RVC announces new co-executive directors, celebrating its shared leadership approach

Seattle—RVC named four employees as new co-executive directors today, taking its shared-leadership culture to the next level. The new co-executive directors are:

• Chris Rhodes will lead fundraising and communications strategy, public relations, and  donor stewardship. 
• Anbar Mahar Sheikh will lead internal organizational development, organization-wide coordination, organization-wide budgeting, and financial accountability. She will also continue to serve as Capacity-Building Lead in her remaining time.
• JoJo Gaon will lead community partnerships, advocacy, and legal & compliance. He’ll also continue to work with the Operations Support team.
• Roshni Sampath will lead national relationship-building, thought leadership, evolutionary purpose, and conflict resolution. And she’ll keep doing capacity-building with our partners.

“RVC was formed to disrupt systems and traditional ways of doing things that have been harmful to communities of color. One of our strengths lies in having multiple strong leaders who really know our communities, our operations, and our vision,” says Chris Rhodes, new co-executive director. “We are thrilled to elevate skilled leaders in our own organization while modeling a more sustainable approach to governance.”

RVC’s interim executive director Ananda Valenzuela will continue through December to support the transition. Valenzuela took on the role after RVC founder Vu Le retired in 2019.

“We are incredibly grateful to Ananda Valenzuela who has been a skilled and prepared leader during an organizational rebrand, a pandemic, and a racial reckoning. RVC continues to realize our vision of having a network of nonprofit professionals of color who are changing the sector to better represent our communities,” says RVC Board Co-Chair Regina Elmi.

RVC started as a nonprofit in 2015, to transform leadership through leadership-development fellowships for people of color in the Seattle area. After years of working together, community partners asked RVC to co-design more services which include operations support to community-based organizations, peer-learning opportunities for leaders, and coalition building. 

Today RVC partners with over 40 non-profits providing technical support that spans human resources, finance, IT, and strategic planning. RVC also builds leaders of color through its leadership network.

About RVC
RVC, formerly known as Rainier Valley Corps, cultivates leaders of color, strengthens organizations led by communities of color, and fosters collaboration between diverse communities. Learn about us at rvcseattle.org.

Contact
Rhenda Meiser, 206-465-9532, [email protected]