Potrero Group Assists the Bay Area Ridge Trail Council with Executive Director Search
July 17, 2026 – San Francisco-based leadership consulting and search firm Potrero Group has assisted in the recruitment of Kirsten Saenz as the executive director of the Bay Area Ridge Trail Council. This follows a national search. “Kirsten brings exactly the combination of strategic vision, entrepreneurial leadership, and genuine passion for conservation that this moment calls for,” said Taylor Jang, board chair of the Bay Area Ridge Trail Council. “Her track record of building mission-driven organizations, cultivating partnerships, and advancing equity makes her an ideal leader to carry the Ridge Trail forward as we pursue National Scenic Trail designation and deepen our reach across Bay Area communities. We are thrilled to welcome her.”
Ms. Tobey brings two decades of executive leadership spanning social enterprise, conservation, organizational strategy, and community impact, along with a deep personal commitment to the Bay Area’s open spaces and trails. She joins the Ridge Trail Council from Save the Redwoods League, where she served as chief operating officer. In that role, she guided the organization through a CEO transition, including a period as Interim CEO, and led implementation of a new landscape-scale conservation strategy. She introduced a participatory annual planning process that significantly improved cross-functional alignment and budgeting, and she oversaw people and culture, operations, IT, and facilities across the organization.
Before joining Save the Redwoods League, Ms. Tobey co-founded Revolution Foods, a mission-driven public benefit corporation dedicated to community food access. Over nearly two decades as an executive leader, she helped build the organization from a startup into a national social enterprise with hundreds of employees, serving over five hundred million healthy meals to children across the country. She and her co-founder raised more than $200 million in capital from impact investors, philanthropists, and private equity firms. Ms. Tobey served as a public spokesperson and thought leader, led cross-functional strategic planning, and guided the organization through major transformations, including a significant acquisition and substantial shifts in business model.
“The Bay Area Ridge Trail is one of the region’s most extraordinary public resources, and I am honored to help lead its next chapter,” said Ms. Tobey. “This trail connects people of all backgrounds to the parks and open spaces that define the Bay Area’s identity. I am eager to work alongside the staff, board, volunteers, and partners to complete the trail, grow a diverse community of users and advocates, and ensure that everyone in the Bay Area has the opportunity to experience and champion this remarkable landscape.”
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Ms. Tobey’s appointment comes at a pivotal moment for the Ridge Trail Council, as the organization pursues National Scenic Trail designation and works to close remaining gaps in the trail system while expanding access for all Bay Area communities. Her experience integrating equity and inclusion into organizational strategy, leading diverse stakeholders, and leveraging private funding for public benefit positions her well for the challenges and opportunities ahead.
The Bay Area Ridge Trail Council is a non-profit dedicated to completing, connecting, and sustaining a multi-use trail along the ridgelines encircling San Francisco Bay. Founded in 1987, the Ridge Trail links people, parks, and open spaces across nine Bay Area counties.
Serving Non-Profits
Potrero Group is a national, full-service consulting firm helping non-profits and foundations build stronger, more effective leadership. They specialize in strategic planning, executive search, board development and facilitation—bringing a rigorous, research-driven approach to identifying the next generation of leaders and aligning senior teams around a clear, impactful vision.
Cleveland Justis, founder and CEO, is an accomplished organizational leader in entrepreneurship and the environment for the past 25 years. He has worked and consulted widely with startups, businesses, non-profits, foundations, and governmental organizations, including the National Park Service, Resources Legacy Fund, and Grand Canyon Conservancy. He currently teaches Social Entrepreneurship at UC Berkeley’s Haas School of Business. His expertise spans strategic planning, business planning, board development, public/private partnerships, entrepreneurship, network analysis, and innovation. Mr. Justis was formerly the executive director of the UC Davis Institute for Innovation and Entrepreneurship and co-founded and served as director of the Institute at Golden Gate.
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Contributed by Scott A. Scanlon, Editor-in-Chief and Dale M. Zupsansky, Executive Editor — Hunt Scanlon Media
