Board of Directors
Debra Watanuki, President
Debra developed her passion for nonprofits and charitable work in law school, and over the past 20 years she has integrated her legal practice in estate planning, nonprofits, and business with her community and volunteer work. She served as chair of the Human Relations Commission for the City of Fremont, past president for the Fremont Education Foundation, and concurrently managed the Elementary After School Band Program and the Guy Emanuele Sport Fund for the foundation. In 2014 she co-founded the Mission Peak Wind Symphony and served as the program director and board president until 2019. She also enjoys collaborating with future community leaders as a member of the Leadership Fremont Class of 2018 program of the Fremont Chamber of Commerce. Although Debra finds her biggest challenge is adapting to the “empty nest” since her son started college—ironically, his flight hatches new opportunities for Debra to take to the skies, currently with LIFE.
Dr. Joseph Pritchard, Vice President
Dr. Joseph Pritchard brings to our board his expertise in health care, case consulting, and senior services – both in clinical and administrative settings. He moved to the Bay Area from Illinois in 2010 and is currently the Health Services Administrator at Masonic Homes of California as well as a member of the Union City Senior Commission and the Tri-City Dementia Friendly Task Force. He is honored to be able to help those seniors who are most in need of community support as a member of LIFE’s Board of Directors.
Ashok Desai, Treasurer
Ashok Desai is a veteran of the tech industry and longtime Bay Area resident who has extensive experience in engineering management. Since retiring in 2011, Ashok has devoted his time to volunteer and advisory positions within the community, including leadership roles with the Fremont Senior Citizen Commission and the Alameda County Area Agency on Aging. He is excited to be a part of LIFE’s Board of Directors so that he can continue to advocate for seniors and give back to the community.
John Zubiena, Secretary
John Zubiena is Chief of Human Resources for the Washington Hospital Healthcare System (WHHS), overseeing a team of 11 who handle labor relations, employee relations, recruitment, compensation, HRIS, and employee health services for the 2075 employees of WHHS. He has over 30 years of experience in healthcare HR, a Master’s degree in Human Resources Management, three professional designations, and extensive experience working with non-profits.
Kim Agasaveeran
Kim Agasaveeran worked for over a decade as a Software Engineer with companies such as Cisco Systems. She is currently a Senior Advisor working as a Retirement Specialist with Federal Financial Group and is the CEO of ‘The Caring Kind’, an in-home non-medical care agency in Newark. Ms. Agasaveeran holds degrees in both Computer Science and Nutritional Science. She is currently an MBA candidate in Public Administration and Finance.
Roland Chow
Roland Chow has over 16 years of experience in the high tech, finance, retail, and manufacturing industries. In addition to working in management consulting, business development, and marketing for various Fortune 500 companies, Roland was also a founding Board Member and Director of Tri-Valley Bank. Mr. Chow currently has his own investment advisory practice and is also an advisor to various fin-tech startups. He has been a resident of Fremont for over 14 years and holds a Chemical Engineering Degree from the University of California, Berkeley.
Janice Cook
Janice Cook is a native Californian who attended school in Kingsburg, California, New York City and San Francisco. She worked in the Insurance Industry for almost forty years as a Surety Bond Underwriter. After retiring in 1998, she continued to travel, spending time in China, Thailand, and Alaska. Ms. Cook considers LIFE ElderCare to be the vocation of the second half of her life.
Beth Hoffman
Beth Hoffman served on the City of Fremont Human Relations Commission for over 9 years, during which she was the Chair and Vice-Chair. She was instrumental in implementing the HIP Shared Housing program, and the City’s participation in the San Francisco Gay Pride parade. Beth is the owner/broker of Alternative Mortgage Sources.
Ruth Liu
Ruth Liu has spent the last 15 years working as an advocate for health reform and served as Associate Secretary for Health Policy at the California Health and Human Services Agency. She has extensive experience in the health care industry and is currently Chief Business Development Officer at Valley Health Plan. Ruth received her master’s degree in public policy from UC Berkeley and is excited to serve on the board of LIFE ElderCare.
Dr. Dianne Martin
Dr. Dianne Martin graduated from Medical University of South Carolina in 1978, completing her internal medicine residency at University of Kentucky Medical School and her fellowship in infectious diseases at VA Martinez/UC Davis. She now has over 30 years of experience specializing in internal medicine and infectious diseases. Dr. Martin practices in Fremont and is affiliated with Washington Hospital HealthCare System. She is well known as a strong patient advocate and is the recipient of the 2011-2017 Patients Choice Award.
Lily Shih
Lily Shih was born in Taipei, Taiwan and has lived in Fremont since the age of 10. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in Communications at the University of California, San Diego. Ms. Shih freelances as a Marketing and Advertising Consultant throughout the San Francisco Bay Area. She is the founder and Director of CURE M.S.A. (Multiple System Atrophy).
Advisory Board
- Dan Ashbrook
- Dr. Ray Grimm
- Jane Mueller
- Anu Natarajan
- Kerrilyn J. Ely
