Jim Booth

Jim has lived in the Watsonville area for over 20 years and taught swimming to thousands of children and adults in that time. He has served on the Board of the Pajaro Valley Shelter Services and was President of that Board. During his tenure there the Board was very active and raised over half a million dollars. Jim has served on and Chaired the Private Industry Council (PIC now called Workforce Investment Board).

Javier Carrillo

Javier joined the Trust Board of Directors in June 2007. He has worked for the California Diabetes Program since 2005. As the Area Health Promotion Specialist for the Greater Bay Area, Javier works to provide linkages between the California Diabetes Program and health plan/provider groups, healthcare professionals, people with diabetes and community organizations to assist with the implementation of the diabetes care guidelines to improve the lives of those affected by diabetes. Javier earned his Bachelor's degree in Health Science and a Master's of Public Health degree in Health Education & Promotion from California State University, Fresno.

Before joining the Health Trust Board, Javier was an active member of the Trust’s Regional Diabetes Collaborative (RDC) and played an important role in helping to bring grant funding to the RDC from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the California Diabetes Program.

Cathleen Chandler-Eckhardt

Cathleen has been committed to working with underserved and low-income patients in the Pajaro Valley since 1986. She has a consulting business evaluating and promoting health and well being for individuals. Born and raised in Southern California, Cathleen first worked in a rural health program in Costa Rica. She attended Princeton, then transferred and received a BA in Public Health from University of California at Southern California. She holds an RN degree from Cabrillo and a Family Nurse Practioner/Physician’s Assistant Degree from Stanford. She has also taken undergraduate and graduate classes at San Jose State University in Exercise Physiology. She resides in the area with her husband and twin daughters and enjoys cooking, gardening, ceramics, running, swimming and surfing.

Caroline Eiskamp, Pharm. D.

Caroline has lived in the Watsonville area since 1990, when she joined the pharmacy staff at Watsonville Community Hospital. She worked at WCH for ten years, the last five as Director of Pharmacy Services. Caroline's experience in local healthcare as well as her family business in berry farming give her a unique perspective into both employers and workers' healthcare issues.

Stan Hajduk, M.D.

Dr. Hajduk is a physician in partnership with the Emergency Medical Group at Watsonville Community Hospital. He served on the Watsonville Community Hospital Board of Directors for several years and has been active in the American Heart Association and Rotary. He has lived in the Pajaro Valley for twenty-five years. Dr. Hajduk sees the medical needs of the community first-hand through his work as an emergency services physician. He is very knowledgeable about the details of the hospital sale and the establishment of the new Trust.

Ron Jones

Ron has been a long-time member of the community and a teacher at Watsonville High School for 40 years. He has served on the Board of the Pajaro Valley Federation of Teachers and is currently on the Watsonville High School Foundation Board. Ron was the Advisor for the Model United Nations team and in that capacity was a successful fundraiser. Ron brings his extensive knowledge of the education community to the Board along with a commitment to now give back to the community that has supported him and his students.

Clay Kempf

Clay is Executive Director of the Seniors Council/Area Agency on Aging (AAA) of Santa Cruz & San Benito Counties. He is the current President of the California Association of Area Agencies, and an active member of the Transit Task Team of California's Long Range Strategic Plan on Aging. Prior to his work at the Triple-A, Clay spent 8 years as director of Lift Line, the C.T.S.A. of Santa Cruz County. Clay has served on the boards of a number of local community service and environmental organizations. He is a former president of the Human Care Alliance, a collaborative of 65 community non-profit agencies working together to maximize the coordination and delivery of human services in Santa Cruz County.

Prior to joining the Trust’s Board of Directors in June 2007, Clay brought his broad leadership skills to the role of Chairman of the Regional Diabetes Collaborative (RDC) for two years. His hobbies include birding, photography and sport trivia. He volunteers as the Program Coordinator for the Monterey Bay Birding Festival, and will be co-leading a natural history tour to Antarctica and the southern oceans in 2010 .

Gerald Kondo, D.D.S

Gerald has operated a private dentistry practice in Watsonville for 28 years during which time he has served on numerous non-profit boards.  He is a founding member of Watsonville Taiko and Kokoro no Gakko, a Japanese Cultural Summer School program.  Dr. Kondo has also served as the presiding board member for the Japanese American Citizens League and the Watsonville Buddhist Temple.  His perspective as a leader within Watsonville's community coupled with his experience as a dentist allow him to offer  guidance for the Trust's Oral Health Prevention and Access funding and advocacy programs.

David Mesa

David is the Finance Manager for the Monterey County Health Department, and is the county's appointee to the Trust Board. A resident of Prunedale, he has worked in California County government for 24 years, including the counties of Napa, San Benito and Monterey. David will complete a Masters in Public Administration this summer. In his current position, a post he has held since February 1999, he is responsible for the oversight and integrity of the fiscal activities of the Monterey County Health Department's nine divisions. In addition to his Board service, he also serves on the Trust's Finance/Investment Committee.

Angie Martinez

Angie was born and raised in the Pajaro Valley. She attended local schools, including Hall Elementary, Pajaro Middle School and Watsonville High School. She began her college career at Cabrillo, then transferred to San José State University where she received her Bachelor’s Degree in Child and Adolescent Development. Angie is the Executive Assistant of the Pajaro Valley Chamber of Commerce and Agriculture where her knowledge of the Pajaro Valley and her business contacts make her an important asset to the community. She joined the Trust Board in August in order to make a further contribution to the community she loves, and to broaden her experience in community service.

Kathleen Morgan-Martinez

A resident of Watsonville, Kathleen has been an attorney for over 11 years, six at a local law firm (two as a partner). She has worked with nonprofit organizations, including offering seminars to nonprofit Board Members and Community Foundations. Kathleen currently consults with agencies regarding liability and the duties of Directors and Officers. She has served on the Board of the Live at Home Foundation (Assisted Living Project).

Richard Otto

Rich is a financial advisor for Edward Jones, which provides financial services for individual investors in the United States with affiliates in Canada and the United Kingdom. Previously, Rich owned his own business as a Life, Health and Long Term Care insurance agent. He has also held senior management and sales positions with IBM, Hitachi, SUN Microsystems and Amdahl. He holds a BA cum laude from Seattle University and a MBA from St. Mary’s College in Moraga.

Rich joined the Community Health Trust Board in November 2007 and is also currently involved with the Watsonville Rotary, the American Legion Post 0419 and the San Jose Fly Casters. He has been a member of the Board of Catholic Business Professionals Association (Santa Clara Diocese) and the Alameda Business Association Farmer’s Market Committee. Rich brings to the Board strong financial and business expertise.

Dr. Barbara Palla

Dr. Barbara Palla is currently medical consultant to the Santa Cruz Health Improvement Partnership with a focus on improving the transition from hospital to outpatient care for high risk individuals.  From 2000-2007, Dr. Palla served as the Medical Director of the Central Coast Alliance for Health and was responsible for quality oversight, utilization management, and the development of health programs for diabetes, asthma and obesity.  Prior to 2000, she was Medical Director of Santa Clara Family Health Plan, and Chief of Ambulatory Pediatrics at Santa Clara Valley Medical Center (SCVMC).

Dr. Palla, along with husband Larry and son Geoff, runs Meder Street Farms, supplying organic produce to several area restaurants and farmers markets.  They have four grown children, Steve, Mike, Geoff, and Julie.

Marc Pimentel

Marc is the Administrative Services Director for the City of Watsonville overseeing the Accounting, Financial Reporting, Payroll, Purchasing, Utility & Revenue Collections as well as the Information Services Division of the City.

He was born and raised in Watsonville and still lives in the community with his Wife and two Daughters. He attended the old Salsipuedes K-8 school, Watsonville High, Cabrillo College and Graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Commerce as an Accounting Major from Santa Clara University. Prior to returning home to Watsonville, he worked for the cities of Monterey and Capitola.

Julio Porro, M.D.

Dr. Porro is the Associate Medical Director for the Central Coast Alliance for Health. His experience as Medical Director and practicing physician at Salud Para La Gente and staff physician at Watsonville Community Hospital has given him the opportunity to see firsthand the health and access problems of the underserved in the Pajaro Valley. Dr. Porro serves on the Board of Dientes Community Dental Clinic and was the Audit Committee Chair on this Board. Dr. Porro brings expertise in local, regional and state health care issues and how they affect residents and health care providers in the Pajaro Valley.

Donna Ramos

Donna is currently an independent contractor with the Health Improvement Partnership of Santa Cruz County.Donna has many years experience with local hospitals both as a Nursing Administrator and Vice President of Patient Services. She is well known for her community service with the United Way of Santa Cruz and the Hospice Caring Project. Donna brings a vast array of medical and health care experience to the Board.

Jorge Sanchez

Jorge has been a Watsonville resident for over 30 years. He currently works with the Santa Cruz Community Counseling Center and is the Program Manager for Si Se Puede and the Santa Cruz Residential Recovery Program. Jorge is just beginning his involvement serving on a nonprofit Board and brings his many years of working to better the community, along with his migrant background, to the Board.

Barbara Shingai

Barbara resides in Watsonville and has worked as the Assistant Director of Human Resources at Cabrillo College since 2000.  Prior to working at Cabrillo, Mrs. Shingai worked for over 25 years at Watsonville Community Hospital in hospital administration/labor relations & human resources.  Mrs. Shingai has served on the Watsonville Buddhist Temple Board of Directors, volunteered as the youth advisor for the Young Buddhist Association for ten years, has served on the Personnel Committee for the Watsonville YMCA, the Board of Women's Crisis Support and was Treasurer for the Watsonville Buddhist Temple Boy Scouts.

Michele Violich, M.D.

Michele was appointed to the Trust Board by the County of Santa Cruz Health Services Agency. She has lived and worked in Watsonville for almost 10 years. Michele is a practicing physician and the Medical Director of the Watsonville Health Center, one of two primary care clinics operated by the County of Santa Cruz. Prior to this, Michele lived 20 years in Venezuela where she worked as a physician in community health care.