Board of Directors

• Ann Ziolkowski, President
  Ann and her family have been ardent supporters of The Arc for the past seven years. She is Director of Marketing + Operations at the San Francisco Conservatory of Flowers in Golden Gate Park. She is the sibling of an Arc client and lives in Sausalito. As a board member, she serves as Chair of the Resource Development Committee and also serves on the Policy and Finance Committee. Ann looks forward to helping The Arc increase client employment opportunities, live in their own homes and seek additional funding sources for The Arc's operating budget. She worked closely with Tim Hornbecker on the Park Access initiative addressing accessibility issues in Golden Gate Park. A native of Michigan, Ann graduated from Western Michigan University with a B.A. in English and Communications. She has also served on the Board of Regents for the NRPA Marketing & Revenue Management School and the Board of Illinois Park & Recreation Association.
  
  
• Alene Frankel, Vice President
  Alene is Of Counsel to The Law Offices of Darcey L. Wong practices in the area of estate planning, trust administration, probate, conservatorships, and special needs trusts. She has over 14 years of experience in the legal profession. Alene received her J.D. from Southwestern University School of Law in Los Angeles. She began her legal career working for the influential Los Angeles personal injury law firm of Girardi & Keese. Subsequently, she joined Northern Trust Company in Chicago, Illinois and acted as Conservator to large estates that served families with disabled persons. Alene is a licensed attorney in Illinois and California. Alene was introduced to The Arc as a tenant in the building at 1500 Howard. She was impressed by the clients and staff at The Arc. She saw first hand the freedom and joy clients received when spending their time at The Arc.
  
  
• Christine Ouano, Secretary
  Christine became a member of the Board of Directors in August 2007. A San Francisco native, she joins her family in giving continuous support to The Arc of San Francisco. Her older brother is an individual with autism and has been an Arc client since 1994. She hopes to help promote awareness for The Arc and further encourage education and opportunities for The Arc client community. Christine holds a B.S. in Biological Sciences and a B.A. in Anthropology from the University of California, Davis and received an M.S. in Forensic Science from the University of New Haven. She has recently held human resources and recruitment strategy positions at Google Inc., Amgen Inc., the Bernard Hodes Group, and Louis Vuitton Moet Hennessy (LVMH).
  
  
• Cary Fulbright, Treasurer
  Cary earned a BS in International Politics and a JD from Georgetown University, and an MBA from the University of California. He has served as a member of the board of directors and executive committee of the San Francisco Chamber of Commerce and the Bay School of San Francisco. He is currently President of Saaspoint, Inc., a professional services and consulting company. As Senior Vice President of marketing at salesforce.com, Cary became familiar with clients of The Arc of San Francisco who are employed there in a variety of capacities. Through this connection he realized the important role The Arc serves in the community and joined our Board in 2005.
  
  
  
• Spencer De Bella, Director
  Long-time advocate Spencer De Bella divides his time between his job at The Conservatory of Flowers and taking his message to Capitol Hill. Spencer takes every opportunity to speak out about the importance of supporting the programs and services that enable people with developmental disabilities to live independently in the community.
  
  
• Liz Elmore, Director
  Liz Elmore is a representative of the clients on The Arc’s Board of Directors. Liz has advocated in Washington D.C. for more jobs and housing for people with disabilities. Liz makes it a priority to attend workshops and trainings to learn new ways to speak out for people with developmental disabilities.
  Liz believes in people standing up for themselves and also to ask for help when they need it.
  Liz currently works for Trader Joe's in San Francisco through The Arc's client employment program.
  
  
• Jim Emerich, Director
  Jim Emerich brings his 16 years of finance and accounting experience to The Arc of San Francisco’s Board of Directors. Jim is currently the Chief Financial Officer at MuleSource Inc. Prior to joining the MuleSource team, Jim spent six years at Salesforce.com, where he served most recently as senior vice president of Internal Audit. During his tenure at Salesforce, Mr. Emerich also held the positions of chief accounting officer, interim CFO, and head of the Tax and Treasury departments. Prior to Salesforce.com, Jim held leadership roles in finance and accounting for various high tech and manufacturing companies. Jim is a graduate of Principia College where he earned a B.A. degree in Business Administration, Chemistry, and Economics. He is also a graduate of the General Electric Financial Management Program. Jim became familiar with The Arc through his interactions with clients at salesforce.com and realized what a critical role The Arc plays in their lives.
  
  
• Ellen Hanscom, Director
  Ellen has been employed as Office Manager of the West Region for A.T. Kearney, Inc, a global management consulting firm, for the past 7 years. Ellen relocated to San Francisco in 1999 from Bend, Oregon, where she was very active in community efforts.
  During her 12 years in Bend, Ellen served on the boards of Deschutes United Way, Central Oregon Boys and Girls Club, the St Charles Medical Center Foundation, Mt Bachelor Rotary Club, and at the state level on the Jobs Plus and Lighted Schools Councils.
  Ellen became involved with The Arc of San Francisco as a member, then Chair of the Business Advisory Council. She served on the board in 2004-05, and after a two year absence, she is thrilled to be back as an active supporter of The Arc of SF and its efforts to aid the developmentally disabled community.
  
  
• Brent Kush, Director
  Brent is the Chief Financial Officer of Be Products Co, LLC, a Boston-based maker of food-based natural skincare products. Prior to Be Products, Brent spent seven years as CFO of The Sak, a San Francisco-based handbag company. Prior to The Sak, Brent was a management consultant with the Big-4 accounting firm of Price Waterhouse.
  Brent is a Certified Public Accountant and is Phi Beta Kappa graduate in Economics from UC Berkeley. He also has an MBA from UC Berkeley.
  Brent began his involvement with The Arc of San Francisco as a volunteer in January 2006 after he read an article about the orgainization in the San Francisco Chronicle newspaper. He joined our Board in June 2006 and he is a member of our Policy and Finance Committee and our Endowment Committee. Brent lives in Orinda, California.
  
  
• Larry Melillo, Director
  Larry Melillo brings his 15 years of finance and technology experience to The Arc of San Francisco’s Board of Directors. Larry is currently the Senior Director of Finance at Appirio, Inc., a global “cloud” technology firm based in the Bay Area. Prior to joining Appirio, Larry spent five years at KPMG, where he served most recently as Director for the CFO Advisory Services practice. During his tenure at KPMG, Larry consulted with multiple global clients in regards to improving their Finance Operations, with an emphasis on planning, budgeting and forecasting. Prior to this consultative role, Larry worked in various Finance and Account Management capacities for several other technology companies. Larry is a graduate of Arizona State University where he earned an M.B.A in Business Administration, along with a M.S. in Information Management. Larry became familiar with The Arc through his volunteer work with the organization while at KPMG where he had the opportunity to work with the organization’s leadership, management and clients to develop the current 5 Year Strategic Plan.
  
  
• Kirsten Mellor, Director
  Kirsten is Vice President and Division General Counsel at Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. A native New Yorker, she earned her BA in Political Science from Columbia University and her JD from Villanova University School of Law. Kirsten has been volunteering on the Board of Directors of The Arc for several years on various special projects requiring legal assistance and has been a member of the Arc Angel Society since 2006. Her sister-in-law is an individual with development disabilities and Kirsten knows firsthand the joys and challenges of helping families provide their children with a meaningful and productive place in the community.
  
  
  
• Stacy Proctor, Director
  Stacy has worked in the Human Resources profession for over 14 years. She began her relationship with The Arc of San Francisco employing clients in the hotel industry. She found it such an awarding experience she joined the Arc’s Business Advisory Council and later became the council’s chairperson. Upon joining the Board of Directors in 2006, Stacy began serving as the chairperson for the Human Resources Committee. As a volunteer Stacy also serves the community and non-profit organizations including: The American Cancer Society and Aids Walk San Francisco. Stacy is a graduate of the University of Utah with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology, holds a Masters in Business Administration from the University of Phoenix, and a Professional Human Resources certification from the Society of Human Resources Management. Stacy and her husband, John, welcomed a wonderful surprise in September 2008; the birth of their son. They spend any extra time remodeling their home, which was built in 1906.
  
  
• Tom Van Ess, Director
  Tom is the Community Partnership Manager at the San Francisco Business Times where he makes it a priority to create partnerships between the business and non-profit communities. Tom’s nephew and brother-in-law are persons with developmental disabilities, and Tom is acutely aware of the need for the services provided by The Arc. Tom’s undergrad years were at Fordham University (1972); he received his MA from the University of San Francisco in 1997. He served as president of the Junipero Serra Father’s Club Volunteer Center in 2006, he is a member of the Society of Marketing Professionals and is an active participant with Association of Fundraising Professionals.
  
  
  

Key Staff

• Timothy P. Hornbecker, Chief Executive Officer
  Tim views his main two objectives to remove obstacles for people with developmental disabilities being part of their community, and advocating for the rights of people with disabilities and the direct care staff who support them. Tim was most recently Executive Director of Sherwood Community Services, an agency serving 620 children and adults with developmental disabilities in the State of Washington.
  Tim was previously an Executive Director for The Arc in Seattle and Palm Springs. For 16 years, Tim was the Executive Director of the St. Vincent de Paul Society in Portland, Oregon providing social services and employment training to low-income individuals and persons with disabilities. He has been on the Board of Directors for The Arc of the United States, The ArcLink Board of Directors, and President for The Arc of Washington State. Tim received an M.A. degree in Public Administration from Gonzaga University, and a B.A degree in Liberal Arts from St. Paul’s College.
  
  E-mail:thornbecker@thearcsf.org
  
  
• Alan Fox, Deputy Director
  Alan holds a Master’s of Public Administration from the Maxwell School at Syracuse University, a Bachelor’s degree in Management from the Wharton School, and a Bachelor’s in International Relations from the University of Pennsylvania.
  Alan is the parent of a young son with autism. He has a unique perspective on the state of services for people with autism, both as a leader in an organization that provides services, and as someone who must find them for his son. Alan oversees a number of programs at The Arc, including independent living support services, employment placement, and ArtRearch, an innovative program that teaches adults with developmental disabilities to be professional artists. He also oversees support and outreach activities to families of a loved one with developmental disabilities, and is a valuable information resource for the Media.
  
  E-mail:afox@thearcsf.org
  
  
• Laura Repke, Director, Development & Community Relations
  Laura is a parent of one of The Arc's clients. She began volunteering at The Arc in 1995 and worked as Chair of the successful $1,000,000 Capital Campaign to build affordable housing and a senior center for clients at 416 Bay Street and to purchase our office building at 1500 Howard Street. Laura is an active advocate for individuals with developmental disabilities. She is a past President of the Association of Regional Center Agencies and of Golden Gate Regional Center. She was recognized in 2004 for her community efforts by Area Board V and was the 2001 Arc California Volunteer of the Year.
  
  E-mail:lrepke@thearcsf.org
  
  
  
• Brian Wiegman, Director of Accounting
  Brian came to The Arc of San Francisco with a broad range of experience in the field of accounting, finance and administration. Brian studied at the University of Wisconsin, Green Bay where he earned a B.S. in Accounting. He has held upper mangement positions in various industries and has in-depth international experience including more than five years in Asia as an independent business and cultural consultant. Prior positions held by Brian include Esperanza Community Services, an agency in Chicago dedicated to people with developmental disabilities, where he served as the agency's administrator.
  
  E-mail:bwiegman@thearcsf.org
  
  
  
• Mark Kirk, Operations/Development, Director
  Mark came to The Arc in the early 1990's after many years in show business and as an entrepreneur; he began producing and directing "Take a Second Look," a show with performers with disabilities. He has transformed the lives of so many of our clients by encouraging them to live their dreams and make them understand how it feels to be a "star." "This is the greatest gratification on earth," says Mark. Most recently, moving from Director of Business Services, he is now a central member of the organization's development team.
  
  
  
• Joanne Rolle, Director of Developmental Services
  Joanne joined The Arc in 1996 and has over 15 years experience in providing services to individuals with developmental disabilities. She is a former special education teacher and holds a Masters in Nonprofit Management.
  Joanne has a depth of knowledge in service provision and supervises vocational, residential, integrated community-based services and individualized services. Joanne also oversees several of The Arc’s employer contracts. She is a member of The San Francisco Chamber of Commerce and the Business Network International group.
  
  
  
• Jacy Cohen, Advocacy & Intake Services Director
  Jacy has worked for 25 years at The Arc and is responsible for almost all the activities relating to a potential client's/family's entry into The Arc services and supports as well as information and referral. She has a degree in Special Education and came to us with eight years of teaching and program administration experience. She still feels compelled by the mission of The Arc and believe we do make a difference.
  
  
• Terry Goodwin, Job Placement Services Director
  Terry has been a manager with The Arc for over 25 years. She obtained her Elementary and Special Education teaching credentials from San Francisco State University. She spearheaded one of the state’s first supported employment programs at The Arc in the early 1980s, and is an active member of San Francisco’s Jobs Group, the Bay Area Caucus and the Department of Rehabilitation Job Developers Group.
  Terry started The Arc’s Business Advisory Council (BAC), a group of community business partners who work to provide more job opportunities for people with disabilities. In conjunction with the BAC, Terry oversees The Arc’s annual WorkLife Awards honoring exemplary clients in the workforce, and their employers.
  
  
  
• Sandra Grijalva, Aging & Wellness Services Director
  Sandra supervises health and wellness services to clients who need advocacy and support to stay as healthy as possible. Her interest in working with persons with developmental disabilities began when she was in high school as a volunteer at a residence in Santa Barbara. After graduating from UC Santa Barbara, Sandra obtained her MA in Gerontology from San Francisco State University in order to better serve aging persons with developmental disabilities.
  While directing services for older clients at The Arc’s senior center, Sandra recognized the special challenges that stand in the way of optimal health care for this population.
  In response, the Optimal Wellness pilot program began offering adults over 45 years of age better health screening, individualized medical case management, plus fitness and nutrition education. Now a service available to all adults with developmental disabilities but particularly those with chronic conditions, Sandra directs our Aging and Wellness Services which currently services over 60 clients.
  
  
  
• Susan Suomi, Residential Services Director
  Susan has over 25 years of experience providing services for persons with developmental disabilities. Her inspiration for helping others to live independently comes from her sister, Molly, who has Down Syndrome and is currently living in her own apartment and working independently. Susan oversees our Community Living Services as well as some clients who are both in CLS and Supported Employment.
  
  
• Wendy Ginther, Senior Services Director
  Wendy began working at The Arc in 1996 and currently oversees Senior Services. Her interest in working with persons with developmental disabilities began at a very young age while volunteering in her mother’s Special Education classrooms during summer school. Wendy is currently working toward her Master's in Gerontology.