Can a direct descendant who is on the board bring non-family members on to the board to work for him or her?

You’d have to check the bylaws and what the procedure is. Who and who can’t serve on the board is a matter of foundation policy. There’s no law that prevents non-family members from being on the board, but you should be very careful to observe the rules and policies set forth in your bylaws or your articles about the election of directors and the appointment thereof. If your rules don’t say who can and can’t serve on the board, and there is not a family requirement, this situation may be permissible; on the other hand, typically no one director can put people on the board.