Sacramento (July 2022) – West Sacramento residents Dr. Beverly “Babs” Sandeen and Tahira Cunningham have joined the board of directors for United Way California Capital Region. They will help lead the local nonprofit that is working to end poverty for local families, starting in school.
Sandeen, who served as West Sacramento mayor pro tem in 2016 and 2020, chairs the Los Rios Community College District Citizens’ Bond Oversight Committee and serves as vice chair of the Sacramento-Yolo Port District Commission. She is an appointed member on Yolo County’s Local Mental Health Board. Sandeen has served as executive director of the Yolo Community Foundation, vice chancellor of resource development at the Los Rios Community College District, chief regional and community engagement officer at UC Davis and more. She has served on boards throughout the region and state, and received numerous awards and commendations. Sandeen holds a doctorate in social ecology from UC Irvine, as well as a bachelor’s degree in political science.
“I’m honored to be joining the United Way California Capital Region board of directors to support local families and end poverty,” Sandeen said. “The work of United Way is critical to building compassionate communities.”
Cunningham is vice president and chief of staff at Bivium Capital Partners, a Black-owned, BIPOC-led firm focused on values aligned investing. Prior to joining Bivium, Cunningham was chief of staff at Alluma, a nonprofit social enterprise. At Sierra Health Foundation, she led the development and implementation of a $4 million investment strategy to improve health outcomes for boys and young men of color in California. She also led the health policy agenda with the Greenlining Institute, California Pan-Ethnic Health Network and California Primary Care Association. Cunningham holds an MBA from the University of Phoenix and a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Sonoma State University.
“I have worked with United Way California Capital Region for years,” Cunningham said. “I have always admired their steadfast dedication to the community, their authentic collaboration at the grassroots and grasstops levels, and their unapologetic orientation to be guided by those directly impacted by pervasive inequities. Ending poverty is an ambitious and long sought-after goal for many of us. Such an ambitious goal can sometimes feel overwhelming. I am excited that through United Way California Capital Region’s intentional focus on the ways in which they as an organization can be most helpful, I can use my perspective and expertise to find my way into the solution.”
United Way California Capital Region has been working to fight poverty for nearly 100 years by creating stronger, healthier, more compassionate communities, now serving Amador, El Dorado, Placer, Sacramento and Yolo counties. The local United Way has found one place in each community to reach the most families in need: School is square one for ending family poverty. United Way uses its Square One approach to end poverty for local families by helping children excel in school, investing in families, and strengthening schools with resources to address increased poverty and deep roots of racial inequality. www.YourLocalUnitedWay.org