By Editha Adams, UDW President and IHSS provider

UDW is strong because we are a union led by caregivers, for caregivers. We know personally the issues that IHSS providers face because we are IHSS providers.

This year, we elected our new UDW Executive Board and District Advisory Boards. I am proud to introduce the leaders who will work with all of us to protect IHSS and help strengthen UDW for the next three years. You can read more about our work in the latest President’s report here.

EXECUTIVE BOARD 

Statewide President – Editha Adams
Editha has been an IHSS provider since 2003. She cares for her youngest daughter Ellis who lives with chronic lung disease.

Executive Vice President – Astrid Zuniga
Astrid works as the IHSS provider for her son Manuel who lives with severe autism.

Secretary Treasurer – Lientuong “Rose” Nguyen
Rose has been an IHSS provider for 18 years, and cares for her sister.

District 1 Vice President – Gerald “Brooks” Ashby
Brooks has been an IHSS provider for 14 years and takes care of his mother Daisy who lives with osteoporosis, Crohn’s disease, and high blood pressure.

District 2 Vice President – Christine Nguyen
Christine provides care for her 98-year-old mother, and has been an active member of UDW since 2005.

District 3 Vice President – Rosa Beltran
Rosa works as the IHSS provider for her mom who lives with dementia and her father who has diabetes and limited mobility.

District 4 Vice President – Florence “Corie” Crowson
Corie has provided IHSS care for her mother Dorothy who lives with severe COPD since 2008.

District 5 Vice President – Elva Munoz
Elva is the home care provider for three non-family IHSS clients.

District 6 President – William Reed
William has been an IHSS provider for 20 years, caring for his son William who lives with autism.

District 8 Vice President – Maria Isabel Serrano
Maria has been an IHSS provider since 2006. She currently provides care for a young woman with Down syndrome.

UDW Executive Director – Doug Moore
Doug has been Executive Director of UDW since 2008. He has over 30 years of experience building member-led unions, and is an AFSCME International Vice President.

DISTRICT ADVISORY BOARD

District 1 – San Diego County
Chair: Gerald “Brooks” Ashby
Vice-Chairperson: Maria Teran
Recording Secretary: Nicanora Montenegro
County Representatives: Cheryl Sevier, Noreen B. Woods

District 2 – Orange County
Chair: Christine Nguyen
Vice-Chairperson: Vacant
Recording Secretary: Hazim Al Bustani
County Representatives: Angie Nguyen, Luz Cedeno

District 3 – Riverside County
Chair: Rosa Beltran
Vice-Chairperson: Camilla E. Bradford
Recording Secretary: Kathleen J. Crick
County Representatives: Cassandra Sambrano, Rosa Ramirez

District 4 – Alpine, Madera, Mariposa, Merced, Mono, Stanislaus, and Tuolumne Counties
Chair: Florence “Corie” Crowson
Vice-Chairperson: Terry Walker-Dampier
Recording Secretary: Rebecca C. Peña
County Representatives: Karen A. Bennett (Madera), Susana Saldana (Merced), Lidia Rodriguez (Stanislaus)
Vacant: County Representatives in Alpine, Mariposa, Mono, and Tuolumne

District 5 – Kern, San Luis Obispo, and Santa Barbara Counties
Chair: Elva Munoz
Vice-Chairperson: Wymon Johnson
Recording Secretary: Vibiana Saavedera
County Representatives: Julie Otero (Kern), Hue Diep (San Luis Obispo), Sarah Ilenstine (Santa Barbara)

District 6 – Butte, El Dorado, Nevada, Placer, Plumas, Sierra, and Sutter Counties
Chair: William Reed
Vice-Chairperson: Lisa Scott
Recording Secretary: Vacant
County Representatives: Mark S. Villalobos (El Dorado), Sharon Duchessi (Placer)
Vacant: County Representatives in Butte, Nevada, Plumas, Sierra and Sutter

District 8 – Imperial County
Chair: Maria Isabel Serrano
Vice-Chairperson: Leonor Pelayo
Recording Secretary: Maria Godinez
County Representative: Diana Sanchez

UDW is proud to be a union of home care providers and led by home care providers. This year, we voted for the UDW members who will help lead our union throughout the next few years as members of our statewide Executive Board and our local District Advisory Boards. All of our leaders are current IHSS providers.

Thank you to all who participated in the election, and congratulations to the winners.

Statewide Executive Board

Statewide President – Editha Adams

Editha has been an IHSS provider since 2003. She cares for her youngest daughter Ellis who lives with chronic lung disease.

Executive Vice President – Astrid Zuniga

Astrid works as the IHSS provider for her son Manuel who lives with severe autism.

Secretary Treasurer – Lientuong “Rose” Nguyen

Rose has been an IHSS provider for 18 years, and cares for her father and another client.

District Vice President, District 1 – Gerald ‘Brooks’ Ashby

Brooks has been an IHSS provider for 14 years and takes care of his mother Daisy who lives with osteoporosis, Crohn’s disease, and high blood pressure.

District Vice President, District 2 – Christine Nguyen

Christine provides care for her 98-year-old mother, and has been an active member of UDW since 2005.

District Vice President, District 3 – Rosa Beltran

Rosa works as the IHSS provider for her mom who lives with dementia and her father who has diabetes and limited mobility.

District Vice President, District 4 – Florence C. Crowson

Corie has provided IHSS care for her mother Dorothy who lives with severe COPD since 2008.

District Vice President, District 5 – Elva Munoz

Elva is the home care provider for three IHSS clients.

District Vice President, District 6 – William Reed

William has been an IHSS provider for 20 years, caring for his son William who lives with autism.

District Vice President, District 8 – Maria Isabel Serrano

Maria has been an IHSS provider since 2006. She currently providers care for a young woman with Down syndrome.

District Advisory Boards

District 1 – San Diego County

Chair – Gerald ‘Brooks’ Ashby

Vice-Chairperson – Maria Teran

Maria has been an IHSS provider for 5 years for her mother.

Recording Secretary – Nicanora Montenegro

Nicanora has been an IHSS provider for 13 years for her sister Jeanice who has intellectual disabilities.

County Representatives – Cheryl Sevier and Noreen B. Woods

Cheryl has been her elderly client Betty’s IHSS provider for nine years.

Noreen has been the IHSS provider for her brother Marion who is legally blind and has issues with his pancreas and kidney since 1999.

 

District 2 – Orange County

Chair – Christine Nguyen

Vice-Chairperson – Sylvia Valencia

Sylvia has been an IHSS provider for 25 years and cares for 2 clients.

Recording Secretary – Hazim Al Bustani

Hazim has been an IHSS provider for 7 years and cares for 1 client.

County Representative – Angie Nguyen and Luz Cedeno

Angie has been a provider for 8 years and cares for 3 clients.

Luz has been her mother’s IHSS provider for over 5 years.

 

District 3 – Riverside County

Chair – Rosa Beltran

Vice-Chairperson – Camilla E. Bradford

Camilla’s bother Reggie lives with schizophrenia and developmental disabilities, and Camilla has been his IHSS provider since 2008.

Recording Secretary – Kathleen J. Crick

Kathleen has been an IHSS provider for her neighbor Katherine who lives with Lupus for seven years.

County Representatives – Cassandra Sambrano and Rosa Ramirez

Cassandra has been her brother Brian’s IHSS provider for three years.

Rosa has been an IHSS provider for over 25 years.

 

District 4 – Alpine, Madera, Mariposa, Merced, Mono, Stanislaus, and Tuolumne Counties

Chair – Florence C. Crowson

Vice-Chairperson – Terry Walker-Dampier

Terry has been an IHSS provider since 1996, and right now she cares for three clients in her community who live with physical and mental disabilities.

Recording Secretary – Rebecca C. Peña

Rebecca has been the IHSS provider for her 18-year-old son Jacob who lives with autism for two and a half years.

Madera County Representative – Karen A. Bennett

Karen currently provides care for an elderly woman with dementia, has been an IHSS provider for multiple seniors and people with disabilities in her community for over 15 years.

Merced County Representative – Susana Saldana

Susana’s son Mario lives with cerebral palsy, and she has been his IHSS provider for 16 years.

Stanislaus County Representative – Lidia Rodriguez

Lidia is the IHSS provider for her son, as well as an elderly woman in her community.

 

District 5 – Kern, San Luis Obispo, and Santa Barbara Counties

Chair – Elva Munoz

Vice-Chairperson – Wymon Johnson

Wymon has been his brother Obie’s IHSS provider for five years.

Recording Secretary – Vibiana Saavedera

Vibiana is an IHSS provider for her daughter.

Kern County Representative – Julie Otero

Julie has been an IHSS provider for over 15 years and cares for her mother.

San Luis Obispo County Representative – Hue Diep

Hue is an IHSS provider for his mother.

Santa Barbara County Representative – Sarah Ilenstine

Sarah is her granddaughter’s IHSS provider.

 

District 6 – Butte, El Dorado, Nevada, Placer, Plumas, Sierra, and Sutter Counties

Chair – William Reed

Vice-Chairperson – Lisa Scott

Lisa has provided IHSS care for the same three elderly women in her community for over a decade.

Recording Secretary – Roxanne C. Bender

Roxanne’s son Jacob lives with physical and developmental disabilities, and she works as his IHSS provider.

Butte County Representative – Johnny Stanchfield

El Dorado County Representative – Mark S. Villalobos

Mark has been his wife Chantal’s IHSS provider for almost six years. He also provides care for an elderly woman in his community.

Placer County Representative – Sharon Duchessi

Sharon has been an IHSS provider since 2009, and cares for several clients including her spouse.

 

District 8 – Imperial County

Chair – Maria Isabel Serrano

Vice-Chairperson – Leonor Pelayo

Leonor has been her parents’ IHSS provider for 15 years.

Recording Secretary – Maria Godinez

Maria has been an IHSS provider since 2003. She’s provided in-home care for her adult son since he was six-months old and developed encephalitis.

County Representative – Diana Sanchez

Diana has been her grandmother’s IHSS provider for the last eight years.