We here at Community Foundation Sonoma County are very excited to welcome our newest colleague, Minal Patel to our team (and it isn’t just because she brought us cookies on her first day!) Minal is our new Staff Accountant and will work side by side with Controller Jessica O’Connell and Office Administrator Rachel Harstad.
Minal lives in Windsor with her family, including her eleven year old son who is preparing to begin junior high in August. She has a background in accounting and computer science education; some of her recent accounting work has been in real estate and pharmaceutical industries. Earlier in her career she performed data and operations analyst duties with Chase Manhattan and Washington Mutual Banks.
While her professional accomplishments are impressive (we are really lucky), it is Minal’s connection to community that makes her a fit for the Community Foundation. “I am a community-oriented person. I volunteer regularly – education mostly – and am very active in supporting my son’s school. I intentionally live a simple lifestyle to protect the environment,” said Minal. She is most excited that her work will contribute something positive for the broader Sonoma County community.
This summer, (when she isn’t settling into the Community Foundation) you will find Minal hiking and gardening as she looks for new ways to connect with nature and soil. She is also an avid creative home-cook and if her cookies are any indication – a particularly skilled one. She believes in eating healthfully but with lots of flavor. We think that sums up her personality, nicely.
