Media Contacts:
David Perry / (415) 676-7007 / news@davidperry.com 
Lauren Macmadu / (415) 350-1884 / lmacmadu@ybca.org

YBCA ANNOUNCES NEW EXECUTIVE APPOINTMENTS FROM
CITY HALL, PUBLIC ART FUND, AND THE NONPROFIT SECTOR  

Bay Area contemporary arts center poised to advance its impact and cultural mission expands its leadership team.

June 11, 2025 – San Francisco, CA: The Yerba Buena Center for the Arts (YBCA) today announced the expansion of its executive leadership team, welcoming three dynamic leaders from across the public, cultural, and nonprofit sectors. Under the leadership of CEO Mari Robles, YBCA is positioning itself to elevate artistic innovation, deepen its civic impact, and expand its role as a vital community anchor in downtown San Francisco.

A trusted civic leader and lifelong arts supporter, Matthew Goudeau joins as Chief Development Officer, where he will oversee fundraising, grants, and donor engagement. Goudeau brings more than two decades of experience in philanthropy, arts advocacy, and public service. Most recently, Goudeau served as Deputy Chief of Staff in the Office of Mayor Daniel Lurie, after working on both the Mayor’s campaign and transition. Matthew’s prior roles in city government include Director of Grants for the Arts in the City and County of San Francisco, Director of Philanthropy for the city’s Give2SF COVID-19 Fund, and Deputy Chief of Protocol within the Mayor’s office for more than a decade. Goudeau will begin on July 14, 2025.

“YBCA has always been one of the most inspiring places in San Francisco for me, a space where art brings people together and sparks new ways of thinking,” said Goudeau. “I’m thrilled to step into this role at a moment when creativity is playing such an important role in how we rebuild and reconnect as a city. I look forward to helping grow YBCA’s impact and supporting the artists and communities that make this city so vibrant.” 

YBCA also welcomes the return of Dorothy Dávila in a new role as Chief of Curatorial Initiatives. A seasoned cultural producer, Dávila will lead program strategy which includes exhibitions, education, and community partnerships, and will work closely with a forthcoming visual arts curator to produce YBCA’s gallery and public art program. She most recently served as Director of Creative Partnerships at the Public Art Fund, where she worked to showcase international artists to create public art at John F. Kennedy International Airport’s new Terminal 6. In addition to YBCA, she has previously held roles at Headlands Center for the Arts and Harvard Art Museums. Dávila begins in August 2025.

“What drew me back here was YBCA’s rich history of presenting the art of our time, showcasing local and global artists across disciplines to engage with the Bay Area and beyond,” said Dávila. “I am thrilled to bring the experience I have gained at Public Art Fund and Headlands Center for the Arts back to an institution I am deeply committed to, and I look forward to reimagining a dynamic artistic program rooted in YBCA’s core mission and values.”

Along with Goudeau and Dávila, YBCA recently welcomed Valrie Nozipho Sanders as Chief Financial Officer. A seasoned nonprofit finance leader with over two decades of experience, Sanders has advanced financial sustainability and operational excellence across the Bay Area’s mission-driven organizations. She has held senior roles at organizations focused on social justice, education, and community empowerment, most recently as Chief Financial & Operations Officer at Hamilton Families and previously as Director of Finance at the Glide Foundation. 

“Throughout my career, I’ve been drawn to organizations that center social justice, education, and community empowerment,” said Sanders. “At YBCA, I’m excited to bring that same commitment—building the financial and administrative systems that will support the long-term health of the organization, and ensure artists and communities continue to thrive together.”

Goudeau, Dávila, and Sanders will work closely with the existing members of the leadership team, which includes Chris Griffin and Lauren Macmadu. Promoted last year to General Manager, Griffin boasts nearly a decade of experience at YBCA, where he has overseen event operations, production, and performance partnerships. As Chief External Relations Officer, Macmadu leads the organization’s communications, marketing, and visitor experience, bringing more than 20 years of strategic leadership in nonprofit, corporate, and cultural sectors. 

“This moment demands visionary leadership, and I’m incredibly proud and grateful for the outstanding new hires that are joining the team,” said Mari Robles, CEO of YBCA. “Each of these leaders brings a unique blend of experience, creativity, and a deep-rooted commitment to building community through the arts. Together, we’re shaping a YBCA that is not only a cultural anchor in San Francisco, but also strives to be a vital force for connection, and bold new ideas—right when our city and our communities need it most.” 

The expansion of YBCA’s executive team comes ahead of a bold fall season of both visual arts exhibitions, as well as a lineup of performances at the Blue Shield of California Theater at YBCA, which will be announced in the coming weeks.

YBCA programs are made possible in part by Blue Shield of California, the City and County of San Francisco, The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), San Francisco Office of Economic and Workforce Development, Bloomberg Philanthropies, Helen Frankenthaler Foundation, James R. Lilienthal Trust, California Arts Council, Yerba Buena Partnership, Meridee Moore, Beard Family Foundation, Schwab Charitable Fund, Gaia Fund, David and Carla Crane Foundation, Andrew Skillman and Lydia Choy Charitable Fund, Amy and Hannah Eliot, Maria Kim, Tides Foundation, Wayee Chu and Ethan Beard, Amanda Minami, Klau Family Fund, Peter Rigano and Cody Hicks, Harvey and Leslie Wagner Foundation, Robert and Junko Kenmotsu, The San Francisco Foundation, and YBCA Members.

For more information visit www.ybca.org.

About YBCA:
Opened to the public in 1993, Yerba Buena Center for the Arts (YBCA) was founded as the cultural anchor of San Francisco’s Yerba Buena Gardens neighborhood. Our work spans the realms of contemporary art, performance, film, civic engagement, and public life. By centering artists as essential to social and cultural movement, YBCA is reimagining the role an arts institution can play in the communities it serves. For more information, visit ybca.org.

YBCA is open Wednesday through Sunday from 11:00am to 5:00pm. General admission is $10, and $5 for students and seniors. Tickets can be purchased in person or reserved in advance at ybca.org. Admission is free every Wednesday and on the second Sunday of each month. 

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1968 Redux

by David Eugene Perry

We live in two different countries. Here is the truth of it: this is a moral and philosophical Civil War. Trump supporters see a country of lawlessness. Anti-Trumpers (including yours truly) see an administration of authoritarianism.  Both sides agree that a crisis of historic political proportions is upon us.

I ache for the peaceful protesters opposing Trump’s haphazard and draconian immigration raids and policies.

I ache for the members of the Los Angeles Police Department, California National Guard, California Highway Patrol and United States Marines — and their families and loved ones — who have been forced into an emotional and confusing situation made worse by the actions of a president who never had the honor of wearing a uniform.

I ache for the small businesses, homes and families being cruelly attacked by vandals, thugs and anarchists. Everyone listed above should agree on that. Setting Waymos on fire, spewing hateful rhetoric and attacking our first responders is a crime and should in no way be defended or rationalized.

1968 has time-travelled to us.