Since 2006 I have had the distinct pleasure of serving on the board of The James Irvine Foundation, including as Chair for the past three years.

At our October meeting, the board elected Kafi D. Blumenfield, who lives in Los Angeles, to serve as Chair for the next three years (starting January 1, 2020). She joined the board in 2015 and has been a constant source of insightful questions, ideas, and perspectives based on her personal and professional experiences.

Ms. Blumenfield previously served as Executive Director of Discovery Cube Los Angeles and CEO of the Liberty Hill Foundation. She is on the governing council of the Los Angeles County Women and Girls Initiative, and on the boards of Tides and the Community Foundation of the Virgin Islands. (She previously served on the boards of the Association of Black Executives and Southern California Grantmakers.)

Ms. Blumenfield has experience working on issues impacting low-income families, perfectly positioning her to guide Irvine and its board toward its goal of a California where all workers have the power to advance economically. In fact, she has been instrumental assisting in Irvine’s shift to focusing on helping the state build an economy that benefits all Californians. I am confident that Irvine’s focus and strategy are addressing the issues of our time, including the need to invest more in inland California.

I am grateful for my role on the Foundation’s board, and I am thrilled that Ms. Blumenfield will take on this new leadership role in the next chapter of Irvine’s journey.