Board of Directors
Christina Ogburn-Chow, President, is a proud adoptive mother and adoptee. Her professional background is in project management, where she works with different teams to deliver products or services, and has worked for such companies as Veritas Software, Apple, and Juniper Networks. Christina is an avid runner and enjoys competing in half marathons.
Nanci Rider, Vice President, has been involved with MPA for over five years. As a birth mother herself, Nanci has a unique perspective to bring to the Board and hope to be of service to MPA and its clients. Nanci is a registered Veterinary Nurse and works for an Animal ER in Berkeley, CA.
Ramona Pedersen, Historian, has been a member of the MPA board for five years. She is a mother through adoption and a vocal advocate of open adoption. Ramona is the Event Manager for the British Consulate-General, San Francisco, alongside her volunteer activities with MPA and her children's school.
Kay Burke, Secretary, is the mother of a 9-year-old daughter. Originally from Philadelphia, Kay moved to the Bay Area in early 2018 from Charleston, SC, where she, husband, Quinn, and their daughter lived for six years. Kay and Quinn adopted their daughter from North Philadelphia when she was 2 weeks old. She was premature, born at 27-1/2 weeks to a Cambodian birth mother and African American birth father. Kay has been a nurse for close to 20 years, and currently works at UCSF Health as the Chief Nursing Informatics Officer. Kay hails from a large, blended family (14 siblings). She and Quinn love San Francisco and enjoy hiking, traveling, and music.
Jenny O'Toole, Treasurer, is a birth mother of a wonderful young man, Ryan (now 25), who was placed in an open adoption when Jenny was 23 years old. To this day, Ryan's adoptive family and Jenny all have a great relationship and stay connected on a regular basis. Jenny's career has evolved in the Marketing industry, bringing her 25+ years of graphic design and project management experience to the table in her board member role for MPower Alliance.
Angie Swanson-Kyriaco is the birth mother to an adult daughter. Angie has a Master’s degree in Psychology from Antioch University Santa Barbara and has worked for Planned Parenthood for over a decade. In addition to her experience working with boards of directors, she was appointed to the Santa Barbara County Behavioral Wellness Commission in 2017 and is an advocate for reproductive justice, birth/first mothers, and adoptees.
Serina Ward has been involved with MPA since its inception in 2008. As a birth mother and Mother herself, she brings a diverse background to the board and hopes to be of service to the community that has helped her and so many others over the last 12 years. Serina works for the state of California helping people with disabilities obtain job vocational skills and employment training and also serves on numerous volunteer board positions for her children's extracurricular activities.
Staff
Robin Endres, MPA, Executive Director
Robin Endres has dedicated her career to the advancement of women via a multitude of organizations, including as a delegate to the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women, and on the board of the Women's Intercultural Network. Her specialty is metric- and mission-driven strategic planning. She comes to MPA after having been Director of Development and Communications for a non-profit committed to supporting women and disenfranchised entrepreneurs through micro lending.
Pearl Chen, Development and Program Coordinator
Pearl Chen is a birth/first mother and a native of San Francisco who has long been involved with MPA. As the Development and Program Coordinator, she offers a range of skills including, but not limited to, managing communications, database management and supporting financial operations. She has also been a Wine and Wishes Gala chair and an MPA board member. In May of 2017, she completed her Bachelor's in Social Work at San Jose State University.