Who is "the council"?

The Sonoma Advisory Council consists of 21 members; ten are appointed by the Board of Supervisors and eleven by the Advisory Council. Advisory Council members contribute many volunteer hours serving on committees and task forces, as well as visiting grantee agencies in an effort to learn first hand what services are being provided. They work closely with the Area Agency on Aging Director and staff on local program funding distribution, legislation and the agency's overall direction and goals.

The Council is strengthened by the diversity of its membership. Representation on the Advisory Council includes three representatives from each county supervisory district, as well as service provider representative, minority group representative, senior advocate representative, person with disability representative and nutrition services consumer.

The Advisory Council members consider demographic trends, unmet needs and emerging issues affecting seniors, adults with disabilities and family caregivers and recommend agency direction to the Board of Supervisors.

The Advisory Council also develops a four-year plan recommending goals, policy and advocacy priorities for the Area Agency on Aging. The Advisory Council recommends funding policies and priorities and oversees the request for proposal process for awarding service contracts to local community agencies.

Advisory Council members provide presentations on senior services and resources, elder abuse prevention and family caregiver issues to community groups and organizations upon request, call 707.565.5950.

The Advisory Council is a mandatory body under both the Older Americans Act and the Older Californians Act.

Advisory Council Members

Marce Becerra

Nutrition Services Representative
Advisory Council appointee

Alice Diefenbach

District 5
Advisory Council appointee

Louis Funk

District 3
Supervisor Smith appointee

Debra Greenberg

District 2
Supervisor Kerns appointee

Joanie Guy

District 3
Advisory Council appointee

Raynetta James

District 5
Supervisor Reilly appointee

Joann Keyston

District 5
Supervisor Reilly appointee

Henry Lasky

District 2
Supervisor Kerns appointee

Maureen Latimer

District 1
Supervisor Brown appointee

Warren Metzger

District 3
Supervisor Smith appointee

Bob Marshall

District 1
Advisory Council appointee

Mary Raymond

Member-at-Large
Advisory Council appointee

Laurel Ritz

District 4
Advisory Council appointee

Alyce Sporer Mars

District 2
Advisory Council appointee

Marvin Stubbs

District 4
Supervisor Kelley appointee

Katherine Taylor

District 1
Supervisor Brown appointee

Elizabeth Tipon

Minority Groups Representative
Advisory Council appointee

Van Tipton

Disabled Populations Representative
Advisory Council appointee

Vacant

Service Provider Representative
Advisory Council appointee

Vacant

Senior Advocate Representative
Advisory Council appointee

Vacant

District 4
Supervisor Kelley appointee