NEN Steering Committees

The Neighborhood Empowerment Network (NEN) recognizes its commitment to help communities achieve sustainability by addressing a wide range of challenges. In an effort to support this ambitious goal, the NEN has assembled leaders from a variety of important sectors to help steward its development.

Executive Steering Committee:

Cindy Brandon

Executive Director, SF SAFE

Ms. Brandon is the Executive Director of SF SAFE. She has degrees in Criminal Justice and Political Science, and a Master's Degree in Public Administration. Read More.

Harold Brooks

CEO, Bay Area Red Cross

Harold Brooks is CEO of the American Red Cross Bay Area Chapter. He is responsible for overseeing the strategic development of one of the leading American Red Cross chapters in the country. Read More.

Gerald Eisman

Director, Institute for Civic and Community Engagement of SFSU

Gerald Eisman earned his doctorate in Mathematics from the University of California at Berkeley in 1977. He joined the faculty of Computer Science at SF State in 1989, where he served as full professor and chair for 9 years. Read More.

David Gershon

Founder and CEO, Empowerment Institute

David Gershon, founder and CEO of Empowerment Institute, is one of the world's leading authorities on behavior change and large-scale transformation. Read More.

Michael Pappas

Executive Director, San Francisco Interfaith Council

Michael Pappas was born in Glen Ridge, New Jersey. He graduated from Dickinson College (Carlisle, PA) in 1983, after which he successively worked as a lobbyist, Regional Field Director for a presidential campaign and investment banker for the oldest municipal bond firm in New Jersey. Read More.

John Power

Executive Director, The Volunteer Center

As Executive Director of The Volunteer Center Serving San Francisco and San Mateo Counties, John leads an organization that for over sixty years has nurtured respected and long-standing relationships among the Bay Area’s business, government, nonprofit and volunteer communities. Read More.

Kelly Quirke

Executive Director, Friends of the Urban Forest

Kelly Quirke is the Executive Director of Friends of the Urban Forest (FUF) in San Francisco. FUF is a community-building organization that has planted more than 42,000 trees along the streets of every San Francisco neighborhood since 1981 (www.fuf.net). Read More.

Dr. Isabel Wade

Executive Director of the Neighborhood Parks Council (NPC)

Dr. Isabel Wade, Executive Director of the Neighborhood Parks Council (NPC), created this organization in 1996 in an effort to "take back" the parks, which have suffered decline due to budget cuts. Read More.

Community Steering Committee:

Carol Mo
Sunset Community Community Convener
Dan Nguyen-Tan
Board Member, North of Panhandle Neighborhood Association
Dawn Trennert
Middle Polk Neighborhood Association
Deb Neiman
Director, Noe Valley Association
Dina Hillard
Organizer, Safety Network, Tenderloin
Erick Arguello
President, Lower 24th Street Merchant and Neighborhood Association
Ethel Newlin
Director of Constituent Relations, District Attorney’s Office
Foster Weeks
Board Member, Clementina Cares, Inc.
Gillian Gillett
President, San Jose & Guerrero Avenue Coalition to Save Our Streets
Glen Hatakeya
President, Mission Extension Triangle Neighborhood Association
Jane Martin
Founder, PlantSF
Jed Lane
Founder, Friends of Miraloma Park
Judith Berkowitz
President, Coalition of San Francisco Neighborhoods
Kevin Blackwell
Organizer, Safety Network, Visitation Valley
Laurel Muniz
President, North West Bernal Alliance
Leela Gill
President, North of Panhandle Neighborhood Association
Marc Christensen
Vice President, Mission Extension Triangle Neighborhood Association
Mary Harris
President, Ocean – Merced – Ingleside Neighbors in Action
Meredith Thomas
Stewardship Program Manager, Neighborhood Parks Council
Michael Bennett
Director, Visitation Valley Beacon Center
Oona Gille-Weil
Program Director, San Francisco SAF
Ron Miguel
Planning Association of the Richmond
Shannell Williams
Program Director, The Center For Young Women's Development
Sheryl Davis
Director, Community Convener, Mo' Magic Western Addition
Steve Adams
President, Merchants of Upper Market and Castro
Vallie Brown
Lower Haight Ashbury Merchant and Neighborhood Association