Filoli Appoints New Board Members
January 15, 2025, Woodside, CA – Filoli is delighted to announce the appointment of their newest members to its 2025 Board of Directors: Michelle Chang, Max Cuellar, Maggie Hazelrig, Melanie Hoefer, Leslie Witt, and Victor M. Marquez. With this new slate of leaders, Filoli is poised to embark on an exciting new chapter of growth and innovation, reinforcing its role as a vital cultural community within the Bay Area.
“Filoli is more than a word; it’s an experience that brings people together through beauty, history, and nature,” said David Wessel, the 2025 Board Chair. “Our new Board Members embody this spirit, bringing fresh perspectives and valuable expertise to help us shape Filoli’s future. Their leadership will ensure that Filoli continues to grow and evolve, meeting the needs of our diverse and ever-changing community.”
Filoli’s Board of Directors is committed to preserving the estate’s rich history while creating new opportunities for community engagement through beauty, nature, and shared stories. The 2025 Board brings together an extraordinary mix of industry leaders, united by a shared passion for Filoli’s mission. The search for new Board Members was conducted in partnership with the Potrero Group, ensuring an equitable and comprehensive process that brought forward individuals with diverse experiences, perspectives, and talents.
As Filoli looks ahead to 2025, the organization celebrates key accomplishments from the past year, including the launch of the Filoli Podcast and Filoli App, the opening of the Lamchin Interpretive Center for educational programs, the debut of the scenic Spring Creek Trail, a major renovation of the historic Ballroom, and the expansion of Nightfall, Filoli’s signature Halloween event that drew record-breaking attendance.
“We are thrilled to welcome this talented group of new Board Members who represent the vibrant and diverse communities that Filoli serves,” said Filoli’s President & CEO, Kara Newport. “A commitment to equity and inclusion guided our search process. We sought leaders who will help us navigate Filoli’s future growth while remaining deeply connected to our mission. With their guidance, we are creating an environment where all visitors can connect with beauty, nature, and shared stories. This marks an exciting new chapter for Filoli, and I look forward to all we will accomplish together.“
The 2025 Board of Directors is led by David Wessel, an architectural conservator who oversees the repair and restoration of historic resources. Other Board Officers include Carol Moran, Past Chair; Sydney Si Ning Leung, Vice Chair; Pulin Sanghvi, Secretary; and Melissa Lopez, Treasurer.
Welcome New Board Members
Michelle Chang
Michelle Chang is a seasoned product executive with experience spanning technology, consulting, and non-profit organizations. At Strava, she runs the product team responsible for building safety features that instill a positive, empowered, and trustworthy experience to help people live their best active lives. For nearly a decade at Google, Michelle built and ran the global team responsible for Google Search, Shopping, and AI policies. Prior to that, Michelle worked in public radio and management consulting. A Bay Area native, Michelle holds a Masters of Public Policy from U.C. Berkeley and a B.S. from Cornell University. She has served on the Board of Directors of U.C. Berkeley’s Goldman School of Public Policy, and is an assistant girls coach for the Woodside Beasts, a Peninsula-based National Interscholastic Cycling Association mountain biking team. Michelle lives on the Peninsula with her husband and two children and enjoys mountain sports, strong coffee, non-fiction books, and the great outdoors.
Max Cuellar
Max Cuellar is a Global Technology Operating Executive specializing in Sales, Marketing, and Data. With 20+ years of experience, he has restructured companies and built growth strategies. Currently at Adobe, Max previously served as Hewlett Packard Enterprise’s first Chief Data Officer and has held various executive roles at HPE and HP. Max also served as a Partner at Booz & Company, advising on technology, retail, and consumer firms, driving significant growth. A Harvard graduate with an MBA and BA, Max is a lead director for the Silicon Valley Community Foundation and previously served on various boards. Passionate about community, he enjoys diving, exploring the American West with his two children, cooking, and investing in local businesses.
Maggie Hazelrig
Maggie Hazelrig is a seasoned executive recruiting and talent advisory leader with a passion for community engagement and the preservation of and connection to historical spaces. Her leadership experience spans various roles, including building high-performing teams and advising organizations on executive talent strategy, particularly across the ever-evolving landscape of tech. A dedicated advocate for women’s health, education, and the arts, Maggie has served on the Advisory Boards of Dress for Success Bay Area and the San Francisco Symphony Symphonix Board. Deeply committed to community service, she sits on the Boards of the 2×4 Foundation and the Child & Family Institute. Beyond her professional endeavors, Maggie is an active volunteer and mentor, committed to fostering individual growth and creating positive change. A Bay Area native and alumna of Castilleja School, she holds a degree in Political Science, Business, and French from the University of Southern California. Maggie resides in Menlo Park with her husband, two young sons, and their beloved husky-corgi mix, Hamilton.
Melanie Bonham Hoefer
Melanie Bonham Hoefer is a graduate of the University of Texas at Austin with a career in sales and business development spanning over 30 years. She has worked in promotional product sales for Fortune 500 companies, product placement in the media, and served as the head of business development for a beauty-on-demand startup. Among the many charitable organizations she has supported, she most recently completed her term on the Mills Peninsula Hospital Foundation board. Whether forming key partnerships, organizing memorable events, or leading successful fundraisers, Melanie is passionate about creating meaningful connections and making an impact. In her free time, she enjoys golfing with her husband, playing bridge, and hitting the slopes.
Victor M. Marquez
Victor M. Marquez is a partner at Intelink Law Group, focusing on real estate transactions, land use, commercial litigation, state and local government relations, regulatory work and cross-border sourcing, and international trade in Mexico, the U.S. and Canada. He is Vice-President (U.S.) and Chief Legal Officer for the Canada-US-Mexico International Chamber of Commerce (“CUSMEX”). He serves as a Governor on the American Bar Association’s Board of Governors. He also served as a former National President of the Hispanic National Bar Association and was the first openly LGBTQ+ member to serve in this role in the history of the organization.
Leslie Witt
Leslie Witt is a product and design leader with deep expertise in shaping strategies that drive growth, scalability, and innovation across diverse markets and industries, most recently as the Chief Product Officer at Headspace. She excels in crafting exceptional user experiences. Leslie is adept at navigating complex ecosystems, developing new offerings, and scaling operations in fast-growing markets.
Her strengths include financial strategy, customer-centered design, and organizational growth, with experience spanning financial services, wellness, retail, and healthcare. Leslie’s background as an architect and educator informs her creative and analytical problem-solving approach. Outside of work, she enjoys cooking, gardening, and playing piano with her twins.
For more detailed information about the 2025 Board of Directors, please visit filoli.org/board.
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Contact
Miriam Cohen
Filoli Historic House & Garden
mcohen@filoli.org / press@filoli.org
86 Cañada Road
Woodside, CA 94062
650.364.8300 / 626.726.7507
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About Filoli
Filoli, (Pronunciation: F ī / Lō / Lē) is a vibrant landscape of the Bay Area, situated on the unceded ancestral lands of the Ramaytush Ohlone in Woodside, California. The estate boasts 654 acres of beauty nestled along the slopes of California’s coastal range. Originally built as a private residence in 1917, Filoli was opened to the public in 1975 as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization and site of the National Trust for Historic Preservation. The property is considered one of the finest remaining country estates of the 20th century, featuring a 54,000+ square-foot Georgian revival-style mansion, 16 acres of exquisite English Renaissance gardens, a 6.8-acre Gentleman’s Orchard, and hundreds of acres of Natural Lands with six distinct ecosystems and two trail loops. Open 363 days a year, Filoli is just 30 minutes south of San Francisco.