TEAM
Isabella Miller
Program Director
Isabella joined BFF in 2020. As the organization’s sole employee, Isabella oversees day-to-day operations of the organization, manages three annual grant programs, and handles all marketing, communications, fundraising and event production. She is a skilled arts and nonprofit professional with expertise in program management, development, and communications.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Abby Ginzberg - President
Abby Ginzberg is a Peabody award-winning director, member of the Documentary Branch of AMPAS and EMMY® Silver Circle inductee. She has been producing compelling documentaries about race and social justice for over 35 years and has created an impressive portfolio of award-winning films. Her film, Barbara Lee: Speaking Truth to Power, won the 2022 NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Documentary and is available on Amazon Prime. Abby has been President of the Berkeley Film Foundation since 2009.
Richard K. Robbins - Vice President
Richard K. Robbins founded Wareham Development in the 1970s and remains its CEO. Wareham is one of the most prominent real estate development and property management companies in the Bay Area with research campuses in Berkeley, Emeryville, and Richmond. Wareham is a founding partner of the public-private partnership that launched BFF along with the City of Berkeley and the Saul Zaentz Company.
Judy Wetterer - Secretary
Judy Wetterer has spent 45 years working in the building industry for architectural and development companies in Chicago and the Bay Area. She is currently the Director of Community Relations at Wareham Development, where she has been since 1998.
Paul Zaentz
Paul Zaentz is a film producer and the founder of Teatro della Pace Films. At the Saul Zaentz Company, Zaentz was Production Controller on Amadeus, directed by Milos Forman, and Financial Controller on Peter Weir’s The Mosquito Coast. He was Associate Producer on The Unbearable Lightness of Being, At Play in the Fields of the Lord, and Anthony Minghella’s The English Patient.
Fredrica Drotos
Fredrica Drotos has a background in film production and business affairs. She is currently the Brand and Licensing Director at Middle-earth Enterprises in Berkeley, California.
Julia Robertson - Treasurer
Julia Robertson is a writer, director, producer specializing in experimental narrative and documentary forms, including film, video, photography, and multi-channel sound and video installations. An MFA graduate from the California College of Art with a focus on Art and Social Practice, she is passionate about exploring the intersections of gender identity, sexuality, and social and environmental justice. She serves BFF in the leadership role of Treasurer.
Dawn Valadez
Dawn Valadez is a queer, Xicana, filmmaker, social worker, artist, youth development specialist, and impact strategist. A graduate of UC Berkeley’s School of Social Welfare, Valadez has over 25 years of experience as a social worker and non-profit service and development professional.
Cheryl Dunye
Cheryl Dunye is a Liberian-born American filmmaker, actress and educator. Her films highlight social and cultural issues surrounding African-Americans and the LGBT community, most notably, Black lesbians.
Nancy Skinner
Nancy Skinner was appointed by Gov. Newsom in January 2025 to serve as a member of the California Energy Commission (CEC). She served in the California State Senate from 2016 to 2024 and in the California State Assembly from 2008 to 2014. She also served on the Berkeley City Council from 1984 to 1992.
BOARD MEMBERS EMERITUS
John Gooding
John Gooding is a partner of the Milo Group of California, where he provides consulting services at the intersection of businesses, nonprofit organizations, and state and local government; and works in public advocacy for the Bay Area.
ADVISORY COMMITTEE
Susan Wengraf
Susan Wengraf served as the Berkeley City Councilmember for District 6 from 2008 until her retirement in early 2025, following four terms in office and 16 years as a legislative aide in the same district.
Terry Taplin
Terry Taplin, a native of West Berkeley and a poet, has served on the Berkeley City Council since his election in November 2020, representing District 2. He is recognized as Berkeley’s first openly LGBTQ person of color on the council.
Robert B. Reich
Robert B. Reich is the Chancellor’s Professor of Public Policy emeritus at UC Berkeley’s Goldman School of Public Policy, serving in that role after a distinguished career that included 16 years in key posts across three national administrations—most notably as U.S. Secretary of Labor under President Bill Clinton.