POST Welcomes Raj Mashruwala to Board

Raj Mashruwala Joins POST Board of Directors

June 19, 2015

(Palo Alto, Calif.)—Peninsula Open Space Trust (POST) announced that Raj Mashruwala has joined its Board of Directors. Mashruwala has been active with the organization since 2013.

“About 20 years ago, I realized the beauty and joy of going out into open spaces,” said Mashruwala, a resident of Palo Alto. Like many outdoor enthusiasts, he enjoyed hiking and cycling in the Bay Area’s open spaces, but it was when he started to delve deeper into how those spaces are protected that he discovered POST.

In his professional life, Mashruwala is an investor in early stage technology companies. An engineering alumnus of UC Berkeley and IIT Bombay, he has participated on the boards of many nonprofit organizations including alumni groups and those with a focus on senior services, the arts and literature. He feels that a broad mix of professionals on the POST board is important for its continued success.

In addition to his entrepreneurial spirit and experience in Silicon Valley, Mashruwala will contribute his viewpoint on ethnic diversity to POST. He feels that as the demographics of our area continue to evolve, it is increasingly important to reach out to populations who spend time outdoors but may not think of themselves as conservationists.

“There’s a large population in the Bay Area that’s not aware of open space, or their interests don’t overlap with POST’s to some extent. We need to figure out how to meet the needs of people living in an urban space and become relevant to them. It’s a combination of POST making some changes and educating people on what’s available.”

Mashruwala is no stranger to the open space and outdoor opportunities available locally. He organizes a weekly hiking group that has gone an entire year without repeating a trail.

“There is a value POST has created in our area,” he says. “I’m happy to become more involved with POST. I’ve been using these open spaces-it’s time to give back.”

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POST is a leading private, nonprofit land trust dedicated to preserving the beauty, character and diversity of the San Francisco Peninsula and Santa Cruz Mountain range. Since its founding in 1977, POST has been responsible for saving more than 75,000 acres as permanent open space and parkland in San Mateo, Santa Clara and Santa Cruz counties. 

Press Contact

Michelle Mellon
Public Relations Manager
Phone: (650) 854-7696 x341
Email: mmellon [at] openspacetrust [dot] org
www.openspacetrust.org