BY ALLISON KOZICHAROW; EDITED BY BERNICE BORN
WiRED International is pleased to announce Mark D. Kelleher’s election to its board of directors.
Mr. Kelleher said, “I’m delighted to join the WiRED International board, and honored to be asked. Through colleagues [at San Francisco State University (SF State)] who are already involved, I’ve been inspired to learn about the really distinctive ways that the organization’s volunteers and supporters substantively improve the lives of so many around the globe. I’m excited to contribute however needed!”
With over 25 years of experience, Mr. Kelleher both volunteers and professionally consults with large and small non-profit organizations to help expand resources, advocacy and community engagement, operational capacity and management effectiveness.
He is currently a senior associate with the international resource and organizational development firm BroderickHaight Consulting. Prior to this, he was associate vice president in charge of development for SF State for over 12 years, assisting faculty, university leadership and board members to increase fundraising. Before SF State, Mr. Kelleher worked with the University of California San Francisco’s (UCSF) health science, education and clinical programs for nearly a decade as a major gifts fundraiser, and a corporate and foundation relations director.
Mr. Kelleher holds a B.A. from Saint Anselm College in New Hampshire and a M.S. from Boston University in public relations. He and his husband, José Cisneros — who now serves as the elected treasurer of San Francisco — met after college nearly 30 years ago and then moved to the city. Mr. Kelleher’s concerns about the area’s marginalized populations led him to participate on the San Francisco Human Rights Commission and on the community advisory board for Strut San Francisco, a distinctively combined community center and health and wellness clinic. He has founded three book clubs over the years and spends time hiking in the Bay Area and cross-country skiing near Lake Tahoe. Mr. Kelleher proudly credits his grandmother for training him at age 16 to make “the perfect gin martini” for her fellow teacher friends.
Board member Charlotte Keegan Ferretti, R.N., Ed.D., nominated Mr. Kelleher, whom she worked with at both UCSF and SF State. She said, “Mark understands social justice issues and has been an advocate in both supporting faculty and improving the quality of life for at-risk communities. I believe he will be a pleasure to work with and will be a positive and active addition to the WiRED board.”