Board of Directors

INTERIM PRESIDENT

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. Rachel brings a range of professional experiences to the San Francisco Vegan Society (SFVS) Interim Board. Prior roles include fundraising, management consulting, and nonprofit leadership. As the former Executive Director of SEO Scholars San Francisco, a nonprofit education organization, she worked with her board to lead the organization through a turnaround. Rachel also served for six years on the board of a young independent school that was going through rapid change, including the professionalization of staffing and board operations. Currently, she works part-time for the Coalition for Healthy School Food, a national nonprofit organization dedicated to introducing healthier plant-based options in school cafeterias.

INTERIM VICE PRESIDENT

Ravinder is a Professor in the Department of Biology at San Francisco State University, where he teaches courses in parasitology and emerging infectious diseases. A committed vegan since 2004 and vegetarian for most of his life, he has been an active member of the San Francisco Vegetarian Society (SFVS) for over 20 years. His research focuses on the ecology of diseases in birds, including how deforestation impacts the prevalence and diversity of avian malaria in African rainforest birds. More recently, he has begun studying the effects of global climate change on the spread of avian malaria. With a Ph.D. in Cell Biology from UCSF, he applies molecular biology techniques to address major questions in disease emergence and conservation. Passionate about protecting all living beings, he integrates his research and teaching with efforts in conservation biology and animal advocacy. He is one of the co-leaders of the National Geographic Explorers California Hub, serves on the board of the Island Endemics Foundation, and is a core founding member of the Wildlife Malaria Network.

INTERIM TREASURER

JC is a SFVS lifetime member, who has served as Treasurer from 2005-2015 and organized World Vegan Festival for 10 years. He is a nonprofit accounting professional with extensive background in nonprofit finance and accounting. He has worked as the Accounting Manager at American Nonsmokers Rights Foundation since 2014. JC is passionate about saving human lives by promoting a healthy plant based diet and lifestyle. He also promotes compassionate and humane lifestyle and choices. He has been a vegetarian since 1983, vegan since 2020.

MEMBERSHIP DIRECTOR/INTERIM SECRETARY

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.

INTERIM EVENTS & COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR

Lina has been a lifelong animal lover and on-and-off vegetarian. During the 2020 pandemic lockdown, she realized going vegan was the only way to truly align her actions with her beliefs.  She believes all animals have the right to live regardless of what kind of animals they are. It is morally imperative to treat all animals with compassion and respect. She joined SFVS as a Silver member in October 2024.  Lina graduated from UC Davis and has worked in tech support for many technology startup organizations. She currently works and lives in El Cerrito with her 3 dogs and a mouse. Lina has volunteered for Berkeley Animal Services, Meals on Wheels, and most recently Anonymous for the Voiceless.