Press Release

San Francisco-Based Foundation Appoints New Vice President

CONTACTS:
TaNelle Forgy, Signal Hill, 209.740.3458,
Carol McKevitt, Vesper Society, 415.291.0905,

San Francisco, Calif., June 30, 2008 — An accomplished leader in the arts, education and civic collaboration, Sabrina Lynn Motley has been named vice president of Vesper Society, a faith-based private operating foundation.

As vice president, Motley will develop, manage and evaluate programs for the foundation, which partners with individuals and communities in California and around the world to address health disparities, religious pluralism, economic injustice and other pressing social issues.

“Sabrina’s considerable experience in program development and evaluation plus her skill in creating collaborations strengthen our capacity to bring about measurable change with the partners and communities we serve,” says President Mary Baich.

Motley draws upon a rich background in the arts and academia to apply her passion for social justice. Previously, she directed public programs for the Japanese American National Museum in Los Angeles. She also served as director of programs for the museum’s major educational project, the National Center for the Preservation of Democracy, which considers issues of diversity and civic participation.

As a consultant with the J. Paul Getty Museum and The California Endowment, Motley produced a variety of successful cultural and educational activities. She also hosted a weekly world music program on KPFK 90.7 FM Los Angeles for five years, experience she will tap to help develop and implement Vesper Society’s communication strategy.

As a Ph.D. candidate in anthropology at the University of California at Los Angeles, where she also earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees, she conducted research on the relationship between progressive Christianity and social activism. She also organized special programming for UCLA, including a workshop series that fostered dialogue between scholars and community organizers.

“In every instance of my academic and professional career, the goal has been to contribute to a vibrant, successful, and inclusive society, which is very much in keeping with Vesper Society’s mission,” Motley says.

She was drawn to the foundation’s hands-on style. “It’s not the traditional program officer approach to foundation work,” she says. “You are really encouraged to develop deep connections with your partners. The thing I discovered immediately in talking to the staff is that they are significantly involved in their programs, and not in a way that’s heavy-handed but in a manner that says to the funding recipient, ‘Vesper Society is investing its people, not just dollars. We believe in your work, so we’re going to stand with you.’”

Vesper Society was equally drawn to Motley. “Sabrina’s concept of social justice, understood as bottom-up strategies to promote economic, cultural, and social equity, really defines our approach to partnership as we seek to create a more compassionate world,” Baich says. “We are excited about the contributions she will make to further our mission.”

ABOUT VESPER SOCIETY

Founded in 1965, Vesper Society is a faith-based private operating foundation that envisions a compassionate world which protects human dignity and enhances human potential. The Society’s mission is to promote social justice locally and globally by addressing critical social issues, including the provision of health services for the underserved. To learn more about Vesper Society, go to www.vesper.org.