Meet Our Board Of Directors
TODD MARANS, BOARD CHAIR
Todd Marans is a journeyman real estate professional with 35 years of multi-faceted experience in commercial real estate and finance. Most of his career has involved financing multi-family and healthcare-related construction and refinance loans with HUD/FHA. He has also been the Director of Asset Management for a prominent affordable housing organization. Through these experiences, Todd has developed a passion for the development and preservation of affordable housing. Additionally, he has a developmentally challenged son and is well aware of the special needs of children and adults with similar or greater disabilities. Serving on the Board of Directors affords Todd the opportunity to utilize his professional skills, life experiences, and passion to contribute to the mission of Housing Choices.
RON SOTO, VICE PRESIDENT
Ron earned both a Master’s in Social Work and a Master’s in Public Health from the University of California, Berkeley. Ron has had a 35 year career in the public and nonprofit sectors. He now consults with city and county municipalities and public agencies, large and small nonprofit service agencies, and funders such as foundations, United Way, and public grant making programs. Ron previously served on the Board of Directors of the Regional Center of the East Bay and also led an agency that focused on outreach to low-income Hispanic families with children with developmental disabilities, One of Ron’s grandchildren was diagnosed with autism in childhood, which adds to his passion for the mission of Housing Choices. Ron oversees the policies, salary structure and benefits programs of the organization’s employees.
MELISSA KINTER, TREASURER
Melissa has always had a passion for helping others. She joined the Board of Directors in 2020 to provide an expertise in accounting for the organization. Melissa is a Certified Public Accountant in California with 15 years of experience and expertise in auditing nonprofits and private companies. She is an Audit Principal at Seiler LLP and prides herself on her efforts in the training of the next generation of young professionals. At home, Melissa raises two young boys and looks forward to teaching them the value of volunteering in our community. Melissa joined the Finance Committee and became the Board Treasurer to help the Organization using her professional expertise.
VINITA SINGHAL, SECRETARY
Vinita Singhal is an engineer turned technical communicator. She received her Masters degree in Electrical Engineering from Pennsylvania State University before moving to the Bay Area. A parent of an adult daughter with special needs, Vinita knows first hand the importance of advocacy for people with disabilities and looks forward to helping Housing Choices advance its mission.
SAM DENNIS, BOARD MEMBER
Sam Dennis earned an AS degree from Mesa College, San Diego, a BS degree from Humboldt State, and has completed MBA coursework in Natural Resources Public Administration at Lewis and Clark University in Lake Oswego, Oregon. Sam has three children, including a daughter with developmental disabilities who currently lives at Gish, one of Housing Choices’ partner properties. Sam currently works as a driving instructor for Economic Driving School and is retired from the Department of Defense, where he worked primarily with the National Environmental Policy Act in support of military construction and training facilities.
SHAUNA IMANAKA, BOARD MEMBER
Shauna Imanaka credits her upbringing in Kaneohe, Hawai’i for instilling in her the importance of family and community. Following her graduation from the University of California, San Diego, Shauna participated in the Japan Exchange and Teaching Program, where she taught English to middle school students and participated in local community organizations. She went on to receive an MBA and JD from the University of Hawai’i at Manoa and is currently a litigation associate with Greenberg Traurig LLP in East Palo Alto. Shauna is excited to use both her business and legal skills to enhance the effectiveness of Housing Choices and to extend her personal commitment to pro bono service by assisting underserved communities in the Bay Area.
WAYNE JASPER, BOARD MEMBER
Wayne is a parent of an adult with developmental disabilities and has a long history of nonprofit management, focusing on people with developmental disabilities and their families. Wayne has been very active in supporting Housing Choices’ housing advocacy, especially in Sunnyvale where he and his family live, and has also fostered Housing Choices’ connections with the programs that serve transition-age youth.
JEREMY METZ, BOARD MEMBER
Jeremy Metz is an architect with HPC Architecture in Santa Clara. A graduate of the University of Oregon, Jeremy has enjoyed getting to know people with intellectual and developmental disabilities in his faith community and in his personal life. As an architect, Jeremy appreciates that inclusive housing is the necessary foundation for greater inclusion of people with disabilities in all aspects of community life.
KATHY WEITSMAN, BOARD MEMBER
Kathy is a parent of a 34-year-old son with disabilities. She spent 8 years working as a Parent Liaison at Parents Helping Parents. Kathy currently chairs Housing Choices’ Program Committee and is working hard on helping the organization evaluate customer satisfaction and also measure the impact of its services on outcomes for people with developmental disabilities. In explaining why she volunteers for Housing Choices, Kathy notes: “Eight years ago, Housing Choices came along with a housing option that fit my son's needs perfectly. When I was given the opportunity to join the board of Housing Choices, I saw it as a chance for me to share what I had learned from our family’s experiences with our son’s journey to independent living and to help Housing Choices grow and improve.”
GERALD SCOTT, BOARD MEMBER
“Scotty” is a researcher and consultant focusing on the design and development of home health care and independent living technologies. He previously managed a federal research program exploring the application of emerging technologies to humanitarian assistance and disaster response challenges. Gerald is also a retired Army Lieutenant Colonel who completed multiple assignments in Europe and the Middle East. He and Lilly moved their special needs family ten times in those years, gaining a unique and comprehensive understanding of the housing and modifications needs for those with developmental disabilities. Their daughter, Anna, is now a Housing Choices client. Housing Choices helped Anna find and negotiate a lease for a new apartment in 2022 when she needed to move.
RAMON GOMEZ, BOARD MEMBER
Gomez resides in Prunedale, California, with his wife and children, having been raised in North Monterey County and Watsonville. He is a proud graduate of Watsonville High School and pursued his higher education at the University of California, Santa Cruz, where he earned degrees in Economics and History. Currently, he serves as the Chief of Staff to Santa Cruz County Supervisor Felipe Hernandez. Gomez's public service extends through various roles including Watsonville City Council, President and Board Member of the Association of Monterey Bay Area Governments (AMBAG). Additionally, he is an elected member of the North Monterey County Fire Protection District and serves as a Planning Commissioner for Monterey County.
Beyond his governmental responsibilities, Gomez is actively involved with the Independence Square Housing Corporation and the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC). His past contributions include serving as a Board Member for the ACLU of Northern California, the Santa Cruz Community Credit Union, and the Girls Scouts Monterey Bay.
