Staff and Board

Coté joined the Board in 2020, inspired by the mission of Support for Families, having witnessed the challenges that this population faces in her own life. Several members of her family have been affected by disabilities and neurological conditions. Coté’s experiences supporting her family sparked her interest in Neuroscience and healthcare research, and have led her to get involved in advocacy for disability rights in
her home country, Chile, and in San Francisco where she currently resides.

Sally joined the Board in July 2018 to give back to the community who helped her own family. Sally is currently the Vice President of the Board. Sally’s young adult daughter is diagnosed with Autism, Cerebral Palsy and Seizure Disorder. SFCD was the first agency that provided help and support in the early years for her family (over 20 years ago)
and still does today.

Sally served as a Board Member in the late 1990’s and as Board President from 2000-2002. She has been back on the Board since December 2019. She is currently the Chair of the Transition Committee and serve on the Governance, Inclusion & Belonging and Fundraising & Events committees. Support for Families supported her when her daughter Maggie was born in 1994 with multiple disabilities and complex medical issues.
Sally brings passion for the mission, institutional knowledge and
history to the Board.  

Jess joined the board in 2018, impressed by the mission and work of Support for Families. She wanted to both be a part of it and learn from it. She has served on the Fundraising Committee and Transition Committee and often offers assistance with communications tasks. She has a son with multiple disabilities and is passionate about using her background and experiences to advocate for acceptance and inclusion of people with disabilities as beneficial for everyone in our society.

Kathy joined the Board in December of 2016 as a way to give back to the special education community in a meaningful way. Kathy has served in a variety of roles on the Board. She was chair of the Board Development Committee, Secretary and Vice President. She is currently serving as the President of the Board; she is an active member of the Transition, Racial Equity and Inclusion, and Governance Committees.

Christine joined the board in March of 2021 seeking to be more involved in the disability non-profit space. With a background in speech therapy, integrative health, and education, the Support for Families mission aligns well with her personal values and she was drawn to their welcoming community and unique offerings. She currently leads the education team at her health-tech company, designing curriculums and creating content that empowers folks with chronic pain to take an active role in their health. But her true passion lies in the autism community, working with parents and families and advocating for equality and positive change.

Tiffani joined in 2021 to help give back to the organization that benefits so many families – SFCD. She is the mother of two boys with her youngest being neuroatypical. Through the process of advocating for her son she has learned to use her ICU nursing skills and experience to become a local resource for other families. Tiffani is passionate about helping other families navigate what can be challenging times and wants to collaborate and learn from other like minds. She brings a deep sense of compassion, strong organizational skills and relentless perseverance as tools to help her help others

Nick joined in 2018, drawn to the organization by its strong commitment to serve families of children with special needs who are facing some of life’s hardest and most unexpected challenges. He is an attorney and the committed parent of a son with developmental delays. He has served as secretary and is now treasurer at SFCD. Nick enjoys serving the organization and its mission.

Julia joined the Board May 2019 because she wanted to be involved in the community and find ways to sustain and grown the positive impact Support for Families has for families. She strongly believes that balance and well-being for each family member benefits the entire family regardless of its circumstances. She has served on the Finance, Transition and Inclusion & Belonging committees. Her son has a neurologic condition that affects his mental and physical abilities. She appreciates how Support for Families strives to support the community of families of children with disabilities.

Rozena joined the board in summer of 2020. Although new to SFCD, she has been working in the field over 25 years. As part of her occupation, she has had the opportunity to provide early intervention services in the Bay Area, Atlanta, and overseas in Germany. Rozena grew up in a family where her twin sister, mother, aunts and cousins all work or worked in the field supporting children and adults with disabilities and their families. Some of her own family members themselves have struggled with their own disabilities. Her understanding of support, networking and advocacy is what brought her to SFCD and is what she brings to the board.

Jeff joined in 2021, drawn to the organization by its new executive director
with whom Jeff worked at his previous organization, ChildStrive. Jeff is a Leadership Coach and Trainer and is leading Intent-Based Leadership International’s effort to better support non-profit and small businesses. His wife grew up with a career in dancing in China as principal dancer of the Beijing Dance Academy. His daughter is a sophomore at UC Davis, studying psychology with a long-term goal of a medical degree in
psychiatry. In his spare time, Jeff enjoys singing. He currently sings with the Wesley
Jazz Ensemble and has previously sung with the San Jose Symphony for many years as well as helped establish the choir’s board and served as the first president.

Tiffany joined the Board in November 2018 because she wanted to take a more active role in the disabilities community. Being a woman working in tech and a mother of a differently-abled young daughter, she has been very drawn to Support for Families and is honored to serve and help further its altruistic and philanthropic mission. She is currently a member of the Fundraising committee and also helps with ad hoc projects in technology. She has a 5-year-old daughter with a rare chromosome mutation that results in significant intellectual and motor disabilities.

Glynis joined the board in March 2021, with a commitment to serving families of students with learning disabilities. With over twelve years experience in special education, she has been a classroom teacher, tutor, advocate and most recently a program specialist with a Bay area school district. She joined the Board to expand her impact and broaden her service to children and their families. Glynis is a passionate advocate, helping families understand the legal context of Special Education and ensuring students receive appropriate educational supports and services. She developed, organized and delivered a College Night for Students with LDs, including a range of offerings, including
community college, four-year degree and non-degree programs.

Monique joined the Board in 2021. Her passion for giving back to the community, guiding and nurturing individuals with disabilities and their families has led her to serve on the board. She feels Support for Families does an excellent job in offering comfort and resources to those who need it most in our community and helping them build a life changing network of support. Monique has served in the community working as a clinician for an Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) company, and in more recent years, working for a non-profit providing multi-generational, community-based services focused on low-income families.