BOARD MEMBERS
Duan Tran
Board Chair
Duan received his MSW from Loyola University Chicago, Illinois. He began his teaching career as an adjunct in 2013 and in September 2015, Duan became a full-time lecturer and the CalSWEC Title IV-E Child Welfare Project Coordinator. Prior to teaching, Duan was an administrator for various social and mental health agencies in four states for over 20 years.
Duan’s passion and commitment to mental health has earned him a seat on the Orange County Behavioral Health Advisory Board in 2020. Duan is also trained in EMDR.
Duan’s passion and commitment to mental health has earned him a seat on the Orange County Behavioral Health Advisory Board in 2020. Duan is also trained in EMDR.
Darrin Guttman
Vice Chairman
Darrin Guttman is an entrepreneur who owns two businesses based in Mission Viejo, CA. My wife, Barbara, and I have three children and relocated back to Southern California in 2019 after living in Northern California for 22 years. When my wife was diagnosed with depression in 2015, we started our journey of understanding the depth of mental illness and the stigma that surrounds it. After her diagnosis, I chaired a mental health and addiction committee through my synagogue in Northern California called Diseases of the Soul for four years. Additionally, one of my companies is a fundraising organization that caters to elementary, middle, and high school students.
ELF is of interest to me primarily because it’s mission is centered around two things that I’m passionate about; addressing mental illness to squash the stigma associated with it and working with children and families.
ELF is of interest to me primarily because it’s mission is centered around two things that I’m passionate about; addressing mental illness to squash the stigma associated with it and working with children and families.
Sandy Avzaradel
Secretary
Sandy is currently the Director for Start Well. In 2018, Sandy designed, implemented, and managed the Early Childhood Mental Health and Wellness Program (now Start Well), a county-wide program where Early Childhood Mental Health Consultants work alongside preschool professionals to support social and emotional development and effectively work with children with challenging behaviors and/or mental health concerns. Start Well is a program of Orange County’s Early Childhood Mental Health Collaborative. In addition, Sandy is an active member of the Be Well Committees advocating for infant and early childhood mental health and preventing and mitigating the negative effects of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and promoting health and wellness.
Sandy has provided numerous local, state, and national presentations with a focus on social/emotional development, Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs), mental health and challenging behavior, school readiness, child development, special education, parent education, and Positive Behavior Interventions and Support (PBIS). Sandy is proud to serve as Secretary and Sergeant at Arms for the Extraordinary Lives Foundation. When not advocating for early childhood, Sandy enjoys spending time with her husband, two adult children, and her dogs!
Sandy has provided numerous local, state, and national presentations with a focus on social/emotional development, Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs), mental health and challenging behavior, school readiness, child development, special education, parent education, and Positive Behavior Interventions and Support (PBIS). Sandy is proud to serve as Secretary and Sergeant at Arms for the Extraordinary Lives Foundation. When not advocating for early childhood, Sandy enjoys spending time with her husband, two adult children, and her dogs!
Kevin Kroft
Treasurer
Kevin is a Canadian Chartered Professional Accountant with over 25 years' experience as founder, shareholder and/or chief financial officer of four Orange County-based companies, all of which he joined when they were start-up ventures with big dreams and niche market opportunities to serve. Three of the companies grew to become successful international transportation, logistics and technology enterprises featuring operations in Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong, China, Vietnam, Mexico, Canada and across the United States.
Believing wholeheartedly in the value and importance of the premise upon which ELF was founded, Kevin is honored to join its board and anxious to make whatever contributions he can to advance the Foundation's noble and ambitious mission.
Believing wholeheartedly in the value and importance of the premise upon which ELF was founded, Kevin is honored to join its board and anxious to make whatever contributions he can to advance the Foundation's noble and ambitious mission.
Urban Adams
Board Member
Urban Adams is an investment advisor serving clients across the country with a focus on Arizona and Southern California. A 20-year industry veteran, Urban has also been active in his community with a variety of volunteer activities, including Big Brothers Big Sisters, Junior Achievement, Irvine Girls Softball, and Woodbridge High School Athletic Boosters. Professionally, Urban has been an active volunteer with the Orange County Chapter of the Financial Planning Association and the Phoenix Chapter of the American Association of Individual Investors.
Urban sees his participation with ELF as an extension of his prior volunteer activities in support of children and young adults, and an opportunity to further awareness of mental health issues. In his spare time, you can find Urban playing or coaching softball or seeing his favorite musical artists perform live. Urban and his wife, Lia, have three adult daughters: Sofia, Isabella, and Liliana.
Urban sees his participation with ELF as an extension of his prior volunteer activities in support of children and young adults, and an opportunity to further awareness of mental health issues. In his spare time, you can find Urban playing or coaching softball or seeing his favorite musical artists perform live. Urban and his wife, Lia, have three adult daughters: Sofia, Isabella, and Liliana.
Johnice Williams
Board Member
Johnice Williams is CEO and co-founder of Peer Voices of Orange County (PVOC) which was established in 2020. PVOC believes in empowering peers by providing them opportunities to express their opinions, beliefs, ideas and values regarding the behavioral health care system. Supporting peers and involving them in the decision-making process at every level can result in positive, powerful, transformational changes within the behavioral health care system.
Johnice is currently attending Saddleback College in Mission Viejo, achieving certificates in Mental Health Worker and Alcohol and Drug Studies.
Johnice is currently attending Saddleback College in Mission Viejo, achieving certificates in Mental Health Worker and Alcohol and Drug Studies.
Damion Young
Attorney & Advocate
Damion is an Orange County native who was born in Anaheim and raised in Aliso Viejo. He is passionate about service and giving back to the community. Damion credits his social worker wife (who is a walking DSM) for instilling in him a profound interest in mental health awareness. In his professional life, Damion is an attorney at Buchalter law firm who practices in the area of products liability litigation. Damion received his Juris Doctor degree cum laude from Chapman University Fowler School of Law, and his bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice with distinction from San Diego State University. Prior to his legal career, Damion served as an Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) Specialist in the United States Army. He was responsible for executing vital missions in support of U.S. Secret Service Presidential Protection (TSD), Civil Support, and various law enforcement agencies. He is a graduate of the elite Naval School of Explosive Ordnance Disposal. Damion strives to use his experience as a litigator, service member, and human to further ELF’s mission to create awareness about childhood mental health.
Rachel Popplewell
Board Member
Rachel has a Bachelor’s degree in graphic and communication design, a Masters in packaging and over 30 years branding experience, mainly in the fashion accessories sector. Rachel is passionate about using her skills to propel ELF to the forefront of a movement to redefine mental health and bring greater understanding to some of today’s most misunderstood diseases.
The mother of three children, Rachel’s oldest child has struggled with depression and anxiety. Her oldest brother is schizophrenic and her youngest brother died at age 30 after self medicating with heroin to escape his own mental health issues. Rachel is committed to ELF’s mission to find better solutions while children are still young, before they turn to drugs and alcohol.
The mother of three children, Rachel’s oldest child has struggled with depression and anxiety. Her oldest brother is schizophrenic and her youngest brother died at age 30 after self medicating with heroin to escape his own mental health issues. Rachel is committed to ELF’s mission to find better solutions while children are still young, before they turn to drugs and alcohol.
Amy Betonte
Board Member
Amy is a retired attorney and obtained her Juris Doctorate from Case Western University School of Law. Amy spent many years utilizing her trial advocacy skills in Ohio courtrooms working to improve the lives of children and families in crisis before ultimately relocating to California. She was one of the original contributing members to Teen Court in Canton, Ohio which provides first time youth offenders with a restorative justice alternative to court in order to remove the stigma of conviction through early intervention and creative sentencing for first time offenders. Amy has one son, Jake and two foster sons, Jack and Evan and although Amy no longer actively practices law, she has continued her efforts working with children to enrich their lives and has spent the past 20 years volunteering in our local Laguna Niguel and Dana Point Schools and Communities. Amy has been volunteering with the Extraordinary Lives Foundation for nearly three years and is grateful to have been given the opportunity to take on a greater role with the Board. She looks forward to being part of ELF’s future.
Martha Bowers
Board Member
In working through my personal life trauma, it has become my desire to help others work through theirs. For the last five years, I've been supporting Veterans as I know the toll this life had on my dad and my family. It is now my desire to expand my focus and step into helping the children. Children are resilient and do not need to wait until they are in their thirties to be heard. The vision is that children will be able to work through their trauma, regardless how big or small, and this will forever change their life trajectory.
Denise Alvarado
Board Member
Denise Alvarado has been in the field of education for the past 19 years. She has served in three Orange County TK-12 districts as a high school math teacher for seven years and an administrator for twelve years. Currently, she is a Principal at Oxford Preparatory Academy, South Orange County serving 865 TK - 8th grade students. She is a compassionate educational leader committed to capacity building, collaborative effort, systemness and accountability to achieve greater success for all. Denise Alvarado holds a B.A. in Psychology, M.Ed. in Educational Leadership and Administration.
She is driven by compassion and supporting those in need. In addition to her responsibilities as an educator, she has a passion for serving her community. Denise has been a mentor for 15 years supporting first generation college students at Cypress and Fullerton College in the PUENTE program. She has served food to the homeless on skidrow for over five years on a bi-monthly basis, she fundraises and visits orphanages in Mexico several times a year for over 5 years. For the past 6 years, Denise has organized yearly Days of Service at each of the schools she has served, these events have gathered between 100 - 400 student volunteers on a non-school day. Denise Alvarado feels honored and privileged to join Extraordinary Lives Foundation (ELF) as a board member to support mental health awareness, prevention and education for children and families.
She is driven by compassion and supporting those in need. In addition to her responsibilities as an educator, she has a passion for serving her community. Denise has been a mentor for 15 years supporting first generation college students at Cypress and Fullerton College in the PUENTE program. She has served food to the homeless on skidrow for over five years on a bi-monthly basis, she fundraises and visits orphanages in Mexico several times a year for over 5 years. For the past 6 years, Denise has organized yearly Days of Service at each of the schools she has served, these events have gathered between 100 - 400 student volunteers on a non-school day. Denise Alvarado feels honored and privileged to join Extraordinary Lives Foundation (ELF) as a board member to support mental health awareness, prevention and education for children and families.
Alexis Gomez
Board Member
Alexis is a passionate marketer with an endless hunger to make a positive difference (or impact?). Over the years, she has served in numerous marketing roles allowing her to hone her craft.
A strong believer in service to others, her philosophy is that the greatest impact we can have over the course of our lives is being actively involved in giving back. Alexis brings understanding, communication, and playfulness to her role with the Extraordinary Lives Foundation to ensure results while having fun along the way. Alexis is energized by the mission of the Extraordinary Lives Foundation and is driven by her own experience with mental health and the powerful ability to heal through working with HUGs Healers.
Alexis obtained a Bachelor’s degree in Business/Marketing from the University of Miami (Go Canes!). She currently resides in Laguna Beach with her boyfriend and two bernedoodles, Abby and Zoey.
A strong believer in service to others, her philosophy is that the greatest impact we can have over the course of our lives is being actively involved in giving back. Alexis brings understanding, communication, and playfulness to her role with the Extraordinary Lives Foundation to ensure results while having fun along the way. Alexis is energized by the mission of the Extraordinary Lives Foundation and is driven by her own experience with mental health and the powerful ability to heal through working with HUGs Healers.
Alexis obtained a Bachelor’s degree in Business/Marketing from the University of Miami (Go Canes!). She currently resides in Laguna Beach with her boyfriend and two bernedoodles, Abby and Zoey.
Deborah Hartnett
Board Member
Deborah Hartnett is an executive coach and corporate trainer specializing in human performance. She has 15 years of experience in consultative sales as well as training and facilitating executive teams, non-profit boards and individuals in causing breakthrough performance.
Before venturing into the training arena, Deborah began her career in theater and media arts including working in radio, tv and film as an actor. She later shifted her focus to producing and distribution. She co-produced an award winning feature length documentary “Beauty Bites Beast,” which is endorsed by Gloria Steinem and shown for members of the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women.
Deborah has been advocating for young people, the arts and women in leadership for many years and has contributed in various ways to organizations such as Girls Inc.,the Boys and Girls Club, Working Wardrobe and the Coast to Coast foundation, among others. Deborah’s previous Board experience includes the Orange County Women’s Chorus, The Large Format Cinema Association and The Ottawa-Hull Film and Television Association. She was also a founding member and Co-Chair of the Women’s Impact Council for the Center Club in Costa Mesa, CA.
A native of Canada, Deborah now makes her home in sunny Orange County, California with her son Owen and her fur babies Thelma and Louise.
Before venturing into the training arena, Deborah began her career in theater and media arts including working in radio, tv and film as an actor. She later shifted her focus to producing and distribution. She co-produced an award winning feature length documentary “Beauty Bites Beast,” which is endorsed by Gloria Steinem and shown for members of the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women.
Deborah has been advocating for young people, the arts and women in leadership for many years and has contributed in various ways to organizations such as Girls Inc.,the Boys and Girls Club, Working Wardrobe and the Coast to Coast foundation, among others. Deborah’s previous Board experience includes the Orange County Women’s Chorus, The Large Format Cinema Association and The Ottawa-Hull Film and Television Association. She was also a founding member and Co-Chair of the Women’s Impact Council for the Center Club in Costa Mesa, CA.
A native of Canada, Deborah now makes her home in sunny Orange County, California with her son Owen and her fur babies Thelma and Louise.
