A Stanford electrical engineer, Dana Tom has called Palo Alto home since 1998. He spent years in Silicon Valley developing software, from videogames to business applications, at Electronic Arts and Software Publishing Corporation. He went on to deliver training on management practices and leadership at EA, and later co-founded Sail Internet, a Bay Area ISP that went through Stanford’s StartX accelerator.
Dana served nine years as an elected trustee of the Palo Alto Unified School District and four years on the Board of Directors of the California School Boards Association. He was PTA President at Duveneck Elementary and coached his sons in soccer, basketball, and baseball. He has also served as President of Palo Alto Players, the community’s theater company; President of the Rotary Club of Palo Alto; and Rotary District Assistant Governor. Dana brings expertise in strategic planning, board governance, and building collaborative teams across creative and technical disciplines.
“I’m excited to join the Palo Alto Museum early enough to help shape its direction, testing ideas and adjusting course as we learn what works,” Dana said. “The museum has a rare opportunity to show that Palo Alto’s story of innovation is really a story about community, about how the way we live, learn, and collaborate together is what makes this place extraordinary.”