Roster of Board Members September 2021
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Robert Taren
President, Attorney
Law Office of Robert Taren
411 Cedar Street Santa Cruz, CA 95060 BIO
Robert Ellis Taren is one of steadfast foundations of Senior Citizens' Legal Services. A product of Omaha, Nebraska, graduating from Creighton University School of Law in 1974, where he was awarded a Reginal Heber Smith Community Lawyer Fellowship with Vermont Legal Aid. He came to California in 1977, passing the Bar and began employment with Senior Citizens' Legal Services into the early 1980s. Leaving SCLS, he began a private practice now centered on representing injured workers and disabled individuals applying for Social Security Disability Benefits. For over 40 years, Bob has committed part of his legal career either working with SCLS or being on the Board based on his belief that attorneys have an obligation to assist those in our community who are the most vulnerable. He has also litigated cases on behalf of the ACLU, served on the Santa Cruz County Mobile Home Commission and the County Civil Service Commission. Currently his spare time is devoted to being with his grandchildren as much as he can. |
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Nicki Nelson
President-Elect, Attorney
542 Ocean Street, Suite B,
Santa Cruz, CA 95060 BIO
Nicolle (Nicki) Nelson is a solo practitioner, who provides legal services in the following areas of law: estate planning, trust administration and probate. Previously she was an attorney in the Law Office of Lucille Des Jardins. Prior to that, she was an associate at Paul, Hastings, an international law firm, in the employment law department, from 1989 to 1999. Nicki has dedicated many hours to helping Senior Citizens Legal Services grow. She served previously as a volunteer for the organization and in November 2020 officially joined the Board. |
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Victoria MacIntyreSecretary/Treasurer, Attorney
MacIntyre & White, LLP
200 Washington Square St., Suite 101 Santa Cruz, CA 95060 BIO
Victoria Louise MacIntyre is a Workers' Compensation Certified Legal Specialist and Partner in the firm of MacIntyre & White, LLP. She graduated from Santa Clara University School of Law and was admitted to the California State Bar in 2003. Victoria’s practice specializes in the defense of Workers’ Compensation matters with emphasis on defending public entities and self-insured employers. She is a dedicated board member for Senior Citizens Legal Services having served as the Board Secretary for many years. As a longtime resident of Santa Cruz, she appreciates the opportunity to give back to our community, especially those most vulnerable members served by SCLS. Outside of the office, Victoria enjoys cooking and spending time outdoors with her two sons. |
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Anne M. HartmanAssociate Attorney
Laughlin, Falbo, Levy and Moresi
1798 Technology Drive, Suite 120 San Jose, CA 95110 BIO
Anne M. Hartman is an Associate Attorney in the law firm Laughlin, Falbo, Levy and Moresi, one of the most prominent firms specializing in the defense of Workers’ Compensation claims in the state of California. She joined LFLM in 2017 and defends insurance carriers, third-party administrators, and self-insured employers in all areas of state workers’ compensation law. Ms. Hartman received her law degree from Monterey College of Law in 2008 and as part of her studies spearheaded a homeless court program with the Santa Cruz Superior Court. The Court, based upon a showing of work and progress by the individual in getting their lives back on track, would absolve tickets and fines incurred as a result of homelessness. Upon graduation, Ms. Hartman served as the Adjunct Professor supervising the law students who represented homeless clients. Ms. Hartman received her Bachelor’s degree from the University of California, Santa Cruz in English Literature. |
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Nancy ColemanRetired National Policy Expert
349 Euclid St.,
Santa Monica, CA 90402 BIO
Nancy Coleman has been active in the philanthropy, aging and policy community for the last fifty years. Ms. Coleman was the first director of the American Bar Association’s Commission on Law and Aging where she served for over twenty-five years. She served as a member of a congressionally mandated study for the National Academy of Science studying the Social Security Representative Payee Program. During the 1990s Ms. Coleman represented the United States at the Hague Conference on Private International Law in negotiating an international agreement on incapacitated persons. She is the recipient of many national awards and is often called upon to make presentations at state, national and international events. She moved to the Los Angeles area in 2011 and joined Jewish Family Services of Los Angeles as the Director of Older Adult Services. Nancy served twice on the Los Angeles County Civil Grand Jury and in the 2018 – 2019 served as the Foreperson. She continues to serve on Los Angeles County and the City of Santa Monica committees and commissions. She holds both an MSW and an MA in Political Science from the University of Michigan and an undergraduate degree from the University of California at Santa Cruz as a founding student at Stevenson and Merrill Colleges. Her fondness for Santa Cruz and her long standing expertise in the area of agency led her to join the Board of Directors for SCLS in December 2020. |
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Stacy S. Hopkins
Attorney, Director of West Valley College Paralegal Program
Paralegal Program
West Valley College 14000 Fruitvale Ave, Saratoga, CA 95070 BIO
Stacy Hopkins is an attorney and a Bay Area native. Over last 17 years she has been and instructor and the and Chair of the ABA approved Paralegal Program at West Valley College in Saratoga. She is one of our newest Board Members and adds a vibrancy and dedication which has helped propel the growth of the Organization by connecting the Organization to paralegal interns from her program. She is committed to serving the senior community and in fact created an area of elder law concentration within her Program. In her free time she enjoys the beach and mountain biking in the Santa Cruz mountains. |
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Kayla GrantAttorney
1734 Seabright Ave
Santa Cruz, Ca 95062 BIO
Attorney Kayla M. Grant brings over 15 years of legal expertise and knowledge to her solo-practice, which concentrates in the areas of estate planning, trust administration and probate law. Prior to focusing on this specialized practice area, Kayla had experience with bankruptcy, immigration law, workers’ compensation law, unlawful detainer and real estate law. She understands that for many people, facing financial and legal issues can be overwhelming. She takes the time to listen, understand your situation, and to explain all of your options to help you find the solution that best suits your needs. Kayla is well-known for the high-level of professional and personal service and attention that she offers her clients. Her goal is to provide individualized, caring and confidential legal services at a reasonable price to the community. Kayla was raised in Sonoma County, but relocated to Santa Cruz County in 2017. When not practicing law, she enjoys reading, yoga, and hiking with her pup, Teddy. |
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Earl CowellBIO
I'm a Retired business professional with 35 years executive and consulting experience in human resources and management. Volunteering means a lot to me and I've volunteered extensively for the past 28 years, including nearly ten years with the University of California Santa Cruz as their Assistant Women’s Basketball Coach. I've been happy to give my time to Senior Citizens' Legal Services and am excited to help them reach their fundraising goals. |
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Melanie ClevelandBIO
Melanie is a graduate of San Jose State University with a B5 in Business and Accounting. Melanie began her career in audit and tax with Ireland San Filippo in the Silicon Valley where she became a CPA. She has worked with Everett Meisser since 2005 as a tax professional, preparing individual, corporate, partnership, trusts, and not-for-profit tax returns. She returned to audit for a few years to manage the Audit and Assurance team of Eckley Lombardi Glascott LLP in the Silicon Valley, and has now returned to the Santa Cruz Area to be nearer to her family and the beach and to devote her time the tax practice. OTHER INTERESTS Melanie is an avid sports fan enjoying the SF Giants, LV Raiders, and SJSU Spartans, and is often walking or running along the cliffs of East Side Santa Cruz or hiking in the woods. She is also a fan of loud music and enjoys attending music festivals with her family and friends. |