POST Appoints Olivia White Lopez as Director of DEI

Peninsula Open Space Trust Appoints Olivia White Lopez as Director of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

Newly created role for strategic thought leader and change agent for all DEI initiatives in support of POST’s mission and regional impact

PALO ALTO, Calif. — September 21, 2021 – Peninsula Open Space Trust (POST), a nonprofit that protects open space on the Peninsula and in the South Bay for the benefit of all, today announced the appointment of Olivia White Lopez as the organization’s first director of diversity, equity & inclusion.

Ms. White Lopez will serve as the central driver for the organization’s DEI strategic plan, adopted in 2020. She will facilitate cultural and operational change to build an environment where people representing diverse backgrounds can thrive and also contribute to POST’s mission. Ms. White Lopez will work to support and encourage diverse, inclusive and equitable engagement with POST partners and communities throughout the region and advise on diversifying hiring practices at all levels of the organization. She will report to the president of POST.

“I have always been drawn to mission-driven organizations in my work. Peninsula Open Space Trust’s mission to do their work ‘for the benefit of all’ particularly resonates with me,” said Ms. White Lopez. “I look forward to working alongside the entire organization to help translate that goal into action.”

“POST has been engaged in a multi-year process to evolve our organization and thinking. We have done this in the hope that one day our staff and board will more fully reflect the community we serve and thereby assure that the lands of our region are protected and restored for the benefit of all,” said Walter T. Moore, president of Peninsula Open Space Trust. “I am thrilled that Olivia is bringing to POST her keen insights, experience and ability to lead to our DEI initiatives in order to guide us down this challenging and critical path.”

Ms. White Lopez previously served as senior manager of DEI and people programs for Kiva, a nonprofit that is dedicated to financial inclusion. In that role, Ms. White Lopez designed and led an organizational DEI strategy and task force and developed internal resources to support cross-functional collaboration on DEI initiatives. Prior to Kiva, Ms. White Lopez worked for People’s Kitchen Collective in Oakland, CA; Hack the Hood, a tech skills-building program for early-career youth of color; and 826 Valencia in San Francisco. She holds an MS in Organizational Development from the University of San Francisco School of Management and a BA in Studio Art and Anthropology/Sociology from Agnes Scott College, where she graduated Phi Beta Kappa and Magna Cum Laude.

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About Peninsula Open Space Trust

POST protects open space on the Peninsula and in the South Bay for the benefit of all. As a private nonprofit land trust, POST has been responsible for saving more than 80,000 acres since its founding in 1977. POST works with private landowners and public agencies to connect people and nature. Visit openspacetrust.org for more information.