Paul N. Gowins

President/Chair

Paul is a veteran of the Marine Corp placed on disability retirement in 1969. Paul has had a long and admirable history as a freelance events producer. Paul served as Public Affairs Director for KSJS FM where he instituted their News Department which is still active at San Jose State University. He has also taught classes for media and broadcast production at SJSU and the University of Arizona. Paul was the events producer of the 100 Day Vigil in the San Francisco civic center commemorating the Tiananmen Square massacre. He has recently joined the ranks of resistors and demonstrators pushing back against an authoritarian regime bent on destroying our precious democracy.

Rion S. Gowins

Co-Chair and Secretary

Rion began her career as a legal assistant at the executing agency of the United Nations, the World Bank in Washinton, D.C. in 1969. Upon returning to California, she was privileged to work in the San Francisco Financial District’s most prestigious international law firms as a litigation specialist. After pursuing a degree focused on solid state electronics, she found herself in a rousing career working in Silicon Valley’s top-tiered Intellectual Property legal establishments. Rion took a hiatus from work the summer of 1989 to work closely with the Chinese students at Stanford in their effort to obtain political asylum during the Tiananmen Square demonstrations for democracy. Ironically, she now finds herself fighting for democracy in her own country.

Maddy Hirschfield

Member of Board of Directors

Maddy Hirschfield has been involved in politics and government in the North Bay for decades. She served as a delegate to the Sonoma County Democratic Party from 1996 to 2002. She was also a delegate on the California State Democratic Party during this time. Ms. Hirschfield worked for the state legislature serving two California state legislature assemblymembers between 2002 and 2014. Maddy has also been a successful political manager and consultant representing dozens of local and state candidates and ballot measures. Maddy serves currently as the Political Director of the North Bay Labor Council in Santa Rosa, California where she champions one of America’s most vital legacy institutions — the labor movement.

Jeanine Willig, MA IPD, RPCV

Member, Board of Directors

Jeanine Willig has led a life with many travels and adventures. Having an undergraduate degree from Cal Poly Humboldt in Cellular Molecular biology, she started her career in a state lab but wanted to see more of the world. In 2012, she joined the United States Peace Corps to serve her country and see the world. She served for two years as a formal education volunteer in the West African country of Burkina Faso. After her time in Peace Corps, she received her master’s degree from the Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey in International Policy and Development with a concentration in Conflict Studies. She spent the last 8 years in various roles with government agencies understanding deeply how the federal government works from an insider’s point of view. She is passionate about public service and the collective potential of working together to solve our problems.

Robin Latham

Member, Board of Directors

BIO IN PROGRESS

Shirley Bennett

Angel Investor

Shirley Bennett, one of our Angel Investors, brings a varied background to Audacity Rising – paralegal, actress/producer, and auctioneer for nonprofit fundraisers.  Anti-war protests in the Bay Area during her high school years launched her decades-long activism, and she is delighted to be part of Audacity Rising’s mission.  For her, we are all angel investors, contributing our time, creativity, devotion, and funding to the people and projects we deeply care about.