Christie Kiefer, Ph.D.

Christie Kiefer, Ph.D. is Professor Emeritus of Anthropology in the School of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, where he has taught for 40 years.  Dr. Kiefer has been an active advocate for health care access in underserved communities in Berkeley, San Francisco, Honduras, Nicaragua, the Philippines, South Africa, Thailand, Mexico, and Ecuador. He is a member of the South and West Berkeley Community Action Team, and recipient of the California Senior Leaders Award and the UCSF Chancellor’s Award for Public Service.  Among other works, he is the author of Health Work with the Poor (Rutgers U., 2000), and Doing Health Anthropology (Springer, 2007).

Roberta Cheff Brooks

Roberta Brooks worked for the U.S. Congress in the District Office of Congressman Ron Dellums for twenty-seven years and as the District Director for Congresswoman Barbara Lee for three years. She worked with many organizations and groups throughout the 9th District on multiple issues related to the federal Government with an emphasis on health. In that capacity, she had occasion to work with LifeLong Medical Care on several matters before joining the LifeLong Board following her retirement. She serves on the Advisory Boards of the Ethnic Health Institute and Congresswoman Barbara Lee. She continues to volunteer on various community projects in Berkeley and Oakland.

Georgia Lacy

Georgia Lacy, Board Chair, is a retired Public Health Nurse who worked for Contra Costa County. She is a graduate of San Francisco State University and the French Hospital School of Nursing. She is a member of the Senior Leaders Program at UC Berkeley and a committed community services worker and advocate for poor and disabled patients. In her free time, her passion is to transport to the doctor and advocate on behalf of patients who have difficulty getting around. She was asked to join the board in 2003 to bring a prevention and health maintenance perspective.

Jennie Alexich

Jeannette Alexich worked in the health care field in various capacities for 20 years. She was Executive Director of New Bridge Foundation, former Director of Alcohol and Drug Programs for Marin County, and held senior staff positions in planning and policy development for Alameda County Health Care Services Agency and the Alameda County Medical Center. She also taught elementary school for four years in the Richmond Unified School District. Since 2002, she has worked for Passport Resorts LLC, as business manager and assistant to the managing partner. She has served on a numerous nonprofit and community boards, and in other volunteer roles for more than 40 years.

Patricia Carson Sussman

Patricia came to the world of aging through a circuitous route that began with jobs in radio and television. After the death of her daughter Sarah, she helped found the California Sudden Infant Death Syndrome Foundation and later returned to school to study nursing. She supplemented that expertise with a subsequent Masters degree in organizational behavior. She was a member of the first volunteer class at Alta Bates Hospice and was later named Director of the hospice and its successor, VNA & Hospice of Northern California. She has served more than 20 years as a board member and onetime Chair of the Over 60 Health Center and Lifelong Medical Care, and was also appointed Chief Operating Officer for LifeLong, gaining practical experience as well as a public-policy understanding of issues of aging. For the past 10 years, Patricia has maintained an independent consulting practice that specializes in aging and healthcare delivery. For the past 4 years Patricia has been involved in the development and implementation of Ashby Village a non-profit membership organization that provides the community, supports and services for people to age in their own homes.

Gloria Flores Garcia

Assistant Executive Director for El Concilio of San Mateo County for over 10 years, Gloria has directed programs that promote health prevention, education, outreach, and case management for San Mateo County's Latino and other underserved communities. She is the co-founder of Nuestro Canto de Salud Health Project that is a multi-disciplinary collaborative effort that envisions all community as key stakeholders in the rhythm and harmony of a healthy community. Gloria has a long history of working in the community and is committed to social justice issues. She has served on several boards and councils, including the Spanish Speaking Citizens Foundation, American Diabetes Association, American Cancer Society, West Bay Breast Cancer Early Detention Program, and KCSM's Community Advisory Committee. She was a past KQED Local Hero for Hispanic Heritage Month as well as the private sector Local Hero award for Peninsula Interfaith Action.

Ron Adler

Ron Adler MD, Chair of LifeLong’s Development Committee, received his education from Harvard, Stanford, and UCSF. He has lived and practiced medicine in the East Bay since 1977, working in both private practice and public health care at Alta Bates/Herrick Hospitals, Alameda County Medical Center (Highland Hospital), and the University of California Health Service. He served 16 years as a member and chair of the City of Berkeley Community Health Commission. He is now semi-retired and, in addition to his service on the Lifelong Board, he volunteers at community health centers and at the University of California/UCSF Joint Medical program. He notes with pride that many of the doctors at LifeLong were once students of his at Highland Hospital or at the UCSF Medical School. His self-declared "mission" on the Lifelong Board is to create and maintain a working environment that supports our dedicated health care providers in the delivery of humane, quality health care for all of our patients.

Judith S. Turiel, EdD

Judy Turiel, Chair of LifeLong’s Planning Committee, EdD became a Board member of the Over 60 Health Center before the merger with Berkeley Primary Care Access that formed LifeLong Medical Care. After graduating from the University of California, Berkeley, and receiving a doctorate in education from Harvard University, she worked for many years with consumer health organizations, focusing initially on women's health and later on aging. She is author of Beyond Second Opinions: Making Choices About Fertility Treatment (1998) and Our Parents, Ourselves: How American Health Care Imperils Middle Age and Beyond (2005), both published by the University of California Press. Judy was Chair of the City of Berkeley's Commission on Aging, concerned with needs of and services for older adults, and is currently Vice-Chair.

Tom Brown

Tom Brown is a retired Civil Engineer. He is a former Caltrans Senior Transportation Engineer and Bechtel Supervising Engineer. He received his undergraduate and graduate degrees from the University of New Mexico. He is currently Treasure of the Board.

Dianna Chambers Beamon

Dianna Chambers Beamon has dedicated her professional career to the area of Alcohol and Substance Abuse Treatment.  She has extensive experience working with high-risk youth in the East Bay; providing case management for men and women living with disabilities; as well as providing advocacy for individuals in-court or in-custody dealing with addiction related legal issues. Currently, Dianna is the Re-entry Coordinator at Berkeley-based Options Recovery Services providing program services to recently paroled men and women participating in addiction recovery treatment. She also supports the Oakland-based Options Recovery site that provides alcohol and substance abuse treatment, mental and medical care and housing. Dianna received an Associate’s Degree in Business Administration from The College of Alameda and will soon be awarded a Bachelor of Arts with a concentration in Adult Development and Gerontology from California State University-East Bay.

Janet Howley

Janet Howley is a consultant in Affordable Housing. She worked at Mercy Housing California as Senior Asset Manager from 2008 to 2011.  Prior to this position, she worked in the Community and Economic Development Agency at the City of Oakland, from 1988 through 2007 as a Housing Development Coordinator, Manager of Housing Development and Interim Director of Housing & Community Development.  Janet moved to the Bay Area following a two year assignment with Harvard's Kennedy School of Government which required travel throughout the United States to evaluate the work of a national foundation.  She received a Masters Degree in Urban and Environmental Policy at Tufts University and a BA in English and Philosophy from Boston College. She has served as Chair and Past Chair of the Board.

James Johnson, Jr.

James Johnson, Jr. studied African-American Studies and Public Health at U.C. Berkeley and currently works as a Community Outreach Associate. After his initial professional introduction to LifeLong Medical Care through participation in a work group that reviews and addresses the high prevalence of hypertension in certain communities in Berkeley, he developed a great appreciation for the work of Lifelong and its many sites throughout the Bay Area. As a Bay Area native, he feels it especially important to improve this community and its health and well being, and sees LifeLong as an organization that is grassroots enough to reach people outside of the clinical setting and large enough to make profound changes in the lives of families they serve. He is also an Advisor to a chapter of the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. as well as holding executive positions at the local and Western Region levels for Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. He is a mentor through several organizations and involved with the Covenant Worship Center.

Guadalupe Ramirez

Our newest member of the Board has family members who are also patients at some of LifeLong’s clinics. She is currently a student who manages to fit in monthly board meetings with her busy schedule.

Nancy Threatt

LifeLong Medical Care plays an essential part in the overall good health and wellbeing for many Berkeley citizens, in addition to providing services to surrounding areas. Nancy believes that her role is to advocate for those who feel that they have no voice, or no one to speak for them. She believes that good health and wellbeing are the determining factors in a person's quality of life, a most worthy cause to dedicate her time, energy and resources. She has been a Berkeley resident for over 45 years and retired after 31 years with Pacific Bell/SBC. Her volunteer service includes time as a volunteer advocate starting with her days as a Head Start parent. After retiring, she served as Court Appointment Special Advocate for youth in group homes, she taught adult literacy at the Berkeley Public Library Literacy Program, and was a Lit Pal for King Middle School. She served on numerous Berkeley health-focused coalitions and teams. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in English/Psychology from CSU, Hayward and she has four children, seven grandchildren and one great grandchild.

Kevin D. Williams, JD, MPH

Kevin D. Williams, JD, MPH, got his education at Berkeley, the University of Houston Law Center and the University of Texas School of Public Health. He is currently the Associate Director at Berkeley Youth Alternatives (BYA) and has worked at UC Berkeley as and instructor and as Associate Director at the Center for Public Health Practice at the School of Public Health. He has served 5 years as a member of the board of directors of LifeLong Medical Care and serves on several sub-committees as well. In addition to his service on the Lifelong Board, he volunteers with the Men’s Ministry at the Berkeley Mt. Zion Missionary Baptist Church.