Board of Directors

PRESIDENT

Christy has served as President of SFVS since 2019, She has been in the animal protection movement for over 30 years. She went vegan in 2003 after 12 years of vegetarianism. Before joining the SFVS Board, Christy had tabled at most of the World Vegan Fests since 2003 for various organizations, including People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, In Defense of Animals, Farm Sanctuary, Animal Place, and California Congress for Animals. Christy also works for Kinship Circle, Duo Duo Project, and she has her own business providing in-home companion animal care.

VICE 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.

SECRETARY/TREASURER

Deedra has been vegan since 2005 and was vegetarian for 7 years prior to that. She has worked for People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals and the PETA Foundation since 2005, primarily in the areas of fundraising and major gifts. She is an East Bay native, currently living in Oakland. She graduated from UC Santa Cruz with degrees in Environmental Studies & Sociology.

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

Bob became a vegan in 2011. He is the Development Director for In Defense of Animals. Bob’s experience as an engineer, military veteran, and graduate of Naval Nuclear Power School, paired with his lifelong love of animals, has helped him develop a distinct set of skills allowing engagement with efficiency and compassion with an emphasis on data-driven processes and analytics. Bob is an avid hockey fan and plays for the Gang Green team based at the Oakland Ice Center.

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.

BOARD MEMBER

Ravinder is a professor in the Department of Biology at San Francisco State where he teaches courses in parasitology and emerging infectious diseases. With a PhD in cell biology from UCSF, he takes advantage of current advances in molecular biology to address the larger questions in disease emergence. Through research and teaching, he strives to make an impact in conservation biology. He has been vegan and an activist since 2004. Ravinder grew up in Palo Alto but lived in Sweden for several years. Ravinder is also an accomplished musician, playing bassoon and piano.

BOARD MEMBER

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..

BOARD MEMBER

Laine grew up in the Bay Area, went veggie 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.