Meet the Team
Meet the dedicated volunteers of YHAA's Board of Directors, and its hard-working team of staff and interns.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
JIM PROVENZA
Chair
“The health and wellbeing of older adults in Yolo County is very important. I am glad to be a part of this effort.”
Supervisor Jim Provenza began his service on the Yolo County Board of Supervisors January 2009. His priorities at Yolo County include the preservation and protection of open space and farm land in Yolo County, and the promotion of services for children, crime victims, seniors, and the disabled. Supervisor Provenza earned his law degree from UC Davis and is a member of the California State Bar Association. He has 29 years of county and state government experience, and a long career in public interest law, including serving in positions such as a special assistant district attorney, Executive Director of the Legal Aid Foundation of Santa Barbara County, counsel to Senate Judiciary Committee Chair, and president of the DJUSD Board of Education.
PATTI HUSTON
Vice Chair
As a YHAA Board member, I am learning from hundreds of experts on aging issues while contributing and connecting to our aging community.
Patti has lived in Yolo County for 20 years and served the State of California for 40 years in policy and legislative roles for both the Department of Social Services and Department of Health Care Services. She served as the Deputy Director for legislation at Social Services for 11 years, where she oversaw the analysis of hundreds of bills annually affecting programs and policies for aging and disabled populations, families, and children. Since retiring in 2015, Patti has been an active aging participant within our community, immersing herself in educational, creative, and health-centered activities to promote healthy aging. As a board member, Patti seeks to use her energy and experience as a public servant and as a member of our aging community to engage and enhance the well-being of our growing aging population.
MANUEL ROMERO
Secretary
I am proud to be part of an organization that strives to enhance the quality of life of the dynamic and the geographically and ethnically diverse aging population of Yolo County.
Manuel recently retired from the California Department of Social Services (CDSS) after 23 years of serving as Assistant Chief Counsel in the Legal Division for 10 years and 13 years as the Deputy Director and Chief Administrative Law Judge of the State Hearings Division. Prior to CDSS, Manuel was a public interest and civil rights attorney, including working as an Managing Attorney & Regional Counsel with the Legal Services of Northern California; as Regional Counsel for the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund (MALDEF) and as Executive Director of the National Housing Law Project. As an advocate he has sought to serve the interests of poor and vulnerable communities. On a personal level, Manuel is a native New Mexican but has been a Californian since 1981 when he followed his wife Elizabeth to Marysville. They have been married nearly 40 years and have lived most of that time in Woodland. Manuel enjoys cooking New Mexican food but his favorite activity is spending time with family and his grandchildren, including helping to coach his granddaughters sport teams.
DAWN MYERS
Board Member
“Aging services have been my passion for my entire career. As a social worker I know only too well that system change requires advocacy, coordination and education, and this is exactly what YHAA provides."
Dawn Myers has been the Program Director of Woodland Healthcare’s Yolo Adult Day Health Center since 1996. Before joining YADHC, Dawn was a Program Manager for the Area 4 Agency on Aging for two years, providing oversight to over 15 social service programs serving older adults. Dawn also serves on the board of the California Association of Adult Day Services after completing her term as statewide Board President. She is an appointee to the CA Dept. of HHS Alzheimer Disease and Related Disorders Committee, a 2005 graduate of the Sierra Health Foundation Health Leadership Program, a longtime member of the Yolo County Adult and Aging Commission, and was recognized as the 2011 Woman of the Year.
DENISE PEACH
Board Member
"YHAA does critical work for seniors in Yolo County that no other organization does. After 30 years of aging and MediCal services at the state level, I’m happy to join the efforts of YHAA and more directly impact my own community."
Denise serves as chair of the YHAA Advocacy Committee and the Development/Fundraising Committee and is playing a key role in the planning of the Davis Adult Day Program and expansion of the Yolo Adult Day Health Center. As the former Chief of the Community-Based Adult Services at the California Department of Aging, Denise developed and implemented legislation and policy focused on the needs of and services for the elderly and disabled adults. Denise was the 2016 recipient of the Senator John Heinz Memorial Award for Outstanding Contributions to the Field of Adult Day Services (awarded by the National Adult Day Services Association [NADSA]). Denise is an avid organic gardener and loves to cook for family and friends using local, seasonal ingredients.
PAT LEARY
Board Member
“I welcome the opportunity to assist as a Board member in meeting community challenges, through building strong relationships, leveraging existing resources in new ways to multiply their impact, and to support our aging residents as vibrant, thriving and integrated members of our community.”
Pat has lived in Yolo County for two decades, most recently serving as a Chief Deputy Director for the California Department of Social Services. Prior to that role, she was the Assistant County Administrator for Yolo County for 6 years. Pat also had the privilege of working in the Legislature as a staff to the Senate Budget Subcommittee on Health and Human Services where aging issues were heard and supported. On a personal level, Pat served as the caregiver for her mother for seven years. Pat understand that the services and supports for this population have not grown commensurately with their increase as a share of the population, and although access to services has improved, for many, help remains out of reach. Innovation, collaboration and creativity are critical at the local level to ensure to meet their current and future needs. Pat welcomes the opportunity to assist as a Board member in meeting those challenges, supporting our aging residents as vibrant, thriving and integrated members of our community.
STAFF
Jamie Johnson
Executive Director
“I believe wholeheartedly in the power of community, and I am proud to be a part of an organization that connects older adults in Yolo County to quality, accessible services and care.”
Jamie Johnson comes to us from Pennsylvania excited for the opportunity to work alongside the staff and board members of Yolo Healthy Aging Alliance to continue to build upon the needed positive impact of the YHAA. Jamie graduated from Pennsylvania State University with a Bachelor of Education in Psychology and earned his Masters in Counseling at Bridgewater State University. He is an energetic, compassionate, people-focused leader. Jamie’s work experience includes directing a senior community center that served the urban and rural population in Erie County, PA, before fulfilling his family’s longtime dream of moving to the west coast, moving to California in 2018. Jamie moved his family of 8 (wife, six children, and three German Shepherds) to accept a position for the Executive Director of the Marshall Foundation for Community Health in Placerville, California. This position enabled Jamie to broaden his non-profit experience and blend his past healthcare experience with his enthusiasm for public service. His oldest son begins his second year at UC Davis in September 2023, and the community of Yolo County is already a place Jamie is proud to serve.
NANCY GIFFORD
Care Manager
“I believe in the person-centered care approach to care that respects and values the uniqueness of the individual, and seeks to maintain, even restore, the personhood of individuals through the creation of a psychological, social, and physical care environment that promotes personal worth, social confidence, and hope.”
Nancy Gifford obtained a Gerontology BS with honors from Sacramento State. She worked as a Social Services Coordinator for several years, with responsibilities including annual assessments, care planning, one-on-one counseling, and providing resources for 90-104 residents in independent low-income housing. She also completed an internship with the Medical Social Worker at Yolo County Adult Day Center and volunteered at Eskaton Live Well, Eskaton at Carmichael, and Chateau at Rivers Edge. She was Vice President of the Gerontology Club at Sacramento State, providing Thanksgiving and Christmas meals for low-income residents in the community.
ASHLEY RIVAS
Community Outreach Specialist
"I am honored to work with YHAA to create a meaningful and positive impact on the older adults living in our community!”
Ashley is a senior undergraduate at UC Davis, studying human development. After graduating, she hopes to pursue a masters in public health, so she can return home and better serve her community.
ALLY VIGIL
Community Outreach Specialist
“ YHAA is doing such important work for the older adult population and I am happy I can help make a difference in the community!”
Ally graduated from UC Davis in 2021 with a B.A. in International Relations. She has experience working in programs and operations and is a board member for the Davis branch of the American Association of University Women. She will be working with the STAR program and Phone Friends, and is eager to contribute to the vital work Yolo Healthy Aging Alliance is taking on.
SARAH ALLEN-SUTTER
Webmaster/Digital Media Manager
"I am proud to be part of a team working to better the livelihoods of our aging population."
Sarah graduated from UCSB in 2019 with a B.A. in Psychology and a minor in Professional Editing and is currently pursuing a masters in Creative Writing and Publishing. She designed and developed YHAA's website and continues to keep it updated. She also produces videos, updates social media, writes articles, and works on other miscellaneous projects for YHAA.
RADWA GEBREIL
Community Outreach Specialist
"I am continuing my education in public health to better support the elderly community."
Radwa is an MPH student at UC Berkeley. As a public health professional, she found importance in continuing her education in public health, so she can better support the elderly community. As an outreach consultant at Yolo Healthy Aging Alliance, I focus on developing an interdisciplinary awareness of complex problems with effective equitable public health initiatives through reaching out to the Arabic speaking elderly community within Yolo County.
JULIE LANGSTON
Nurse Consultant
"YHAA brings together the many services for elderly in Yolo county and helps bridge the gap for seniors and their families. I'm proud to be part of YHAA and can share my healthcare background to provide holistic services."
Julie graduated from UCD with a degree in Nutrition, before going on to receive her Nursing degree at CSUS and Masters in Nursing from UCSF. Julie is a native Californian and has lived in Yolo County for over 35 years. She is an active member of the community through her volunteer work in the local school district, Explorit Science Center, local food banks, CASA/NURSING ORGS and Davis Aquatic Masters. As a nurse, Julie understands the need for clear and easily accessible information to local resources. She brings her wide variety of experiences to YHAA to help our community.
INTERNS & AMERICORPS
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COMING SOON...
Coming soon...
COMING SOON