Elece Hempel spent more than two decades leading the Petaluma People Services Center, joining the organization in 2004 and serving as Executive Director from 2011 until her retirement in 2025. Under her leadership, PPSC grew from a modest local nonprofit into Petaluma’s most vital human services organization, ultimately serving tens of thousands of Sonoma and Marin County residents each year through dozens of programs spanning senior services, housing, food access, employment training, and counseling.
Elece brought a rare blend of business savvy — honed over fifteen years in the software and venture capital world before shifting to community work — and genuine, personal commitment to the people PPSC served. She was as comfortable at a program site as in a boardroom, and became a familiar, trusted presence throughout Petaluma. Her contributions were recognized with a North Bay Nonprofit Leadership Award and the honor of Grand Marshal of Petaluma’s Butter and Egg Days Parade.
Elece is currently Board Chair for Petaluma Voice and brings her deep knowledge of Petaluma’s social fabric, her donor and civic relationships, and her steady, people-first leadership to the Trestle Promenade Now steering committee.