Thanking Jo-Ann Byrne Sockolov for Her Invaluable Service
With much gratitude, we recognize our departing board chair, Jo-Ann Byrne Sockolov, for her years of commitment and service on the PCRC board. Jo-Ann joined the board in 2014, serving as member-at-large, secretary, vice-chair and as board chair for the last two years. She strived to apply principles of humanism to advance social equity within our community. “We wouldn’t be where we are today without Jo-Ann’s leadership. We are very grateful for her service, talent and guidance during these trying times and thank her for her leadership and governance,” says PCRC Executive Director, Michelle Vilchez.
As board chair, Jo-Ann sees her role within the organization as “a facilitator of purposeful action.” She worked with board members and staff to respectfully communicate with communities in San Mateo County. Through building skills to improve relationships, reduce conflict and prevent violence with the goal of helping communities grow and thrive, PCRC’s work during Jo-Ann’s tenure as board chair has increasingly been recognized. “We are receiving many requests for our programs, services, training, and consultation from local counties and from cities and organizations on a national level,” says Jo-Ann.
A key advance Jo-Ann helped to coordinate as board chair was the timely implementation of strengthening PCRC’s internal information systems. “With the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and having successfully transitioned a great majority of our work on-line, there is significant potential to expand our reach and make a greater impact,” she says. Other areas Jo-Ann helped forward include finding new funding sources and strategic partnerships, recruitment of board members who are representative of our community and strengthening PCRC leadership continuity.
Jo-Ann first discovered PCRC when she was involved in public school and community work in Redwood City. “I was impressed by the quality of presentations and mediation skills displayed as PCRC led community dialogue.” PCRC was putting into practice the communication skills Jo-Ann studied in college, and she saw the positive results that stemmed from PCRC’s work. “I spent many years focused on the art and science of good communication, but realized that if people aren’t on the same page with respect to what constitutes respectful and effective communication, making “good” communication happen in real life can be a daunting task.”
Watching PCRC make good communication leading to positive outcomes was a profound awakening for Jo-Ann. She kept the organization in mind and volunteered to join the board a few years later. She has also made generous financial gifts to PCRC to help enable the organization to achieve its mission. “The multiplier effect that results by making a financial donation is, in my opinion, the most wonderful phenomenon in philanthropy. It's one of the most efficient and effective ways to help sustain the invaluable work of your chosen organization and support its ability to increase positive impact in the community.”
A seasoned nonprofit sector professional, Jo-Ann founded Transform Collaborative, a consulting practice in 2017. “I started with the idea of creating a sort of alchemy of my prior experience in business, nonprofit management, and social justice work combined with the talents, vision, and passion of bold, out-of-the-box nonprofit leaders who have decided to choose challenge and change for their organizations because they know it’s the only route to meaningful, impactful, and lasting progress. Purposefully turning that alchemy into action that advances social good is thrilling and deeply rewarding,” she says. Her Bachelors of Science in Business Administration and Management and Master of Arts in Speech Communication Studies help lay the foundation for her consulting work.
“I have a long family history of public service,” says Jo-Ann, “I’m proud of, inspired by, and also humbled by the generations that precede me.” Her great-grandfather established the first public housing project in his country. Her grandfather and grand-uncles organized resistance against ethnic and religious persecution. Her parents immigrated to the U.S. and instilled a strong connection to family, education, community and service in their children. One of Jo-Ann’s first experiences volunteering in the community led her to a profound conclusion that guides her to this day. “As a young person with few resources of my own, I could offer a few hours of my time and support that would help someone regain their sense of self-agency, even if it was just for that one day.”