Special Notice / Hearing: None__
Vote Required: Majority
To: Honorable Board of Supervisors
From: Supervisor David Canepa District 5
Supervisor Noelia Corzo, District 2
Subject: Appointments to the Commission on Aging
RECOMMENDATION:
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Recommendation for member appointments to the Commission on Aging:
A) Daniela Jonguitad, for an initial partial term ending June 30, 2027; and
B) Deborah Owden, for an initial partial term ending June 30, 2026; and
C) Twilia Cole Dependahl, for an initial partial term ending June 30, 2026.
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BACKGROUND:
The mission of the San Mateo County Commission on Aging (CoA) is to improve the quality of life for seniors in San Mateo County through the promotion of independence, self-sufficiency, mental and physical health, as well as community involvement.
DISCUSSION:
Daniela Jonguitad is being recommended to serve an initial partial term through June 30, 2027, a seat formerly held by Sandra Lang who resigned with seat vacated in accordance with the seat’s 2018 term expiry. Deborah Owden and Twila Cole Dependahl are being recommended to each serve initial partial terms through June 30, 2026 for seats vacated by Christina Dimas-Kahn and Cherie Querol-Moreno at their term-end dates of June 30 2023.
Daniela Jonguitud is a passionate individual who has advocated for the aging community for over a decade in San Mateo County, across the Bay Area, and in her country of origin, Mexico. She is the Founder and CEO of Chajinel Home Care Services and GereOM conscious geriatric care. Daniela has served as Community-Based Outpatient Clinic Advisor for the South San Francisco Unified School District and as Director of the Chamber of Commerce of South San Francisco.
Deborah Owdom was born and raised in San Mateo. She received an Associate of Arts Degree in Recreation from the College of San Mateo, a Bachelor of Arts Degree from Cal State East Bay (formerly known as Cal State Hayward) in Recreation Administration, and then went to Texas A&M University to get a Master of Arts Degree in Recreation Administration & Leisure Studies. She has been an advocate for older adults for most of her professional years. Her career included serving older adults in an Assisted Living facility, and as a Program Coordinator for seniors at a Senior Center. Deborah spent 22 years as Program Director of RSVP of San Mateo & Northern Santa Clara Counties as a recruiter of older adults into volunteer service. Her final job was the Volunteer Coordinator with a local program serving Medicare beneficiaries. The power of older adult volunteerism is something that she feels very strongly about. Deborah and her husband have two wonderful daughters and one beautiful 18-month-old granddaughter.
Twila Cole Dependahl has been a resident of San Mateo County when she married her college sweetheart, Chuck Dependahl in 1983. She held varied managerial and leadership positions in customer services, back office operations, institutional account services, project management office and Human Resources Total Rewards divisions at Franklin Templeton Investments. Upon leaving the financial services sector after 32 years, Twila knew her next chapter would be in the non-profit/public sector. She realized her affinity working with older adults while training to become a Senior Peer Counselor and Long-Term Care Ombudsman in 2016. In March 2017, she accepted the Volunteer Coordinator role at Ombudsman Services of San Mateo County and joined the Advisory Council of RSVP San Mateo and Northern Santa Clara Counties, serving on it until the program was dissolved by Sutter Health in 2021. In September 2020, Twila accepted the Executive Director role of National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) of San Mateo County for one year. Twila’s most recent paid position was with the County of San Mateo as Suicide Prevention Program Coordinator. In this role, she became certified to train in Mental Health First Aid for Adults and Older Adults. These non-profit roles have taught Twila about the unique challenges of the older community and the importance of mental health services. Twila hopes to highlight the tremendous need for mental health services for our older adult community, specifically educating older adults on how they can become Mental Health First Aiders to their peers.
FISCAL IMPACT:
None.