Xian brings more than a decade of leadership experience in diverse sectors, including nonprofit and public-sector work. At East Bay EDA, he supports the leadership committees of International Trade & Investment and Marketing & Public Relations. He manages marketing and communication activities and strategy as well as the planning and promotion of large-scale regional events. Prior to joining East Bay EDA, Xian served as Director of Development for a $12M social service agency in Silicon Valley, where he oversaw fundraising, communications, and community engagement. A Bay Area native and East Bay resident, Xian received a Bachelor of Arts in Literature from the University of California, Santa Cruz and a Master of Public Affairs from the Goldman School of Public Policy at the University of California, Berkeley.

Maribel (Bel) Purificacion joined East Bay EDA in December 2017 as an Administrative Associate. She is the Assistant to the Executive Director and provides administrative support to staff. She handles all logistics for the Leadership Committees and events. In 2015, Bel worked in the Alameda County Administrator’s Office providing administrative support to the Special Assistants to Susan S. Muranishi, County Administrator, and the CAO Finance Group. Prior to working for the CAO’s Office, she worked for AT&T for 27 ½ years. She started as a Reports Clerk in the Comptroller’s Department and worked her way up to an IT Analyst in the VP-Consumers Organization. She was responsible for the monthly vendors’ expenses, weekly time reporting and completion of mandatory guidelines for the Organization. During her spare time, she enjoys watching TV, movies and ballroom dancing.