Candidate Responses

Self-Nominated

Please summarize the reasons you are submitting this nomination
After serving on the board for 3 years, I am just six months into my Treasurer role on the board and we as a BOD have just brought in a new Executive Director,  I’d like to see these responsibilities through.  In my time on the board, I have contributed to the Finance Committee, the Ad-hoc transition committee, responsible for hiring the interim Executive Director, and ushered in the charter Race, Power, and Privilege Committee. We have quite a few new board members and I feel my experience and leadership will serve the board of directors and the partnership well at this time. 

Describe this nominee’s participation in the Partnership’s regional networks, policy committees, peer learning circles and other components of our Membership community
I enjoy participating in the annual membership meeting, lobby day, and the Shifting the Lens Conference.  I also, occasionally work in collaboration with Mercedes Tune, the Partnership’s, Capacity Building Program Specialist to facilitate workshops for the Culturally Specific Collaborative and the Culturally Responsive Organization Survey (CROS)

Tell us about the nominee’s professional skills in finance, fundraising, government affairs, human resources management, marketing and public relations
Gayle is an accomplished Executive Leadership Coach and leadership development professional.  She brings 30 years of successful leadership experience across five industry sectors: Corporate, Tech, Faith, Non-Profit, Social Services to her coaching practice and leadership development firm, Guest-Brown Impact.  Gayle also holds a part-time contract position as a Senior Organizational Development Consultant in University of California at Davis’s Organizational Excellence department.  Gayle is also a recognized leader in consulting and educating leaders on diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging throughout UC Davis and beyond. Gayle has an MBA, (concentration in Finance and Marketing) and is an ICF-Professional Certified Coach (PCC).  Professional skills of value to this board are Leadership, financial acumen, fundraising, and human resources management.

Gayle’s Strengths Finder’s Top 5
            Woo
            Connectedness
            Relator
            Communication
            Achiever

How does this nominee represent California’s rich diversity? How might this person bring underrepresented voices into the center of our work?
My Value adds: I hold broad and diverse perspectives: DV Survivor, having seen the field as a victim seeking services, a volunteer peer counselor working with the Faith community, to working as an Executive Director at DV/SA community service provider and shelter, to serving on the Partnership board of directors.  I am a Black Women serving the community as a Safe Black Space Facilitator and a certified Emotional Emancipation Facilitator, holding space for healing racialized trauma.

On a scale from 1 to 10 (1=low, 10=high), how informed are you about the Partnership’s mission and strategies?
9

Please summarize the Partnership’s priorities as you understand them.
2020 brought significant challenges for DV programs.  The policy priorities outlined to us as board members were:
* Funding and program requirements
* Housing and homelessness
* Economic Justice
* Criminal Legal System
* Prevention
* Immigration

I do know the Partnership has taken a leadership stance on Racial Justice, Restorative Justice, humanizing and embracing those who have harmed.  They have normalized that language over perpetrators.  The Partnership is normalizing land acknowledgments in introductions as a subtle form of resisting oppression and embracing more liberatory practices.

The staff has integrated the TOC into the weekly practice of managing their affairs.

Describe your leadership experience in business, philanthropy, legal, government and nonprofit sectors.
I bring 30 years of successful leadership experience across five industry sectors: Corporate, Tech, Faith, Non-Profit, Social Services to her coaching practice and leadership development firm, Guest-Brown Impact. I also hold a part-time contract position as a Senior Organizational Development Consultant in the University of California at Davis’s Organizational Excellence department.  I am also a recognized leader in consulting and educating leaders on diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging throughout UC Davis and beyond. Gayle has an MBA, (concentration in Finance and Marketing) and is an ICF-Professional Certified Coach (PCC).  Professional skills of value to this board are Leadership, financial acumen, fundraising, and human resources management.

I have no philanthropic, legal, or government connections of note.  I have served in the non-profit field, architecting my church’s response to DV.  I took Peer Counselor training at WEAVE and led a ministry working with victims in the faith community and educating other churches on how to respond to DV for 12 years. Lastly, I served as an exec. director, at a DV/SA center and shelter for just under 4 years.

I currently also serve as a Safe Black Space facilitator, a community group of psychologists, therapists, and coaches, holding space for community healing of racialized stress and trauma.

Board members help to foster a positive image of the Partnership. Describe relationships you have with business leaders, policy-makers, media outlets, philanthropists and the broader community. Tell us how you intend to cultivate those relationships on behalf of the Partnership.
As a business owner, Pre-Covid 19,  I would frequent networking events, in so doing, I have the opportunity to mention the Partnership and its work when appropriate.

Living near Sacramento, I do have on occasion supported the partnership’s efforts at the State Capital and local rally’s at the Capital.

As the Treasurer, in that oversight role, I plan to ensure the partnership is upright in its financial stewardship of public funds.  This will of course contribute to the positive image the Partnership has already established.

Like other nonprofits, Partnership Board members are expected to raise funds on behalf of the organization. What will you do to help us meet our annual fundraising goal?
I will contribute annually and reach out to my social media platforms and support fundraising committee efforts.

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