Welcome AFG’s new board members

AFG's new board members from left to right: Gretchen Sandler; Shakirah Simley; Sophia Andary

Alliance for Girls is pleased to welcome three new members to its Board of Directors: Gretchen Sandler, Shakirah Simley, and Sophia Andary. They join a dynamic group of passionate social justice leaders who are making a big impact in their communities and nation-wide. Please join us in welcoming:

Gretchen Sandler

Gretchen Sandler is an active philanthropist in the Bay Area focusing on Immigrant Rights and Women’s and Girls’ issues. She is particularly interested in building the power of immigrant communities, especially that of the Domestic Workers and has been a long time supporter of this movement. Gretchen served for seven years on the Board of Directors of the Women’s Foundation of California and is a long time member of the Women’s Catalytic Fund Giving Circle that is housed in the East Bay Community Foundation in Oakland, California. This fund focuses its grants on organizations that are fighting for gender equity in California. She is a trained educator and taught elementary school in San Francisco Unified and is a current Trustee of the Urban School of San Francisco. 

Shakirah Simley 

Shakirah Simley is a writer, seasoned organizer, and community development and policy strategist with over fifteen years of experience working on social justice and equity issues. She is the inaugural Director for the Office of Racial Equity for the City and County of San Francisco. She is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania and a Fulbright Scholar. 

Most recently, Ms. Simley served as a Legislative Aide to Supervisor Vallie Brown, representing District 5 of the City and County of San Francisco, where she managed the Supervisor’s policy and legislative priorities regarding equity, gender, community development, housing, and homelessness, and assisted in passing over 30 pieces of legislation. She also served as Supervisor Brown’s lead for the City Budget process, successfully advocating for increased funds for affordable housing production, a local Working Families Earned Income Tax Credit, and universal access to legal aid for low-income communities.

The daughter of a social worker and granddaughter of a Black Panther, Ms. Simley was born in the South Bronx and raised in Harlem, New York. Shakirah has lived in San Francisco for over 12 years, working to change access and opportunity for low-income communities and generations of young people to come.

Sophia Andary 

Sophia Andary is a first-generation Lebanese-American Commissioner, Activist, Organizer, and Analyst. She brings a wealth of experience in partnerships, programming, and events.

She has received an Achievement Award from the San Francisco Women’s Political Committee, Certificate of Honor from the Board of Supervisors of San Francisco, the Community Public Service Award from Alice B. Toklas LGBT Democratic Club, and a certificate of honor from Mayor London Breed in recognition of her (and Women’s March San Francisco) efforts to register women to vote and make San Francisco a more equitable place. On October 7, 2019 Sophia was appointed by Mayor London Breed to the Commission on the Status of Women of the City and County of San Francisco. 

We are excited about our growing Board of Directors, who will provide diverse views and expertise that will further our collective work at Alliance for Girls.