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staff, BOARD and ADVISORS

STAFF

AVStaffSpring2024

Izzy, Jessica, Karen, Kate, Charis, Su-Yin and Bab (L-R)

Executive Director - Bab Freiberg
Throughout her career, Bab has worked to build healthy, vibrant communities. She has designed and led major community initiatives and advisory services at nonprofit organizations focused on community development and finance, affordable housing, aging, homelessness, and job training. Her efforts led to the construction of older adult residences, affordable housing, and community facilities; student debt relief for teachers; a pro bono practice that saved nonprofits over $1,000,000; and services for unhoused and unemployed persons. In both the Bay Area and New York City, she has held senior-level positions at Just Cities Institute, Jewish Community Federation and Endowment Fund, Low Income Investment Fund, SEEDCO, and New Horizons. Among the skills Bab brings to Ashby Village are volunteer engagement, revenue generation, and program design. Bab is passionate about innovating community-driven solutions to allow us to age with independence, choice, and purpose as part of a caring and inclusive community. Bab serves on the Board of Menorah Park, a Section 8 older adult housing complex in San Francisco. Bab has a Master’s degree in Public Affairs from the Princeton School of Public and International Affairs, and a B.A. in Economics from UC Berkeley. She lives in Berkeley where she and her husband raised their three daughters. 
Email Bab at bab@ashbyvillage.org

Co-Operations Manager - Su-Yin Bickner

Su-Yin, who received a Master’s in Social Work from UC Berkeley, learned about Ashby Village during her graduate studies in management and planning through working at the Center for the Advanced Study of Aging Services. She became a volunteer for Ashby Village helping with the social care team. Her year-long placements with the Long-Term Care Ombudsman of Contra Costa and Solano and the oncology floor at Alta Bates Summit Medical Center solidified her commitment to working for adults’ rights and the ability to age in place and in their communities. She previously worked as Taiwan Program Director for Heartsent Adoptions in Orinda. Su-Yin serves on the Ashby Village Partnerships and DEI Committees.

Email Su-Yin at sbickner@ashbyvillage.org

Member Services Manager - Karen Dean

Karen has been a lifelong passionate supporter of healthy families. She was Senior Program Director at Heartsent Adoptions before earning her Master’s of Social Work from USC in May 2021. She advocated for survivors of intimate partner violence for the San Francisco Neighborhood Legal Assistance Foundation. During the pandemic, Karen did assessments and counseling with at-risk high school students via telehealth. She also has been a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) for foster youth in Alameda County and a reading tutor at an Oakland elementary school. In addition to raising her family, Karen provided caring support for her parents, who had complex physical and cognitive challenges.

Email Karen at karen@ashbyvillage.org 

Development & Communications Manager - Charis Hanshaw

Charis is a sociologist at heart with a passion to understand the intricacies of human behavior and connection. She is a systems thinker who is driven by a desire to foster empathy, promote social justice, and cultivate meaningful connections within our diverse and dynamic communities. After 30 years in operations management, consumer research, and marketing and communications with both small and international research firms, Charis shifted her career focus toward nonprofit management, specifically in aging services. She earned a Master's in Nonprofit Administration from the University of San Francisco School of Management and a B.A. in American Studies from UC Berkeley, with a concentration in sociology and psychology centered on health and aging. Charis serves on the Ashby Village Development and Communications Committees.

Email Charis at charis@ashbyvillage.org

Volunteer Services Manager - Jessica Sterling

Jessica enjoys building partnerships and relationships. Before joining Ashby Village, Jessica held a variety of roles at Jewish Community Relations Council, most recently as the Jewish Community and Education Outreach Manager. Before working in the nonprofit world, Jessica spent more than 20 years in marketing and communications, including 10 years as a manager in the Creative Services department at Pacific Bell Smart Yellow Pages. She also has volunteered at the Alameda County Community Food Bank and for the Red Cross blood drive. A longtime East Bay resident, she lives in Oakland with her husband, a dog and a cat. She has two daughters.

Email Jessica at jessica@ashbyvillage.org

Administrative Coordinator - Kate Sosin

Kate is a registered nurse who worked mainly in obstetrics and neonatal services in the Bay Area for about 28 years. She was a staff RN at the Community Hospital of the Monterey Peninsula for four years and worked with oncology patients, and then in a unit that cared for all ages, from newborns to centenarians. During her last four years of nursing, she was a clinic nurse for one of the Lifelong Medical Clinics. Kate began as a volunteer in 2014 and now serves as our part-time administrative assistant on staff.

Email Kate at kate@ashbyvillage.org

Co-Operations Manager - Isbelia "Izzy" Williams
Izzy is a seasoned professional with a proven track record of driving success and optimizing processes. With 17 years of experience in the non-profit sector, she has developed a strong expertise in leadership, analytical thinking, and strategic planning. Izzy has excelled in management roles, spearheading initiatives such as corporate wellness programs, accreditation, and process improvements that yield tangible results. Her academic credentials include an MBA from Nova Southeastern University and a BBA in Healthcare Administration from Oakwood University. As a strategic thinker and dedicated professional, Izzy is constantly seeking innovative solutions and opportunities for growth and improvement.
Email Izzy at izzy@ashbyvillage.org

Staff Roles & Areas of Village Support

 

 




























 


 



  


 



board of directors


Sophia Chen, MD
A Bay Area denizen and practicing Geriatrician, Sophia began her healthcare journey with an MPH at UCLA. There she pursued a Community Health focus and discovered her passion for the aging population while working on evaluating a report of an adjusted federal poverty level index. She understands that there is so much more to health than medicalized services and is thankful to be given the opportunity to be at the intersection of peoples’ lives. Sophia works in the community at various nursing facilities and visits patients in their individual homes, and her specific interest and area of expertise is in dementia. She is currently finishing an internal study within Kaiser about racial and ethnic differences in dementia diagnoses and management.


Jan Corazza
An experienced advancement leader, Jan has served in senior development roles at UC Davis, UC Berkeley and UC San Diego. Prior to returning to Berkeley, where she was raised, Jan served the Johns Hopkins University for 13 years, including as Executive Director of the $1.5B Johns Hopkins Initiative Campaign. She also served as Director of Major and Planned Gifts for the San Francisco-based environmental organization, Save the Redwoods League. Jan chairs the Development Committee.

Edwin Eng, Treasurer 
Community involvement, health care and finance have been the themes that have defined Edwin’s experiences. His most recent work, as a financial analyst and investment banker, has been with mostly non-profit developers of senior living communities across the country. In the community, he was the treasurer for San Francisco’s Asian Law Caucus and also an audit committee member of Oakland’s Blue Skies for Children. As an Ashby Village board member and Treasurer, his goal will be to make finance issues accessible to the organization so that the village continues thrive and grow.

Joseph D. Evinger
Previously a board member and treasurer of North Oakland Village, Joe brings more than 40 years of experience in budgeting, financial analysis and auditing, as well as a career in financial management and consulting. He served in budget and business management positions for the Bay Area Rapid Transit District and was a financial consultant to BART from 2005 to 2013. He’s also past president of BART Supervisory and Professional Association, now affiliated with AFSCME. Joe serves on the Finance Committee and is also leads the Science & Ideas interest group.

Julie Freestone
A former news reporter and health administrator, Julie lives in Richmond and spearheaded the pilot project to expand Ashby Village to that city. Since moving to California from New York four decades ago, she has worked for the California Urban Indian Health Council, Contra Costa Health Services and local media outlets. She has been a volunteer for Writer Coach, the Richmond Museum of History and Ashby Village. She co-chairs the Communications Committee.


Bab Freiberg, Executive Director, Ex-Officio

Brendalynn Goodall 
Brendalynn is a retired administrator and licensed social worker with more than 35 years of experience in mental health, aging, and workforce development. A longtime advocate for equity and LGBTQ+ visibility, she has served on numerous advisory boards locally and statewide. Brendalynn is a Commissioner on the California Commission on Aging and serves on the Board of the California Foundation on Aging. Her honors include the Oakland Pride Legacy Grand Marshal title and the Bayard Rustin Leadership Award, which she received with her wife in 2024. A former leader of the East Bay Stonewall Democratic Club, Brendalynn brings to Ashby Village a deep commitment to inclusion, community-building, and aging with pride.

Shirley Haberfeld, Co-Founder, Ex-Officio
Shirley brought both her clinical skills and programmatic skills to the founding of Ashby Village. She spent her career as an Educational Psychologist and school administrator of schools and programs in Alameda County. As a psychologist, she assessed and counseled students with different needs, guiding them and their families toward making their experiences in the school environment as rich as possible. As an administrator, she worked as Co-Director of Special Education in the Alameda School District, managing programs and staff for middle and high school programs. Later, as the Director of the Seneca Day Treatment Program, she designed programs and managed clinical and educational staff bringing services to children with major behavioral and emotional needs. Shirley served on the Board for the first six years of Ashby Village as a member and Board Chair.

Andra Lichtenstein, Chair
Founder and principal of Capital Incubator, Andra consults with nonprofit community health centers and aging services organizations to finance their capital projects. She has 40 years of experience in both the nonprofit and for-profit sectors. She was the Planning & Development Director of LifeLong Medical Care for 10 years. She was also the developer and original owner of Saul’s Restaurant & Delicatessen in Berkeley.  She serves on the Ashby Village Development, Governance and Planning Committees. 

Susan Thomas Pierpoint, Secretary
Susan was President of the North Oakland Village board, where she became a volunteer in 2015. She is the former board president of Bishop’s Ranch – a nonprofit camp and conference center in Healdsburg, CA – and was senior warden at St. John’s Oakland for two years. Susan practiced law for more than 30 years in a private law firm and then at University of California. After retirement in 2009 she assisted Mills College as acting General Counsel and served as a consultant in board governance for nonprofits. Susan chairs the Governance Committee and serves on the Development Committee.

Bryan Ricks
Bryan is chairman of the Oakland Mayor’s Commission on Aging and was a board member of North Oakland Village; executive director of CareBuilders at Home-East Bay; and a member of the Livable Oakland Committee. He has worked with the Commission to raise awareness around issues of people over 65. For CareBuilders at Home, he spearheads projects that incorporate non-medical home care and patient advocacy programs to decrease rehospitalization. These services create a “web of care” to help keep senior patients at home.
 
Patricia Carson Sussman, Co-Founder, Ex-Officio
As a co-founder of Ashby Village, Patricia has brought years of experience as a health-care executive and board member of community organizations to her work in building the Village.  A former hospice director, she also was Chief Operating Officer for LifeLong Medical Care, gaining practical experience as well as an understanding of the public policy issues around aging. Pat serves on the Finance, Nominating and Planning Committees.

Diane Wong

A professional in the field of aging, Diane was the founding director of Alzheimer's Services of the East Bay and served as the interim Executive Director/Consultant for the Alameda County Public Authority for In-Home Supportive Services. She has also worked as a nonprofit consultant. For the past 10 years she has been the Executive Director of J-Sei, a multi-senior service and Japanese cultural organization. Volunteer work includes the startup of DayBreak, the Adult Day Services Network of Contra Costa, and Lamorinda Adult Respite Center.


SUSTAINING ADVISORS
Ina Bendich
Beth Burnside
Joan Cole
Bob Davis
Janet Howley
Ellen Jacobs
Rochelle Lefkowitz
Steve Lustig
Laura Peck
Roberta Pressman
Pat Sakai
Jane Selby
Barbi Jo Stim
Betty Webster

VILLAGE LEADERSHIP ADVISORY COUNCIL

Previously convened as the Program Leadership Team, the Village Leadership Advisory Council (Council) serves as a collaborative forum that unites Ashby Village leaders — including staff, volunteers, and the Executive Director — to strengthen programs and services supporting older adults. The group fosters dynamic discussions to identify challenges, opportunities, and progress, ensuring transparency and alignment across program areas. By sharing updates, seeking input, and elevating strategic decisions, the group co-creates actionable solutions, advances organizational goals, and promotes effective collaboration to enhance villager social engagement, mobility, and wellbeing.

Sigrid Duesberg (Events Team)
Howard Kirsch (Tech Team)
Mary Graham (Neighborhood Groups)
Steve Lustig (Community Collaborations)
Irene Marcos (Arts & Culture Team)
Roberta Pressman (Member Support Services)
Jane Selby (Member Support Services) 
Joan Straumanis (Outreach Team, Council Board Liaison)

 


   



STAFF   •   COORDINATORS    •   FORUMS