Who We Are

Pat is a retired technology marketing and government affairs executive. She was born in Southern California and lived in Redwood City for 30 years prior to retiring to Marin County. She graduated from the University of California, Riverside, with a BA in Political Science and received her MBA from Pepperdine University. She served as an aide to U.S. Senator John Tunney, D-CA; as director of Communications & Marketing Support at Tandem Computers; and as vice president, Corporate & Government Affairs at Electronic Arts. Pat says being a Sequoia Awards Board member for more than 20 years has been the most rewarding and inspiring experience of her volunteer work. “Meeting these young leaders of tomorrow gives me renewed hope for our country’s future,” she said.

Janet is a former member of the Redwood City Council and lives in Redwood City. She graduated from Ravenswood High School in East Palo Alto, went to beauty school, and owned and operated the Beauty Wheel Salon in Redwood City for 46 years. She now runs a salon in Palo Alto. Janet is an active and compassionate community volunteer. She started a free wig bank for women going through chemotherapy, and as a councilmember, she was active in the Bayfront Canal project, Caltrain modernization, the RWC/YMCA Partnership, rail transportation, and the Redwood City Sesquicentennial Committee. She was named the American Cancer Society Notable Person of the Year and the American Legion Citizen of the Year and received the Gentry Magazine Star Award. She is also a past recipient of The Sequoia Awards Outstanding Individual award and is a past board chair.

Tony is the president and co-owner of Black Mountain Properties, LLC. Tony is a self-taught software designer/programmer who not only knows how a computer works but has built many from scratch — starting at the age of 14. He went on to become a web designer, graphic designer, and illustrator before graduating with a Certificate in New Media Design from the Academy of Art University. Under Tony’s leadership, Black Mountain Properties has invested in market research to understand tenant needs and position Black Mountain Properties as one of the most highly respected privately-held commercial real estate firms in the San Francisco Bay Area. Tony loves motorsports and has driven in the Cooper Tires Prototype Lite Series, the 25 Hours of Thunderhill, and the NARRA-sanctioned Radical Cup Series.

Joel is vice president of pre-construction at W.L. Butler Construction, Inc. and a 20-year veteran of the construction industry. While Joel was technically born and raised in the construction business, he chose to expand his knowledge and experience by obtaining a BS in Civil Engineering from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo after graduating from Woodside High School.  He is a strong believer in strengthening the community through direct volunteer work.

Jack is a retired insurance broker. He was born in San Francisco and moved to Redwood City in 1949. Jack and his wife Raegene have been involved in Redwood City boards, commissions, and charities since 1960. He has held the office of president at organizations that include the Jaycees, Nativity Church, the Redwood City/San Mateo County Chamber of Commerce, and the Easter Cross Association. Jack also served as chairman and director of the Redwood City Fourth of July Parade and oversaw the City’s annual fireworks display as well as serving on the board of directors of the Peninsula Celebration Association. He has spent 5 years on the Redwood City Parks & Recreation board, 10 years on the Redwood City Planning Commission, and 20 years on the Port Commission. Jack and his wife, Raegene, are past co-chairs as well as founding board members of The Sequoia Awards and they are proud to help recognize individuals, businesses, and students for their volunteerism.

Jeri is a realtor and partner at Sequoia Realty Services in Redwood City. She is a fourth-generation Redwood City resident. She graduated from Woodside High School in 2000 and the University of San Diego in 2004, which is when she joined The Sequoia Awards board. Jeri believes that the volunteering you do today will help shape the community into what you want it to be in the future. Her grandfather, Will Richardson’s was a Sequoia Awards recipient and long-time member of the board, and her parents were honored with the Outstanding Citizens Award for their extensive volunteer work in the community.

Deanna is the owner of Dooley Insurance Services.  She has been in the insurance business and has lived in Redwood City area since 1967. Deanna grew up in England and obtained her Doctorate in Law from the University of London. She has served on The Sequoia Awards board for more than 20 years, and is a past chair of the board of directors. Since 2002, she has chaired the committee that produces our annual awards dinner. Deanna is also a member of the Rotary Club of Redwood City, past chair of the Sequoia Hospital Foundation, and served as state president of the National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors.

Tara is the vice president and resident director at Merrill Lynch in San Mateo. She has served on The Sequoia Awards board of directors since 2008 and is the former board chair and board secretary and serves on the Scholarship Interview Committee. Tara says it is a privilege to serve and an honor to meet so many bright, caring, driven young people. “With a bit of support, they will go on to make our world a better place,” she says.

Since 1997, Andy has served as the executive director of the Kainos Home & Training Center in Redwood City. Kainos enables adults with developmental disabilities to maximize their potential while becoming active, contributing members of the community. Andy graduated from Stanford with a degree in Psychology and Feminist Studies. He is a founding member of the Housing Leadership Council of San Mateo, The Sequoia Awards, the San Mateo County Commission on Disabilities, and the Redwood City Human Service Agency Collaborative. He also serves on the board of directors of Casa De Redwood and Redwood City International.

Since 1995, Ellen has served as a partner in the law firm of Haas & Associates, LLP in Redwood City, focusing her practice on estate and tax planning, estate administration, and probate. Ellen models the spirit of volunteerism that is at the heart of The Sequoia Awards. In addition to serving as the current chair of The Sequoia Awards board of directors, she also serves on the board of Kainos Home & Training Center and is the current president of the board of directors for Casa de Redwood.

Diane currently serves as a member of the Redwood City City Council. She has a long track record of representing the community’s interests in various City leadership roles. She served as vice mayor (1995-1997, 2007-2009, 2017) and mayor (1997-1999, 2019-2021). An active community volunteer, Diane has received numerous recognitions and awards for her service, including The Sequoia Awards Outstanding Individual Award, the Silicon Valley Volunteer Recognition Award for Service to the Sequoia YMCA, and the YMCA Mid-Peninsula Red Triangle for Volunteerism Award. Diane grew up in Long Island, NY. She graduated from the Lewis Wilson School of Nursing in Lindenhurst, NY and is a retired orthopedic nurse.

Suzanne is the vice president of Marketing and Community relations at San Mateo Credit Union. She has more than 20 years of experience in marketing leadership at companies such as Redwood Credit Union, Lowepro, Blurb Inc., and O’Reilly Media. Her background includes marketing strategy, digital marketing, advertising, public relations, project management, corporate communications, and developing projects with organizations from across the globe. Suzanne holds a BA in Business Administration from California State University, Sacramento and was part of the 2018 graduating class of Western CUNA Management School, a program that develops and prepares credit union leaders to meet the challenges of the future. Always active in the community, Suzanne has served on many nonprofit boards. She lives in Sebastopol with her husband, two young sons, and their dog, Rosie.

Albert is a senior planner and scheduler for Lendlease, working with Google on the Downtown West mixed-used plan in San Jose. He has been passionate about community service ever since his high school volunteer days at St. Luke’s Hospital in San Francisco, where his mom was an RN for 40+ years. Albert first learned about The Sequoia Awards through DPR Construction’s sponsorship, and joined the board in 2017 to further its mission to recognize outstanding community service. He graduated from UC Berkeley with a B.S. in civil engineering in 2003, and has lived in Redwood City since 2009 with his wife and dog.

Jim is a retired educator. Over the course of his 39-year career, he served as a teacher, principal, chief business official, and superintendent. He most recently served as superintendent of the Sequoia Union High School District from 2010 to 2017. Jim is a lifelong Redwood City resident and attended local schools including Woodside High School. He earned his bachelor’s and doctorate degrees at the University of California, Berkeley. Jim says being on the board of The Sequoia Awards over the last seven years has given him the ability to serve students of our community by being part of a special organization that makes opportunity possible for our next generation.

Steve is the CEO of DES Architects + Engineers. His primary role is the leadership and management of DES. By maintaining an easy-going culture that embraces learning and creativity, Steve has cultivated an environment that allows talented professionals to contribute their best work. His leadership has been instrumental in DES becoming the leading architecture firm in Silicon Valley. He is a lifelong member of the Redwood City community. He spent his early years in the Kennedy Middle School neighborhood, graduated from Woodside High School, and has worked for 40 years in downtown Redwood City. He is a past chair of The Sequoia Awards board of directors.

Ashley is a public policy manager at Facebook, focusing on community engagement efforts. She is active in her community through her involvement with the Redwood City Library Foundation Board and the Spark Advisory Board, and was recently appointed the Chairperson of the Redwood City Arts Commission. Ashley holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Diplomacy & World Affairs from Occidental College. A Redwood City native, Ashley says, “The City of Redwood City  has provided a lot in my life and I’m looking forward to giving back to the youth of our community.”

Barbara spent 30 years in the title and escrow industry in Redwood City. She has been an active community volunteer in San Mateo County for more than 35 years. She is a founding member of The Sequoia Awards and past president of the board of directors. Barbara was born, raised, and educated in Baltimore, MD. She is now retired and lives in Foster City. Barbara says, “I believe in our mission to honor all our recipients for their uncompensated volunteerism and help high school seniors realize their dreams to attend college through our scholarship program.”

Mark Simon is a veteran journalist with more than 45 years of experience as a daily newspaper columnist, political writer, and news reporter. He currently writes a weekly column on local news and issues for the San Mateo Daily Journal. He also worked for the San Francisco Chronicle and the Peninsula Times-Tribune. For 15 years, he held a variety of executive positions with SamTrans and Caltrain. A fourth-generation San Franciscan, Mark has lived in Redwood City for more than 40 years. He joined The Sequoia Awards board of directors in 2015.

Paula is a co-founder of The Sequoia Awards. For more than 50 years she has been one of Redwood City’s most active, involved residents. She was born in San Jose and moved to Redwood City when she was 10. She attended Mt. Carmel Elementary School, Sequoia High School, and the College of San Mateo. Paula and her late husband, Pete, ran Pete’s Harbor, a 280-slip marina and restaurant on Redwood City’s waterfront and one of the Peninsula’s most popular gathering spots. Pete passed away 2005, and Paula ran the marina until the family sold the property in 2014. The Uccellis were dedicated to improving the life of others in the community. In addition to their service on numerous boards and commissions, they established the Uccelli Foundation, which awarded scholarships to high school graduates in San Mateo County. The success of their foundation prompted them to start The Sequoia Awards in 1990.