on the McCaw Research Project. Most recently she was selected to attend the Kinship Conservation Institute, an environmental leadership program, focusing on the use of market-based mechanisms to solve conservation problems.
Katie received a BA in Psychology from Hobart and William Smith Colleges and is currently pursuing an MBA with a focus on sustainability.
Enrique Ortiz is a senior program officer for the Andes-Amazon Initiative.
Enrique is a leading expert on rainforest conservation and management. Through out his experience in research and conservation activism in the Amazon Andes region, he is well familiar with the environmental movement, including the indigenous and private arenas. Prior to joining the Foundation, he worked with several environmental conservation organizations, including Conservation International, the Wildlife Conservation Society, and several other national organizations in Peru, Bolivia, and Ecuador.
Enrique received his undergraduate degree from San Marcos University in Lima, Peru, and he attended graduate school at Princeton University.
Georgia Pessoa joined Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation as a Program Officer in March 2007.
She was previously the legal advisory and compliance coordinator in WWF-Brazil, where she coordinated a working team called “Ecological IT – Nature Deserves This Stimulus” searching for fiscal incentives or benefits from Income Tax (IT) to help national environmental projects. Georgia also coordinated the environmental policies of Audit and Environmental Secretariat of Ceará State in Brazil. Her first contact with the environmental field was while she worked at Funbio as a legal advisory.
She has a Bachelor in Law (UNIFOR – University of Fortaleza - CE), a M.B.A. on Economical and Private Company Law (FGV - Fundação Getúlio Vargas Rio de Janeiro – RJ), a post graduation course Latu Sensu on Intellectual Property Rights (PUC - RJ - Pontifical Catholic University – RJ) and a Master Degree on Environment Management (CEFET- CE – Federal Center of Technological Education in Ceará - Brazil).
Kirsten Silvius is a senior program officer for the Andes-Amazon Initiative.
Born and raised in Venezuela, Kirsten completed her higher education in the United States. She received a B.A. degree in Biology and Romance Languages from Bowdoin College, Maine, and both M.S. and Ph.D. degrees from the Zoology Department at the University of Florida. Trained as a terrestrial ecologist, her research has focused both on plant-animal interactions and on wildlife use and management by local and indigenous peoples. She has studied a diversity of animal species in Venezuela and Brazil, including agoutis, parrots, peccaries, beetles, and parasitic wasps, and has worked on wildlife management issues with the Xavante, Yanomami and Macuxi people of Brazil and Guyana.
Prior to joining the Foundation, Kirsten was a research specialist at the University of Hawaii at Manoa's Environmental Center, where she gained experience with watershed management issues and environmental impact regulations. Earlier she held adjunct professor positions and taught ecology courses at Florida Atlantic University and the State University of New York's School of Environmental Science and Forestry.
Luis A. Solórzano is a senior science program officer for the Andes-Amazon Initiative.
A native from Colombia, Luis’ scientific career began with the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute in Panama studying the evolution and ecology of marine organisms in the Caribbean and western Pacific. At Princeton University he did landscape-level research on the ecology of sustainable biomass plantations for energy generation in northeast Brazil and modeling the large-scale geographic patterns of forest and savanna vegetation in eastern South America. Working with the Woods Hole Research Center, he studied the governing principles of functional interactions between vegetation, climate and soils in eastern Amazon and was member of the Amazon-Scenarios modeling and simulation group.
Before joining the Foundation Luis directed the science unit of the Andean Center for Biodiversity Conservation at Conservation International where he designed and set out a program to develop and employ spatial modeling and monitoring tools for strategic planning and implementation of field conservation actions.
Luis holds degrees in Biology from the National University of Colombia and M.A in Evolutionary Biology and Ph.D. in Ecology from Princeton University.
Ana Cristina Villegas is a senior program officer for the Andes-Amazon Initiative.
Ana grew up in Medellin, Colombia, and attended the Universidad de los Andes in Bogotá. She received her Ph.D. from the University of Missouri - St, Louis.
Ana’s research has included the eco-physiological response of plants to changes in rainfall and atmospheric concentrations of CO2, plant population demography, and the influence of animal-plant interactions on forest regeneration. For four years she was an adjunct faculty with Duke University working with undergraduate education programs with the Organization for Tropical Studies (OTS) in Costa Rica.
Ana also was a diplomacy fellow with the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) working at the US Department of State in the Office of Ecology and Terrestrial Conservation on US policy impacting biodiversity, conservation, and forest issues, particularly in the context of international conventions (e.g. Convention on Biological Diversity, World Intellectual Property Organization and Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species).
Conservation International Commitment
Dan Nepstad, Chief Program Officer
Luis A. Solórzano is a senior science program officer for the Andes-Amazon Initiative.
A native from Colombia, Luis’ scientific career began with the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute in Panama studying the evolution and ecology of marine organisms in the Caribbean and western Pacific. At Princeton University he did landscape-level research on the ecology of sustainable biomass plantations for energy generation in northeast Brazil and modeling the large-scale geographic patterns of forest and savanna vegetation in eastern South America. Working with the Woods Hole Research Center, he studied the governing principles of functional interactions between vegetation, climate and soils in eastern Amazon and was member of the Amazon-Scenarios modeling and simulation group.
Before joining the Foundation Luis directed the science unit of the Andean Center for Biodiversity Conservation at Conservation International where he designed and set out a program to develop and employ spatial modeling and monitoring tools for strategic planning and implementation of field conservation actions.
Luis holds degrees in Biology from the National University of Colombia and M.A in Evolutionary Biology and Ph.D. in Ecology from Princeton University.
Heather Wright is a program associate for the Environment Program with a focus on the Conservation International Commitment.
Prior to joining the Foundation, Heather was a manager with Conservation International's Rapid Assessment Program where, in collaboration with partner organizations and scientists, she traveled to global hotspots to conduct rapid biological inventories and published the survey results and conservation recommendations. Heather's long-standing commitment to ecology and conservation science has led to her involvement with a variety of conservation-related organizations including the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI), Chicago Field Museum/CIMA, League of Conservation Voters and Friends of the Osa. She has conducted extensive field research in Central and South America, West Africa and French Polynesia.
Heather received a B.S. in Biology and a Minor in Scandinavian Literature from UCLA and her Masters degree in Environmental Science from Yale University's School of Forestry & Environmental Studies with a focus on tropical ecosystems.
Marine Conservation Initiative
Barry Gold is the initiative lead for the Marine Conservation Initiative.
Barry comes to the Foundation with many years of experience in science, conservation, and philanthropy. Before joining the Foundation, he managed the David and Lucile Packard Foundation’s efforts to develop a scientifically credible framework for ecosystem-based management of coastal-marine systems. He also directed their work to more effectively link science with policy and decision-making. Prior to that, Barry was chief of the Grand Canyon Monitoring and Research Center where he led an effort to understand and restore the Colorado River ecosystem throughout the Grand Canyon. Barry has extensive experience working at the interface of environmental science and policy and has held senior positions at the Department of the Interior, the US House of Representatives, the National Academy of Sciences, and the American Association for the Advancement of Science.
Barry received a B.S. from the University of Miami, an M.S. from the University of Connecticut, an M.A. from George Washington University and a DSc from Washington University.
Press Releases
The American Association for the Advancement of Science and the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation Announce 2006 Fellow
Meaghan Calcari is a program officer in the Marine Conservation Initiative.
Before joining the Foundation, Meaghan was an intern and a consultant for Conservation International where she evaluated a community-based conservation project in the Philippines. Meaghan has also taught middle school environmental education in Illinois, Indiana, Missouri, and North Carolina.
Meaghan received a B.S. in Environmental Science and Psychology from the University of Notre Dame,a certificate of International Population and Reproductive Health from the University of Michigan and a Master of Environmental Management from Duke University's Nicholas School of the Environment with a focus on coastal resources. During her undergraduate education, Meaghan studied at Columbia University's Biosphere 2 Center in Tucson, Arizona.
Emily Goodwin is a program officer in the Marine Conservation Initiative.
Before joining the Foundation, Emily worked as the program coordinator for a nonprofit river advocacy organization in her home state of Georgia. She has also taught estuarine ecology to middle and high school students with the Chesapeake Bay Foundation and worked on marine policy issues with Congressman Gilchrest (R-MD) in Washington, DC.
Emily received her B.S. and M.S. in Earth Systems from Stanford University.
Jeannine Manna is a program assistant with the Marine Conservation Initiative.
Before joining the foundation, Jeannine worked as an administrative assistant for Earth Island Institute, an environmental non-profit organization. She also served as a marine specialist at Point Reyes National Seashore managing the Harbor Seal monitoring volunteer program and conducting surveys of threatened species. Her prior environmental conservation experience consists of multiple field research studies and restoration projects conducted in Arizona, Nevada, and Costa Rica.
Jeannine received a B.A. in Biology from the University of Rochester.
Rachel Strader is a program officer in the Marine Conservation Initiative.
Before joining the Foundation, Rachel studied in Bermuda and Newfoundland, where she focused on the socioeconomics of commercial fisheries and the biology of coastal ecosystems. She also was a Summer Student Fellow at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution's Marine Policy Center and an intern at the Northwest Atlantic Marine Alliance in Saco, Maine.
Rachel received a B.S. in Biology with a minor in Sociology from Union College in Schenectady and a Master of Environmental Management (M.E.M.) from Duke University's Nicholas School of the Environment.
Wild Salmon Ecosystems Initiative
Aileen Lee is the initiative lead for the Wild Salmon Ecosystems Initiative.
Prior to joining the Foundation Aileen was an Associate Principal at McKinsey & Company where she led client engagements in strategy, operations, and organizational effectiveness across a range of sectors.
Aileen attended Yale University, where she received a B.A. with majors in Political Science and East Asian Studies. Aileen received her J.D. from Harvard Law School, and was admitted to the California bar.
Charles Conn is a senior advisor for the Environmental Conservation Program and the Wild Salmon Ecosystem Initiative.
Before joining the Foundation, Charles co-founded Citysearch and as CEO led the company through its mergers with USA Network's Ticketmaster Online and Ticketmaster, as well as its initial public offering in 1998 and acquisitions of Microsoft Sidewalk, Match.com, and other companies. Prior to that, Charles was a partner with McKinsey & Company, where he served as leader of its Growth Strategy Practice.
Charles is a graduate of Boston University, Harvard Business School, and Oxford University where he was a Rhodes Scholar.
Ivan Thompson is a program officer with the Wild Salmon Ecosystem Initiative.
Prior to joining the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, Ivan worked as a senior advisor with Tides Canada Foundation and as a Northern Rivers project director with the Sage Centre providing strategic and organizational support to collaborative conservation initiatives in British Columbia’s wild salmon ecosystems. He also worked as ForestEthics' Community and Economic Advisor on the Great Bear Rainforest campaign which led to the protection of large tracks coastal rainforest, a new ecosystem-based approach to forest practices, and significant new public and philanthropic investments in conservation-based economic development for indigenous communities. Ivan's earlier conservation efforts included the development and implementation of new consensus-based public participation models in resource management as well as work with BC Wild in a process that led to the doubling of British Columbia's protected areas network. Ivan began his professional life in the 1980's as a counselor and educator, working in treatment centers, alternative programs and Outward Bound schools in Ontario, British Columbia and Australia. Over time he moved to the post secondary system and educational leadership. He worked as Dean of Education with Northwest Community College focusing on natural resource programs and as a private community and workforce training consultant.
Ivan holds a Post Graduate Certificate in Economics from the University of London, an M.Ed in Counselling from University of Victoria, a B.Ed in Outdoor and Experiential Education from Queens University, and a B.A. in Psychology from McMaster University.
Michael Webster is a program officer with the Wild Salmon Ecosystems Initiative.
Prior to joining the Foundation, Michael worked as a postdoctoral research associate for the Partnership for Interdisciplinary Studies of Coastal Oceans (PISCO) at Oregon State University. While with PISCO he ran a kelp forest monitoring project in Oregon and helped coordinate numerous research projects.
Michael received a B.S. in Zoology from the University of Wisconsin, Madison and a Ph.D. in Zoology from Oregon State University.
San Francisco Bay Area
George W. Bo-Linn, MD, is the chief program officer for the Foundation's San Francisco Bay Area Program, which includes the Betty Irene Moore Nursing Initiative, the Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing at UC Davis Commitment, and areas of focus including Science and Technology Museums and Land Protection.
George comes to the Foundation with over 25 years of extensive executive leadership and expertise in the field of healthcare including medical research, private practice, health insurance plans, nursing and physician organizations, and health/hospital systems. Most recently George was the senior vice president and chief medical officer at Catholic Healthcare West, the largest non-profit hospital system in the western United States. His responsibilities included all aspects of clinical quality, patient safety and satisfaction, risk management, resource utilization management, clinical information systems (including privacy and security), and healthcare professionals (physicians, nurses, pharmacists, and others). He is the author of numerous scientific publications, lectures extensively nationally and internationally and serves on several boards of national healthcare organizations.
George holds a B.A. from Rice University, and an M.D. from Baylor College of Medicine. His residency in internal medicine was at the Johns Hopkins Hospital, gastroenterology, and he had a subspecialty fellowship at the University of Texas, post-fellowship training at the Johann-Wolfgang-Goethe University in Germany, and received his Masters of Healthcare Administration at the Carlson School of Business, University of Minnesota.
Betty Irene Moore Nursing Initiative
Marybeth Sharpe is the Initiative Lead for the Betty Irene Moore Nursing Initiative.
Before joining the Foundation, Marybeth was a vice president with American Express where she led strategic analysis for their small business group. She has also taught economics at the University of Chicago, worked for the Federal Reserve Board in Washington, D.C. and served as an associate principal with McKinsey & Company in New York.
Marybeth
graduated Phi Beta Kappa from the College of William and Mary and received a Ph.D. in Economics with a focus on labor economics from the University of Chicago.Amy Mushlin is a senior program officer for the Betty Irene Moore Nursing Initiative.
Before joining the Foundation, Amy served as an engagement manager in McKinsey & Company's New York Office, where she managed projects for pharmaceutical and other healthcare companies. Earlier in her career, she managed online advertising and e-commerce accounts for Juno Online Services, served as an investment banking associate at Goldman Sachs and taught English at a hospital in China.
Amy received a B.A. from Yale University and a M.B.A. in Finance and Management from Columbia Business School.
Martha Nicholson is a senior program officer for the Betty Irene Moore Nursing Initiative.
Prior to joining the Foundation, Martha worked as a director of clinical research for two pharmaceutical companies, leading clinical studies in cardiology indications. She received her M.D. at the University of California, Davis, where she also did her residency. She completed her fellowship in cardiology at the University of California, San Francisco before moving into clinical research.
She received her A.B. in Urban Studies from Brown University.
Stephanie Ramirez is a program associate with the Betty Irene Moore Nursing Initiative and the Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing at UC Davis Commitment.
Prior to joining the Foundation, Stephanie worked as the Events & Fundraising Coordinator for the UC Berkeley SAGE Scholars Program. She also served as the Head Resident Guidance Advisor and Instructor for Upward Bound Summer Program at the National Hispanic University and as a Research Assistant with the Greenlining Institute.
Stephanie received a B.A. in Mass Communications and International Political Economy and a minor in City and Regional Planning from University of California, Berkeley.
Stacy Walder is a project manager for the Betty Irene Moore Nursing Initiative.
Prior to joining the Foundation, Stacy was a management consultant for The Chartis Group, a firm dedicated to improving the financial and strategic management of healthcare organizations. Additionally, she has worked in the healthcare industry in marketing and campaign management roles with Biogen Idec, a biotech firm in San Diego, and with the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society in Los Angeles.
Stacy received a B.A. in Communications Studies from University of California, Los Angeles, and an M.B.A. from Stanford University's Graduate School of Business.
Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing Commitment
George W. Bo-Linn, MD, is the chief program officer for the Foundation's San Francisco Bay Area Program, which includes the Betty Irene Moore Nursing Initiative, the Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing at UC Davis Commitment, and areas of focus including Science and Technology Museums and Land Protection.
George comes to the Foundation with over 25 years of extensive executive leadership and expertise in the field of healthcare including medical research, private practice, health insurance plans, nursing and physician organizations, and health/hospital systems. Most recently George was the senior vice president and chief medical officer at Catholic Healthcare West, the largest non-profit hospital system in the western United States. His responsibilities included all aspects of clinical quality, patient safety and satisfaction, risk management, resource utilization management, clinical information systems (including privacy and security), and healthcare professionals (physicians, nurses, pharmacists, and others). He is the author of numerous scientific publications, lectures extensively nationally and internationally and serves on several boards of national healthcare organizations.
George holds a B.A. from Rice University, and an M.D. from Baylor College of Medicine. His residency in internal medicine was at the Johns Hopkins Hospital, gastroenterology, and he had a subspecialty fellowship at the University of Texas, post-fellowship training at the Johann-Wolfgang-Goethe University in Germany, and received his Masters of Healthcare Administration at the Carlson School of Business, University of Minnesota.
Stephanie Ramirez is a program associate with the Betty Irene Moore Nursing Initiative and the Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing at UC Davis Commitment.
Prior to joining the Foundation, Stephanie worked as the Events & Fundraising Coordinator for the UC Berkeley SAGE Scholars Program. She also served as the Head Resident Guidance Advisor and Instructor for Upward Bound Summer Program at the National Hispanic University and as a Research Assistant with the Greenlining Institute.
Stephanie received a B.A. in Mass Communications and International Political Economy and a minor in City and Regional Planning from University of California, Berkeley.
Land Protection
Gary Knoblock is a program officer for the San Francisco Bay Area Program.
Before joining the foundation, Gary served as the executive director of the Point Reyes National Seashore Association, where he led programs for endangered species protection, habitat restoration and oversaw environmental education programs. He has served in leadership positions in two San Francisco nonprofit organizations serving the homeless, worked for an international school of business in France and for the American Association of Museums in Washington, DC.
Gary holds a B.A. from Grinnell College, Iowa, and completed Masters-level coursework at Indiana University.
Soo Venkatesan is a project manager for the San Francisco Bay Area Program.
Prior to joining the Foundation, Soo provided financial, operating and strategic advisory services to emerging companies. She previously was a vice president at J.P. Morgan Capital Partners, responsible for making private equity investments in healthcare and technology companies. Earlier in her career, Soo was an associate at J.P. Morgan and McKinsey & Company.
Soo graduated from the University of Virginia with distinction and earned an M.B.A. from Harvard Business School. She serves on the Board of Directors for San Francisco School Volunteers.
Science and Technology Museums
Soo Venkatesan is a project manager for the San Francisco Bay Area Program.
Prior to joining the Foundation, Soo provided financial, operating and strategic advisory services to emerging companies. She previously was a vice president at J.P. Morgan Capital Partners, responsible for making private equity investments in healthcare and technology companies. Earlier in her career, Soo was an associate at J.P. Morgan and McKinsey & Company.
Soo graduated from the University of Virginia with distinction and earned an M.B.A. from Harvard Business School. She serves on the Board of Directors for San Francisco School Volunteers.
Gary Knoblock is a program officer for the San Francisco Bay Area Program.
Before joining the foundation, Gary served as the executive director of the Point Reyes National Seashore Association, where he led programs for endangered species protection, habitat restoration and oversaw environmental education programs. He has served in leadership positions in two San Francisco nonprofit organizations serving the homeless, worked for an international school of business in France and for the American Association of Museums in Washington, DC.
Gary holds a B.A. from Grinnell College, Iowa, and completed Masters-level coursework at Indiana University.
Science
David Kingsbury is the chief program officer for the Science Program.
Before joining the Foundation, David was the chief executive of a biotechnology-consulting firm. He held executive posts at both Chiron Corporation and ValiGene, a French functional genomics company located in Paris. From 1992 to 1997, David was on the faculty of the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. He has also served as a professor of Microbiology at George Washington University and professor of Virology at the University of California, Berkeley. David was assistant director of the National Science Foundation from 1984 to 1988 and chaired two White House committees on biotechnology policy and regulation.
David has published nearly 100 research papers and reviews focused on the genetics and biochemistry of viruses and, more recently, computational biology. He is the founding editor-in-chief of the Journal of Computational Biology and is the author of a review text in Medical Microbiology. David sits on several scientific advisory boards and is a board member of the Community of Science, a company he helped establish while at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine.
David earned his B.S. and M.S. from the University of Washington, and his Ph.D. from the University of California, San Diego.
Cynthia Atherton is Senior Program Officer for the Science Program.
Prior to joining the Foundation, Cynthia worked with the CMELS Directorate (Chemistry, Materials, Earth, Life Sciences) at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, most recently as a deputy group leader. From 1986-2008, she served as principal investigator for numerous investigations, and also developed, ran and analyzed global atmospheric computer simulations for national and international studies including the IPCC Assessment Report 4 (2007). Previously, she served as an engineer in the Air Pollution Division at the U.S. EPA New England Regional Laboratory. Cynthia has written more than 20 journal articles and invited book chapters, and she developed and co-chaired a biweekly seminar series on atmospheric science from 2004-2006. The National Academy of Sciences invited Cynthia to serve on the National Research Council Committee on Atmospheric Chemistry from 1999-2001.
Cynthia also has extensive community service and volunteer experience, leading wilderness adventures and serving as a counselor for Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts in Northern California, and teaching hands-on-science to elementary school children in Pleasanton.
Cynthia earned her Ph.D. in Atmospheric Science from the University of California, Davis, her M.S. in Chemical Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and her B.S. from the California Institute of Technology.
Chris Mentzel is a Senior Project Manager for the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation.
Previous to his present position, Chris worked as the manager of Grants Administration and senior Network Engineer for the Foundation. He also held positions as a systems engineer and a systems integrator at the University of California, Berkeley and various internet consulting firms in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Chris earned a B.A. in Mathematics with honors from the University of California, Santa Cruz.
Jennifer Rea is the program assistant for the Science Program.
Prior to joining the Foundation, Jennifer worked at the Atomic Heritage Foundation, a non-profit organization in Washington, D.C., dedicated to the preservation and interpretation of the Manhattan Project and the Atomic Age. She also served as an assistant for the Office of the Vice President and Secretary of Princeton University.
Jennifer received an A.B. in History of Science and a minor in Visual Arts from Princeton University.
California Institute of Technology Commitment
Jim Omura is the commitment lead for the California Institute of Technology Commitment.
A UCLA professor of Electrical Engineering for 15 years, with stints in Australia and Brazil as a visiting professor, and founder of two Silicon Valley companies, Jim has extensive experience as an educator and also in the business world bringing technical products and services to market. He was the founder of Cylink, a marketer of network security and wireless products, and served as its chairman, CTO, and acting CEO. He has co-authored several textbooks, including Spread Spectrum Communications Handbook and Principles of Digital Communications and Coding, and published over 100 technical papers. Jim is a fellow of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), a member of the National Academy of Engineering, and the recipient of the 2005 IEEE Alexander Graham Bell Medal.
Jim received his B.S. and M.S. from MIT and a Ph.D. from Stanford University.
Marine Microbiology Initiative
Mary Maxon, Ph.D., is the initiative lead for the Marine Microbiology Initiative.
Mary comes to the Foundation with many years of experience in basic and applied microbiological scientific research, and experience in the areas of science policy and the funding of scientific research. Before joining the Foundation, she was deputy vice chair at the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM), California’s stem cell research granting agency where she developed the intellectual property policies for CIRM grantees, and helped architect the administrative infrastructure for stem cell research grants in California. Prior to that, Mary lead the anti-infective drug discovery efforts at Cytokinetics, a biotech company in South San Francisco, and developed genetic engineering technology for unsequenced microorganisms at Microbia, a biotech company in Cambridge, MA. At the Roche Institute for Molecular Biology, Mary discovered novel genes and regulatory pathways involved in amino acid metabolism in bacteria.
Mary received a B.S. in Biology and Chemistry from the State University of New York at Albany, a Ph.D. in Molecular Cell Biology from the University of California, Berkeley and did postdoctoral training in Genetics at the University of California, San Francisco.
Jon Kaye is a program officer with the Marine Microbiology Initiative.
Prior to joining the Foundation, Jon was a science policy fellow selected by the American Association for the Advancement of Science and hosted at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in Washington, DC. There he developed research and policy strategies aimed at mitigating the risks and consequences of naturally occurring or intentionally introduced human, animal, and plant diseases.
By training Jon is a marine microbial ecologist. He spent seven months at sea investigating deep-sea hydrothermal vent communities in the North and South Pacific oceans. He has also helped the American Museum of Natural History and the PBS television program NOVA with projects related to hydrothermal vents.
Jon earned a B.S. in Geology–Biology at Brown University and a Ph.D. in Oceanography at the University of Washington. After graduate school, he was a post-doctoral researcher in the Microbiology Department at the University of Massachusetts–Amherst.
Kelly Kryc is a program officer with the Marine Microbiology Initiative.
Before joining the Foundation, Kelly worked in Washington, D.C., at the Integrated Ocean Drilling Program where she was responsible for implementing their long-range strategic plan. Kelly is a paleoceanographer who studied the geochemical record of climate change in Antarctica.
Kelly received a B.A. in Geology from Middlebury College, an M.S. in Oceanography from the University of Rhode Island, a Ph.D. in Earth Science from Boston University, and did post-doctoral research at Stanford University.
Angela Vasconcellos is a program associate in the Marine Microbiology Initiative.
Prior to joining the Foundation, Angela worked as an intern at the Environmental Center of San Luis Obispo, a nonprofit environmental protection, health, education, and advocacy organization.
Angela received a B.S. in Ecology and Systematic Biology with a concentration in Resource Management and a minor in Psychology from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo.
Communications
Genny Biggs is the communications manager for the Environmental Conservation Program Initiatives.
Genny worked for the Foundation from 2001-2005. Before rejoining the staff, Genny worked for the David and Lucile Packard Foundation's Conservation and Science Program and for the Environmental Grantmakers Association. Previously, she held positions at National Geographic Magazine, the Sierra Club, and Green Seal.
Genny holds a master’s in international relations (M.A.) and a master’s in environmental management (M.E.M.) from Yale University. She received a B.A. in English Literature from Vanderbilt University.
Chris Pallatto is the director of Human Resources of the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation.
Chris comes to the Foundation with over twenty years of experience in human resources. Most recently, she served as director of Human Resources at Husic Capital Management. Previously, she worked as senior vice president and director of Human Resources at GT Global Financial Services in San Francisco, and as the vice president of Human Resources at Bank of America's World Banking Group. Chris began her career on Wall Street, where she held a variety of human resource positions in the financial services industry.
Chris earned a B.A. in Psychology and a M.A. in Counseling from San Francisco State University, and she holds an Executive Education Certificate from Wharton's Aresty Institute.
Evaluation, Technology & Facilities
Kenneth Moore is the director of Evaluation & Technology at the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation.
Ken comes to the Foundation with 24 years of experience in the semiconductor industry where he held various positions in operations planning and control, computer systems development, and supply chain and logistics management. Prior to joining the Foundation, he worked at Signetics Corporation in Sunnyvale, California and later at Phillips Semiconductors.
Ken holds a degree in business administration. He also serves on the Board of Directors of the Exploratorium in San Francisco and the school board of Bullis Charter School in Los Altos.
Vince Bohner is the graphics and Web user interface designer for the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation.
Prior to joining the Foundation, Vince worked in design for a variety of dotcoms in California.
Vince received a B.S. in Product Design and a B.A. in Studio Art from Stanford University. He also spent a year studying at the Institute of Art in Chicago.
Ian Campbell is a server and network infrastructure engineer at the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation.
Before joining the Foundation, Ian worked at LucasArts Entertainment Co. where he served as a senior network administrator for LucasArts, THX, and Lucas Learning. Ian has also held positions at Buzzsaw.com, and consulted for a variety of companies.
Ian earned a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of New Hampshire.
Sue Crockett is the senior administrative assistant/receptionist at the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation.
Prior to joining the Foundation, Sue worked at Bank of America for 25 years.
Brian Gerby is the manager of Technology Solutions for the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation.
Before joining the Foundation, Brian was a web development consultant for clients in a wide array of industries, including financial services, healthcare, manufacturing, education and nonprofit organizations. Prior to that, Brian was a lead software engineer for the Web Content Management Company, Ektron, Inc.
Brian earned a Bachelors degree in Marketing with a minor in Computer Information Systems and a Masters degree in Computer Information Systems both from Bentley College.
Mark Sanchez is the facilities manager of the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation.
Prior to joining the Foundation, Mark worked for six years at an environmental consulting firm focused on cleaning local Navy bases for public use. He also held positions with two dotcom companies in California.
Mark received a B.A. in Film Studies from the University of California, Santa Barbara.
Sukie Uppal is the training and technology support engineer at the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation.
Barry Weiss is the director of Information Services at the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation.
Barry comes to the Foundation with over 15 years experience in the computer technology sector. Prior to joining the Foundation, Barry managed the Bank of America Executive Office's computer technology.
Barry holds a B.S. in Landscape Architecture from Purdue University.
Finance & Accounting
Jay Elwell is the director of Finance of the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation.
Before joining the Foundation, Jay worked in a variety of financial positions with private and public companies including 10 years in the San Francisco offices of Ernst & Young. Most recently, Jay spent three years with two venture capital firms that focused on early stage technology companies.
Jay received a B.A. in Economics from the University of California, Berkeley.
Susan Au is a senior financial analyst at the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation.
Before joining the Foundation, Susan was a senior financial analyst with Sun Microsystems. She also held positions at Deloitte & Touche, SBC Communications and Vodafone.
Susan received a B.A. in Accounting from San Francisco State University and an M.B.A. from Santa Clara University. She is also a Certified Public Accountant.
Jancy Goh is the controller at the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation.
Prior to joining the Foundation Jancy served as an accounting manager, having served in that capacity at two dotcoms, Asimba and Live Capital. Jancy was also assistant controller for Legacy Partners, a property management and development company.
Jancy received a B.S. in Management from the University of London.
Lauren Osher is a senior accountant in the Finance Department of the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation.
Prior to joining the Foundation, Lauren worked for two years as an auditor for PricewaterhouseCoopers in San Francisco.
Lauren received a B.S. and a M.A. in Accounting from Miami University.
Human Resources
Chris Pallatto is the director of Human Resources of the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation.
Chris comes to the Foundation with over twenty years of experience in human resources. Most recently, she served as director of Human Resources at Husic Capital Management. Previously, she worked as senior vice president and director of Human Resources at GT Global Financial Services in San Francisco, and as the vice president of Human Resources at Bank of America's World Banking Group. Chris began her career on Wall Street, where she held a variety of human resource positions in the financial services industry.
Chris earned a B.A. in Psychology and a M.A. in Counseling from San Francisco State University, and she holds an Executive Education Certificate from Wharton's Aresty Institute.
Saul Macias is the associate director of Human Resources at the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation.
Before joining the Foundation, Saul was Manager of Career Navigation with Scient, an eBusiness consulting firm, where he worked to design and implement performance management, career development, career progression, and incentive plan programs. He also served as managing director for INROADS, a national nonprofit organization dedicated to developing and training minority youth and preparing them for corporate and community leadership.
Saul received his B.A. in Sociology from Pomona College. He also received a PHR Certification and a certificate in Organizational Development from Linkage, Inc. He is currently pursuing an M.B.A. from University of San Francisco.
Fay Wong, Human Resources Operations Manager
Fay Wong is the human resources operations manager at the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation.
Prior to joining the Foundation, Fay worked in a variety of accounting, Human Resource and payroll positions with the Academy of Art University, the law firm of Graham & James and several dotcoms.
Fay received a B.S. in Accounting from the University of San Francisco.
Investments
Denise (Villars) Strack is the chief investment officer for the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation.
Before assuming the CIO position, Denise was the director of Private Equity and Real Assets for the Foundation. Previously, Denise served as director of Private Equity at Stanford Management Company where she oversaw investments in private and long-biased public equity relationships and was an engagement manager at McKinsey & Company in its private equity and financial services practices group.
Strack received a B.S. in Industrial Engineering and an M.B.A. both from Stanford University.
Alison Barad is an investment associate for the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation. In this role, she works with the Foundation's director of Private Equity and Real Assets.
Before joining the Foundation, Alison worked as an investment banking analyst in the Mergers and Acquisitions group at Morgan Stanley in New York. Most recently, she was involved with the Association of Hole in the Wall Camps, an international network of non-profit medical camps for children with life-threatening illnesses. While there, Alison assumed development responsibilities for their operations in California and Ireland.
Alison received a B.S. from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.
Ciera Graves is an investment associate for the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation. In this role, she works with the Foundation's director of Fixed Income and Equities to manage a major portion of the Foundation's assets.
Ciera was most recently with L.E.K. Consulting where she worked as a management consultant. While there, she worked in various industries such as consumer products, healthcare, public transport and private equity. She also participated in L.E.K.'s prestigious swap program which enabled her to work in the company's Melbourne office for six months.
Ciera graduated from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo with a B.S. in Business Administration. She currently resides in San Francisco.
Dale Kunkel is the director of Hedge Fund Strategies at the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation.
Before joining the Foundation Dale served as director of Investments at the University of Pennsylvania, where he worked on all aspects of endowment managements. He has held positions at Capital Market Risk Advisors, the Rockefeller Foundation, and The Laughlin Financial Group.
Dale received a B.S. in Finance from Portland State University and a M.B.A. from Yale University's School of Management. He holds a Chartered Financial Analyst designation.
Melissa Lopez is a senior investment associate at the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation.
Before joining the Foundation, Melissa worked as an investment banking analyst in the Corporate Finance group at Robertson Stephens in San Francisco. Most recently, she was an equity research associate at Citigroup in San Francisco.
Melissa received a B.B.A. from the McCombs School of Business at the University of Texas at Austin and received a M.B.A. from Stanford's Graduate School of Business.
Delice Rimbault is
the senior administrative assistant to the chief investment officer of the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation.
Before joining the Foundation, Delice
worked as an executive assistant at Robertson Stephens in San Francisco. Previously, she served as executive assistant for Prudential Vector Healthcare Group and as a recruiting coordinator for CSC Healthcare Group.Delice received a B.A. in Business from St. Mary's College in Moraga, California.Neil Shah is an investment associate at the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation.
Before joining the Foundation, Neil worked in investment banking at Lehman Brothers in Chicago.
Neil graduated from Northwestern University with a B.A. in American Studies.
Lynda Sullivan is the director of Public Equities and Fixed Assets at the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation.
Lynda comes to the Foundation having previously worked at Montgomery Securities in San Francisco and Goldman Sachs in New York. Prior to joining the foundation, Lynda worked in a variety of financial positions for Gap Inc.
Lynda graduated summa cum laude
from the University of Pennsylvania with undergraduate degrees in Engineering and Business and received a M.B.A. from Stanford University.Legal & Grants Admin
Bill Green is the general counsel of the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation.
Before joining the Foundation, Bill spent 15 years as a partner at Brobeck, Phleger & Harrison in San Francisco before joining Chiron Corporation in 1990 as vice president, secretary, and general counsel. At Chiron, in addition to his legal duties, Bill was directly involved in the development of Chiron's diagnostic and blood-testing businesses and he also managed the company's alliance with Gen-Probe Incorporated and its joint business with Ortho-Clinical Diagnostics Inc. Bill has had a long history of involvement with non-profits including the Blood Centers of the Pacific and the California Foundation for Molecular Biology.
Bill received his undergraduate degree from Yale, and served in the United States Navy before returning to school for a law degree from Georgetown University.
Sasha Abrams is a senior associate in the Legal Department of the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation.
Prior to joining the Foundation, Sasha worked as an attorney at Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP where she focused on municipal bond financings for a variety of public agencies, including cities, counties, redevelopment agencies, school districts, and housing authorities.
Sasha earned a J.D. from the University of California at Berkeley, Boalt Hall School of Law and was admitted to the California bar, and received an A.B. in Psychology from Stanford University.
Ignacio Estrada is the manager of Grants Administration for the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation.
Ignacio brings to the Foundation over 12 years experience in Grants Administration. Prior to joining the Foundation, Ignacio served as grants administrator at the MacArthur Foundation in Chicago, Illinois.
Ignacio received a BSC from DePaul University. He has also completed the Non Profit Management Certificate Program at Georgetown University.
Addie Lanier, Grants Administration Assistant
Cathy Manovi is a grants administrator at the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation.
Prior to joining the Foundation, Cathy worked in the legal field for 16 years. She has also held positions as an orthodontic technician,
a dental chair side assistant, and a swim instructor, among other pursuits..
Cathy attended Hunter College in New York.
Sue Routh is the legal assistant to the general counsel of the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation.
Prior to joining the Foundation, Sue worked with Chiron’s general counsel in Emeryville, California. She also held positions with several patent and trademark law firms in Washington, DC, and as the assistant to the president of MCI for 10 years.