Potrero Group Recruits CEO for Center for Volunteer & Nonprofit Leadership

September 2, 2026 – San Francisco-based leadership consulting and search firm Potrero Group has placed Karen Strolia as the next CEO of Center for Volunteer & Nonprofit Leadership (CVNL) in San Rafael, CA. She succeeds longtime CVNL CEO Linda Jacobs, who led the organization for 25 years. “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 non-profit, 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,” Ms. Vaetoe added. “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 non-profits, 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.”

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 to lead the process. Among a highly competitive pool, Ms. 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.”

Ms. 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. She previously served as president and CEO of the San Rafael Chamber of Commerce, where 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, Ms. Strolia served as COO 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.

“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 non-profit community,” said Ms. 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.”

The Center for Volunteer & Nonprofit Leadership is a non-profit organization that provides training, consulting, leadership development, volunteer engagement, and other support services to non-profit organizations and community leaders. Founded in 1964, the organization serves communities across Marin, Napa, Solano, and Sonoma counties in Northern California. CVNL works with non-profit executives, boards, volunteers, and organizations on areas including organizational development, governance, capacity building, volunteer management, executive search, and leadership transitions.

Finding Senior Non-Profit Leaders

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.

Ms. Kuznik leads Potrero’s search and hiring processes for thought leaders and non-traditional candidates for executive roles at non-profits. In addition to her work with Potrero Group, Jena has managed projects for organizations focused on sustainable agriculture, water resilience, and environmental philanthropy. She specializes in developing collaborative partnerships between diverse actors to create broader impact.

Contributed by Scott A. Scanlon, Editor-in-Chief and Dale M. Zupsansky, Executive Editor — Hunt Scanlon Media

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