Building on a distinguished career with the organization, Sara
Dronkers has been named the Chief Executive Officer for the Humboldt
Area Foundation + Wild Rivers Community Foundation following nine
months serving as the Acting Chief Operating Officer.
Dronkers.
“Sara’s deep-rooted relationships within our communities and
her extensive experience make her uniquely qualified to lead the
Foundation. She has been instrumental in fostering partnerships and
collaborations that have benefited our region. Her commitment to
listening and learning from our communities ensure that the
Foundation remains responsive to the needs and aspirations of those
we serve,” says David Finigan, HAF+WRCF Board Chair.
Dronkers has dedicated her career to the Foundation and community
with deep commitment. During her 23 years at HAF+WRCF, Dronkers has
been involved in all functions of the Foundation’s ongoing work and
stunning growth, from grantmaking to finance to donor development.
Most recently, she served as Chief Operating Officer since June 2024
and as Chief of Staff from 2020 to 2024.
Saulsbury.
During its March meeting, the Board of Directors elected Aristea
Saulsbury to join as its newest member. Currently Co-Executive
Director of the McKinleyville Family Resource Center, Saulsbury is
responsible for building connections between community members and
the agencies of The Center at McKinleyville, including facilitating
community meetings, educational sessions, and online engagement. She
was a racial equity consultant with the Foundation’s own Equity
Alliance of the North Coast and is a Co-Director for Stepping Stone
Consulting. Saulsbury also recently concluded service as a Board
Trustee for Northern Humboldt Union High School District.
“I am excited to be joining the Foundation’s Board of
Directors. As someone who has worked in local nonprofits since the
start of my career, I understand how important HAF+WRCF is to the
ecosystem of the region. I’m pleased to give back to an organization
that does so much,” says Saulsbury.
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About HAF+WRCF:
For five decades, the Humboldt Area Foundation—joined by the Wild
Rivers Community Foundation in 2004—has proudly served the counties
of Humboldt, Trinity and Del Norte in California, Curry County in
Southern Oregon, and the unceded lands of many Indigenous peoples.
Today, the Foundation acts as a single entity with a generational
vision and decade-long goals of supporting “Racial Equity, Thriving
Youth and Families, Healthy Ecosystems and Environments, and a Just
Economy and Economic Development.” Since 1972, the Foundation has
awarded more than $117 million in grants and scholarships from
hundreds of charitable funds established by generous individuals,
families and businesses in our community. The Foundation also
provided countless hours of technical assistance, advocacy and
convening throughout the region.
For
more information about HAF+WRCF, visit hafoundation.org
or call (707) 442-2993.
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