EBALDC Names Janelle Chan as New CEO
East Bay Asian Local Development Corporation Names Janelle Chan as New CEO
The East Bay Asian Local Development Corporation (EBALDC) is excited to announce the appointment of Janelle Chan as the organization’s new Chief Executive Officer, beginning May 15, 2024. Chan’s selection concludes a rigorous nationwide search for a visionary leader to drive EBALDC’s longstanding commitment to community development and cultivating healthy neighborhoods throughout the East Bay.
“For nearly half a century, EBALDC has been a beacon of hope and progress in our community. As we embark on the next 50 years, I am thrilled to welcome Janelle Chan as our new CEO,” said Kelly Drumm, Chair of the EBALDC Board of Directors. “With her proven track record and collaborative leadership, we are confident she will work with our dedicated board and executive leadership team to steer EBALDC towards even greater success, ensuring that everyone in our community has access to housing in a healthy and vibrant neighborhood. On behalf of the board, I also want to recognize our Interim CEO Lina Sheth’s invaluable support and guidance to us during the transition.”
Reflecting on the transition, Sheth remarked, “Janelle’s appointment is a testament to our organization’s enduring commitment to our community; her significant executive experience will be invaluable to EBALDC. EBALDC has answered the call of our region’s residents and government leaders to provide affordable housing as well as affordable commercial spaces for small businesses, and wrap-around services to our residents and community members. I am looking forward to working closely with Janelle and our team to ensure a smooth transition and to set the stage for EBALDC’s next chapter.”
Chan brings over two decades of housing and community development experience, with deep expertise in affordable housing finance, equitable transit-oriented development, and government and nonprofit management. Her background includes pivotal roles as the Undersecretary of the Massachusetts Department of Housing and Community Development, where she oversaw a $1.3 billion budget and significant funding for affordable housing and community assistance, and as the Chief of Real Estate for the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA), where she spearheaded the first transit-oriented development policy and negotiated complex, large-scale, mixed-use development projects for the second largest land owner in the state. Prior to her public service roles, Chan was the Executive Director of the non-profit Asian Community Development Corporation and expanded the organization’s impact beyond Boston’s Chinatown neighborhood to serve the greater Boston region.
“I am deeply honored to join EBALDC, a cornerstone organization for Oakland and the broader East Bay,” said Chan. “EBALDC’s comprehensive approach to community development that centers on the health of neighborhoods and the wellbeing of its residents is inspiring. I am eager to collaborate with EBALDC’s board of directors, senior leadership, staff, valued partners, and diverse community members to innovate and advance solutions to address our region’s affordable housing challenge and foster the development of thriving economic corridors. Together, we will continue to build on EBALDC’s critical work, and remain an instrumental force in shaping a dynamic and inclusive future for our region.”
Chan was a Loeb Fellow at Harvard University’s Graduate School of Design, earned a Master in City Planning degree from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and holds an A.B. in Ethnic Studies and Minor in Public Policy from the University of California, Berkeley. She is an immigrant and grew up in the Bay Area, where her family has established roots for five generations.