Board Members

MEMBERS OF THE MENTAL HEALTH BOARD

Board Officers:

Chair
James Shaye Keys
Seat #3
Public Interest Seat
Appointee of Supervisor Chris Daly

James is currently the Office Manager and Admin Supervisor for the MSSP/Linkages Program of the Institute on Aging, and he is a well know advocate for mental health services in San Francisco. He previously handled constituent concerns for Supervisor Chris Daly who represents District 6. James has written numerous resolutions, written policy for the Department of Public Health and worked on legislation for the City and county of San Francisco.

James is a member of HSF Advisory Board, Coalition to Save St. Luke's, MacCanDo Board member, F.O.R.W.A.R.D. Board member, United Playaz member, Single-Payer Now!, Advisory Member of the NCCPR, Community Budget Reform Council, California Alliance for Retired Americans, Alliance for a Better District 6 - President, and Central City Democrats.

James has won numerous awards such as Mental Health Association "Champion Award" -- 2009, Betty T. Yee, Chairwoman, First District, State Board of Equalization Resolution -- 2009, Congressional Recognition from Congresswoman Nancy -- 2009 Pelosi, C.L.A.E.R. A.R.M.S. Award (A Real Man Standing) Award -- 2009 and from Assemblymember Ammiano a Certificate of Recognition -- 2009.

James is a long-time advocate for mental health, senior issues, people with disabilities and the homeless here in San Francisco.

Vice Chair
Susan McIntyre
Seat #2
Consumer
Appointee of Supervisor Elsbernd

Susan McIntyre was appointed to the board in 2009 and was elected Vice Chair in 2010.

Susan's background is in public health, where she has worked primarily in disease prevention in such areas as infectious disease and substance abuse. Most recently she worked for UCSF as a research associate to study the effects of low-cost, web-based smoking cessation treatments. Susan monitored study progress and provided cessation counseling.

Prior to working in clinical trials, Susan collaborated with SF Dept. Public Health as well as the HIV Prevention Project to promote health in the community. In her role with HPP, Susan worked directly with participants of the needle exchange program and contributed to client research by interviewing over 200 injection drug users (IDU's) at multiple exchange sites to analyze their health habits.

Susan also serves on the Board of Directors for San Francisco Women's Political Committee (SFWPC) as Endorsements Co-Chair. In this role, she advances the mission of the organization by endorsing male and female candidates who support SFWPC's values as well as local and statewide ballot measures that are aligned with those goals.

Susan is third-generation Irish American. She received a B.A. in Psychology from San Francisco State University, and is currently working towards a certificate in Clinical Research at UC Berkeley Extension. She grew up in New England and has lived in San Francisco for 19 years. Currently she lives in District 8.

Mary Ann Jones, Ph.D.
Secretary
Seat #15
Mental Health Professional
Appointee of the Board of Supervisors

Mary Ann Jones, Ph.D. is a licensed clinical psychologist and has worked in community mental health for over 20 years. Mary Ann was raised and currently lives in the Western Addition. She began her professional career in the San Francisco Department of Public Health, AIDS Office and has continued to work as an advocate, clinician and administrator for community based organizations throughout the United States and abroad in Africa, India, Brazil and the Caribbean. Mary Ann currently serves as the Chief of Program Operations at Bay Area Community Services where she provides oversight to behavioral health care services across 18 locations in Alameda County.

CURRENT MEMBERS OF THE MENTAL HEALTH BOARD

Lara Siazon Arguelles
Seat #13
Family Member Seat
Appointee of the Board of Supervisors

Lara gave up her beauty business (Gloria Munde' Int'l.) 2 years ago so she could focus on mental health issues. Her daughter was diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder 19 years ago. She trained with the Mental Health Association of San Francisco to be a Mental Health Advocate. She wants to especially help the family members of mentally ill people by working with support groups and agencies. She is a member and serves on the Grievance Committee for the Yellow Cab Coop. Inc. She is also a member of the Sacramento chapter of NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness).

Kelly Dunn
Seat #11
Public Interest Seat
Appointee of Supervisor Bevan Dufty.

Kelly became an officer for the San Francisco Police Department in 2001. Prior to becoming a police officer, she worked in mental health as a psychiatric technician for the Mobile Crisis Treatment teams in San Francisco and Oakland, Langley Porter Psychiatric Institute at the University of California, San Francisco, the Tom Smith Substance Abuse Treatment Center at San Francisco General Hospital, and at the Mount Zion Crisis Clinic. Before these positions, her first job in mental health was at Napa State Hospital on an all male forensic unit.

Kelly's education began at Mount San Jacinto College and she received her psychiatric technician license from Napa Valley College. She is currently working on her Bachelor of Science degree at California State University, Long Beach. She is also trained and certified in Critical Incident Stress Debriefing and is a Certified Chemical Dependency Nurse.

Lynn Fuller
Seat #10
Family Member
Appointee of Supervisor Michela Alioto-Pier

Ellis C. Joseph
Seat #14
Family Member Seat
Appointee of the Board of Supervisors

James L. McGhee
Seat #4
Public Interest Seat
Appointee of President David Chui

James is President of JLM Management group, a consulting focusing on business and organizational development. he has served on numerous boards at the local, state and national levels, including former national Chair of MED-Week (Minority Enterprise Development) under the auspices of the U.S. Department of Commerce and Small Business Administration. He was re-appointed to the Board of Psychology of the State of California by both Governors Gray Davis and Arnold Schwarzenegger, and voted President. He was formerly Vice Chair of the Civil Rights Commission and a member of the Lottery Commission for the State of Washington. He was also a member of the Planning Commission for Seattle. James was just elected Chair of the California Association of Local Mental Health Boards.

Njoroge C. Tho-Biaz
Seat #8
Mental Health Professional Seat
Appointee of Supervisor David Campos

Njoroge Carver Tho-Biaz, M.A. aka "Dr. Imagination" is a metaphysican and holistic health and wellness practitioner and educator. An award winning radio and television writer/producer/director for Chicago NBC-TV and radio, and Fox- TV, he lectures and teaches on consciousness and spirituality, and the transformative and healing power of laughter, play and creativity. Njoroge (pronounced: een - joe - raj -ee, or ja - row -gay, in Kenya), left pulpit ministry in Chicago to minister in community as a LifeArts activist for integral health and well being. He has been a Hollywood actor for Disney and brings a synthesis of the arts, media and entertainment to any project that he is involved in.

Njoroge has assisted thousands of people experience themselves as intending, creative, responsible, self-determining beings for personal growth and self-healing through his stand up comedy, on his radio and television programs and as an Integral Life Coach. He has had a life long facination with creatively gifted, spiritually emerging adults. After a heart attack in 1998 and a paralyzing stroke in 2000 that affected his mobility and speech, he was determined to bounce back to better health than he experienced before these incidences, and he has. Determined to provide health awareness and encouragement to others, he founded CELEBRATION! Choices for Consciouis Being, a health and wellness resource center. He is currently developing Celebration! Ensemble, an arts for health and well being performance troupe in San Francisco. He is also the founding Integral Health Director of the Holistic Lifestyle Management Clinic, scheduled to open in West Portal (San Francisco, Ca.) beginning this fall. An exponent of the practical value self-actualization and holistic approaches to health and healing, Njoroge lectures and writes lay person 'self-care' holistic material used in diverse professional settings - in schools, colleges, at the work place, medical and therapeutic sessions, and spiritual direction programs.

Njoroge approaches the issues of personal, community, and global health with contagious exuberance. "I believe that daily doseages of laughter, play and creativity, along with a supportive web of relationships and a wide range of psychological, social, and spiritual factors have as much, if not more influence on our health than the more traditional biomedical risk factors for disease." Njoroge C. Tho-Biaz lives and works at his home in San Francisco "as quietly and simply as possible."

Iviana Williams
Seat #1
Consumer Seat
Appointee of Supervisor John Avalos

Lisa Williams
Seat #5
Family Member Seat
Appointee of Supervisor Carmen Chu

Lisa is the President and owner of One Source Consulting, a firm which does political consulting and community advocacy. She has served as Regional Director for the California Democratic Party's Every Vote Counts Campaign, Regional Director for Governor Gray Davis, and Field Representative for Mark Leno for Assembly. She is the Co-chair of LGADDA, a Board member of the Alice B. Toklas Democratic Club, and a member of Black Women of Political Action. She formely served as the Board President for the Homeless Children's Network.

Errol Wishom
Seat #12
Consumer
Appointee of the Board of Supervisors

Virginia Wright
Seat #16
Family Member Seat
Appointee of the Board of Supervisors

Virgina Wright is the mother of four children, one of whom has been a part of the Children's System of Care. Virginia brings years of experience as a parent in the system and a passion for advocacy and helping others.

Board Seats in Numerical Order
Iviana Williams
Seat #1
Consumer
Appointee of Supervisor John Avalos

Susan McIntyre
Seat #2
Consumer
Appointee of Supervisor Elsbernd

James Shaye Keys
Seat #3
Public Interest
Appointee of Supervisor Chris Daly

James L. McGhee
Seat #4
Public Interest
Appointee of Supervisor President David Chui

Lisa L. Williams
Seat #5
Family Member
Appointee of Supervisor Carmen Chu

Vacancy
Seat #6
Consumer
Appointee of Supervisor Sophie Maxwell

Vacancy
Seat #7
Consumer
Appointee of Supervisor Ross Mirkarimi

Njoroge C. Tho-Biaz, M.A.
Seat #8
Mental Health Professional
Appointee of Supervisor David Campos

Vacancy
Seat #9
Family Member
Appointee of Supervisor Eric Mar

Lynn Fuller
Seat #10
Family Member
Appointee of Supervisor Michela Alioto-Pier

Kelly Dunn
Seat #11
Public Interest
Appointee of Supervisor Bevan Dufty

Errol Wishom
Seat #12
Consumer
Appointee of the Board of Supervisors

Lara Siazon Arguelles
Seat #13
Family Member
Appointee of the Board of Supervisors

Ellis C. Joseph
Seat #14
Family Member
Appointee of the Board of Supervisors

Mary Ann Jones, Ph.D.
Seat #15
Mental Health Professional
Appointee of the Board of Supervisors

Virginia Wright
Seat #16
Family Member
Appointee of the Board of Supervisors

Vacancy
Seat #17
Board of Supervisors
Appointee of the Board of Supervisors