Arts Council Silicon Valley Board of Trustees elected a new slate of officers to lead the 21-member Board of Trustees in fiscal year 2008-09. Officers are elected by the full board and serve one-year terms.

Jeffrey Strawn, Senior Relationship Manager and Sr. Vice President with Silicon Valley Bank, succeeds David Sandal as Board President. An employee at Silicon Valley Bank since 2001, Strawn runs an asset-based lending group for the bank’s Western Division, focused on lending to technology firms.  He has served as the Chair of the Finance Committee and as Board Treasurer for the Arts Council since 2003. He also recently joined the Board of the Silicon Valley Bank’s SVB Foundation in 2007.

David Sandal, M&A Integration Manager with Applied Materials, will serve as Immediate Past President. In addition, four trustees take the helm as first time officers: Mohana Dissanayake, Audit Partner with Deloitte and Touche LLP becomes Treasurer, Gail Hashimoto, a Shareholder with Hopkins & Carley, a Law Corporation, steps in as Secretary, Stephanie Bielanski-Fehr, a Sustainer with Junior League of San Jose becomes the Co-Chair for Board Development, and Chike Nwoffiah, executive director of Oriki Theater will serve as Chair of the Grants Committee.

Remaining slate of officers:

Gillian Moran, former Mayor of Saratoga, returns as Vice President of Advocacy and Planning and becomes President Elect;

John DuBois, continues as Vice President of Programs;

Mary Zellem, Director of Development for Planned Parenthood Mar Monte, continues as Vice-President, Development;

“The Board of Trustees plays a critical role in implementing the vision and ultimately the success of the Arts Council,” said Bruce W. Davis, Executive Director of Arts Council Silicon Valley. “We are very fortunate to have such a high level of leadership and commitment. I am extremely excited for the future of this organization.”