Charlene C. Nijmeh, President of the Muwekma Ohlone Preservation Foundation and Chairwoman of the Muwekma Ohlone Tribe of the San Francisco Bay Area, steers initiatives in cultural revitalization, land stewardship, and education for the Tribe. Elected Chairwoman in 2018, she upholds her mother Rosemary Cambra's 40-year legacy as the former Chairwoman.  Charlene represents the eighth generation of a direct matrilineage back to intermarried ancestors who were missionized into Missions San Francisco and San Jose from the Jalquin/Yrgin, Saclan, Napian/Carquin, and Ilamne tribes from the greater San Francisco Bay Area. Her direct ancestors were members of the historic Verona Band which became federally recognized under the Congressional California Homeless Indians Acts of 1906 and Later years, as well as other federal actions.  Her grandmother and mother were also enrolled with the Bureau of Indian Affairs under the 1928 California Indian Jurisdictional Act.

Aaron Hébert, Board Treasurer of the Muwekma Ohlone Preservation Foundation, is an ecologist and Natural Resources Manager at the Santa Clara Valley Open Space Authority. He manages cultural resources with Native American communities, forging Bay Area conservation partnerships and sharing land trust expertise to bolster tribal revitalization and sovereignty.

Richard Torres is a Muwekma Ohlone Tribal Member and Board Member of the Muwekma Ohlone Preservation Foundation and is related to the Marine Sanchez Martinez lineage. Over the past decades Richard has been committed to community work and education while working on preserving tribal heritage and addressing colonial legacies via land access and federal recognition. Educated in communication and social work, he teaches at West Valley and Skyline Community Colleges counseling, organizes Indigenous events, and advocates for Native sovereignty and social justice.  Recently, he applied for the PHD program in the Doerr School of Sustainability Emmett Interdisciplinary Program in Environment and Resources (E-IPER) at Stanford University.  Richard has also been instrumental in coordinating the Muwekma Ohlone tribal Youth campout, educational gathering, and tribal land stewardship at Stanford’s Jasper Ridge Biological Preserve ‘Ootchamin ‘Ooyakma.

Alan Leventhal, Board Member and Tribal Ethnohistorian of the Muwekma Ohlone Preservation Foundation, is an Emeritus Lecturer in Anthropology at San Jose State University. For over 42 years, he has partnered with the Muwekma Ohlone Tribe as senior archaeologist, driving repatriation, cultural heritage preservation, and federal recognition through ethnohistorical research, genomics studies, and collaborative exhibits.

Thomas Martinez of the Marine Sanchez lineage, Board Member of the Muwekma Ohlone Preservation Foundation, is an enrolled tribal member and son of enrolled tribal member Candelario T. Martinez, Dolores Sanchez's eldest son who served in the U.S. Marine Corps during the Korean War in the 1950s. Thomas who is a San Jose native and an honorably discharged Army veteran, has a daughter and granddaughter—dual citizens of Muwekma Ohlone and Tohono O’odham Nations. He delivers food to seniors via a nonprofit and resides in Fresno.

Corina Arellano, Muwekma Ohlone Tribal Member and Board Member of the Muwekma Ohlone Foundation, serves as Community Education Co-Chair. She is the daughter of Albert Arellano and is the great-granddaughter of Albert Marine Arellano who was born on the historic Alisal Rancheria.  Corina is a dedicated traditional Ohlone dancer that includes the shake-head style dance. She leads events such as land acknowledgments and Muwekma Ohlone Tribal flag raising events fostering public understanding of Ohlone history and heritage.  Corina is a mother of two boys and she is energetically engaged in the cultural revitalization culture and language.

Mike V. Wilcox, Board Member of the Muwekma Ohlone Preservation Foundation, is a Stanford University anthropologist and the Tribe's Tribal Historic Preservation Officer. A founding collaborator, he drives repatriation, ethnohistorical research, and cultural revitalization, emphasizing traditional land stewardship, fire ecology, and sustainable food systems to combat colonial erasure and bolster indigenous sovereignty in the Bay Area.

Tadashi Fukami, Board Member of the Muwekma Ohlone Preservation Foundation, is a Professor of Biology and Earth System Science at Stanford University. As Faculty Director of Jasper Ridge Biological Preserve ('Ootchamin 'Ooyakma), he fosters cultural revitalization and Indigenous science as an ally, informed by prior work in Aotearoa and Hawai’i.

Lee Panich, Board Member of the Muwekma Ohlone Preservation Foundation, is Professor of Anthropology at Santa Clara University. An archaeologist and historical anthropologist, he has collaborated with the Tribe for over 20 years on repatriation, heritage preservation, and federal recognition, employing archaeological, ethnographic, and archival methods to reclaim indigenous histories.

Joseph Torres, Muwekma Ohlone Culture Bearer, Dance Captain, and Board Member of the Preservation Foundation,. Joseph’s great-grandmother Dolores Sanchez was born on the Sunol Rancheria in 1911 and baptized at Mission San Jose in 1912 along with other tribal members until the 1920s.  In 1932, Dolores Sanchez enrolled with her siblings with the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA). Dolores’ mother Ramona Marine was born on the Alisal Rancheria in 1893. They along with the other lineages of the Verona Band were members of the historic federally recognized tribe.  Joseph’s grandmother Julie Lopez and his mother Geraldine Torres were also enrolled with the BIA.  In following in the footsteps of his tribal ancestors.  A spiritual leader, he mentors youth in song, dance, and regalia-making, organizing gatherings and securing lands for ceremonies. He is a father of three children, he embodies artistry, music, and cultural vitality as a Traditional California Native dancer.

Bernadette Quiroz, Muwekma Ohlone Tribal Member and Board Member of the Preservation Foundation, chairs Language Revitalization efforts to revive the endangered Chochenyo language through innovative online tools and cultural integration. Bernadette’s great-grandmother Dolores Sanchez was born on the Sunol Rancheria in 1911 and baptized at Mission San Jose in 1912.  Dolores enrolled with her siblings in 1932 with the Bureau of Indian Affairs. Dolores’ mother Ramona Marine was born on the Alisal Rancheria in 1893. Both were members of the historic federally recognized Verona Band.  Bernadette is a passionate mother of three, she supports fundraising and cherishes hearing her people speak their native tongue.

Albert Arellano is a Muwekma Ohlone tribal member and serves as a MOPF Board Member representing the Marine-Arellano lineage. He is the grandson of Albert Arellano, Sr. who was born on the Alisal Rancheria in 1909.  He is also the great-grandson of Mercedes Marine Arellano, who was born on the Alisal Rancheria in 1895 which was located in what is now present-day Pleasanton. He actively collaborates with the Muwekma Ohlone Tribe to contribute to ceremonial practices and is deeply committed to cultural revitalization alongside his children and grandchildren. Deeply connected to the land and waters, Albert is passionate about fishing and works to restore access to traditional coastal food sources for present and future generations.