Gruber Family Foundation
Leadership & Board
Linda W. Gruber is the president of the Gruber Family Foundation, established in 1987. The foundation funds in the areas of women issues, human rights, the arts, progressive journalism and education. She also currently serves on the board of the Global Fund for Women, Planned Parenthood Federation of America and the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. Prior to this she has worked as a consultant, taught at San Francisco State University and worked for the U.S. Department of Labor.
She began her career in the Lyndon Johnson White House. She is a graduate of Wellesley College. She lives in the Bay Area with her husband, Jon D. Gruber; they have two grown children and six grandchildren.
Ellyn Weisel has been working in the Bay Area ever since graduating from Colby College with a BA in History and American Studies. She currently serves as the Executive Director at Wild Care, a wildlife rehabilitation center and hospital with an additional focus on student education, in San Rafael. Prior to that, she was the Director of Development. Before her tenure at Wild Care, Ellyn worked at 10,000 Degrees in San Rafael as the Chief Development Officer, raising funds for the nonprofit which helps disadvantage students gain access to college. She also had stints as the Foundation Director at the DripDrop Foundation, as Vice President of Corporate Consulting at International Management Group in San Francisco, and as the Development Consultant for the Boys and Girls Clubs of San Francisco. As well, she was Vice President of Development at Common Sense Media. Ellyn and her husband have three grown children and reside in Marin County.
Laura Talmus is the co-founder of Beyond Differences, a national, student-led nonprofit dedicated to ensuring all youth feel valued, included, respected, and accepted by their peers. Under her leadership, the organization advanced its mission for over fifteen years before integrating with Sandy Hook Promise.
Before founding Beyond Differences, Ms. Talmus operated a successful independent consulting firm, specializing in strategic fundraising for progressive nonprofits and Democratic candidates. She also serves on the Advisory Council of the Northern California Holocaust Education Center and on the Advisory Board of Know Yourself Academy, an education technology company.
Trent Nutting is the Director of Admissions and Tuition Assistance at Marin Academy in San Rafael. Prior to joining Marin Academy, Trent worked as a teacher, coach, residential adviser, and Director of Summer Programs at Choate Rosemary Hall in Connecticut. He received his BA in Creative Writing from Middlebury College and his J.D. from the University of Connecticut School of Law. He lives with his wife, Sarah, and their four daughters in Ross, California.
Ken Petrilla is Managing Director and U.S. representative of ChinaVest, a merchant bank based in Shanghai that advises a diverse mix of multi-national clients doing business in China. Prior to ChinaVest, Ken was Executive Director of the California-China Office of Trade and Investment, a public-private partnership between the California Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development, various economic development groups and public and private companies throughout the State of California. Prior to the California-China Office of Trade and Investment, Ken was an Executive Vice President with Wells Fargo Bank. During a career that spanned 30 years with Wells Fargo, he held many senior international banking positions in the United States and Europe. Mr. Petrilla has an undergraduate degree in Business Administration from Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green, Ohio and a Master’s in Public Administration from Golden Gate University, San Francisco, California. Mr. Petrilla has significant corporate governance experience. He has served and continues to serve on a variety of boards, associations and organizations. He holds dual US and UK citizenship and resides with his wife in Ross, California.
Chris Dunham became Executive Director of the Gruber Family Foundation in the Spring of 2018. Prior to this position he was a school administrator and science teacher in New York City and Westchester County, NY. He holds a BA in English from Wesleyan University and an MA in Instructional Technology and Media from Teacher's College, Columbia University. He resides in Marin County with his wife and three children.
