The Alpha Resource Center Board of Directors meets six times a year. Meetings are open to members and the public. For specific dates and time, please contact the administrative offices at 805 683-2145.
PRESIDENT
Bernie Schaeffer – Bernie retired in 2002 following a 27 year career at Tri-Counties Regional Center, where he worked in numerous capacities including Director of Training and Information. Previously, Bernie was employed at a child guidance clinic and as school social worker, both in the Hartford, Connecticut area. Educated at Syracuse University, he later received graduate degrees in Social Work and Public Health from the University of Connecticut and the University of California, Berkeley.
Following his retirement, Bernie continued working for a period of time as a free-lance writer. In addition, he enlisted as a volunteer for the Santa Barbara Coalition of Caregivers. Bernie has lived in the Santa Barbara area for 35 years and knew, when he bought a home in 1976, that he and his wife Ruthie were here to stay.
Bernie and Ruthie have two grown children, Amy and Jon. Both are married and live in Hawthorne and Huntington Beach. Bernie and Ruthie’s first grandchild, Sophia, was born on September 29, 2007. A second grandchild is due in the summer of 2012.
Bernie has completed one three-year term on the board and found it to be a rewarding and interesting experience. He believes strongly in always keeping a close eye on Alpha’s mission and vision, board dedication to a thoughtful and deliberate planning process, and a willingness to make the bold and creative decisions necessary to improve the lives of the people Alpha serves.
VICE PRESIDENT
Doug Allard – Doug is a meteorologist and the former Director of the Santa Barbara County Air Pollution Control District. Doug and his wife, Margaret, have lived in Goleta for 25 years and are the parents of two grown children. Ryan has developmental disabilities and lives in his own 2-bedroom apartment in Santa Barbara with full-time support and attends Alpha. His older sister, Katie, lives in San Rafael and teaches young children with severe developmental and physical disabilities. Margaret has taught first grade at Catholic schools in the area for 25 years.
SECRETARY
Bruce MacKenzie – A native of Massachusetts, Bruce attended Boston University, Chapman College and American International College where he earned his BA degree. He attended the graduate school of journalism at UC Berkeley and graduated from law school at UC Davis with a JD in 1972, passing the California Bar that same year. He and his wife, Louise, have four children: Walter, Elizabeth, David and Emily. Elizabeth was born with cerebral palsy, epilepsy and the experts believe she has cognitive impairments. Bruce serves as board member and treasurer for Tri-Counties Community Housing Corporation, a non-profit which promotes affordable housing in the Central Coast, and is a member of the board of Hinchee Foundation, a non-profit which owns and manages two intermediate care facilities for people with developmental disabilities, serving six participants in each home. In the mid eighties he first served as a member of Alpha’s Board of Directors. He left to join the Tri-Counties Regional Center Board in the early nineties, and he is a past president of that Board. After leaving that board, he re-joined the Alpha Board and has served as President, Vice President, and Treasurer and is now a candidate for Secretary. Bruce is active in statewide client rights advocacy and represents Alpha on the board of Arc/CA, our state organization.
TREASURER
Lisa Macker – Lisa has had a long-time interest in supporting individuals with developmental disabilities. In the 1980’s, she received her degree in Business Economics from UCSB. She worked at Work, Inc. and was a volunteer with Special Olympics. After obtaining her CPA license in 1985, she worked at the Fielding Graduate Institute for seven years as Director of Finance Administration/Treasurer. She worked at Alpha Resource from 1994-2000 as Financial Director. Currently, Lisa is the accountant for the Land Trust for Santa Barbara County and a Trustee at Santa Barbara City college. Together she and her husband own Dodson Land Surveying, Inc. and are raising three children. She is an active advocate for our Alpha participants and others in the community in need of support.
PAST PRESIDENT
Maureen Janeway – Maureen has served on the Board of Directors since 2002. She and her family moved to Santa Barbara in 1998. Prior to moving, she was the Vice President of a Chicago-based healthcare advertising agency for 17 years. She currently serves as their Director of Marketing. Her husband, Terry, is EVP/COO with a retirement and investment management company in Carpinteria. He has also served in the past as master of ceremonies for the Circle of Life luncheon. Their son, Chris, married to Katy, is a financial advisor in Santa Barbara. After the tragic death of their daughter, Katie, Maureen and her family established Katie’s FUNd. Katie’s FUNd is sponsored by Alpha Resource Center and provides social and recreational opportunities for teens and young adults in South Santa Barbara County. Maureen has served as President of the Board for three years and provides leadership in marketing and fund development. Maureen is also on the board of CAPS of Santa Barbara, Inc., an organization that provides future planning services for families of individuals with developmental disabilities.
DIRECTORS
Heather Bennett – Heather is a Southern California native, who moved from San Diego to Santa Barbara in November 2009 to take the position of Director of Foundation and Corporate Development at Direct Relief International. In that role, she is responsible for managing strategic communications, assisting in programmatic design, and leading the acquisition of resources to support the objectives of the organization. Prior to joining Direct Relief, Heather worked at the Council of Community Clinics in San Diego, CA where she raised funds to help increase access to affordable and quality healthcare for low-income and uninsured people. Heather has a Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology and History from the University of California, Los Angeles, and has contributed numerous volunteer hours to nonprofit organizations including the American Diabetes Association, Susan G. Komen for the Cure, San Diego Council on Literacy, San Diego Refugee Forum, and the San Diego Food Bank.
Jeff Brookshire – Jeff Brookshire has been in the Securities industry since 1997, beginning his career as a Registered Representative with Edward D. Jones and Co. in Santa Barbara, California. In April, 2002, Mr. Brookshire made the decision to become an Independent Registered Representative and left Edward D. Jones and Co. Since that time Mr. Brookshire has run his business independently partnering with firms such as First Allied Securities, Inc. and Wells Fargo.
Jeff graduated from the University of California at Santa Barbara with a B.A. in Economics in 1993. Since 2002 he has been acting as a Certified Financial Planner professional. Jeff currently serves on the Development Committee and Strategic Planning subcommittee.
Mario Cervantes – Mario moved to Santa Barbara in 1988 from Mexico and worked as a school bus driver. He has been married for 48 years and has three grown children. He has been a Tri-Counties Regional Center vendor since 1992. From 1993 to 1997 he was the Children Program Coordinator for United Cerebral Palsy, (11 groups in Santa Barbara area and Carpinteria). From 1992 to 1998 he was on the Independent Living Resource Center Board of Directors. He has owned Ride N’ Care, a transportation service specializing in transporting people with disabilities, since 1994. He is also a member of Outlook, a program run by the Rehabilitation Institute. Mario also works as an instructional assistant at Goleta Valley Junior High School. He has served as Secretary of the Alpha Board for the four years.
Scott Clarkson — Scott Clarkson has been a Participant in the Alpha Resource Center Adult Day Program since 1987. Born and raised in Santa Barbara, Mr. Clarkson attended Santa Barbara Jr High and Goleta Valley Jr. high School. Mr. Clarkson has served for many years on the Participant Council of the Adult Day Program. His Council participation has included fulfilling responsibilities of the roles of President, Vice President, and Sergeant of Arms. Mr. Clarkson has advocated for services for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities for many years. He has been an active participant in local meetings and rallies on the budget crisis, actively representing those who have difficulty representing themselves. Mr. Clarkson currently resides in his own apartment in Santa Barbara, works on the Alpha Center Landscape Crew, and is one of the lead members of the Alpha Center Performing Arts Troupe.
Carol Kallman- Carol carries on a long family tradition of volunteer leadership and support of Alpha. Her parents Ruth and Bob Kallman (and even her grandfather) were active in the 1950s and 1960s and were instrumental in the acquisition of the site and building of Alpha Center on Cathedral Oaks Road. Inspired by her brother, Cliffy, Carol spent much of her childhood involved in Alpha activities.
Carol has a long standing history of community involvement and is currently active with the Channel City Club, Junior League Sustainers, Los Fiesteros Dance Club, Member RITA, National Charity League and a Board Member of the Santa Barbara Zoo.
Carol graduated with a Bachelor of Science Degree, Business Administration at Cal Poly. She owns and manages rental property, has worked as Executive Director of the Santa Barbara Industrial Association and Futures Foundation, and Legislative Consultant for the Building Industry Association.
Carol, “I have always had a great deal of respect for the organization and am looking forward to serving on the Board.”
Kathleen Mills — Kathy has been involved with Alpha since she attended her first Circle of Life Luncheon in 2004. Born and raised in Redondo Beach, she went to school at El Camino Junior College and Lake Tahoe Community College majoring in Administration of Justice. Kathy continued to work at the community college until leaving on an extended trip to Mexico in 1983. Returning to the States in 1991, she settled in Santa Barbara where she worked as a caretaker at several estates in Montecito. During this time she also developed her own small business which included personal assisting, catering and event organization. Kathy amassed a broad client base that provided welcome variety and numerous opportunities. A wonderful connection that she made in 2001 led to her current full time job as a Personal/Professional Assistant.
She is married to Tim Milham, a General Contractor. Together they love to travel, follow sports, garden, play with their cats, and spend time with family and friends.
Ale Ortega-Botello– A native of Santa Barbara, born and raised on the coast of California Ale received a Bachelors of Arts degree from the University of California Santa Barbara in Business Administration with a minor in Science in 1986. She has been in the banking field for the past twenty five years, and has been employed with Santa Barbara Bank & Trust for the past seven. A banker by default, she evolved from a sales position to mastering a management role in the local banking community and now manages three extremely successful offices for Santa Barbara Bank & Trust. Her role is Branch Management for Pacific Capital Bancorp, N.A. – an $8B holding company for Santa Barbara Bank & Trust, incorporating 48 retail offices, and serving as the largest independent bank along California’s Central Coast. Having been raised in Santa Barbara giving back to the community is extremely important; therefore, she actively participates in Santa Barbara and Goleta, having served on numerous Boards and actively volunteering with organizations such as American Heart Association, United Way of SB, Dos Pueblos Little League, Alpha Resource Center, the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, and supporting many non-profit events in the city of Santa Barbara and Goleta. Currently she is working toward completion of her graduate degree with Pacific Coast Banking School at the University of Washington.
Lynn Rodriguez – Lynn Rodriguez, a current Alpha Board Member (2001-2003 and 2007-2010) has been a Santa Barbara resident since graduating from UCSB in 1979. She lives with her husband, Steve, and their youngest daughter, Blair, who was born with Down syndrome in 1994. Lynn is co-author of a booklet published by Alpha about Down syndrome titled “Looking Ahead” developed for new families. Their oldest daughter lives and works in the Bay Area.
Lynn is an independent consultant with Rodriguez consulting Inc., specializing in water resource management. She is also a trained facilitator and has provided training and facilitation services to local agencies and organizations including Alpha. She has served the community in a variety of capacities, including a four-year term as an elected member of the Santa Barbara School District’s Board and various District committees, the board of the Harding School Foundation and her current position as president of the Santa Barbara Education Foundation.
Mari Tyrrell-Simpson – Mari and her husband, Tye are parents of three children. They met as students at UCSB and have been Santa Barbara residents for over 30 years. Their son, Kyle works part-time at the Kellogg Thrift Store and has developmental disabilities. Kyle is a veteran participant in EXPO and has been a speaker at Alpha’s Circle of Life Luncheon representing the Teen Programs. Kyle’s sisters, Caitlin, a Special Education Teacher, was inspired to go into special education by her brother and Mackenzie, a student at SBCC, who also hopes to go into education. Mari has been employed at UCSB for 30 years and is the University’s Workers’ Compensation Manager.
Skip Ware — Skip Ware has been a Participant in the Alpha Resource Center Adult Day Program since 1988. Mr. Ware has participated in local school, recreational, and community activities for many years. Mr. Ware has served for many years on the Participant Council of the Adult Day Program, several of these years as President, and has been an active member of People First. Mr. Ware is an experienced advocate for services for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. He has been an active participant in local meetings and rallies on the budget crisis and actively communicates via mail/email with his local legislative representatives. Mr. Ware currently resides in a supported living apartment complex in Goleta. When not involved in researching trains (his #1 pastime), Mr. Ware is an avid Gardener and hopes to one day work at a Greenhouse in the community. He is also a big fan of the SB Foresters.
Joshua Weitzman – Joshua and his wife, Jamie, first came into relationship with Alpha when their third daughter, Hannah, who has Down syndrome, was born in 2007. Since then they have been strong advocates for Hannah and supporters of Alpha. Jamie helped to begin the Walk & Roll and hosts a monthly gathering for young children with developmental disabilities and their parents through the Down Syndrome Association of Santa Barbara. Joshua is part of the team that organizes Alpha’s charity bike ride and has been a presenter and table host at the Circle of Life Luncheon. Their whole family, including Hannah and her two sisters, Sarah and Julia, has participated in many Alpha activities such as helping to plant fruit trees in Alpha’s orchard. Joshua and Jamie recently adopted their fourth child, Jedidiah, through the Hong Kong special needs program. The Weitzman family has lived in Carpinteria since 2005.
Alpha Resource Center is committed to Empowering Individuals, Supporting Families and Building a Community that values the contribution of all people. 