Our Leadership

Brad Erickson

Brad Erickson, Ph.D. (UC Berkeley, Socio-Cultural Anthropology 2008), is an activist-educator investigating the intersections of policy, public reasoning, cultural practice, and history to perpetuate or resist inequality.

He is Lecturer Faculty in Liberal Studies at San Francisco State University where he is President of the California Faculty Association Local 1983, Executive Committee member of the Academic Senate, Chair of the Center for Equity & Excellence in Teaching and Learning advisory committee, and active in Oakland politics where he researches the racial geographies of gentrification and resistance.

He serves as a contributing editor of Transforming Anthropology: Journal of the Association of Black Anthropologists.

Kate Myers

Kate Myers is an experienced and strategic leader with deep experience in non-profit organizations. She is an independent consultant, coach and advisor for leaders, teams and local news organizations, supporting them through business and cultural transformation.

Most of Kate’s career has been spent in the media and journalism space. Most recently, she has served as interim CEO at The Markup and the Center for Public Integrity, two storied investigative journalism organizations.

Prior to that she was the Executive Director for First Look Institute, home of the documentary studio Field of Vision and the investigative news outlet The Intercept. She also spent 8 years in various roles at National Public Radio. Kate has an MBA from the University of Virginia.

Meggie Ghidella- Duran

Meggie Ghidella-Duran is a seasoned senior lawyer deeply committed to restorative justice. With extensive legal expertise, she has advocated for asylum seekers, non-profit organizations, and BIPOC-owned small businesses. Currently serving as legal counsel for Juniper Networks, Meggie is known for her diverse background in technology and fintech sectors.

Meggie excels in collaboration, cross-functional team leadership, and providing practical legal advice. Her career includes serving as head of Human Resources for Golden Gate Fields and supporting Santa Anita Park, along with roles as lead global employment counsel for technology and financial services companies.

Meggie’s dedication to making a difference is evident through her volunteer work as a West African Country Monitor and as a search and rescue team member for the Contra Costa County Sheriff’s office. She has received accolades, including the Merlion Award and the Silicon Valley Business Journal Corporate Counsel of the Year Award.

Meggie Ghidella-Duran’s commitment to restorative justice initiatives and her legal expertise make her an ideal board member, poised to bring positive change to any organization focused on restorative justice.

Derek Fenner

Dr. Derek Fenner is an artist, educator, researcher, and writer in the Carolinas. He earned his MFA in writing and poetics from the Jack Kerouac School of Disembodied Poetics at Naropa University. After a decade of experience as an art educator and administrator in the Massachusetts juvenile justice system, he completed an MA and an Ed.D in educational leadership from Mills College.

With over 20 years of experience in K-12 schools, his research interests include youth participatory action research as pedagogy, integrated thinking and learning, juvenile justice education, decolonizing methodologies, and arts-based research. He is an assistant professor and director of art education at the University of South Carolina Upstate, where he also curates the FOCUS Gallery.