PRESS RELEASES

Center for Volunteer & Nonprofit Leadership Announces Karen Strolia as Incoming Chief Executive Officer

SAN RAFAEL, CA — 7/6/26 — Center for Volunteer & Nonprofit Leadership (CVNL) today announced the appointment of Karen Strolia as its next Chief Executive Officer. Strolia, who currently serves as President and CEO of the San Rafael Chamber of Commerce, will assume the role in August, 2026. She succeeds longtime CVNL CEO Linda Jacobs, who led the organization for 25 years.

Strolia brings more than a decade of senior nonprofit leadership experience across Marin and Sonoma Counties, with a track record of honing organizational strategy, strengthening internal operations, invigorating staff, and building deep community partnerships. As President and CEO of the San Rafael Chamber of Commerce, she prepared the organization for its first strategic planning process in over a century and modernized operations across finance, HR, and membership. Under her leadership, the Chamber was recently named the 2026 Chamber of the Year by the California Chamber of Commerce. Earlier in her career, Strolia served as Chief Operating Officer of St. Vincent de Paul Society of Marin and spent six years in senior leadership at Downtown Streets Team, overseeing programs across Marin and Sonoma Counties. Strolia holds a Master of Business Administration from UC Berkeley’s Haas School of Business and a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from UC Berkeley. She is a longtime North Bay resident with deep ties to the nonprofit, civic, and business sectors, and the wider community.

“The board is thrilled to welcome Karen as CVNL’s next Chief Executive Officer,” said Luana Vaetoe, Board Chair of CVNL. “Throughout the search process, Karen consistently demonstrated the leadership qualities, strategic mindset, and values that align with CVNL’s mission and future aspirations. She brings a unique combination of nonprofit, business, and community leadership experience, along with a deep understanding of the North Bay communities we serve.

What stood out most was Karen’s ability to honor an organization’s legacy while thoughtfully identifying opportunities for growth and innovation. As CVNL builds upon the extraordinary foundation established by Linda Jacobs, we are confident Karen will lead with both vision and purpose, strengthening our impact and expanding the ways we support nonprofits, volunteers, and community leaders throughout the region. We are excited to partner with Karen and look forward to the energy, perspective, and leadership she will bring to CVNL, our staff, our stakeholders, and our communities.”

Strolia said she has long admired the work and mission of CVNL, and she is eager to build on that foundation. “CVNL has been part of my professional world for years, and stepping into this role is an honor and feels like an important time to be in service to our North Bay nonprofit community,” said Strolia. “I have seen firsthand what CVNL means to the organizations, leaders, and volunteers that it supports. My focus will be on earning the trust of our staff and partners, strengthening what is already working, and building an organization to lead the sector forward with clarity, cohesion, and a deep commitment to the communities we serve.”

CVNL has served the North Bay’s nonprofit and volunteer community for over 60 years, providing leadership development, capacity-building, consulting, volunteer services, and direct community services, including paratransit and emergency disaster response.

“It has been an honor to dedicate most of my career to the service of CVNL and the North Bay nonprofit community,” said Linda Jacobs, outgoing CEO of CVNL. “I am incredibly proud of what we have built together, and I have confidence that Karen will carry that work forward with the same dedication and heart.”

The appointment follows a rigorous national search that drew significant interest from nonprofit, civic, and business leaders across the country. CVNL’s board engaged Potrero Group, a strategy and leadership search firm, to lead the process. Among a highly competitive pool, Strolia distinguished herself as the candidate best positioned to build on CVNL’s legacy while leading the organization into its next phase of growth and impact.

“This was one of the most competitive searches that Potrero Group has led in recent years, and Karen stood out from the start,” said Jena Kuznik, Senior Consultant and Search Lead at Potrero Group. “Her leadership, operational strength, care for people, and connections in the North Bay make her uniquely suited to this role, and she has the vision and skills to amplify CVNL’s work.”

About Center for Volunteer & Nonprofit Leadership

Founded in 1964, CVNL strengthens nonprofits and volunteer programs throughout the North Bay by providing leadership training, organizational consulting, volunteer services, and direct community programs across Marin, Napa, Sonoma, and Solano Counties. Learn more at cvnl.org.

About Potrero Group

Potrero Group is a leadership consulting firm supporting mission-driven leaders and organizations. Learn more at potrerogroup.com.