Board of Advisors

Officers

Trista Harris, Chair

Headwaters Foundation for Justice

Trista Harris is nationally known as a passionate advocate for new leaders in the philanthropic and nonprofit sectors. She is a leading voice for Generations X and Y and seeks to create professional development opportunities throughout the sector. Trista has been featured on CNN and her work has been covered by the Chronicle of Philanthropy, the New York Times, Minneapolis St. Paul Business Journal, Career Builder, and numerous social sector blogs.

She writes about generational change in the foundation field in her blog, New Voices of Philanthropy and is an international speaker on working across generations to create social change. In her professional life, Trista is the Executive Director of the Headwaters Foundation for Justice and the co-author of “How to Become a Nonprofit Rockstar”.

Jasmine N. Hall Ratliff, Vice Chair

Robert Wood Johnson Foundation

Jasmine N. Hall Ratliff is a program officer on the Childhood Obesity team at the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Her work centers on using policy change and advocacy to increase children’s access to healthy food and physical activity.

In addition she is on a foundation-wide team exploring program related investments that support RWJF’s mission to improve the health and health care of all Americans. She approaches all of her work with a particular commitment to improving the health of communities of color. Jasmine received her Master’s in Health Administration from the Saint Louis University School of Public Health and her BA from the University of Virginia. Jasmine is a Virginia native and is married with a young daughter.

Edgar Villanueva, Secretary-Treasurer

Quality Enhancement for Nonprofit Organizations

Edgar Villanueva is the Director of Quality Enhancement for Nonprofit Organizations (QENO), a partnership between the University of North Carolina Wilmington (UNCW), philanthropic and civic organizations and leaders focused on building capacity in the nonprofit and philanthropic sectors in southeastern NC.

Edgar is also principal consultant with Leverage Philanthropic Partners, which engages with funders and nonprofits to advance positive social change through organizational development, philanthropic initiatives, and leadership development. Prior to this work, Edgar served as a Senior Program Officer for six years at one of the largest private trusts in NC. Edgar is a Hull Fellow with the Southeastern Council of Foundations, a Grantmakers in Health Terrance Keenan Fellow, and is a new member of the Circle of Leadership Academy with Native Americans in Philanthropy. Edgar is also the founder of the NC Community AIDS Fund.

Rahsaan K. Harris, Executive Director, Board Member Ex Officio
EPIP

Members

Dana Linnane, Development/Communications Co-Chair

W. K. Kellogg Foundation

Dana Linnane is a policy communications manager with a focus on policy for the W.K. Kellogg Foundation in Battle Creek, Mich., reporting to the vice president of communications. In this role, she leads communications and media activities with program teams, including print, video, web and social media efforts to capture and disseminate stories and lessons from Kellogg Foundation-funded programs.

Prior to joining the foundation in October 2010, Linnane served in various roles in the philanthropic and nonprofit sector, including program officer at the Ruth Mott Foundation, William C. Richardson fellow in government affairs and philanthropy at the Council of Michigan Foundations, and development associate at Nonprofit Enterprise at Work. She has worked as anindependent consultant for several Michigan-based foundations and nonprofitorganizations, including the Battle Creek Community Foundation, the McGregor Fund, The Kresge Foundation, the Mandell L. and Madeleine H. Berman Foundation, the C.S. Mott Foundation and the Arab Community Center for Economic and Social Services.

She holds a Bachelor of Arts in communication studies and a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in graphic design from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. She holds a master’s degree in public policy from the Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy, University of Michigan.

Michael B. Shaw, Development/Communications Co-Chair

National Coalition to End Childhood Lead Poisoning

Since May 2010, Mr. Shaw has served as the Program Officer for Philanthropic Engagement and Social Innovation with the Green & Healthy Homes Initiative (GHHI). Mr. Shaw’s duties include working with a diverse set of national and local partners to advance the GHHI effort by fostering partner engagement, cultivating resource development, and implementing a strategic communications strategy.

Prior to assuming his current position, Mr. Shaw served as the Program Assistant for the Civic Investments portfolio at the Annie E. Casey Foundation. In this role, Mr. Shaw was responsible for the coordination of the Foundation’s programmatic investments in Atlanta and Baltimore of nearly $10 million annually.

Mr. Shaw earned both his Master’s and Bachelor’s degrees in Social Work from Syracuse University in Syracuse, NY.

Zeke Spier

Social Justice Fund Northwest

Zeke has been working at Social Justice Fund for five years.  Over that time, he has engaged hundreds of people as donors and helped to move millions of dollars to grassroots organizing in the Northwest.  Zeke has experience both as a manager in the corporate sector and as a community organizer, working on issues from the just reconstruction of New Orleans to criminal justice issues in Philadelphia.  In addition to the EPIP board, he is on the EPIP Seattle Steering Committee and is a member of the leadership team of the Coalition of Anti-Racist Whites.  Zeke was born in Portland, Oregon, and enjoys reminiscing about his cross-country bicycle trip on his 6-mile ride to work.

Christi Tran

Blue Shield of California Foundation

Christi Tran currently serves as a program officer for Blue Shield of California Foundation. She has worked as a nonprofit management consultant, where she conducted and analyzed research on violence prevention, education, aging, youth development, and rural communities for engagements with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, The Atlantic Philanthropies and The James Irvine Foundation.

Christi’s prior experience includes managing a multi-service nonprofit, serving as a program director, working as a community organizer and youth worker, and teaching as a guest professor at a university in Cape Verde, Africa. A Gates Millennium Scholar, she holds a bachelor of arts in government and a master’s in education policy and organizational leadership. Committed to social justice, she brings a desire to strengthen underserved communities and to fight inequity.

Beth Herz

Surdna Foundation

Beth Herz is Senior Associate for Programs and Strategy at the Surdna Foundation, a New York-based family foundation that supports sustainable and just communities throughout the U.S. In this role, Beth works with Surdna’s senior staff to ensure collaboration and impact across the foundation’s programmatic work–in sustainable environments, strong local economies, and thriving cultures.

Beth joined Surdna as a member of the Sustainable Environments team, where she contributed to grantmaking and strategy development in transportation systems, climate change, and the green economy. She previously worked in community organizing and advocacy, including conducting policy research and city- and state-level advocacy with WE ACT for Environmental Justice in Manhattan. Prior, she developed and led educational programs with the National Park Service. Beth received a B.A. from Wesleyan University, in science and technology studies. She holds an M.S. in Natural Resources and Environment from the University of Michigan, with a concentration in environmental justice.

Don Jordan

The Atlantic Philanthropies

Don Jordan currently serves as the Program Associate for U.S. Programs at The Atlantic Philanthropies.  Over the last twelve years Don has developed and managed grants across the areas of Aging, Pre-Collegiate Education & Youth and Founding Chairman Programs, all in support of the organization’s mission to support the most disadvantaged and vulnerable populations.

He has served on various committees in differing capacities, including Philanthropy New York’s Increasing Diversity in Philanthropy Committee, the New York Steering Committee for EPIP, as well as three years on the conference planning committee for Grantmakers in Aging.  Don was Founder and Artistic Director of Pilot House, The Theater Company and currently sits on the company’s Board of Directors.  He also serves on the Board of Advisors for The New York Theatre Experience.

Don holds an MPA from the Baruch College School of Public Affairs and a BFA from New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts.

Julian Haynes

The Kresge Foundation

Julian_Haynes_017rev-1Julian A. Haynes began his professional career in philanthropy in August 2010 when he became a program associate for Education at The Kresge Foundation. In his position, he reviews inquiries from prospective grantees in the higher education and nonprofit fields and collaborates with Education team members to select strategically focused requests and advance them through the proposal process. Julian coordinates outreach opportunities, monitors the progress of grantees, and prepares materials for board review. In addition, he participates in conferences and workshops relevant to the field of higher education and conducts due diligence and research that enhance the Education team’s knowledge of current thinking and best practices.

Julian graduated from Morehouse College in Atlanta and earned a master’s degree in nonprofit management from Milano The New School for Management and Urban Policy in New York. While at Milano, he researched the development of the City University of New York’s New Community College Initiative. He worked as a project coordinator for the United Way of Dane County in his hometown of Madison, Wis., from 2005 to 2007.

 

 

Chairs emeriti

 

As of September 2012. Affiliations listed for identification purposes only.