Meet our Board Members

Bob Sachs

Board Position: Chairperson
Employer: Self-employed and Retired from Kaiser Permanente
Position: Talent Advisor & Executive Coach; formerly Vice President, National Learning & Development, Kaiser Permanente

My original career choice was psychology. I have a PHD in counseling psychology and had experience early in my career as an intern with the Psycho-Educational Program at the Philadelphia Child Guidance Clinic. While my career moved in a different direction, I have always had a focus on helping people to grow and be successful.
I spent over 30 years, first as a consultant and then at Kaiser Permanente, helping companies design compensation, performance management, leadership development, succession management and other talent management systems and leading programs and processes to develop and support people so they can contribute to organizational success and enjoy fulfilling careers.

Providing high quality, affordable health care is an important objective for our Country and prevention and access to effective treatment are critical to a strong and healthy community. Helping our children grow and realize their potential is the foundation of that healthy community. That’s why WE CARE’s services are so critical and why I am excited to be part of the Board. Being part of the Board provides me with the opportunity to use my skills and experience to support WE CARE’s mission. I look forward to helping WE CARE continue to prosper and finding ways to grow its impact. And, being part of the WE CARE Board allows me to return to where my career began.

Linsey Dicks

Board Position: Vice Chairperson
Employer: Kaiser Permanente
Position: Medical Group Administrator

I am very excited to have joined We Care’s board and to be a member of the board leadership team.  With my professional experience as Medical Group Administrator for Kaiser Permanente medical Group, Walnut Creek (the largest service area in Northern California Region), I am accountable for all aspects of comprehensive outpatient operations, two hospitals, and three mental health clinics, plus providing overall facility leadership and capital planning, marketing and operations.  With this background, I believe I can be an essential part of the team.

Giving back to the community I live in and helping make a difference is very important to me.  I am grateful for the opportunity to be part of this amazing organization that does so much for children and families in Contra Costa County.

Simi Gupta

Board Position: Secretary
Employer: Procore Technologies
Position: Director of Engineering

Throughout my childhood, I have connected with children working along with my father (Pediatrician) in his free camps. Professionally, I chose the path of engineering but always stayed connected working with children. In Bangalore (silicon valley of India), I ran campaigns and raised funds to support education for HIV/AIDS affected children.

We Care’s mission to support families and children to reach their full potential is a very important undertaking for better future. I bring my passion and connection to tech companies. I plan to raise awareness and excite more people for this cause like it excites me.

Marc Greenberg

Board Position: Treasurer
Employer: CFO Advisor

I’ve known about the amazing work at We Care Services for Children ever since my wife Wendy first started working there in 1997. But I learned of the real magic of the children when we adopted our son Brendan, a 2002 We Care graduate. We Care turned out to be a perfect fit for me, joining my experience with an amazing cause and an inspiring team dedicated to making a difference in so many lives.

Board members can make a difference. An active board like We Care’s provides leadership to the senior management team, acts as a sounding board for key decisions, and offers key connections to the community, particularly for fundraising. What’s even more amazing about being involved at We Care is that the rewards of Board membership swing both ways. I feel more connected to my community and I am contributing to a place that made such a difference in my own life, as well as helping to ensure We Care’s place in the lives of so many future families. I’m grateful for the opportunity and I encourage everyone to find their inspiration and get involved.

To We Care, most recently and significantly, I bring my experience as CFO at Blend, an SF based, venture-backed company building a digital platform that brings simplicity and transparency to consumer lending. At Blend I oversee teams that are responsible for investor relations, accounting, finance and facilities. Previous experiences include Pixar Animation Studios, Saba Software, and Ernst & Young.

Jeff Butler

Board Position: Board Member
Employer: Dentons US LLP
Position: Partner

Stated most succinctly, I believe children are the world’s only true innocents, lacking either guile or guilt. They are also, however, our future. I therefore further believe it is incumbent on us all to provide children every advantage to achieve their potential, whatever that may be. We Care provides me with the opportunity – aside from my own beautiful children – to meet this obligation, and I am very glad for it.

I have been a lawyer for some twenty years now, and feel that my background and training can help We Care to achieve its goals. I am eager to do my best.

Iona Da Costa Pereira

Board Position: Board Member
Employer: Firstup
Position: Senior Director of Accounting & Finance

I received my Bachelor’s from UC Davis and my Master’s from UC Berkeley, and for the past 16 years I’ve worked in the Accounting and Finance field. I am a licensed CPA and am currently working as the Director of Revenue for a start up. I live and work in the Bay Area and love being part of this community.

I’ve always enjoyed volunteering and have spent time as a mentor with Build (a nonprofit that helps high school students start their own businesses) and Vision Literacy (a nonprofit that helps adults improve their literacy skills). These experiences led me to look for other ways to give back, and when I learned more about the work that We Care does and saw how dedicated the staff and volunteers are, it really drew me in.

I will bring a blend of my experience with volunteering, which allowed me to learn about the best practices that it takes to run a non-profit, and my industry knowledge in accounting and finance, to my role as a Board member. I truly believe in the importance of early intervention for young children in order to set them up for future success.

I look forward to serving on the Board and the sense of fulfillment it will bring to be part of contributing to We Care’s mission to help the at-risk children in our community.

Mike D’Orazi

Board Position: Board Member
Employer: Retired from City of Alameda/City of Ashland Fire Depts.
Position: Fire Chief

Early in my long-term career as a firefighter, I recognized the importance of the fire department having a strong presence in the community, as part of the community.  I saw firsthand the look of awe and respect in the eyes of children who visited the firehouse, and that feeling will stay with me forever.

I realized that ensuring that everyone in the neighborhoods we protected had the chance to get to know their local firefighters and understand what we do, and why it was crucial. When I was promoted to Fire Chief with the City of Alameda Fire Department, fostering connections and building relationships within our community became one of my top priorities.  Our commitment to this goal led to groundbreaking programs and insightful interactions with individuals that enhanced our service to the community.

After retirement, I knew I wanted to continue volunteering to help at-risk children, and when I discovered We Care, I know it was the perfect opportunity.  I am thrilled to apply the experience I gained during my time coaching youth and volunteering with a child development center in Alameda to my role as a board member. I look forward to being an important part of making a difference for so many children and their families.

Dirk Fitzgerald

Board Position: Board Member
Employer: Retired from RC Fisher & Co.
Position: Principal Owner

My connection with We Care Services for Children covers over a 20-year relationship through the Walnut Creek Kiwanis Club. We Care has always been a primary beneficiary of the Kiwanis’ “Children-Priority One” campaign; either through direct donations or assistance with organizations such as “Bikes for Tykes.” I have always been a firm believer in We Care’s Mission Statement of giving children with special needs the skills for a better start in life!

I am an insurance agency principle with R. C. Fischer & Co. in Walnut Creek. I have 22 years of experience in employee benefits which allows me to assist the organization in analyzing cost effective ways to control insurance costs. I am also a member of the State Bar of California.

Glenn Garabedian

Board Position: Board Member
Employer: Retired from University of California (Lawrence Livermore and Lawrence Berkeley Laboratories)
Position: Health Physicist

I had a long and rewarding career as a Health Physicist at the University of California’s Lawrence Livermore and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratories.  I was responsible for overseeing the use of radioactive and hazardous materials and ensuring that all safety controls were properly in place and for the decommissioning of contaminated facilities.  In addition, I served as a Quality Control Consultant for the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission office in Walnut Creek for 18 years.

Since retirement, I continued doing consulting and served on some nonprofit boards involved in community service.  The organizations included the Boy’s and Girl’s Club in Auburn, the Auburn Symphony Board, the Symphony Goes to School Program to bring music appreciation to the local schools, and currently the Board for the Sutter Medical Foundation in Roseville,  When my term as Board member at the Auburn Symphony ended, I knew that I wanted to use that time and my experience to make a difference, and I immediately thought of We Care.

My connection with We Care started when our daughter was referred by our pediatrician back in 1969. As we got to know the staff and volunteers, and witnessed all the ways they were helping our daughter, my wife and I both decided we wanted to be more involved.  My wife, Lynda, helped create a Mother’s Group that ran fundraisers for We Care, and I joined the Board of Directors.  Even after our daughter graduated, we kept up with We Care through reading the newsletters, and it’s had a place in our hearts all this time.

After seeing what We Care did for our daughter, as well as countless other children, I am a loyal fan for life, and I’m looking forward to serving on the Board again.

Kazuo (K) Gray

Board Position: Board Member
Employer: Mechanics Bank
Position: Branch Manager

I began working for Mechanics Bank in the call center, where I had planned to stay for a brief period while I decided what my career goals would be.  More than 15 years and an unexpected discovery of a passion for finance and banking, later, and I am now the Branch Manager of the Concord office.  I love interacting with those in our community and helping nonprofits like We Care ensure that their banking is handled efficiently and thoughtfully.  As a husband, and father to four, I also value working, living, and raising my kids in the same area I grew up in.

I was initially drawn to We Care because it’s exactly the kind of organization I didn’t realize existed during times in my life when I would have benefited greatly from the services offered, both in my younger years and in my role as a parent to a child who dealt with a highly emotional experience.

I believe that the work We Care does with at-risk children (and their families) in our community is incredibly important. It is my goal to combine my business knowledge and local network, with my experience serving on Boards and committees of several nonprofits, to be part of ensuring that We Care can continue to reach even more children with their life-changing services at a time when it’s needed the most.