Board of Directors Roster

Sacramento
1st Term: 8/14/17 - 8/13/20

Contact:
board@disabilityrightsca.org
-or-
Disability Rights California
Attn: Jeffrey Thom
1831 K Street
Sacramento, CA 95811

Jeff Thom has been an advocate for the rights of people with disabilities for more than four decades. After graduating with a B.A. in political science from Willamette University, he received a law degree from Stanford University. He passed the bar in 1978.

Sacramento
1st Term 9/15/18-9/14/21

Contact: 
board@disabilityrightsca.org 
-or- 
Disability Rights California
Attn: Sandra Smith
1831 K Street
Sacramento, CA 95811

Sandra Smith describes herself as a “seasoned disability consumer, parent and child advocate trainer”. She is the parent of 36-year-old Chad, an artist who is autistic and African American. “Autism and being a black male can create many civil rights concerns”.

Atherton
1st Term 9/15/18-9/14/21

Contact: 
board@disabilityrightsca.org 
-or- 
Disability Rights California
Attn:James Janz
1831 K Street
Sacramento, CA 95811

Jim Janz became involved in the disability community when his son, now an adult, was only a few years old, and Jim and his wife, Kathy, who has operated a home care agency serving the elderly and the disabled for many years, were told that their son was “developmentally delayed.”

Long Beach
1st Term 9/15/18-9/14/21

Contact: 
board@disabilityrightsca.org 
-or- 
Disability Rights California
Attn: Deaka McClain
1831 K Street
Sacramento, CA 95811

Deaka McClain said she lives her life “with the mindset of making a difference and being a voice for those who cannot speak for themselves”. She was born with cerebral palsy and weighed just a pound-and-a-half. Doctors were not sure if she would live.

Menlo Park
2nd Term: 3/8/14 - 3/7/20

Contact: 
board@disabilityrightsca.org 
-or- 
Disability Rights California
Attn: Charles Ehrlich
1831 K Street
Sacramento, CA 95811

Chuck Ehrlich's interest in disability issues grows out of the experiences of his younger daughter, Jennifer. Now a college undergraduate, Jennifer has had a chronic disabling illness since junior high school.

Sacramento
1st Term: 8/14/17-8/13/20

Contact: 
board@disabilityrightsca.org 
-or- 
Disability Rights California
Attn: Ralph Black
1831 K Street
Sacramento, CA 95811

Ralph Black, who has been blind since childhood, first became interested in disability rights as a student at California State University Long Beach in the early 1970’s. He, along with other students, successfully led an advocacy campaign to have the Legislature provide public funding to support programs for students with disabilities at all public colleges and universities in California.

San Francisco
1st Term: 12/3/16 - 12/2/19

Contact: 
board@disabilityrightsca.org 
-or- 
Disability Rights California
Attn: Lorraine Casto
1831 K Street
Sacramento, CA 95811

Lorraine Casto’s advocacy on behalf of her children sparked both her and their interest in helping others in the disability community. Lorraine has an adult son with cerebral palsy, a daughter with mental health disabilities and a daughter who works as an emergency room nurse. She is a lawyer in private practice at a major international law firm where she handles business litigation matters for her clients.

Los Angeles
2nd Term: 3/7/15 - 3/6/21

Contact: 
board@disabilityrightsca.org 
-or- 
Disability Rights California
Attn: Elizabeth Barrios Gomez
1831 K Street
Sacramento, CA 95811

Elizabeth is a parent and a dedicated advocate. She is committed to working tirelessly to impact change within underserved communities through advocacy, training, and empowerment.

South San Gabriel 
1st Term: 3/11/17 – 3/10/20

Contact: 
board@disabilityrightsca.org 
-or- 
Disability Rights California
Attn: Richard Krzyzanowski 
1831 K Street 
Sacramento, CA 95811

Richard Krzyanowski has both professional and personal connections to the disability community. For more than 16 years, he has worked as a mental health advocate, organizer and educator, focusing on ending stigma and promoting social justice.

Canoga Park
1st Term: 12/3/16 - 12/2/19

Contact: 
board@disabilityrightsca.org 
-or- 
Disability Rights California
Attn: Hector Ramirez
1831 K Street
Sacramento, CA 95811

Hector Manuel Ramirez is a lifelong disability rights advocate. He is a Latino Chiricahua Apache, Two Spirits who has Autism and Bipolar Disorder. He works with county, state, national organizations, and policy makers to create legislation to reduce mental health disparities, especially for racial and ethnic communities.

Sacramento
1st Term: 8/14/17 - 8/14/20

Contact: 
board@disabilityrightsca.org 
-or- 
Disability Rights California
Attn: Yolanda Vargas
1831 K Street
Sacramento, CA 95811

Yolanda Vargas, who is disabled, spends her days helping disabled youth become self-advocates. However, she wasn’t always concerned about the rights of disabled people. It wasn’t until her little brother was born with Down syndrome that she realized disabled people have to continually fight for the right to exist in their communities. She wants to “ensure future generations of disabled people are able to maintain and gain the rights we deserve.”

Thermal
1st Term: 10/1/19 - 9/30/22

Contact: 
board@disabilityrightsca.org 
-or- 
Disability Rights California
Attn: Imari Kariotis
1831 K Street
Sacramento, CA 95811

Grass Valley
1st Term: 10/1/19 - 9/30/22

Contact: 
board@disabilityrightsca.org 
-or- 
Disability Rights California
Attn: Tony Sauer
1831 K Street
Sacramento, CA 95811