A note from Interim CEO David Yarnold
ALF Silicon Valley’s value proposition has never been more urgent: We grow better leaders and stronger communities. And our mission statement has stood the test of time: “The American Leadership Forum joins and strengthens diverse leaders to serve the common good.”
That’s why I’m honored to have been asked to serve as ALF’s interim leader. My Class XII (the best class) year was one of the most formative experiences I’ve had as an adult. I still practice lessons learned around “appreciative inquiry.”
I’ve been in the role a little less than a month and wanted to offer a brief update about a transitional moment at ALF Silicon Valley.
My goal is to leave a financially secure ALF Silicon Valley with its flourishing programs intact so the next CEO and incoming Board Chair, Mica Mayo, have maximum flexibility to set the strategy that defines ALF in the future.
In just the past four weeks, working with the board, we’ve made a number of critical decisions:
- First and foremost, we’re prioritizing the Fellows Program. It’s where the magic starts and it’s the basis of our shared bond as a network of Senior Fellows.
- We’re all-in on support for 15 thriving affinity groups and have transitioned a handful that had served their purposes.
- We’re leaning into a more cross-sector ALF Insights consulting program with realistic budget targets.
- We’ve stabilized the budget. We had a tough fundraising year in 2025, missing the budget by 20% for a combination of reasons. We’re presenting the board with a budget for 2026 that is in the black and ambitious even in an uncertain fundraising environment.
- The board has hired the search firm, Carlson Beck, that brought us Suzanne St. John-Crane. Dozens of people from across the network helped shape the job description. Our goal is to have a new CEO in place in the early fall. (I turn into a pumpkin in November.)
I could share a much longer list of what we’ve been up to, but this is a newsletter and not an annual report.
If you have questions or suggestions, I love hearing from Senior Fellows. I’m at david@alfsv.org. I’ll be in the Valley a week to ten days a month and, if calendars synch up, I’d love to meet you in person. And if you’re attending or throwing an event, please let me know. If it coincides with my time in San Jose, I’ll be available.
