Stephen Mark Dobbs is a native San Franciscan who was educated at Stanford and has been a long-time student of San Francisco history, especially its Jewish story. After an academic career teaching as a professor of humanities at San Francisco State University, Dobbs began a second career in foundations and philanthropy, including Rockefeller and Getty where he was senior program officer. He is former President and CEO of the Koret Foundation and the Marin Community Foundation, and has served in executive capacities with Osher, Taube, and Grand. He currently works with several Bay Area family philanthropies.