Silicon Valley Community Foundation hires new leadership team

The Mountain View-based Silicon Valley Community Foundation (SVCF) announced the recruitment of several new executives as part of a changing of the guard at the influential charity. The new hires are part of an organization-wide restructuring prompted last year after former foundation CEO Emmett Carson and other directors departed amid complaints of fostering a toxic workplace.

The five new hires include Alex Tenorio, who will be filling the new role of executive vice president of fundraising and business development. In his prior work, Tenorio served as chief development officer at Menlo School in Atherton, and as senior director of development for Stanford University.

Tenorio’s position will essentially assume the responsibilities of former chief development officer Mari Ellen Loijens, who was ousted last year after former employees went public with complaints she frequently berated her subordinates and made inappropriate remarks.

Another new addition at SVCF is Liz Carey, who will serve as SVCF’s executive vice president, in charge of finance and operations. Previously, Carey was chief financial officials for the Jewish Federation of the East Bay and later at the Oregon Community Foundation.

Carey’s position was previously held by Paul Velaski, who also was singled out by disgruntled SVCF employees. In an anonymous letter, more than 65 workers alleged Velaski was complicit in fostering workplace abuse and toxicity. Velaski was longer employed by SVCF as of June, according to his LinkedIn profile.

Kimberley Myers Hewlett is joining SVCF as senior vice president for donor engagement, a new job role intended to help find ways for donors to make an impact on the issues they care about. She previously worked at Stanford University, where she worked as associate director of corporate relations for Stanford Medical Center, and earlier as project manager and director of alumni relations.

For the new senior vice president of IT position, the community foundation hired George Lin, a veteran corporate CIO who has held C-suite positions at Rambus, Dolby Laboratories, Advent Software, EMC and Documentum.

Chanthi Lune will be joining SVCF as its first-ever senior vice president of legal affairs. She comes with 15 years of experience, first working in private wealth management on Wall Street, and then pivoting to philanthropic efforts at law firms and nonprofits.

Last November, the SVCF announced it had hired Nicole Taylor to take the helm and replace Carson, who had headed the organization since its inception in 2006, when two charities merged. Upon joining the organization, Taylor pledged to begin a new chapter premised on better inclusivity and communication.

Mark Noack writes for the Mountain View Voice, the sister publication of PaloAltoOnline.com.

Mark Noack writes for the Mountain View Voice, the sister publication of PaloAltoOnline.com.

Mark Noack writes for the Mountain View Voice, the sister publication of PaloAltoOnline.com.

Mark Noack writes for the Mountain View Voice, the sister publication of PaloAltoOnline.com.

Mark Noack writes for the Mountain View Voice, the sister publication of PaloAltoOnline.com.