David J. Kears | Chair of the Board
Special Assistant to the Alameda County Administrator

David Kears served as Director of the Alameda County Health Care Services Agency from 1986 until his retirement in 2009. David was responsible for the overall direction, consultation, and trouble-shooting to the agency’s four major departments: Indigent Care, the Public Health Department (including Emergency Medical Services), Environmental Health Services, and Behavioral Health Care Services, including Mental Health and Alcohol and Drug Services. As Health Director, major program responsibilities included coordinating the county's Indigent Medical Care System and monitoring contracts with the Alameda County Medical Center and a broad network of community-based primary care providers. David reported directly to the Board of Supervisors and oversaw an agency budget of approximately $575 million.

From 1993–1998, Mr. Kears assumed the additional responsibility of developing a public/private Medi-Cal managed care program, the Alameda Alliance for Health, pursuant to State of California Department of Health Services directives. The Alliance is now a fully licensed HMO composed of traditional Medi-Cal and safety net county and community providers.

David chaired Alameda County's Interagency Children's Policy Council from 1996 until 2009. He also completed the development of an alternative governance structure for the County's Medical Care System and the transition of both governance and hospital employees to a separate, public hospital authority in 1999. With the passage of Proposition 10, Mr. Kears led the development and provided initial funding support for Every Child Counts/First 5 Alameda County. David was also Chair of Safe Passages, a Robert Wood Johnson decade-long initiative to improve outcomes for children and youth.

In December 2005, Mr. Kears was appointed by the Senate Rules Committee as Commissioner on the Legislative Blue Ribbon Commission on Autism under legislation authored by Senator Don Perata. In May 2006, he was appointed by Governor Schwarzenegger to the First 5 California State Commission as Commissioner, and ultimately as Vice-Chair, until October 2009.

David began his career with Alameda County as a Psychiatric Social Worker in 1974 and has held a number of major department head positions in the Health Care Services Agency. He graduated from the University of California, Berkeley with a major in Sociology and a Masters in Social Welfare with a Psychiatric Casework Specialty. He also holds a Clinical Social Work license.

Since his retirement, Mr. Kears has been acting as Special Assistant to the County Administrator, working on health-related projects of local and statewide significance.

Andrew Jordan | Treasurer
Consultant, Litigation and Insurance

Senator Loni Hancock
California State Senator | District Nine

Loni Hancock was elected to the California Senate in November 2008. She represents the 9th Senate District, which includes the cities of Alameda, Albany, Berkeley, Castro Valley, Dublin, El Sobrante, Emeryville, Livermore, Oakland, Piedmont, Richmond, and San Pablo.

Senator Hancock previously served three terms as the representative of the 14th Assembly District, where she chaired the Committee on Natural Resources. She led the Committee to pass historic environmental legislation that protects open space, expands recycling programs and promotes healthy city infill strategies in the state. Senator Hancock also chaired the Assembly Select Committee on Bridging the Achievement Gap. Under her guidance, the Committee tackled issues related to high dropout rates, school-to-career programs, and oversight of the federal No Child Left Behind Act. In 2008, the Governor signed legislation authored by Senator Hancock that greatly expands career technical education programs for high school students.

In addition, the Senator sat on the Committee on Rules and chairs the Subcommittee on Sexual Harassment and Violence Prevention. She was a member of the Committee on Education, the Committee on Housing and Community Development, and the Committee on Health. In addition to issues of the environment, education, and health care, Senator Hancock is strongly committed to campaign finance reform. She authored AB 583, the California Clean Money and Fair Elections Act, to provide full public financing for all statewide races in California.

Before being elected to the Assembly, Senator Hancock headed the Western Regional Office of the U.S. Department of Education. Working with schools, communities, state and local governments, she helped launch many of President Clinton's education initiatives. Prior to her position with the Clinton administration, Senator Hancock broke through the glass ceiling, becoming the first woman to serve as Mayor of Berkeley, California. Serving as mayor for two terms, she led an urban renaissance in Berkeley, balanced seven straight city budgets, forged a historic agreement between the city and the University of California, began the revitalization of downtown Berkeley, led efforts to secure additional open space, and launched a Bio-Tech Academy at Berkeley High School in partnership with Bayer. Senator Hancock also served as President Jimmy Carter's Regional Director for ACTION, overseeing a host of domestic volunteer programs including VISTA, Foster Grandparents, Senior Companions and the Retired Senior Volunteer Program.

Senator Hancock has lived in Berkeley since 1964 and is married to Tom Bates. They have four children and seven grandchildren.

Patrick Duterte
Director | Solano County Health and Social Services Department

Patrick Duterte was appointed as the Director of Health and Social Services, for Solano County, in September 2001. Patrick directs a department of close to 1,200 staff. He previously worked in Silicon Valley’s Santa Clara County Human Services Agency as Director of Employment and Benefit Services. In addition, he has managed child welfare programs and employment programs in San Francisco and San Mateo counties.

After serving his country in Vietnam, Patrick received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from University of California at Berkeley, and San Francisco State, respectively. Patrick and his wife, Diane, have been married for 31 years, and have five children ranging from 13 to 29 years old. He is an avid skateboarder, in-line skater, cyclist, skier, unicyclist, and Hot Yoga enthusiast, and is a lifetime 49er and Giants Fan.

Yvette Radford
Vice President, External and Community Affairs | Kaiser Permanente Foundation Health Plan, Inc

Yvette Radford is Kaiser Permanente’s Vice President of External and Community Affairs in Northern California. In this capacity, she is accountable for Government Relations, Community Benefit Programs, Community Benefit Reporting and Compliance, Educational Theatre Programs, Institutional & Planned Giving, and Community Relations. Additionally, Yvette provides leadership and consultation for some of Kaiser Permanente's strategic projects and national initiatives.

Prior to this role, Yvette served as Community Relations Director for Kaiser Permanente Northern California and Public Affairs Director in the East Bay Service Area. Yvette came to Kaiser Permanente after working 12 years in the California State Legislature for Assemblymember Tom Bates. She currently serves on the governing boards for numerous community organizations; including the National Community Development Institute, The Bay Area Partnership, Black Women Organized for Political Action (BWOPA), the Oakland Workforce Investment Board, Chabot Space and Science Center Corporate Advisory Board, the Oakland African American Chamber Foundation Board and the Legislative Summer and Intersession Enrichment Task Force.

Yvette is married to David Tucker and has two daughters, Christina and Cyrena.

Lisa Villarreal
Program Officer, Education | The San Francisco Foundation

Lisa Viarreal is an education professional with over 25 years of experience as a teacher, counselor, and administrator, with expertise in collaborative programs, professional development and grantmaking. She has worked with students, teachers, parents, administrators, community partners and funders at the local, regional, state and national levels.

Lisa previously served as executive director for the Center for Cooperative Research and Extension Services for Schools (CRESS Center) at the UC Davis School of Education. Lisa's background includes local work at the San Mateo County Office of Education, and high school, middle school, elementary school and preschool teaching. She also has extensive counseling, intervention, and youth development experience. Lisa's national experience includes serving as vice chair for the National Coalition for Community Schools and consulting for the Annenberg Institute on School Reform at Brown University, as well as for the Council of Chief State School Officers. She has published papers on a range of education, counseling, and youth development subjects.

A California native of Mexican-American descent, Lisa earned her bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Simpson University and a master’s degree in Education from San Francisco State University.

Beverly Butler, APR
Vice President, Internet Services Group Public Relations | Wells Fargo Bank

Beverly Butler is Vice President of Internet Services Group Public Relations for Wells Fargo Bank. She heads the department and is primarily responsible for media relations, strategic messaging, crisis communications and issues management.

Prior to joining Wells Fargo in autumn of 2008, Beverly was Vice President and Director of Corporate Communications, at Fireman’s Fund Insurance Company, a $660 billion Property and Casualty insurer located north of San Francisco. There she led the communications function, both internal and external.

Beverly spent nine years as Vice President, Marketing and Communications, with the largest Division of the American Cancer Society, and also served as Chief Communications Officer for five years with the American Red Cross. Beverly’s prior experience includes directing all external communications for The Gap, Inc. including national media relations for Old Navy, Banana Republic, Gap, and BabyGap.

Before moving to the west coast, Beverly was Vice President for Marketing at Rockport Shoe Company in Marlborough, Massachusetts, and Director of Advertising with Hush Puppies’. She also was a reporter with WOTV, the NBC television affiliate in her hometown of Grand Rapids, Michigan.

Beverly lives with her contractor husband, Michael, and 16-year old twins, Clara and Billie, in Mill Valley where she serves as Chair of the city’s Art Commission. Beverly is also Past Chair and currently on the Board of the San Francisco Public Relations Roundtable.

Dave Cortese
Santa Clara County Supervisor | Third District

Supervisor Dave Cortese was elected to the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors in 2008 and currently serves as the Vice President of the Board. Prior to joining the Board, Cortese served eight years on the San Jose City Council, including two years as Vice Mayor. He grew up in San Jose as part of a family that has been active in civic, cultural and business activities for generations. He is married to Pattie, and has four children. His strong local roots and love for this county fuel his passion for public service.

Dave was educated at Bellarmine College Prep and UC Davis where he earned a Bachelor of Sciences Degree in Political Science. He earned his Juris Doctorate at Lincoln University Law School in San Jose.

With his first hand experience gained as a Trustee for the East Side Union High School District including two years as the President, Dave fully understands the need to give students the opportunity to succeed. Seeing the fast growing student population, particularly in the Evergreen area of San Jose, Dave jump-started dormant plans to build a new high school in Evergreen and co-chaired the $80 million bond campaign that led to Silicon Valley’s first new high school in 25 years.

In addition to providing places to learn, Dave believes that all students have the potential to succeed, even if it takes a helping hand. He was a major architect of a continuation program at Foothill High School, which gathered services from the County of Santa Clara and other local governments onto one campus so that students would not have to leave campus in order to interact with Social Services, Probation, etc. Furthermore, he helped expand and fund the City of San Jose’s “homework center” program at the East Side Union High School District.

With the knowledge that children who are touched by the social service system often face increasing hardships in school and life, Dave, as the Chair of the County’s Children, Seniors and Families Committee, has focused his efforts on reducing the rolls of the child welfare system and on decreasing the overrepresentation of minority youth in juvenile dependency, juvenile delinquency and other safety net services.

He has also had the opportunity to work with his father, former Assemblyman Dominic L. Cortese over a political career that commenced in 1968. Over that time, Dave has seen the rewards and hard work as well as the trials and tribulations of public service.

Our Advisory Board

Susan Adams
Supervisor, District One | Marin County Board of Supervisors

Mary Jane Burke
Superintendent | Marin County Office of Education

Erin Gabel
Legislative Director | Office of Assemblymember Tom Torlakson

John Gioia
Supervisor, District One | Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors

David Kakishiba
Executive Director | East Bay Asian Youth Center

Alice Lai-Bitker
Principal | Alice and Associates

Shelly Masur, MPH
Trustee | Redwood City School District