Sonoma County Workforce Investment Board

Yale Abrams is a management consultant for business and nonprofit entities with skills and experience in general management, marketing, fund development, organizational development, and strategic planning. He also consults on board development, meeting facilitation and community relations.

He is a past president and director of the Santa Rosa Symphony Association, a member of the Board of Directors of the Sonoma State Enterprises, Inc. at Sonoma State University, the Blood Bank of the Redwoods, the Sonoma County Family YMCA, and a former Board member of the Santa Rosa Chamber of Commerce, and the World Affairs Council of Sonoma County. He is also a member and past president of the Santa Rosa Rotary club.

Lee started his career in training design and development in the U. S. Coast Guard in 1980. Since that time, he has created hundreds of job-based training programs that successfully transferred skills and knowledge from the classroom to the work environment. For the last 10-years, Lee has served the employees and members at Redwood Credit Union. Lee is currently the Assistant Vice President of Training & Financial Literacy where his two primary focuses are internal training programs and improving the financial literacy of our communities and he is committed to placing financial education in public schools.

Debbie works for the California Employment Development Department, and is the North Bay Workforce Services Cluster Manager for Sonoma, Marin, Napa, and Solano counties. Debbie is on the Workforce Investment Board for all four counties, as well as North Bay Employment Connection (NBEC).

Robin Bartholow has been the Workforce Development Director at the North Coast Builders Exchange in Santa Rosa, CA since August, 2008.

In addition to her work in encouraging and enabling students to pursue a career in construction, she is also Executive Director of CHOICES, the high school drop-out prevention program sponsored by the Builders Exchange and the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.

A native of Santa Rosa, Robin graduated from U.C. Berkeley in 1989 with a degree in Near Eastern Relations. Robin is a recent graduate from the Santa Rosa Chamber of Commerce Leadership Santa Rosa Class 27.

Ed Barr is President and CEO of P & L Specialties and the Tom Beard Company which produces, respectively, wine making equipment and wine barrel cleansing equipment. He has been an active member of the Youth Council since 2002. He was chair of the WIB for two terms from 2003 to 2004 and 2008 to 2010 and the chair of the Youth Council from 2005-2007, where he provided leadership and guidance for Sonoma County's Youth Symposium and worked with the Sonoma County Office of Education to develop the Work-Ready Certificate.

Stephanie Cabral is the Field Operation Coordinator for Experience Works Incorporated. Her experience is in the coordination and administration of services to mature and disabled workers. Stephanie serves as a WIB Board member for Napa, Lake, and Mendocino Counties.

Gina Charbonneau is the Senior Human Resources Manager at Francis Ford Coppola Winery. Gina joined the Workforce Investment Board in 2008.

Oscar Chavez is the Executive Director of the Community Action Partnership of Sonoma County. Through his past job experience and in his current position, he is dedicated to establishing strong and positive ties between the County's low income neighborhoods, public entities and the business community in order to raise awareness about poverty and the negative impact it has on low income communities.

Oscar is currently the Chair for First 5 Sonoma, member of the Board of Directors of the Community Foundation, Legislative and Policy Committee Chair for the California/Nevada Community Action Partnership, Co-chair of the Sonoma County Innovation Council, Co-chair of the Sonoma County Health Action Council, Community Benefit Board Member for St. Joseph Health Systems, founding member of the Sonoma County Coalition for Latino Civic Engagement (CLACE), and a member of the California Stewardship Exchange.

Judy Coffey is the Senior Vice President/Area Manager for Kaiser Permanente's Marin-Sonoma Service Area. She is the chief executive responsible for the operations of both the Santa Rosa and San Rafael Medical Centers with nearly 250,000 members. A Board Certified Registered Nurse, she also holds a Bachelors Degree in Management and a Masters Degree in Business Administration.
An active member in the community, Judy has been actively involved at all levels with the American Heart Association and is currently a member of their National Emergency Cardiovascular Care Board. She also serves as a member of the North Bay Hospital Council, Empire College, and United Way of the Wine Country boards.
She has been recognized previously with the Business Journal's Women in Business Award, Santa Rosa Chamber of Commerce Business Woman of the Year Award, as well as receiving the Volunteer of the Year Award for the American Heart Association Western States Affiliates.

Laurie Decker is the manager of the Sonoma Valley Economic Development Partnership, a position she has held since 2006. The partnership is a collaboration of the Sonoma Valley Chamber of Commerce with the City of Sonoma and Sonoma County to support the local economy.

Marion Deeds is the Division Director of Economic Assistance in the Human Services Department. Her areas of responsibility include Medi-Cal, CalFresh (Food Stamps), County Medical Services Program and General Assistance. This involves work with the Sonoma County Commission on AIDS, Sonoma County Food System Alliance, and the Sonoma County Housing Assistance Committee. She currently manages a contract with Voicing Our Independent Choices for Emancipation Support (VOICES) helping former foster youth apply for CalFresh, and works with a group of young people from VOICES to assist at events at the Santa Rosa Farmers' Market.

Paul Duranczyk has served as the administrator of Creekside Rehabilitation & Behavioral Health in Santa Rosa since 2004. For over 25 years, Paul has held various leadership positions in assisted living, behavioral health, skilled nursing, and post acute transitional care settings. He is a Fellow of the American College of Health Care Administrators.

Paul serves on various committees to include the Sonoma County Healthcare Disaster Planning Forum, the Sonoma County Managed Medi-Cal Planning and Implementation Group, and the Sonoma County Workforce Investment Board. He is a member of the Community Emergency Response Team in Sebastopol.

Pam Garramone graduated from Sonoma State University with a Bachelor's degree in Liberal Studies, and a Master's degree in Educational Leadership. She holds several CA teaching and administrative credentials, and has been with Sonoma Valley Unified School District since 2004 as Principal for Sonoma Valley Adult School. As of 2010, she also became Principal for Creekside Alternative High School. Ms. Garramone has served the WIB since 2005 as Adult Education Chair.

Peter Harsch is a Regional Administrator with the California Department of Rehabilitation in the Redwood Empire District, which serves the Costal regions of California from Napa to the Oregon Border. The mission of the Department is to assist Californians with disabilities obtain and retain employment and maximize their ability to live independently. Peter is a Certified Rehabilitation Counselor who has worked for and with Disability agencies for over 25 years.

Steve Herrington took office as the elected Sonoma County Superintendent of Schools on January 3, 2011. He is a native Californian who began his career in education as a history teacher. Over the last 25 years, he has served as superintendent for three Northern California school districts, overseeing educational services for students from pre-kindergarten through high school. Prior to his election, he was superintendent of Windsor Unified School District. Schools and districts under his direction have earned awards for creating neighborhood family literacy centers, educating students to be environmental stewards, and making a difference in the lives of children and their families. Dr. Herrington is a Vietnam Era veteran who served in the United States Army and National Guard.

Steve is a Senior Vice President & Manager of the Commercial Banking Group of Exchange Bank, where he has worked in positions of Commercial Lending and Business Development for the last sixteen years. In addition to his work duties at Exchange Bank, Steve is currently involved in several civic and non-profit activities, including his position as current member and past chair of the Sonoma County Workforce Investment Board, serving on the board since its inception. Until January, 2009, Steve served as a member and past-Chair of the Sonoma County Economic Development Board for the prior seventeen years. Steve is a founding board member of the North Bay World Trade Association, where he served for eleven years. Steve continues as a member of the Santa Rosa Sunrise Rotary Club for the last fifteen years, where he has held positions as club Treasurer and President during 2003/2004, as well as key positions in various Club fund-raisers each year. Steve has served on the Steering Committee of the Sonoma County Economic Vitality Project from 1995-1998.

Kristina Holloway is a successful Human Resources leader with over 18 years experience in strategic, tactical and operational Human Resources management. She was born and raised in Santa Rosa, attending local schools, including Ursuline High School and SRJC. Ms. Holloway is actively serving as the Chapter Chair for the North Bay Regional Chapter of the Northern California Human Resources Association.

Carla Howell is the Executive Director of the Cloverdale Chamber of Commerce and contracted with the City of Cloverdale as Economic Development Consultant. Carla joined the Workforce Investment Board in 2004.

Keo Hornbostel is the General Manager at the Hyatt Vineyard Creek Hotel and Spa in Santa Rosa. Keo joined Hyatt Hyatt Hotels & Resorts as a Front Desk Agent after college, and subsequently moved around the country pursuing his career in the Hospitality industry with Hyatt for the past 20 years. In addition to the Workforce Investment Board, Keo also serves on the Santa Rosa Chamber of Commerce, the Santa Rosa Convention and Visitor Bureau, the Sonoma County Tourism Board, and the Historic Railroad Square Executive Committee and Board.

Roy Hurd has been involved in private education and school administration for more than 40 years, the past 24 years as President of Empire College in Santa Rosa. An active member of his community, Roy is Past-Chairman of the Board of the Wells Fargo Center for the Arts, Santa Rosa Chamber of Commerce, Business Education Round Table, and Sonoma County School-to-Career Partnership. In 2001 he was appointed by the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors as a member of the Sonoma County Workforce Investment Board (Chairman 2006-2009) and the Sonoma County Youth Employment Council. In 2007, Mr. Hurd was recipient of the Sonoma County Spirit Award which recognized his contributions to the Sonoma County Workforce Investment Board.

Mark Ihde is the current President & CEO of Goodwill Industries of the Redwood Empire, serving Sonoma, Napa, Lake, Mendocino, Humboldt & Trinity counties. Prior to accepting the position with Goodwill, Mark spent seven years on the Goodwill Board of Directors, serving as Board Chair for three years.

Mark retired in 1997 as the elected Sheriff of Sonoma County, ending a 27-year law enforcement career. Since his retirement, Mark spent four years managing three counties for a national title insurance company, was the National Special Accounts Manager for a private prisoner transportation company, and a licensed mortgage loan agent.

With the exception of his college years, Mark has lived in Sonoma County his entire life. Mark continues to remain active in the community, serving on the County's Workforce Investment Board and the Board of the Sonoma County Alliance. Mark has previously served on many non-profit Boards, the Board of the Santa Rosa Chamber of Commerce and as a member of LAFCO.

Stephen Jackson was named Director of Career Development/ROP for the Sonoma County Office of Education (SCOE) on January 20, 2006 after serving as interim director for six months. He oversees all aspects of the county-level effort to develop and deliver effective career development programs for high school students in Sonoma County. He joined the department in July 2004 and facilitated the successful effort to align ROP courses to state academic standards. Mr. Jackson has 17 years of teaching experience, including 12 years as a business and technology instructor at Montgomery High School in Santa Rosa. He also served as Montgomery High School's career pathway coordinator for four years.

Kathleen Kane has worked in the fields of affordable housing and community development since 1986. After working for six years in Vermont and Marin County, Kathleen came to the Sonoma County Community Development Commission (CDC) in 1992, and worked for twelve years as a supervisor and manager in the Community Development Division. She became CDC Executive Director in 2004, overseeing the agency's Community Development Division, Housing Authority, and Redevelopment Agency. Kathleen is active in several work related associations, including the Northern California/Nevada Executive Directors Association, the Community Redevelopment Association, and the National Association of Housing & Redevelopment Officials.

Scott Kincaid is a Senior Vice President and Senior Loan Officer with First Community Bank in Santa Rosa. Mr. Kincaid has been a commercial lender since 1998. He was born and raised in Santa Rosa, attending local schools, including Cardinal Newman High School and SRJC. Scott's family on his mother's side has roots in Sonoma County dating back to 1856. Scott and his wife Amy are proudly raising their three children in Santa Rosa. Mr. Kincaid is actively serving or has served as a board member with the Sonoma County Alliance, Innovation Council, and the North Bay World Trade Association.

Lisa Maldonado is the Executive Director of the North Bay Labor Council, AFL-CIO where she directs the coordinated efforts of local unions in Marin, Sonoma, Mendocino and Lake County to work collectively on mobilizing workers on legislative, political and issue campaigns that affect working families. As Executive Director of the North Bay Labor Council, which has over 70 affiliated unions and 60 thousand members, Lisa works to advocate for Living Wage and Community Impact Reports as well as for card check agreements, project labor agreements and community benefit agreements which will ensure that local government are accountable to create sustainable jobs and responsible, green and equitable policies around development.

Lisa is on the Steering Committee of the Accountable Development Coalition and the Board of Directors of the New Economy for Working Solutions. Lisa was recently appointed to the Measure O Gang Prevention Task Force and the Sonoma County Commission on the Status of Women. She has a degree in Political Science from San Francisco State University and a JD from the University of San Francisco Law School.

Matt Martin has worked as a teacher in an elementary school in Oakland, a facilitator for youth programs in inner city Bay Area communities, an operations director for Boys & Girls Clubs of Petaluma, and now as Executive Director for Social Advocates for Youth. A professional and personal goal of Matt's has always been to empower youth to reach their full potential as caring, productive, and responsible individuals.

Bill Nordskog retired from Agilent technologies after 35 years. Bill is now the Chair of the United Way of the Wine County, Chair of the Youth Council, a CASA advocate, a steering committee member for the Santa Rosa Mays Gang Prevention Task Force, and part of the Sierra Youth Center Advisory Council.

José Obregón serves as Director of General Services for the County of Sonoma. His responsibilities include oversight of eight divisions and a compliment of 127 staff members.

José is engaged in the community as a member of the Sonoma County Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors, a member of the Sonoma State University Career Center Executive Council, and a member of the Sonoma County Workforce Investment Board. José has also served as the co-chair of the Sonoma County Combined Fund Drive for the past two years. José holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Engineering with Texas A&I University (now Texas A&M University, Kingsville).

David Ohman is currently a Branch Manager with Manpower Inc., a full-service HR and labor solutions provider. David is responsible for a territory that includes all of Sonoma and Mendocino Counties and parts of Napa and Lake Counties. David is deeply involved in local community activities, which include Vice President of the LSR Alumni Association Board of Directors,VP of Communications on the Board of Directors of Professional Association of Sonoma County for Human Resources (PASCO HR), Chairman of the Advisory Board at Junior Achievement of the Redwood Empire, a volunteer for the Santa Rosa Chamber of Commerce, a volunteer for the American Heart Association, and a representative of the local business community sitting on several advisory panels including the Sonoma County Office of Education ROP Business Advisory Committee and the SRJC Business Advisory Committee.

Chris Paige currently serves as the Chief Executive Officer for California Human Development. Chris has been actively involved in La Cooperativa Campesina de California since its inception, providing leadership in the planning and program development relating to disaster assistance, dislocated workers, immigration reform, health care, and equity for farmworkers. Chris has been recognized for his volunteer activities by the Volunteer Center of Sonoma County and is active on the Board of Sutter Care at Home, the Sutter VNA and Hospice Foundation and the Redwood Arts Council.

Chuck Robbins is the Director of Economic and Workforce Development at Santa Rosa Junior College. Prior to joining the college, he owned two small businesses, a bookstore and a restaurant. He has also worked for an international corporation. Chuck has been a member of the Workforce Investment Board since 2000.

Bill Robotka has been the North Bay Business Representative for the Engineers and Scientists of California (ESC) union since 2000, representing professional employees working for Kaiser-Permanente, Sutter Health, Pacific Gas & Electric, Federal EPA, and County of Sonoma. He has been a member of the North Bay Central Labor Council since 2000 and its Secretary-Treasurer since 2009. Bill has had extensive experience with local community service organizations since moving to Sonoma County in 1979, and is currently on the Board of Directors of the California Autism Foundation.

Dr. Lynn Stauffer is the Interim Dean for the School of Science and Technology at Sonoma State University. Dr. Stauffer is responsible for providing academic and administrative leadership to the School of Science and Technology. Her interest in creating a highly skilled workforce by providing science and technology students knowledge and access to green and innovative industries offers a link between Sonoma State University and workforce development efforts in Sonoma County.

George Steffensen is the Apprenticeship Coordinator for the Operating Engineers Apprenticeship. He joined the Operating Engineers Union in 1981 as an apprentice. He became a journeyman in 1985. He worked on several projects in Sonoma County for a number of local contractors, i.e. Don Dowd Co., Argonaut Constructors and Ghilotti Construction. In 1990 he was employed by the Operating Engineers Union and held many positions. He worked as a dispatcher, Business Agent, District Representative and is currently the Apprenticeship Coordinator.

Stephen Thomas, Principal with Tickler and Thomas, is a member of the Santa Rosa and Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, Arts Council of Sonoma County and Community Action Partnership. He has a great interest in improving quality of life, to provide opportunities for people to thrive and succeed and help build a better community through workforce development and training.

Pedro Toledo is director of community and government relations with the Redwood Community Health Coalition, a network of 16 community health centers and clinics in the counties of Sonoma, Marin, Napa and Yolo. In this capacity, Pedro develops, leads and coordinates RCHC's policy and advocacy efforts at the local, regional, state and national level. As a liaison to the community, he increases the visibility of heath centers and develops relationships with government, business and community leaders.

Additionally, as the Vice-President of the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Sonoma County, Pedro serves the community in a role that advances jobs creation, fosters local small business growth and promotes policies and legislation that allow Sonoma County businesses to thrive.

Corey Turner is Vice President and Senior Commercial Banker at Sonoma Bank's Commercial Banking office in Santa Rosa. His banking career has lasted over 25 years at Sonoma Bank. Over the years, Corey has participated with many civic groups. He served as an executive board member and Special Events Chair for the Santa Rosa Chamber of Commerce. He also is a past chairman of the Downtown Farmers' Market. In addition, Corey served on the Ways to Work loan committee helping low income families to obtain financing.

Don is currently the Site Director for North Bay Veterans Resource Center (NBVRC) a division of Vietnam Veterans of California (VVC). Don is responsible for the overall day to day operation and management of all grants and veteran services for NBVRC a veteran's non-profit service organization that has operated in Sonoma County for over 40 years.

Don served honorably for 21 years and was deployed aboard several submarines in the United States Navy. Don possesses a wealth of knowledge towards military and veteran services and is a member of the Sonoma County Continuum of Care Veterans Committee, the Sonoma County Continuum of Care Planning and Steering Committees and is a member of the Taskforce for the Homeless. Don is also a member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 1943 in Sonoma.

Lorraine Wilson has over eighteen years of management experience working extensively facilitating partnerships among education, business and government. She has served as the National Director for the Marriott Foundation, as the Dean of Career Education and Workforce Development at the College of Marin and as a Dean III of Career and Technical Education and Economic Development at Santa Rosa Junior College.

Jack Wolf founded marketing firm Wolf Communications in 1990. Before that, he was a television news producer at network affiliates in Sacramento and New Orleans. He also was director of public relations at Kirkwood Ski Resort. Wolf has served on the Workforce Investment Board since 2000.