Sankaran Suresh
Nomination Information
Nominated by: Zakia Afrin – Manager, Client Advocacy Programs
Please summarize the reasons you are submitting this
nomination
I have known Suresh for the past few years as a community leader
and activist who is vocal on social justice issues including
domestic violence, Gun Control, LGBTQ rights, combatting
religious Caste based discrimination, Environmental rights as
connected to human rights and racism in all forms and shapes.
Describe this nominee’s participation in the
Partnership’s regional networks, policy committees, peer learning
circles and other components of our Membership
community
S Suresh has served as a member of Board of Trustees at Maitri
for few years and participated actively in issues important to
address domestic violence in general and within the Asian
community specifically . He has played an instrumental role at
preparing Maitri activities focused on bringing in men in the
conversation .
Tell us about the nominee’s professional skills in
finance, fundraising, government affairs, human resources
management, marketing and public relations
As a member of the Board of Trustees at Maitri S Suresh has
participated in fundraising, marketing and public relations for
the organization. He is active in Saratoga and surrounding
community local governments.
How does this nominee represent California’s rich
diversity? How might this person bring underrepresented voices
into the center of our work?
As a South Asian male, S Suresh not only represents the diversity
of California’s ethnic groups, but also stands out within the
domestic violence movement. With his activist background and
experience giving voice to survivors while bringing in the male
perspective in this social ill, he is a perfect match for this
position. Here is a collection of his writings on social
issues
http://shompens.com/gallery/1465436258307
https://www.fairobserver.com/author/sankaran-suresh/
Candidate Responses
On a scale from 1 to 10 (1=low, 10=high), how informed
are you about the Partnership’s mission and
strategies?
8
Please summarize the Partnership’s priorities as you
understand them.
CPEDV envisions a California that is free of domestic violence.
The Partnership aims to bring that vision to fruition by bringing
awareness and effecting policy changes, working in conjunction
with regional institutions across California focused on
addressing the problem of DV. The highest priority of the
organization is ending domestic violence. And to achieve that,
the partnership has adopted a route that prioritizes (in no
particular order of importance):
1. Prevention
2. Policy changes
3. Ensuring racial justice
4. Bringing awareness
Describe your leadership experience in business,
philanthropy, legal, government and nonprofit
sectors.
I have over 25 years of leadership experience, working as a
software executive in Informatica Corporation, a Silicon Valley
enterprise software company. I was managing and responsible for a
geographically distributed team of more than 600 engineers,
located in four continents. For three years, between 2006 & 2008,
I was also the Managing Director of the India center of the
company.
Since leaving that industry in 2015, I have pursued my interests
in writing and working with non-profit organizations. I was a
Board of Trustee at Maitri, a non-profit organization helping
survivors of DV in Santa Clara County for 3 years. In addition to
fundraising, I worked with the other board members in defining
the strategic direction of the organization.
I believe leadership is a quality that can be shown in anything
that a person does, and that it is not necessarily tied to
decision making as an executive. I recently worked with the Santa
Clara County Registrar of Voters, and as an election officer &
vote center lead. I was able to work with a diverse set of
individuals with different skills and expertise, getting the team
to come together in the running of a successful vote
center.
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.
For the past 6 years, I have spent lot of time critically
analyzing socio-economic and political issues and have
established myself as a reliable contributor at Fair Observer, a
crowdsourced multi-media journal. I have written more than 40
articles on a variety of topics, including racial justice, gender
equity, environmental consciousness, gun control, religious bias,
and more.
I am confident of being able to represent CPEDV and the work it
does in media very well. Specifically, I would be able to write
and submit thought pieces on the work the Partnership does and
the outcomes.
In addition to being a Board of Trustee at Maitri, I have also
volunteered my time with them to help in engaging men as part of
their outreach program. Engaging the youth, especially boys, and
ensuring that they understand the societal biases around gender
roles have to change is crucial in bringing awareness and
preventing the propagation of DV in future generations.
If I were to be elected, I hope to be able to work with specific
committees within CPEDV in these areas.
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 believe that giving has to come from the heart. I would help
the Partnership in promoting its work within my network of
friends. Active fundraising is not my forte, nor in my comfort
zone. That said, it my hope that the visibility that I can bring
to the problem of DV and the work CPEDV does to combat it will
help in the annual fundraising goals.
