Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes: A Conversation and Celebration with New and Former CEOs

Óscar Chávez possesses a deep passion for building strong and resilient communities, focusing on enhancing the lives of vulnerable individuals in Sonoma County. With over 25 years of experience as a community leader, Óscar demonstrates a profound understanding of Sonoma County and a proven ability to convene diverse groups to find solutions to local issues.

As President and CEO of Community Foundation Sonoma County, Óscar spearheads the foundation's community leadership initiatives, such as the Sonoma County Resilience Fund. This fund has granted more than $17 million for disaster relief since 2017, addressing significant events like wildfires and the coronavirus pandemic. Beyond disaster response, Community Foundation Sonoma County offers local expertise and legacy inspiration and planning to Sonoma County’s most generous donors, guiding them to become more impactful philanthropists.

Throughout his extensive career in community leadership, Óscar has held notable positions including a decade at the Sonoma County Department of Human Services as Assistant Director, and six years as the Executive Director for Community Action Partnership Sonoma County.
As a first-generation Mexican-American who hails from California’s Central Valley, Óscar earned his BA in Political Science from California State University, Bakersfield. He is also a past winner of the North Bay Business Journal’s 40 Under 40, and the Sonoma County Jefferson Award for Public Service for Excellence in Community Leadership and Civic Engagement.

As Executive Director, Angie collaborates with the board, supports the team, and aligns Skyline’s practices with the foundation’s vision and values.

Angie has a Master of Public Policy from UC Berkeley and a Bachelor of Environmental Science and Public Policy from Harvard University. Most recently, she was Director of Programs at the Libra Foundation, where she managed grantmaking, communications, and funder organizing to shift resources and build power in communities that experience the greatest impacts of systemic oppression. Prior, Angie held grantmaking roles at multiple foundations and co-founded and led a national funder collaborative. She has volunteered with nonprofit and philanthropic organizations locally and nationally, and she currently serves on the board of Asian Pacific Environmental Network (APEN). Before working in philanthropy, Angie was a fundraiser for a community-based organization.

A Bay Area local, Angie loves the outdoors, and she is happiest on a foggy beach or surrounded by tall trees. She lives in San Francisco with her family.

Mia Birdsong is a pathfinder, author, and facilitator who steadily engages the leadership and wisdom of people experiencing injustice to chart new visions of American life. She has a gift for making visible and leveraging the brilliance of everyday people so that our collective gifts reach larger spheres of influence, cultural and political change, and create wellbeing for all of us.

Mia is the founding Executive Director of Next River, an institute for practicing the future. Through Next River, Mia is moving conversations, culture, and resources to nourish the people and communities whose ways of being, doing, and relating can move us toward a liberated future. In her book How We Show Up: Reclaiming Family, Friendship, and Community (Hachette, 2020), Mia maps swaths of community life and points us toward the promise of our collective vitality. In “More Than Enough,” her podcast miniseries from The Nation, she expands the guaranteed income movement by tapping into the voices and visions of low-income people. 

Believing that, taken collectively, we are the guides we most need, Mia has made an art out of inviting people into rich explorations of how we map paths forward. Her writing, interviews, and public conversations draw targeted attention to the stories of people who are finding their way despite myriad barriers. Mia helps audiences understand and embrace radical frameworks on things like freedom, deservedness, and interdependence. 

Mia is a Senior Fellow of the Economic Security Project, a Future Good Fellow at Institute For the Future and an inaugural Ascend Fellow of The Aspen Institute. She lives in Oakland California on the occupied land of the Chochenyo Ohlone people.

Bia Vieira is CEO of Women’s Foundation California, where she leads the Foundation’s work to advance gender, racial, and economic justice. The Foundation’s program strategy is focused on building community-based power through investing in nonprofit organizations, training community leaders in policy advocacy, connecting key partners, and mobilizing significant financial resources. Prior to being appointed CEO in 2023, Bia served the Foundation for 5 years as Chief Strategist ensuring that the work of the Foundation is integrated, aligned, and impactful. She has served the non-profit and philanthropic sectors for more than 20 years including senior-level positions at the Philadelphia Community Foundation and Grantmakers Concerned with Immigrants and Refugees. Originally from Brazil, she is a longtime activist in women’s, LGBTQI, Latine, immigrant, and arts and culture issues. Fluent in English, Spanish and Portuguese, Bia holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Spanish and Anthropology and a Master’s Degree in Literature and Linguistics, both from Temple University. She currently serves on the boards of Funders for Reproductive Equity and the Solidaire Network. She is a recognized expert on culture change and gender, racial, and economic justice issues and is a frequent commentator on the power of women’s philanthropy.