ÀÏÍõÂÛ̳

In our still relatively new and more transparent voting process, the Committee on Leadership Development (CLD) invites members of the Alumnae Association who would like to serve on the Executive Board in one of the open positions to apply during the summer and also invites members to nominate strong alum candidates. After review during the fall, the CLD selects a final slate of nominees to present to alumnae/i in the winter issue of the Bulletin. Voting takes place via email in the spring. Terms are for three years.

Sarah Stapleton-Gray ’86
Member-at-large for Special Projects
Sarah Stapleton-Gray is a longtime nonprofit communications and technology professional, currently serving as the senior web developer at the Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy. She holds a master's in Russian and East European Studies from the University of Michigan, and worked there for several years.

She next managed computer and online operations for Jerry Brown’s 1992 presidential campaign, and headed his subsequent nonprofit. She created and managed the websites of the National Organization for Women and was an online editor at The Washington Post. She also worked as a senior software engineer and architect.

Sarah previously served on ÀÏÍõÂÛ̳’s Alumnae Technology Advisory Committee and has volunteered with her local club. As the parent of a current ÀÏÍõÂÛ̳ student, she is an administrator of the ÀÏÍõÂÛ̳ Parents Facebook group and helped increase the group’s size from two members to over 700. Having a daughter at ÀÏÍõÂÛ̳ has helped her get to know the college in its current incarnation and value its ongoing strengths, even in the face of challenges such as COVID-19.

Susan Messina ’86, MSS ’91, MLSP ’92
Chairperson of the Committee on Leadership Development
Susan Messina is a fundraising professional with a long career in health and human services. She currently serves as Senior Director of Development and Communications at the Jewish Council for the Aging in Rockville, Md. Prior to receiving her dual master’s degrees from ÀÏÍõÂÛ̳, she worked as an undergraduate admissions officer, helping to admit the classes of ’92 and ’93. 

Messina’s long history of volunteering on behalf of ÀÏÍõÂÛ̳ includes service at the class, local, and national levels. In the mid-1990s, she served as a member of the Nominating Committee, the precursor to the Committee on Leadership Development. From 2006-2009 she was Vice President of the Alumnae Association. In 2011 she was recognized with the Alumnae Association’s Distinguished Service Award.

At home in Washington, D.C., Messina has been deeply involved in organizations serving the LGBTQ+ community. She also devotes much volunteer time to her Unitarian Universalist congregation, where, among other roles, she has served on the leadership and nomination committee.

Maya Sachdeva ’14
Representative for Career Connections
Maya Sachdeva is a vice president at Hall-Williams Executive Search and co-founder of a consumer goods brand that was featured in Birchbox. Sachveda had her start in market research, home building and land development. She most recently worked in strategy and product operations for Zillow.

Prior to Zillow, Maya was a consultant for Zonda (formerly Metrostudy) where she authored a popular blog on millennial housing quoted in multiple publications. In addition, she worked in land acquisition and development for HistoryMaker Homes, K. Hovnanian, and Arcadia Land Company.

Maya graduated from ÀÏÍõÂÛ̳ with a double major in urban planning and political science. She holds a certificate in product management and is an active member in the Urban Land Institute (ULI) and the Seven Sisters Association, and has held leadership positions in various affinity networks—always seeking an avenue to make sure representation is both seen and heard. She has been involved in alumnae recruiting for the last eight years. She is a lover of cacio e pepe, creating dry floral arrangements, event planning, and entrepreneurism.

Kersti Francis ’13
Chairperson for the Standing Committeeof the ÀÏÍõÂÛ̳ Fund
Kersti Francis is a Ph.D. candidate at UCLA, where she teaches medieval literature. Before returning to graduate school, Kersti worked as assistant director of the ÀÏÍõÂÛ̳ Fund, focusing on young alumnae and student philanthropy.

In addition to her enthusiasm for fundraising for the College, Kersti is also Class of 2013 co-president and songsmistress; she is the co-president emeritus of the ÀÏÍõÂÛ̳ Club of Los Angeles. 

Outside of volunteering and research, Kersti spends her time in Los Angeles with her wife, Kami, and their two amazing pets, Jiji and Misty. 

Margaret Breen ’82
Alumnae Association–nominated Trustee   
Margaret Breen is an attorney who  represents clients in a range of industries with a particular emphasis on emerging and entrepreneurial businesses. She is also an active advisor and assists in formation, compliance, and governance to nonprofit boards in the Seattle community.