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: Mari Tyrrell-Simpson
Mari and her husband, Tye, are parents to three children and have been Santa Barbara residents for over 30 years.  Their son, Kyle is a senior at Dos Pueblos High School and has developmental disabilities.  Kyle is an active participant in EXPO and serves as a mentor in the Teen Extreme Program.  He also enjoys volunteering at the Thrift Stores and has been a speaker at Alpha’s Circle of Life Luncheon representing the Teen Programs.  Kyle has two sisters, Caitlin, who is a Special Education Teacher and Mackenzie, who is a junior at Dos Pueblos High School.  Mari has been employed at UCSB for 28 years and is the University’s Workers’ Compensation Manager.

Vice President: Maureen Janeway
Maureen has served on the Board of Directors since 2002.  She and her family moved to Santa Barbara ten years ago.  Prior to moving, she was the Vice President of a Chicago-based healthcare advertising agency for 17 years.  Her husband, Terry, has served a master of ceremonies for the Circle of Life luncheon for two years.  Their son, Chris, is a B.A. graduate from UC Berkeley.  After the tragic death of their daughter, Katie, Maureen and her family established Katie’s FUNd.  Kathie’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 two 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.

Secretary: Mario Cervantes
Mario moved to Santa Barbara in 1988 from Mexico and worked as a school bus driver.  He has been married for 45 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 a teaching assistant in special education at Dos Pueblos High School.  He has served as Secretary of the Alpha Board for the three years.

Treasurer: Lisa Macker
Lisa has had a long-interest in individuals with developmental disabilities and supporting them in achieving their life goals.  In the ‘80s, she received her degree in Business Economics from UCSB and got her CPA license. She has worked at several non-profits in Santa Barbara, including Work, Inc. In addition, she was a coach with Special Olympics. She consulted with Alpha Resource Center in 1993 focusing on fire recovery and worked at Alpha from 1994-2000 as Financial Director.  Currently, Lisa does accounting for Santa Barbara County Land Trust and together she and her husband own a land surveying business and are raising three children.

Past President: 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.  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 is active in statewide client rights advocacy and is currently attorney for the four Community Imperative regional center defendants in the Capitol People First class action lawsuit.  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.  He re-joined the Alpha Board and has served as Vice President for two years and Treasurer for five years and recently finished a term as President.

DIRECTOR: Doug Allard
Doug is the father of Ryan who is in his 20s and has developmental disabilities.  Ryan now lives in a supported living situation, works at Trader Joe's, and attends Alpha. Doug and his family live in Goleta.  He recently retired after 10 years as the Director of the Santa Barbara County Air Pollution Control District.  His wife, Margaret, is a first grade teacher.

DIRECTOR: Jeff Brookshire
(Need Bio)

DIRECTOR: Nora Eriksen
Nora has served on the Alpha Board for many years as Vice President, Secretary and is finishing her second term as a Director.  Her interest in services for persons with disabilities began when teaching in elementary and junior high schools.  After the birth of her son, who has developmental disabilities, she became active in parent groups and national organizations devoted to the protection of the rights of persons with disabilities.  Her focus has been on integrated work programs and supported living.  She hopes to ensure the expansion of integrated programs and to support the life-long goals of persons with disabilities and their families.

DIRECTOR: 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, Shoreline Villas Homeowners Association, Kids Committee Member (Kallman Play Area) for the Santa Barbara Zoo, Member RITA, and National Charity League.  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.

DIRECTOR: Cheri McDaniel
Cheri is the parent of seven children including Kim, a woman with disabilities who attends Alpha.  Cheri and Kim were pioneers of a sort, participating in a pilot program at the Case Colina Rehabilitation Center for multi-handicapped children in the 1970's.  Kim has made great progress and currently lives on her own with support.  Cheri lives in Ventura and has worked in real estate for 28 years.  Her hobbies include bridge, reading, and keeping track of her adult children.

DIRECTOR: Lynn Rodriguez
Lynn Rodriguez, a former Alpha Board Member (2001-2003) has been a Santa Barbara resident since graduating from UCSB with a degree in Environmental Studies in 1979.  She lives with her husband, Steve, and their two daughters.  Their younger daughter, Blair, 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.  For over 20 years, Lynn worked for Ventura and Santa Barbara Counties in resource management.  She is now an independent consultant with Rodriguez Consulting Inc. specializing in water resource management.  She is also a former trainer with the County of Santa Barbara's Employees' University and has provided training and facilitation services to local agencies and organizations, including Alpha. Lynn has served the community in a variety of capacities, including her recent four year term as an elected member of the Santa Barbara School Districts Board of Education.  She is currently on the board of the Harding School Foundation and the Santa Barbara Education Foundation.

DIRECTOR: Bernie Schaefer
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 and, most recently, joined the Cancer Society's Road to Recovery program as a driver for patients needing transportation to and from medical appointments. Bernie has lived in the Santa Barbara area for nearly 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 Los Angeles and Huntington Beach. Bernie and Ruthie's first grandchild, Sophia, was born on September 29, 2007 at around 2 a.m.

DIRECTOR: Chris Selberg
Chris was born in Los Angeles and moved to Santa Barbara when he was five years old. Chris graduated from high school in Santa Barbara and then moved to the Pacific Northwest. After a few years, Chris began to miss California. With help from Alpha Resource Center's Office of Advocacy and Individualized Community Services Program, Chris moved back to Santa Barbara in 1993. With assistance from Work Inc.'s Supported Employment Program, Chris soon found a job with Santa Barbara Valet Service as a Parking Lot Attendant. Although he had been told by many people in his life that he would never be able to live independently, Chris has determinedly proven them wrong. Chris lives in his own apartment near Cottage Hospital and continues to be a loyal employee of Santa Barbara Valet Service.

DIRECTOR: Jessica Simon
Jessica is a native of Santa Barbara and graduated from Santa Barbara High School in 2001. She currently works at Noah’s Ark Veterinary Clinic assisting with cat boarding. She was laid off May 1st due to the economy. Mid-April of this year she moved into her own apartment.  She currently serves as Vice-President of the Special Olympics Input Council. When not working and volunteering, she competes with the Special Olympics swim team and enjoys spending time with her dog Bella and cat Stella (now living with her parents). She enjoys swimming, working out on the treadmill, eating healthy and watching TV and DVDs. When asked if there was anything else she wanted you to know about her, she said, “I have Down syndrome, that’s it.”

DIRECTOR: Lori Willis
Lori has spent most of her 20 year career in sales and marketing and in 2004 transitioned into the nonprofit sector. Lori was the Major Gifts Director for Direct Relief International and recently left to pursue a career in the for profit world helping nonprofits raise funds online. Lori has spent the last 10 years living in Santa Barbara with her 2 children, Kaitlyn 18 and Ryan 15.