Meet Our Board Members
Mariellen Faria
Board Member | Zone 1 - West
Hayward
Term: December, 2022 to December, 2026
Ethics Training Certificate | Form 700
Director Faria is a Registered Nurse with over 30 years of healthcare experience both as a caregiver and an administrator. She has been the Director of Nursing at St. Rose Hospital, San Leandro Hospital, and Kaiser Permanente San Leandro. Her degrees are in Nursing and Sociology. She possesses a Masters Degree in Nursing Administration. She was instrumental in establishing the Silva Pediatric Clinic and the Chabot Student Clinic. As a lifelong resident of Hayward, she is active in the community.
She is currently a Planning Commissioner for the City of Hayward, a former Human Services Commissioner and is a Board Member for the Hayward Area Historical Society. She is a member of the Hayward Chamber of Commerce. She volunteers with the New Start Tattoo Removal Program and South Hayward Parish food giveaway program.
Director Russo is a Registered Nurse with a 35 year history in healthcare. Most of Director Russo’s healthcare experience was at St. Rose Hospital where she worked in all clinical areas of the hospital. During the last 15 years at the hospital, Director Russo worked as an administrator overseeing the fundraising arm of the hospital, government affairs, marketing and project management work. Director Russo’s involvement in the community led her to her current role at the Hayward Area Recreation & Park District (H.A.R.D.) where she serves as the Executive Director of the H.A.R.D. Foundation. She has been actively involved in the development and build out of Mia’s Dream Come True Playground in South Hayward; an all-inclusive park designed for children with special needs.
Director Russo is on the Hayward Chamber of Commerce Board, a member of the Hayward Rotary Club, and serves on a variety of advisory and volunteer committees. As a longtime resident of Castro Valley, Director Russo remains active in volunteer work throughout the District in various communities and enjoys time with her husband, two daughters and extended family.
Pamela Russo
Board Chair | At Large Seat
Term: December, 2020 to December, 2024
Ethics Training Certificate | Form 700
Roxann Lewis
Board Secretary/Treasurer |
Zone 3 - Castro Valley & Fairview
Term: December, 2022 to December, 2026
Ethics Training Certificate | Form 700
Director Lewis is a retired Lead Nuclear/Ultrasound Technologist who practiced at San Leandro Hospital, Alta Bates Hospital, Memorial Hospital, and Laurel Grove Hospital. She attended St. Mary’s College in Moraga and Merritt College in Oakland.
Director Lewis is a longtime resident of Castro Valley and graduated from Castro Valley High School. Director Lewis is also a current board member of the West Alameda County Board of Zoning Adjustments, a volunteer at the Oakland Museum’s white elephant sale, site coordinator for Earth Day Clean Up with Castro Valley Sanitary District, and previous member of the National Ski Patrol.
Director Hernandez recently served on the San Leandro City Council from 2016-2020 and serves on various boards and entities serving the communities in Alameda County. He has lived in San Leandro since 2004, where he and his wife (Katherine Greenberg) are raising their two daughters, Rachel (13) and Sarah (9), sharing the importance of community involvement through their parish and other public involvement in improving the quality of life for all of their neighbors.
Director Hernandez has a Bachelors in Financial Management (CSU Long Beach), a MBA in Strategic Management (CSU Hayward/East Bay) and a MS in Organizational Development (University of San Francisco). He enjoys helping his daughters sell Girl Scout cookies, attend breakfast with the San Leandro Breakfast Club, attend lunch meetings with Rotary, working on real estate development efforts, as well as running, cycling, golfing and spending the summers at the Alameda County Fair, where he also serves on that board.
Ed Hernandez
Board Vice Chair | Zone 5 -
San Leandro
Term: December, 2022 to December, 2026
Ethics Training Certificate | Form 700
Surlene Grant
Board Member | Two Year At Large Seat
Term: December, 2022 to December, 2024
Ethics Training Certificate | Form 700
Surlene Grant is a senior level government affairs and public relations professional with experience in the private, public and non-profit sectors. Her focus is community development, capital development, housing, transportation, environmental justice related projects and clients. For more than 20 years she has operated her own consulting firm based in San Leandro and serving many Bay Area communities.
An active member of the San Leandro community, Ms. Grant was the first person of color to be elected to office in that city and served from 1998-2008 as a member of the San Leandro City Council – including two terms as vice mayor. She is a co-founder and monthly convenor of Unity in the Community – San Leandro, an organization to support racial justice and fight racism in San Leandro.
Among her community affiliations, she is a member of the Hayward/South area Chapter and a State Board member of Black Women Organized for Political Action (BWOPA), former Board member of the San Leandro Chamber of Commerce and an officer of her church. The City of San Leandro honored Ms. Grant for her work in the city and as a housing advocate by naming a new city facility – the Surlene G. Grant Community Room – in her honor in 2020. Her other recognitions include: “Woman of Distinction” from the American Business Woman Association;” the Mayor’s (San Leandro) Community Service Award, and the 18th Assembly District “Local Hero Award”.