2025 Board Nominees

At Large Board Director Nominees

Marcelo Andrade (Perú, 2014-16)
I’m thrilled at the opportunity to join the NorCalPCA Board and help promote our Peace Corps community in Northern California. My professional bio is below. I see the NorCalPCA Board as platform to bring people together, share the Peace Corps experience and values with our local community (third goal activities), and importantly, an opportunity to engage with like-minded people and build lasting relationships. I would bring my professional energy and expertise in finance and operations to the board and hope that I could be a valuable member of the team.

Marcelo Andrade is an energetic, resourceful, and analytical executive-level operations leader with demonstrated success in building, growing, and scaling businesses. He has a proven track record leading teams to deliver high-quality outcomes, from early-stage startups to large corporate environments. Marcelo possess deep industry experience in professional services, B2B, technology, and economic development with the U.S. Peace Corps. He leads by example, builds consensus, and leverages feedback loops to drive continuous improvement for the organization. Thrives in unstructured, fast paced, and rapidly changing environments. Family and community focused.

Jane Bruyere (Morocco, 2015-17)
Howdy yall! Originally from Texas, I served as a Community Development Volunteer in Morocco (2015-2017), after which I got my MBA at Duke University. I then moved to the Bay Area to take a job at Adobe. That was five years ago – I’m still working at Adobe and loving life here with my Peace Corps cat, Amlu. I have enjoyed attending various NorCal PCA events over the years and am hoping to get more involved, which is why I am interested in an “at large” board position.

I would love to leverage my design/Adobe chops to help out with marketing/communication materials. (Adobe will also donate up to 10 licenses to the organization that can be used by other board members.) I’m also an experienced event planner and hoping to help out with special events. Eager to connect with the board to understand where I can have the most impact!

Andrea Crider (Kenya 2011-13) – Incumbent/Running for Re-Election
This will be my third term serving as at At-Large Director for NorCalPCA, so at this point I have some institutional knowledge about our inner workings. I’m a working parent (attorney) so sometimes my capacity is limited, but with that comes a passion for advocating for events that are family friendly so other RPCVs with children can feel flexible to join us. I’ve helped organize the annual picnic and other annual events the Board puts on. This term I hope to help further our diversity and equity principals and champion projects that support our immigrant communities. I’ll also continue to work with our Advocacy Chair to help support a bill that gives in state tuition to RPCVs considering graduate school post service.

 

Jim Medwick (The Gambia 2009-11, Guyana 2013-14)
New to the Bay area and excited to be a part of the RPCV community here! I was previously on the board of the Seattle Peace Corps Association (SEAPAX), where I served as Treasurer and also oversaw the IT migration during the recent website transition initiated by NPCA (plenty of stories to share!). I’ve attended several NorCalPCA events and am eager to get involved with such an active group of RPCVs! Following conversations with several members of the board, I would love to serve as incoming Treasurer while also helping the group get its technology house in order. I have a B.S. in Computer Science, an MBA from Duke, and currently work as a Product Manager at a local tech company (called Pure Storage). Outside of work, I enjoy traveling (40+ countries!), trying new foods, and exploring everything that Northern California has to offer.

 

San Francisco Rep Board Director Nominees

Amos Cruz, San Francisco (Western Samoa 2004-08)
I’ve been a part of the NorCalPCA since returning to California in 2018 and have truly enjoyed the community and connection that this group nurtures across the Bay Area, especially San Francisco.
In my day job, interests, and other volunteer capacities, I always seek opportunities to share and learn through lived experiences with others, from outdoor excursions like day hikes or camping trips, to food explorations, city and trail cleanups, to crafting classes around SF.

To date, l’ve supported the group activities in SF more informally, but have also submitted a few events of my own for folks to join along. In 2025, I would honored to take on a more formal role in curating experiences for others in the area.

 

South Bay Rep Board Director Nominees

Roy Kornbluh, Palo Alto (Ecuador 1991-94) – Incumbent/Running for Re-Election
Now, more than ever the Third Goal matters and NorCalPCA is a part of bringing our experiences home. I enjoy helping with that process. I also enjoy the camaraderie and networking that local events can foster. I have been a South Bay representative on the board for the past year and would like to continue. I hope to further encourage local get-togethers and increase the outreach to the silent majority of NorCalPCA members and local RPCVs who rarely take part in events. I was a Water and Sanitation volunteer in Ecuador. I work in tech and most enjoy my role in helping bring new forms of renewable energy to the world. I also serve in Slow Money, an organization that supports small enterprises that are doing things to make the world a better place.

 

Monterey/Santa Cruz Rep Board Director Nominees

Laurel Maxwell, Santa Cruz (Dominican Republic 2008-10)
Laurel Maxwell is an educator who works in Santa Cruz. She is interested in serving on the NorCalPCA Board because she wants to continue to build community and connections just as she did during her Peace Corps service. Her goals would be to increase outreach to attract and retain members as well as working to establish consistent events focused around service, connection, and leadership.

 

North Bay Rep Board Director Nominees

John Blessing (Bulgaria 2003-05)
Raised in Tulsa, Oklahoma with long stints in Dublin, Ireland (family) and a graduate of Booker T. Washington High School and Indiana University Bloomington. I am a teacher based in Sonoma County. Over the past few years, the camaraderie and reconnections fostered by NORCAL PCA at numerous get togethers, hikes, and cultural events have been revitalizing and inspiring. Recently, Peace Corps writers has nurtured my own growing writing practice. I am thrilled at the prospect of better serving the Returned Peace Corps Volunteer community as a Board Member in the North Bay by expanding service oriented and cultural events. I speak Spanish, French and passable Bulgarian.

G. Toby Marion, Tiburon (Afghanistan 1971-75)
In Afghanistan in the early ’70’s, I served as a high school science teacher trainer and university lecturer for three plus years. My tertiary education was a BS from Cornell and and MS from MIT in Chemical Engineering, and a Graduate Diploma in Business from Sydney University in Australia. After Peace Corps, I spent nearly 25 years in the international oil business, concluding with nineteen years in Hong Kong in consulting and establishing a wine import business. I’m married to a British wife and have two children and four grandkids. I believe service is essential for the U.S. – ranging from the military to the Coast Guard, the Public Health Service and more – Peace Corps has an important part to play. I’d like to contribute to this.