James F. Blanding has been President of the Board of Directors of the Providence Foundation of San Francisco (PFSF) since its inception in September, 1997. Mr. Blanding has a B.S. degree in Architectural Engineering from North Carolina Agricultural & Technical College (now known as North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University). He served as a Naval Architect at the San Francisco Naval Shipyard from 1963-1965. In 1965 he joined the Department of Public Works for the City and County of San Francisco as a Civil Engineer, where he served until his retirement in 1972.
Mr. Blanding subsequently acquired a real estate broker’s license and founded Bayview Property Managers, which manages commercial and residential properties that are for sale or rent. His education in architectural engineering, as well as his years of experience as a civil engineer and real estate broker made Mr. Blanding the prime candidate for conducting the strategic planning of affordable Senior Housing in the Bayview-Hunters Point District. He has spent several years developing the PFSF Senior Housing Project and negotiating with the Department of Housing and Urban Development and the San Francisco Redevelopment Agency to finance its construction. On January 30, 2006 construction began on the $18.9 million 50-unit building, anticipated to be completed in mid-late 2007.
Mr. Blanding is a member of the Bayview Merchants Association and the San Francisco Association of Realtors. He is licensed as a Civil Engineer and Real Estate Broker in the State of California. Mr. Blanding served as President of the Bayview Construction Engineers from 1974 to 1976 and was licensed in the past as a General Engineering Contractor in the State of California and as a Civil Engineer in the Sate of South Carolina. Mr. Blanding is a member in good standing of the Providence Baptist Church of San Francisco and serves on the Board of Deacons. He served previously as President of the Board of Deacons and of the Board of Trustees, as well as a Sunday School Teacher and Director of the Baptist Training Union.
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- James F. Blanding, President
- Charles Fowlkes, Vice-President
- Linnie Carrington, Treasurer
- Cliff Bell
- Alpha Buie
- Tanya Red
- Lynette Sweet
For More Information: Please contact the Providence Foundation of San Francisco office. - James F. Blanding, President
Helen R. LaMar began her tenures with the Providence Foundation of San Francisco (PFSF) as a member of its Board of Directors in 1997. At the time of her induction onto the PFSF Board Ms. LaMar was employed as a bank examiner with the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco. While on the Board of Directors Ms. LaMar served as accountant to PFSF and produced all the financial statements. She also applied her organizational and communications skills to expanding the vision of the organization and investigating and pursuing sources of funding. Upon her retirement from the Federal Reserve in 2003 Ms. LaMar took a leave of absence from the Board to become the Executive Administrator for PFSF. On April 12, 2005 she assumed the title of Executive Director. In this role her responsibilities are to: provide leadership for and oversight of all of the Foundation’s programs,
develop and manage the long-term financial growth plan,
plan and oversee the annual consolidated budget,
provide fiscal management and oversight of program services to ensure financial integrity,
provide written budget reports and financial activities to the Board,
pursue and develop sources of funding (e.g., grants, individual and corporate donations and revenue-generating events),
recruit, train and evaluate Program Directors,
recruit, train and supervise administrative staff.
Ms. LaMar has a B.A. in Finance from Johnson C. Smith University of Charlotte, North Carolina and brings to the Directorship twenty years of experience in Federal Banking Regulations, as well as ten years experience in finance, accounting, and administrative operations. She is a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. and the Bay Area Urban Bankers Association. She is a member in good standing of Providence Baptist Church of San Francisco and served in the past as Assisant Financial Secretary on the Board of Trustees. She currently serves on the Church's Vouchers Committee, and is the Singles Ministry Secretary, Voices of Providence Secretary, and the Phase II Sunday School Coordinator.