Board of Directors

West County Health Center’s Board of Directors is comprised of dedicated community members with professional experience including business, law, real estate, human resources and healthcare.  Nine out of fifteen members of the Board use West County Health Centers as their primary medical home and all fifteen live within WCHC’s service area.  Board meetings are held monthly with smaller subcommittees such as the Finance, Executive and Fundraising committees meeting more frequently to collaborate and work with staff on specific tasks.  The Board demonstrates its commitment through ongoing development and oversight of West County Health Center’s strategic plan, fiscal planning, fundraising and staff support.

John Kornfeld, Ph.D - President

John joined the West County Health Centers board in 2005. He and his wife came to the Russian River Area as newlyweds in 1980, built a house, and raised their three children. He can’t imagine living anywhere else in the world. John earned his A.B. degree in English from Princeton, his M.A. in Education from Sonoma State, and his Ph.D. in Education from Indiana University. He taught elementary, middle, and high school for sixteen years, including eleven at Monte Rio School. Since 1996, he has been a professor at Sonoma State University, where he is currently Department Chair and Director of Undergraduate Studies. John has published articles and book chapters with his wife, his daughter, his son’s first grade teacher, and several Sonoma State colleagues; he is currently writing (by himself) a book about teaching. John has been a patient at the Russian River Health Center for almost two decades.

Debra Johnson - Vice President

Mary Felton, R.N., M.S.N - Board Secretary

Mary came onto the board of West County Health Centers in 2008. She lives in Sebastopol with her husband and three small children. Mary graduated from the UCSF Adult Nurse Practitioner program in 2005. While in graduate school she worked as a nurse at St. Anthony Free Clinic in San Francisco, an experience that introduced her to the importance of community health centers in making quality health care accessible to all. While most of her energy is currently focused on raising her young children, Mary also helps run her family’s small farm located on the outskirts of Sebastopol.

Dwight Cary - Treasurer

Dwight grew up on the Jersey Shore before moving to California where he attended Pomona College and, after an interlude of work and travel, Stanford Law School.  Dwight began work for a small San Francisco law firm specializing in national and international transactions and corporate restructurings. Over the years the firm grew substantially and Dwight served on its managing committee. His home in Guerneville provided a welcome weekend escape.  West County Health Centers had recently completed its merger of the Guerneville and Occidental clinics when a friend suggested that Dwight consider serving on the combined Board.  Dwight appreciated the services being provided by the health centers, enjoyed the people who provided them and is now a patient as well as a Board member.

Alan Siegle

David Wright

David R. Wright is an artist, designer and builder. He completed his undergraduate interdisciplinary degree at the University of Oregon.  His post graduate studies there were singularly focused on Architecture. David’s varied career path included ten years with Macy’s in San Francisco, licensed general contractor in his home town of Coos Bay Oregon, and home design and construction in the greater SF bay area. Locally,  David is best known for his design for the remodel of the Kings & Queens building on Main Street in Guerneville. Today throughout Sonoma County he is known for his scenic designs for the premier theater companies and Forestville Elementary School’s wonderful award winning theater arts program. Additionally, David volunteers with Face-to-Face, Food For Thought, and West County Health Centers. David lives in Guerneville with his life partner, Nick Charles; two cats, Tigger and Modakee; and Starsky, a two year old beagle mix.

Diane Spain

Diane Spain has been Director of Senior Services for West County Community Services, Russian River Senior Resource Center since 1986. Born and raised in San Francisco, her family had a summer home in Monte Rio. She eventually moved to West Sonoma County in 1975. Diane became a member of the West County Health Centers Board of Directors in 1997.   Diane loves working with the people, advocating for seniors, their families and care providers, and enjoys sharing her strong management and organizational skills. She dabbles in photography, collects dolls and M& M's, and strongly believes in the therapy of laughter. She lives with her dog Buffe, who is her friend, confidante and analyst.   “It’s a pleasure and honor to serve on West County Health Center’s Board and to represent the remarkable people of our community.”

Dominique Soileau

Dominique joined the board in 2010. She has lived in west Sonoma County since she was a child. Dominique started her career working as a file clerk at the Occidental Area Health Center. She then worked as a summer camp counselor for the YMCA in Occidental and worked her way up to Director. She volunteered on the Occidental Community Council as the Treasurer and also helped out as the Vendor Coordinator for the Holiday Craft Faire. She now works with children in special education for west county schools. Dominique bought a home in Guerneville in 2009 where she lives with her husband, goddaughter, two dogs, two cats, three chickens, and some fish...

Eliot Enriquez

Eliot Enriquez is a Project Coordinator at the Redwood Community Health Coalition (RCHC). Among other projects, He has worked extensively on improving the Medi-Cal retention rate in Sonoma County. Before working at RCHC, Eliot was a Community Health Manager for Sonoma County at Latino Service Providers in Healdsburg, CA. Eliot has also served as a Political Consultant for various highly targeted Democratic races across the United States. During his four years as a political consultant he was also an analyst for targeted Latino communities and Director of the Democratic Coordinated Campaign in all of Southern New Mexico. Eliot has his B.A. in International Relations and Latin American Studies from Chico State University, Chico, CA.

Henry "Jake" Hamlin

Jake grew up on a farm in Paris, Tennessee and attended University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa. He had a great childhood and a wonderful family but couldn't wait to move to San Francisco and enjoyed city life for over ten years. Almost fifteen years ago, he moved to Guerneville.  The Russian River Health Center became his medical home very soon after.  Jake and Patrick have lived together for seven years and were legally married in October 2008. Jake is a retired carpenter with a passion for vintage cars, vintage architecture and Patrick , who objects to being described as vintage. He feels very fortunate to have close family and wonderful friends in Guerneville. Jake and Patrick enjoy helping the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence with their fund raising and the love taking part in local efforts to make Guerneville a better place. It has been a great honor  for Jake to serve on the WCHC board for the last two years and he feels very lucky to be part of such a great organization.

Jennifer Nichols

Jennifer became a member of the board just as the Occidental Area and Russian River Health centers merged in 2000. She has been a patient at the Occidental area health center since 1993. It has been a most exciting time for her to be a part of the growth of the West County Health Centers that now also include Sebastopol, the teen clinic in Forestville and the Mental Health and Dental offices in Guerneville. Jennifer has done many jobs in her life, culminating in becoming a top wardrobe supervisor in films in New York  through the 80's. After she and her husband retired here she worked on the AIDS help line in Santa Rosa for five years, her first opportunity to volunteer. She has a wide range of interests and as an older person understands the problems facing people as they age and tries to represent them on the board. She finds being on the board to be a very positive and rewarding experience.

Kathleen Sheridan

Kathleen Sheridan has been a board member since 2002 and as a resident of the West County area, she believes in supporting her neighbors. Her motto is , “health care for all” and from this perspective,  she believes that the presence of rural health clinics is vital to the well-being of the greater community. She is a Family Nurse Practitioner with 30 plus years of experience with Sonoma County Public Health. In her leisure, she paints, volunteers, and enjoys her grand children.

Laura Goldman

Laura has been a board member of West County Health Centers since 1986, and passionate about community health since her experience as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Ecuador in the 70s. As a bi-lingual educator and medical anthropologist, she teaches in the Community Health Worker Program at Santa Rosa Junior College, and supervises students in their outreach experience with local health-related agencies, organizations and programs.  In addition, she has long been involved with managing a solar energy business, she has been a “problem solver and people person” since her husband founded Solar Works 25 years ago. In both her professional and personal life she is dedicated to helping people and communities be healthier and more self-reliant, and committed to working for peace, justice, and a healthy environment.  To keep life in balance, she enjoys hiking, being outdoors, her garden and solar-heated hot tub, practicing tai chi, connecting with friends and family, and exploring our beautiful planet.

Maddy Hirshfield

Maddy grew up in a suburb of New York and graduated from the University of Pennsylvania with a BS in Occupational Therapy.  Moving to California in 1978 she worked in the field of OT in southern and northern California for 18 years and has lived in Sonoma County since 1984.  It was here in Sonoma County, during the 80’s, that Maddy began to feel the powerful pull toward a life in politics and eventually moved into that world full time about 13 years ago.  In addition to working on the campaigns of many of our elected leaders, she’s worked as Senior Field Representative for Assemblywoman Patty Berg (2002 to 2008) and is currently District Director for Assemblyman Wesley Chesbro representing the 1^st Assembly District which includes West Sonoma County.  She is also a political consultant still working on local campaigns.  Maddy is a strong supporter of Universal Single Payer Health Care, has worked on this legislation at the state level, and believes strongly in the Health Center’s mission.  Maddy has been on the WCHC board since 2003 and lives with her partner Janet, 2 dogs, and 2 cats.

Tom Strand

Tom moved to West County in 1992. He first arrived in Occidental to prepare for a volunteer stint among squatters in the Philippines in the 80's. That exposure to the volunteer world before returning and finishing an M.S. at Stanford, led Tom to conclude that communities required robust health, education, and food to thrive. In 1996 he joined the board and has been frequently delighted by the West County Health Center's ability to discover new, smart, and cost-effective ways to deliver great health services in a time when health services are pinched nationwide. By day, Tom works to bridge the gap between technology and people for a foundation based in San Francisco.