Special Notice / Hearing: None__
Vote Required: Majority
To: Honorable Board of Supervisors
From: Supervisor David J. Canepa, District 5
Supervisor Jackie Speier, District 1
Subject: Appointments to the Commission on Aging
RECOMMENDATION:
title
Recommendation for the following appointments to the Commission on Aging:
A) Martha Simmons, for an initial partial term ending June 30, 2027; and
B) Joanne Wu Jennings, for an initial partial term ending June 30, 2028; and
C) Darlene Yee-Melichar, for an initial partial term ending June 30, 2029; and
D) Monica Dea, for an initial partial term ending June 30, 2027.
body
BACKGROUND:
The mission of the San Mateo County Commission on Aging (CoA) is to improve the quality of life for older adults in San Mateo County through the promotion of independence, self-sufficiency, mental and physical health, as well as community involvement.
DISCUSSION:
Martha Simmons is being recommended for appointment to a seat formerly held by Lauren Dai for an existing partial term ending June 30, 2027.
Joanne Wu Jennings is being recommended to serve an initial partial term ending June 30, 2028, formerly held by David Linnell.
Darlene Yee-Melichar is being recommended for appointment to a seat formerly held by Twile Cole Dependahl for an existing partial term ending June 30, 2029.
Monica Dea is being recommended for appointment to a seat formerly held by Ophelie Vico for an existing partial term ending June 30, 2027.
Martha Simmons has been a San Mateo County resident for 32 years and has long participated in local school issues, particularly health and wellness. Her work in Lifestyle Medicine focuses on helping people increase their health span-the number of active years they experience as they age. After supporting her mother through vascular dementia and other health conditions during COVID-19, Martha developed an interest in health policy. She earned a Master’s Degree in Health Policy and Law from UC Law San Francisco and UCSF, with a capstone on Medicare plan-selection challenges. As a HICAP volunteer Medicare counselor, she would offer the Commission local insight into healthy aging, dementia caregiving, Medicare challenges, and advocacy for county residents.
Joanne Wu Jennings brings personal and community-based insight into the ways policy and environment shape the aging experience. Through Rotary, where many members are older adults, she regularly works alongside active seniors and sees the importance of meaningful engagement and resources that support aging well. Her involvement with Peninsula Parkinson’s Place and Rock Steady Boxing provides hands-on experience delivering adaptive fitness and operational support to older adults managing complex health conditions. Joanne would bring to the Commission on Aging a frontline perspective on direct-care needs and gaps in services. She seeks to pair this practical experience with the Commission’s ability to advance policy and strengthen community support for older adults throughout San Mateo County and caregivers.
Darlene Yee-Melichar is a San Mateo County resident and nationally recognized gerontologist with more than 36 years of experience in aging policy, long-term care, public health, and higher education. She has contributed to county, state, and national efforts to improve the lives of older adults, including service on the San Mateo Health Commission/Health Plan of San Mateo Care Advantage Advisory Committee and the California Department of Aging’s ADRC Advisory Committee. Ms. Yee has advised local, state, regional, and national organizations on issues affecting older adults, caregivers, health care workforce development, and educational access. Through collaborative leadership and community engagement, Ms. Yee is committed to advancing the independence, well-being, and quality of life of older adults for county residents.
Monica N. Dea, MPH, has been a Daly City resident for over 30 years. Monica is a public health professional with 27 years of experience leading health programs, emergency response, and community partnerships across the United States, Africa, Asia, and Eastern Europe. She has also served on the San Mateo County Mental Health Board. Much of Monica's work has focused on vulnerable, underserved populations including older adults. In 2014 and 2015, Monica volunteered as a CDC emergency responder during the Ebola epidemic in Liberia and Sierra Leone, where she helped control the epidemic, support the clinical needs of Ebola survivors, and developed Sierra Leone's national infection prevention guidelines. She was among the Ebola responders recognized as TIME's 2014 Person of the Year and has received multiple U.S. Department of State and CDC honor awards. Monica began her career in the Bay Area as a Program Director at the Medical School at UC San Francisco (UCSF). She holds a Master of Public Health from San Francisco State University and a Master of Science in Chemical Engineering and speaks English and Romanian. As an older adult herself, Monica brings to the Commission a strong voice for seniors who are too often left out, along with a practical focus on emergency preparedness, mental health, safety in care settings, transition to aging, isolation, and partnerships between county agencies, nonprofits, and the communities they serve.
FISCAL IMPACT:
None.