Melieni Falemaka Talakai

Melieni has served on the Board from the beginning, in 2001, and made major contributions in guiding the first years of Ravenswood’s development. In April 2010 she received the Nonprofit Board Leader Award given annually by the Volunteer Center in recognition of the achievements of outstanding nonprofit board members in the Bay Area. Her background in public health gives her a breadth of understanding of community health. Her Tongan heritage has made her an invaluable resource in developing culturally appropriate methods for addressing chronic disease issues in the Tongan population. Melieni is the co-founder of Taulama for Tongans, a volunteer nonprofit that provides health education to the Pacific Islander community.