Board of Directors

CO-PRESIDENT

Hilary was born and raised in San Francisco. After graduating from St. Mary’s College, she became a flight attendant for Delta Airlines and has traveled the world for over 36 years. In 2018, she created Deliciously Vegan SF to share the tastiest vegan cupcakes, cakes & pastries with everyone. Making a name for herself in San Francisco & beyond, she continues to encourage people to experience delicious foods while living with compassion for animals & the planet. Hilary joined the SFVS board in 2022 and became VP in 2023.

CO-PRESIDENT

Laine grew up in the Bay Area, went veg during high school, and has been vegan for about a decade. She’s been an advocate for underdogs since childhood, which led to pursuing a psychology degree and a minor in criminal justice. Since then, she has been working in social services in Northern California, advocating for LGBTQIA+ rights, those affected by mental illness, substance issues, homelessness, domestic violence and human trafficking. She loves concerts, making multimedia art and clothes, animal activism, everything Halloween, sharing her love of baking, and road trips to vegan destinations.

SECRETARY/TREASURER

Rachel was born and raised in Northeast England in a family passionate about growing vegetables and eating healthy. Getting diagnosed with a rare autoimmune condition in 2009 led Rachel to adopt a whole-foods, plant-based diet and to build a career in the plant-based world. Additionally, Rachel is a member of the first cohort of Food Revolution Network’s Plant-Based Coaching Certification program. Rachel holds an MBA and Masters of Education from Stanford University and a BA/MA degree in Natural Sciences from Cambridge University, UK.

BOARD MEMBER

Erwin was inspired to go plant-based when his weight loss hit a standstill and has been vegan since 2017. Soon after going vegan, Erwin began working for Chef Reina and met many members of the local vegan community. He worked at her current location in Brisbane until he decided to follow his passion focusing on his own businesses - one teaching Filipino martial arts and one creating designs for t-shirts and accessories, often with a vegan and/or Bay Area theme..

MEMBERSHIP DIRECTOR

Melinda has been an active and contributing SFVS member for over 25 years. As Membership Director, she welcomes everyone from the veg-curious to the committed vegan to our organization. Melinda is a native Californian and Bay Area resident. She grows her own vegetables in a community garden and works with the Tibetan community at Shangri-La Restaurant in Oakland. She graduated from UC Berkeley with a B.A. in Social Sciences.

BOARD MEMBER

Tamiko, aka Plant Based Vegan Sistah, found her passion in sharing her vegan story with others. She’s excited when someone tries plant based eating “one plate at a time”. She believes everyone is on their own journey and should enjoy every step forward. Tamiko became vegetarian over 30 years ago and has been vegan since 2016. She focuses on helping woman of color start lifestyle changes to fight diseases that disproportionately affect their community.