News

Seasoned Business and Community Leaders Bring Broad Range of Financial,  Operational, and Community-Engagement Expertise to Nonprofit Team 

WOODSIDE, Calif., February 13, 2020 — Filoli Historic House and Garden, a site  of the National Trust for Historic Preservation and one of the last country estates  reminiscent of the Gilded Age, today announced new appointments to its board of  directors for 2020. Responsible for the governance and support of Filoli as a 501(c)(3)  nonprofit organization, the board of directors is comprised of individuals from the local  area that are committed to Filoli’s mission of connecting our rich history with a vibrant  future through beauty, nature, and shared stories. David Wollenberg, who served as vice  president of the board last year, will serve as president this year. New members of the  board this year are Jaleh Daie, Robert Nibbi, Michael Smith, and Alan Zafran. 

“Filoli is an oasis of peace and beauty, which is ever more important as the Bay Area  grows more crowded,” said David Wollenberg. “I am honored to become president of  Filoli’s board of directors and to welcome Jaleh, Bob, Michael, and Alan as members of  the board. I’m also pleased to announce that Filoli’s board executive team for this year  will be Carolyn Daley as past president, Carol Moran as vice president, Don DeFever as  secretary, and Ron Peyton as treasurer.”

David Wollenberg will take over the role of president from Carolyn Daley, who will  continue to serve on the board in the role of past president. He has  been a member of the Filoli Board of Directors since January  

2012. A resident of Atherton, Wollenberg currently serves as a  

director emeritus of Rebuilding Together Peninsula and a member  of the Stanford Live Arts Council. He also serves on the board of  

the Menlo Park Police Foundation and is managing trustee of The  

Wollenberg Foundation. 

Dr. Jaleh Daie is a multidimensional executive with wide-ranging experience in  private and public sectors. As a Women in Tech Hall-of-Famer,  

global speaker, investor, board director, advisor, and noted  

academic biologist, she has served the administrations of three  

presidents, worked in eight countries, and received numerous  

awards and distinctions. Daie is currently a partner at Aurora  

Equity and chair of AgFood Tech at Band of Angels. She has served  on several boards including Asia Society Northern California, the Commonwealth Club,  the World Food Programme Innovation Accelerator, and other nonprofit organizations. 

“It was love at first sight,” said Daie of the first time she visited Filoli. “I felt the  vibrations at a molecular level—in my DNA.” 

Robert Nibbi is president of Nibbi Brothers General Contractors, a San Francisco based commercial construction firm founded by Nibbi’s grandfather  in 1950. Nibbi and his brother Michael represent the third  

generation of company management whose notable projects include  the Exploratorium at Pier 15 and the Cliff House restaurant. A  

former board president of Rebuilding Together Peninsula and  

Family House, Nibbi is currently a trustee on the Carpenters  

Vacation Trust Fund. He and his wife Meg live in Woodside and have three children. 

“My family and I have enjoyed the beauty of Filoli for many years, and I’m honored to be  selected to join the board,” said Nibbi. “I look forward to participating in some of the  many exciting initiatives that are underway to make Filoli even better, now and into the  future.” 

Michael Smith is the founder and CEO of E&I Advisors, a boutique management  consulting firm focused on delivering operating and go-to-market  

strategy for small and medium-sized technology companies that are  struggling to meet their revenue goals. Smith currently serves as an  advisor at digital health concierge SAMI-Aid and at VOCA, maker of  a civic engagement platform; previous business experience includes  roles at American Express, PwC, and Samsung. He also teaches  

courses in entrepreneurship, business law, and strategy as an adjunct professor at  Cañada College. Smith lives in Redwood City, where he also serves as a planning  commissioner and co-chair of the Palm Park Neighborhood. 

“Filoli is a refuge in the midst of the hustle and bustle of the Bay Area in the digital age,”  said Smith. “I’m focused on sharing this respite to all communities throughout the Bay Area, the nation, and the world.” 

Alan Zafran is founding partner and co-CEO of IEQ Capital who has served as a  financial advisor to wealthy families and institutional investors for  nearly three decades. He also sits on the Investment Committee at  

IEQ Capital. Zafran was listed by Barron’s as a Top 100  

Independent Advisor in 2014 and 2016 and a Top 100 Financial  

Advisor in 2018 and 2019. A resident of Atherton, Zafran currently  serves on the boards of the Center for Mathematics and Teaching,  

Craft Contemporary, the Shuchman Lesser Foundation, the Silicon Valley Community  Foundation, and Taube Philanthropies. He also serves on the Investment Committee for  the Board of Trustees of the Portola Valley School Foundation Endowment and actively  supports a number of other nonprofit organizations. 

“My parents, wife, in-laws, children, friends, and I have all enjoyed the beauty and aura  of Filoli for the past several decades,” said Zafran. “Indeed, Filoli always comes to mind  when out-of-town guests visit. I look forward to fostering a greater sense of community  pride and civic engagement with this magical venue.” 

“We look forward to working closely with this amazing group of community leaders,”  said Kara Newport, Chief Executive Officer at Filoli. “We rely heavily on their experience  and expertise to guide the organization in achieving greater levels of public engagement and inclusivity, sustainability, organizational excellence, and innovation. We welcome  all our board members to another exciting and productive year at Filoli.” 

Filoli 2020 Board of Directors  

Executive Team 

David Wollenberg, President Carolyn Daley, Past President Carol Moran, Vice President 

Board Members 

Donna Colson 

Jaleh Daie 

Jeff Deaton 

Robert Fountain 

Sapna Marfatia 

Robert Nibbi 

Willem Racké 

Ana Roth 

Barbara Seipp 

Michael A. Smith 

Kathy Trafton 

Don DeFever, Secretary 

Ron Peyton, Treasurer 

David Wessel 

Mary White 

Leslie Witt 

Jeff Yoder 

Nancy Young 

Alan Zafran 

Laura Simonds (Friends of Filoli Representative) 

Brian Turner (National Trust for Historic  Preservation Representative) 

Kara Newport (Chief Executive Officer of  Filoli Center)

For more detailed information about the executive team and other members of the Filoli  2020 Board of Directors, please visit: www.filoli.org/visit/leadership.  

About Filoli 

Located south of San Francisco in Woodside, California, Filoli boasts 654 acres of  beauty nestled along the slopes of California’s coastal range. Originally built as a private  residence in 1917, Filoli was open to the public in 1976 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 a nature preserve with over  seven miles of hiking trails. Filoli is dedicated to connecting our rich history with a  vibrant future through beauty, nature, and shared stories, so that one day all people will  honor nature, value unique experiences, and appreciate beauty in everyday life. For  more information about Filoli, visit www.filoli.org. 

Contact: 

Filoli Historic House & Garden 

86 Cañada Road 

Woodside, CA 94062 

(650) 364-8300 

press@filoli.org