Board of Directors
Sheryl Klein
Board Chair
Sheryl Klein is the first Chief Operating Officer at Alta Housing, formerly Palo Alto Housing, which operates the majority of affordable housing in Palo Alto. Prior to being COO she served a five year tenure on Alta’s Board of Directors. During her time as Board Chair, she led Alta Housing’s latest affordable housing project, Wilton Court, through entitlements, development and funding.
Natalie Geise
Vice Chair
Natalie Geise is originally from Pennsylvania and moved to the Bay Area for graduate school in chemistry in 2015. She has rented in Menlo Park, Mountain View, San Francisco, and Palo Alto since then. Natalie is a senior associate at the Stanford Linear Accelerator Laboratory, where she bikes to work and supports science and technology initiatives. Natalie also volunteers locally at the Palo Alto Repair Cafe and with ClimateRaise, advocating for female and non-binary founders in climate.
Reid Kleckner
Secretary
Reid grew up in Palo Alto, graduated from Palo Alto High in 2006, moved to Boston to attend MIT, and returned to the SF Bay Area in 2013. Reid met his wife, Anastasia, in 2017, and she is, coincidentally, also a local who graduated from Gunn. Reid and Anastasia currently live in Palo Alto with their two young children, and they are both incredibly grateful for the opportunity to live here and start a family near both sets of grandparents. Reid is currently working as a software engineer at Google and serving on the board of the LLVM Foundation. Reid is a passionate cyclist, and was drawn to Palo Alto Forward in his desire to see Palo Alto grow and support more human flourishing. Palo Alto is a wonderfully innovative and welcoming university town, and Reid wants to see the city live up to those values, extend the franchise to new neighbors, and cultivate a city that is safe, livable, and inviting.
Steve Levy
Treasurer
Steve Levy came to Palo Alto in 1963 for Stanford Graduate School. He and his wife Nancy raised their children in a home close to Duveneck Elementary School and moved downtown to a condo in 2005. Steve is the Director of the Center for Continuing Study of the California Economy. His work focuses on long term regional growth projections and planning for public agencies in California and on workforce projections and policy implications, with a focus on helping workers, businesses and the economy. He serves on the state and our local area workforce boards, is on the committee advising the state on the new state housing policy and served on the Palo Alto Infrastructure Commission. Steve can be reached at slevy@ccsce.com.
Steven Lee
Board Member
Steven Lee is a tech lawyer and community leader. A Bay Area native, he grew up in West San Jose and currently lives on California Avenue in Palo Alto. He previously served as a City of Palo Alto Human Relations Commissioner and ran for City Council in 2020, earning endorsements from the Democratic Party and pro-housing and renter-rights groups.
In addition to Palo Alto Forward, he also serves on the boards of Project Safety Net, Palo Alto Council of PTAs, Palo Alto Transportation Management Association, VTA Citizens Advisory Committee & 2000 Measure A Citizens Watchdog Committee, Youth Community Service (YCS), and Palo Alto Asian-American Connection (fka WizChinese). He previously served on the boards of Palo Alto Renters Association and Midtown Residents Association. He graduated cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa from the University of California, Davis with a BA in political science and communication and has a JD from Duke University School of Law.
Gina Dalma
Board Member
Until recently, Gina Dalma led the impact work of the Silicon Valley Community Foundation (SVCF) — the largest community foundation in the United States with over $13B in assets under management. As a pivotal member of the SVCF's Executive Leadership Team, she played a key role in shaping the overall strategic direction of SVCF's work and fostering collaborative partnerships with donors and nonprofits.
As a Mexican transplant, Gina's journey is a testament to her commitment to fostering a more just and equitable global community. Her passion for social justice and equity is a driving force behind her work, as she actively seeks innovative ways to create positive change in the philanthropic landscape. Gina attended both Stanford and the University of London for her graduate degrees. She received the Athena Award in 2022, was selected as a Top 50 Women Leaders of San Francisco for 2023, received the Justice in Philanthropy Trailblazer Award from the Chicana Latina Foundation in October 2023 and The Gene Young Award in 2024 from the African American Community Services Agency.
Scott O'Neil
Board Member
Scott O’Neil grew up in the Bay Area and worked as a software developer in Silicon Valley for fourteen years. He's lived in Palo Alto for ten years, where he serves as President of his HOA. His passion for housing policy stems from watching much of his generational cohort gradually displaced from the region by ever-escalating housing costs. A parent of two, his goal is to be able to hug his grandchildren without buying plane tickets. His focus at Palo Alto Forward is on monitoring and ensuring local compliance with state housing law.
Jennifer DiBrienza
Board Member
Jennifer has been active in national and local politics for the last 30 years, from the Silicon Valley Democratic Club to the League of Women Voters of Palo Alto, and is currently a California Democratic Party delegate. She has also served as a Board member and Board President of the Palo Alto Unified School District. Her work has focused on identifying structural inequities in our district and facing and dismantling those inequities so that demographics are no longer predictive of outcomes. As society at large comes to terms with similar issues of race, class, and gender, Jennifer is eager to support this vital work to create a more equitable and just California for all - which includes access and availability of housing.
Professionally, Jennifer has worked in K-12 education, first as a public school teacher for 8 years, then as a math education specialist in schools, districts, and internationally. She has a PhD in mathematics education from Stanford University.
Bryan Baker
Board Member
Bryan Baker is driven by a deep commitment to an inclusive community where housing is accessible for all, especially the disabled community and essential workers. Bryan brings a wealth of experience from his 20+ year tenure at Google, where he served in engineering and people leadership roles, championing Learning & Development and accessibility initiatives. His focus has extended to community advocacy, notably as the fundraising chair for Palo Alto Special Education PTA, where he actively works to support students with disabilities, including successfully securing grants for social skill programs.
Bryan's dedication to addressing community needs and fostering inclusivity strongly aligns with Palo Alto Forward's mission to expand housing and transportation options, thereby cultivating a more thriving and sustainable Palo Alto.