OPPORTUNITY FOR INDEPENDENCE - Key Persons
Ambur has worked at OFI since March of 2009. She began as a skills instructor, later becoming an sls manager, and now the director of supported living services. During her time at OFI, Ambur became a licensed massage therapist and certified health educator. During her off time, Ambur loves to spend time with her two children, hiking, going to the river or beach.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Directors
Heather practices employment litigation and is of counsel in the San Francisco office of Kaufman Dolowich, LLP. She enjoys helping clients navigate difficult workplace scenarios and advising clients on best practices.
Heather has a B.A. degree in Philosophy and French from Wellesley College, and obtained her J.D. from the University of California, Hastings College of the Law. She is admitted to practice law in California and Washington, and is grateful to be a member of the OFI community.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Directors
- Treasurer of the Board of Directors
Joseph Strella has been practicing law since 1995. He specializes in employment law, representing employers and individuals in discrimination, harassment, and wrongful termination actions. This includes matters involving Title VII and California's Fair Employment and Housing Act. Clients include individuals, private enterprises and non-profit entities.
In addition to employment matters, Joe also defends clients in personal injury, general civil liability, construction defect, product liability, unfair competition, consumer warranty and landlord/tenant cases. He occasionally represents a plaintiff when the appropriate case is presented.
Prior to joining Clapp, Moroney, Joe spent three years representing clients in personal injury, medical malpractice, legal malpractice and product liability cases. He also spent one year at a small start up company providing guidance on First Amendment, compensation, and employment issues.
He was previously on the Board of Directors for Gates and Bridges pre-school in San Francisco, California.
Joe attended Duke University, graduating in 1988, with a BA in public policy studies. He obtained his JD, in 1995, from the University of Colorado School of Law. Joe is admitted to practice in California and before the United States District Court for the Northern District of California. Joe is a member of the American Bar Association and the San Francisco Bar Association.
Liliya earned BS degree in Health Science from Fresno State University in 2001 and worked as Administrator of elderly residential homes in Clovis through 2006.
Then in 2006 she moved with her husband to San Rafael, CA and worked at Adult Day Health Center "Your Health" in Presidio park of SF as a Program Director.
In 2010, Liliya earned Masters in Arts graduate degree in Gerontology, Long Term Care Administration from San Francisco State University. In 2011 through 2014, Liliya ran Healthy Minds - Healthy Aging community program (MHSA funding) for individuals 60 + in Napa Valley California. Liliya has been a professional Gerontologist and Administrator Consultant for Residential Homes for Elderly in Sonoma county. From 2016 - 2020, worked as a Case Manager at GGRC serving individuals ages 3+ diagnosed with developmental and intellectual disabilities and Dec 15, 2020 Liliya has become an Executive Director at OFI, Opportunity for Independence.
Job Titles:
- Executive Assistant
- Office Manager
Lisa has been with OFI since March 2022. She received her M.B.A. from UCLA with a concentration in marketing. She worked in marketing roles in Los Angeles and the San Francisco Bay Area before feeling the pull to work in the nonprofit sector. She previously worked on behalf of United Way and Easterseals. Lisa supports the Executive Director via back-office work to keep our office and client support running smoothly.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Directors
- Banking Professional and Vice President
Michael Orlando is a seasoned banking professional and Vice President at ATEL Capital, where he serves as a venture investor focused on opportunities in the Bay Area and across the U.S. He joined ATEL following his tenure at Bridge Bank, a division of Western Alliance Bank.
Michael has also held key roles at Square 1 Bank (now part of Banc of California) and BNY Wealth Management. Originally from Massachusetts, he earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with a concentration in Finance from the University of Southern Maine.
Suzanne first became aware of our organization 6 years ago, as our banker at WestAmerica Bank. She helped OFI purchase the building we currently occupy. She later got involved in organizing her staff at the bank to provide Money Management classes for our STEP participants. After gradually becoming familiar with our organization and providing banking services to many of our participants, Suzanne was asked to come on the Board. After two years, she stepped into her current role as Board Chair. Suzanne brings a wealth of experience in the health care industry and customer service and has been actively working with OFI on a range of projects. Suzanne currently lives in Novato with her husband and has two children in college.
Job Titles:
- Secretary of the Board of Directors
Tom co-manages a territory for a materials manufacturer, The Garland Company. In short, his job is to facilitate and manage projects within San Francisco and Marin County. This involves working directly with building owners (typically commercial) to dissect roofing and waterproofing issues and then to tailor a solution to fit the circumstances (budget, timeline, etc.). Because Tom works with numerous public agencies, it is important that he has a grasp of the various procurement routes available to them as well as the rules surrounding them.
Job Titles:
- OFI SLS Lead Trainer / SLS Supervisor
Tristan Overgaard was born in Novato, but moved to Sweden when he was 10 years old. He returned to California in 2007 and began to work with the special needs population. He has spent 13 years working in SLS and recently was promoted to be a staff trainer. His compassion and commitment continued to positively impact both clients and staff of OFI.