Board of Directors

Cindy Chavez, Building Partnerships USA
Elly Matsumura, Building Partnerships USA
Anthony Thigpenn, S.C.O.P.E.
Andrea van den Heever, C.C.N.E.
 

Cindy Chavez
Executive Director
 

Cindy Chavez is the Executive Director of Building Partnerships USA. Chavez’ work as an elected official and community and labor leader in San Jose has been marked by her ability to build new collaborations to create innovative policy.

She served for eight years as a member of the San José City Council, the last two as Vice Mayor. As a full time elected representative, she maintained a reputation as an advocate for improving the quality of life in neighborhoods throughout San Jose. She was a leader in developing cutting-edge community based programs to address crime, education, small business development and neighborhood revitalization.

Elected in 1998 and re-elected in 2002, her term was distinguished by implementing goals to make every neighborhood safe and enhancing opportunities for residents and providing guidance on improving city government's service to them.

Recognizing the need for increased community-based improvements, Chavez continued to be a leading force behind allocating more Redevelopment Agency funds towards enhancing San Jose's older neighborhoods.

After her time on the City Council, Chavez founded and was principal of California Leadership Services, offering clients comprehensive and diversified consulting services issues such as government relations, organizational development and nonprofit management.

Chavez has been the recipient of numerous awards and honors including Leader in Residence at her alma mater, San Jose State University; a research fellowship with the University of California, Santa Cruz's Center for Global International & Regional Studies; Silicon Valley Business Journal's Influential Women in Business, 2004; Martin Luther King Jr., Freedom Award, 2002; Silicon Valley Woman of Achievement, 1997; Outstanding Women of Silicon Valley, 1996; Blue Cross of California Achievement Award, 2006; City Year, Team Hero and Moccasin Awards, 2003, 2004; Housing Backbone Award from the Silicon Valley Leadership Group, 2005. She has served on numerous non-profit boards and is a Senior Fellow of the American Leadership Forum.

Staff

Elly Matsumura, Associate Director

Elly Matsumura joined Building Partnerships USA in 2008, bringing a background in civic engagement, leadership development for diverse communities and program direction from her prior experience at Working Partnerships USA (WPUSA) and the Coro Center for Civic Leadership -- Northern California. At WPUSA, she redesigned and ran the organization's flagship Leadership Institute, the model for BP's Civic Leadership Institutes, and started its Leadership Network. She also oversaw interfaith organizing and staff development. With BP, she has designed and piloted two new programs, Values-Based Leadership and Leading a New Way. She has partnered with organizations in four metropolitan regions on projects to develop leaders and advance civic engagement. She is responsible for BP's grant-writing and operations as well. Matsumura earned her Bachelor’s from Stanford University in Feminist Studies with a concentration on multicultural perspectives on gender and then completed the Coro Fellows Program in Public Affairs. She has served on the Boards of Directors of Clergy and Laity United for Economic Justice of California, Stanford's LGBT alumni association and the Earned Assets Resource Network.

Elisa Koff-Ginsborg, Program Manager

Elisa Koff-Ginsborg joined Building Partnerships USA in September 2010. She brings ten years of nonprofit management experience, having previously worked at EHC LifeBuilders. Previously she served as Interim Executive Director and Development Director of Social Advocates for Youth. For eight years, Koff-Ginsborg was a Youth Policy Analyst for the United States Department of Health and Human Services. She has also worked as a Presidential Management Intern and for United States Senator Paul Simon of Illinois. Koff-Ginsborg has a bachelor’s degree in Policy Studies and Political Science from Syracuse University, a master’s in Political Science from the Eagleton Institute at Rutgers University and a Master of Social Work from Catholic University of America.