Cathedral People Profile: Valerie Crane Dorfman

Valerie with her husband Paul Crane Dorfman

Valerie Crane Dorfman is in the middle of her term as Board Chair of the Board of Trustees for Grace Cathedral. She is as passionate about her work with the Board as she is about the cathedral it serves. "I love what the Cathedral is and what it can be. I wanted to make a commitment to do volunteer work full time to impact the community."

Being of service to community is primary to Valerie’s expression of her values and spirituality. "My mother was from the Anglican Church of Northern Ireland. I’ve been Episcopalian since my first breath," she says laughing. "It’s been a part of my life since the day I was born. My mother, my father, and my brother have all been Senior Wardens, so there’s a long tradition of our family being involved in the life of the church."

Valerie moved to San Francisco in 1986, and became involved with Grace Cathedral after years of being "very involved, in one way or another" at Christ Church in Portola Valley. "I had been Senior Warden, Junior Warden, taught lay ministry, you name it. In 1990 I went to Southern California and returned in 1997. [Cathedral Dean] Alan Jones and I had stayed in touch over that time. [Former Board Chair] Kermit Boston and I led a diversity awareness training for the Congregation and Chapter. And around 1998 or 1999, I was asked to come onto the Board.

"I became a Trustee, chaired the Development Committee, served as Vice Chair, and was then elected Board Chair."

When asked about the function of the Board of Trustees, and how it impacts the greater Cathedral community, she describes it this way: "The work before the Board is to position the Cathedral for the future, in preparation for the next hundred years. The Board is responsible for governance, for strategic vision and development, and for financial management of the Cathedral. [Likewise] the Congregation Council attends to the ministries, the life and health of the congregation.

"The Board is creating a stronger foundation for the Cathedral, so it can broaden and deepen its work to live out its mission in the community. We are building the Board with people who are focused and engaged. It’s a lot of fun and I love it. It’s a great gift to me. It’s an extraordinary opportunity."

Her excitement around planning for the future of Grace Cathedral comes from aligning her experience in finance and banking with her commitment to using her skills to help others. "I was an Executive Vice President of Bank of America. I had great experiences, and was very fortunate. After I left, I was glad to have the freedom to commit time fully to what really mattered to me. One of my core values is that people who have experience and skills learned in the corporate world, and who are fortunate to have financial flexibility, have an obligation to put those talents to use in the community."

At the root, her love for Grace Cathedral–its history, its current work, and its potential, is central to her work on its behalf. "This is a remarkable place. There aren’t a lot of cathedrals with such an active and vibrant congregation. The Cathedral is a physical space and a virtual place. It has a important role in the community of San Francisco and the Bay Area, and a thriving congregation, both at the Cathedral itself and via the internet.. It is a vibrant community where people can learn and grow. It is a gathering place for mourning or celebration. It is a voice of reason and rational thought. It has a voice and stands for values that I think are important."

Valerie joins Alan and Cricket Jones after The Forum