She served as the Foundation’s director of programs from 1995 through 1999 and was appointed a vice president of the organization in 2000.
In the role of director of programs, she worked directly with the president to manage the Foundation’s entire grantmaking portfolio.
Her duties included supervising senior program directors and working with them to implement current programmatic guidelines and plans
for the future in the program areas of Conservation and Science, Population and Reproductive Health and Children, Families and Communities.
She joined the Foundation in 1989 as director of Research and Grants, Law and Public Policy, at the Foundation’s Center for the Future of Children.
Prior to joining the Foundation, she was a partner in the Los Angeles law firm of O’Donnell and Gordon, specializing in civil litigation.
During this time, she served on several national and state commissions, as well as nonprofit boards, focused on issues concerning children and
disabled persons.She currently serves on the Board of the Council on Foundations and is the immediate past chair of the Board. She also serves
on the board of the American Leadership Forum — Silicon Valley.
She received her undergraduate degree from Stanford University and her law degree from Yale Law School.