Bill Felstiner (President), one-time Distinguished Research Professor of Law at Cardiff University, has been Associate Dean of the Yale Law School, Assistant Director of the USAID Mission to India, and Director of the American Bar Foundation and the International Institute for the Sociology of Law. He taught law and sociology at UCLA and UCSB.

Catherine Swysen (Vice President), a trial and appellate lawyer specializing in criminal defense work, has been recognized by the state legislature of California and civil liberties groups for her efforts in defense of civil rights.

Rich Appelbaum (Secretary), is Professor of Sociology and Global & International Studies at UCSB, where he directs the graduate program in Global Studies. He has also been Chair of the Sociology Department, and Director of the Institute for Social, Behavioral and Economic Research.

Bob Bason, a consultant in fund raising, has been an Assistant Chancellor of UCSB and National Vice President of Planned Parenthood Federation of America.

Jane Eagleton, a psychotherapist by training, serves on the board of many non-profit organizations in Santa Barbara.

Erika Felix, an Assistant Researcher at the Graduate School of Education, UCSB, received a PhD in psychology from De Paul University. She is a specialist in disaster mental health and worked in that field in Sri Lanka after the tsunami.

Christine Garvey, one-time Group Executive Vice-President of the Bank of America, Global Head of Real Estate for Deutsche Bank and Global Head of Real Estate for Cisco Systems, is a Director of the Union Bank of California, Hilton Hotels and Prologis.

Bill Murdoch, Charles A. Storke II Professor of Ecology at UCSB, a member of the National Academy of Sciences and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, is the Founding Director of the National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis (National Science Foundation).  He was on the Board of Directors of the Nature Conservancy from 2000-09 and is the author of The Poverty of Nations: The Political Economy of Hunger and Population, Johns Hopkins University Press, 1980.

Alissa Sears, who has extensive experience in humanitarian work in Sri Lanka, is Global Betterment Director at Christie Communications, a public relations, marketing, and advertising agency dedicated to helping ethical businesses, entrepreneurs, and socially-conscious organizations broaden their impact. At Christie she directs relief projects in the Sudan and Rwanda focused on community-based, entrepreneurial initiatives.

Mary-Louise Scully, M.D. is board certified in Internal Medicine and Infectious Diseases. An Associate Editor of Travel Medicine Advisor Update, she is Director of the Sansum Clinic's Travel and Tropical Medicine Center in Santa Barbara, CA.

Special Advisers.  The Board owes a debt of gratitude to its special advisers, Randall Ehren (information technology) and Karen Shapiro (graphics), who have worked tirelessly for CRF without compensation.