Cori Gerlach, President

Cori Gerlach is a California native born and raised in Southern California moving to Santa Cruz in 1985 to attend UC Santa Cruz where she received her BA in Biochemistry & Molecular Biology. After completion of college, she worked for a couple years as a Criminalist with the San Francisco Police Department Crime Lab and enjoyed the challenge and opportunity to collaborate with all departments and defend lab results with in-court testimony. In 1992-1993, Cori spent a year traveling around the world via bicycle riding over 10,000 miles with her boyfriend Matthew, now her husband of over twenty years. All this time spent together living on the same corner a block from the beach in Santa Cruz ended up being the perfect location to raise their two daughters.

Cori became interested in small business accounting and management in 1994 when she and Matthew wrote a business plan to open a small microbrewery. The venture did not work out, but Cori learned much about starting a business, processing payroll and producing financial reports. Cori has spent the last 21 years working in accounting positions for various businesses. Since June 2016, she has worked exclusively as an independent consultant, most recently focused on Venture Capital and early stage start-ups.

Cori was a volunteer champion for CHPCC for several years and was pleased to join the board in 2014 and in 2016 transitioned to remain on the board of the newly independent Partnership for Children organization. Cori is passionate about end of life care having witnessed her grandmother’s passing as a young adult and one of eight female relatives surrounding her bed with song while she took her last breath. Cori’s exposure to children’s hospice came as a member of a playgroup formed when her second daughter was born in 2000. One of the babies in the group was diagnosed with a terminal illness at two months old. The group of mothers rallied for the family and provided much needed support and care over six months and to this day all remain especially tight and connected over the experience.

Everett Sivils, Secretary

Behavior Specialist - Monterey County Office of Education

Everett Sivils is a Behavior Specialist in the Special Education Department for Monterey County Office of Education.  In the past 24 years he has worked with students with severely disabling conditions from age five to age twenty and has assisted in the implementation of functional academic, social, communication, vocational and life skills for students with cognitive impairment, orthopedic impairment, visual impairment, hearing impairment, disorders of language and speech, emotional disturbance and autism.

Everett is a certified instructor of the Handle With Care Behavior Management System.  He is a cadre member with the Positive Environment Network of Trainers (PENT) through the California Department of Education and Diagnostic Center.   He is also pursuing a Bachelor of Liberal Studies Degree with an emphasis in Culture and Media Studies.

Everett is an active member of the California School Employees Association and is the chapter’s 2nd Vice-President.  He serves on the board of directors for the Partnership for Children and is the chairman of the Monterey County Community Action Partnership.  He is an active member in the Monterey Peninsula Rotary Club.

Everett is a veteran of the United States Army. He lives in Salinas, California with his wife. When not working Everett likes to read, ride motorcycles and most of all, spend time with his family and pets.

Angela Chesnut, Board Member

Angela has lived in the community for over 20 years, and has served most recently as a prolific fundraiser and community organizer for a myriad of non-profit organizations, helping most notably with the Tannery Arts Center, Save our Shores, and the Museum of Art and History (MAH). Angela also has an extensive public sector history serving with the Department of Justice combating human trafficking in Washington, DC and the mid-Atlantic as well as ensuring trust and safety for victims of cybercrime at eBay, Inc. in Silicon Valley. She is able to further her collaborative work amongst the public and private sectors in our community by serving on Supervisor Leopold’s staff in the First Supervisorial District.