November 18, 2022 – The Joint Venture Silicon Valley board of directors elected Santa Clara County Supervisor Susan Ellenberg as Co-Chair at their quarterly meeting today. Ellenberg succeeds Nicole Taylor, CEO of Silicon Valley Community Foundation and joins Co-Chair John Tenanes, Vice President of Global Facilities and Real Estate at Meta. The board also elected three new members: Lisa M. Bowman, employment attorney at Orrick; Gina Dalma, Executive Vice President, Community Action, Policy, and Strategy at Silicon Valley Community Foundation; and Julie Sullivan, President of Santa Clara University.
Ellenberg has served on the Joint Venture board since June 2019 and has championed civic technology measures. As Supervisor, she represents a diverse population of just under 400,000 residents in Santa Clara County’s District Four, which includes the unincorporated community of Burbank, much of West San Jose, and the cities of Campbell and Santa Clara. She is a member of the California State Association of Counties Executive Committee and Chair of FIRST 5 Santa Clara County.
“There are few organizations that have the ability to tackle regional issues and to convene leaders the way Joint Venture does,” said Ellenberg. “We find ourselves at a pivotal time and there is a great deal of work to be done.”
In addition, three new board members were elected to the governing body. New directors include Lisa M. Bowman, employment attorney with Orrick; Gina Dalma, Executive Vice President, Community Action, Policy, and Strategy at the Silicon Valley Community Foundation; and Julie H. Sullivan, President of Santa Clara University.
Lisa M. Bowman is an attorney at Orrick where she provides advice to companies on employment law. She partners with companies to refine their policies and practices with a goal of deterring unnecessary litigation. Before attending law school, Bowman worked as a journalist covering law and policy. Her work has appeared in The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, CNET, and Bloomberg. Bowman draws upon this experience to guide clients with strategic messaging.
Gina Dalma is Executive Vice President, Community Action, Policy, and Strategy at Silicon Valley Community Foundation. Dalma leads the impact work of the SVCF, is part of the organization's Executive Leadership Team, and co-leads SVCF’s strategic direction. She is a thought leader at the intersection of philanthropy and community impact, in the intersection of philanthropy, community impact, and public policy and is a fervent advocate for the need to engage in systems change towards racial justice.
Julie Sullivan is the 30th president of Santa Clara University, a Jesuit, Catholic institution. Prior to joining Santa Clara, President Sullivan served as president of the University of St. Thomas in Minnesota for nine years. A professor of business and accounting, she has taught at and served in academic administrative roles at the University of San Diego, the University of California-San Diego, and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. President Sullivan lends her expertise to several boards, including Loyola University Chicago and the Association of Catholic Colleges and Universities, among others.
“Our organization will be forever better because of the passion Nicole Taylor brought to her role as co-chair,” said Russell Hancock, Joint Venture's chief executive officer. “Now we are excited to work with another Silicon Valley superstar, Supervisor Ellenberg. Her commitment to our region's progress is extraordinary.”
