Alexa Benson-Valavanis

Alexa has served as president and CEO since July 2005. She was recruited to play basketball at Chico State University and graduated with a degree in journalism, then worked in business development in Shanghai, China, before starting an organization supporting nonprofit development in Guatemala. Alexa was hired to rebuild NVCF in 2005, and engineered a new business model mobilizing social entrepreneurs and philanthropists locally and around the globe. Under Alexa's leadership the foundation has grown from serving a dozen clients to more than 500 clients, engaging tens of thousands of donors, generating revenue of more than $180 million, while reinvesting more than $130 million to causes in Northern California, the United States and throughout the world.  On Nov. 8, 2018, Alexa transformed NVCF into the lead philanthropic organization in the Camp Fire relief and recovery effort and has since built a COVID-19 response arm in efforts to help slow the pandemic and provide relief to at-risk populations. To date, NVCF has granted more than $71 million for wildfire recovery and has mobilized more than $4.6 million for COVID-19 response.

Alexa is most proud of her role on this planet as a mother. She has published two books. The first is a memoir called “Sipping Tea with Buddha and Christ,” set throughout the globe as she traveled, worked and reconciled her faith and sexuality. Her most recent book is a children’s story, “More Than Anything & Everything,” about unconditional love. She sits on numerous advisory committees and boards and welcomes any chance to talk about the inherent good in humanity. Alexa currently is a board member of the Feather River Health Foundation.