CFSC Staff Appreciation!
Rachel Harstad is a strong believer in the power of investing. So, when she learned about Community Foundation Sonoma County, and how they pool the resources of many like-minded people and even multiply and extend the impact long-term through investing, she knew that was where she wanted to be putting her efforts in.
Rachel was born and raised in Santa Rosa. Being at the Community Foundation, Rachel is happy to bring her technical, operational, and strategic skills to an organization dedicated to helping the place she loves so much.
Ever since joining the Foundation in 2014, Rachel says she has felt at home. With her knowledge and love for technology, Rachel offers support to the rest of the team in their use of technology.
Rachel has worn many hats throughout her career, but a thread through them all no matter where she has worked, is her consistent role of becoming the go-to person for technology. Rachel expresses that she is and, “always have been a geek about computers”.
In fact, Rachel taught herself how to program on her first Apple II GS more than 30 years ago. Her knowledge and expertise have landed her career opportunities working in tech support and running a small office for a general contractor.
Rachel also spent more than a decade in financial planning, getting fully licensed to help individuals plan for their long-term financial needs.
A self-described “bird nerd”, outside of her career, Rachel enjoys photographing and capturing the beauty of nature in Sonoma County. To her, photography serves as a creative outlet that helps her connect to the beauty in the world.
Alongside her husband Jason, Rachel is happy to live in a place where people share similar values and have a strong sense of community.
