Cheryl Laven has worked at Sunrise since 2004 and truly believes in Sunrise’s mission, choosing our community for both her mother and grandmother. She takes great pride in being a resource and helping families get the best possible care for their loved ones. A proud graduate of Scripps College, Cheryl is fluent in Spanish and lived in Ecuador for a year, where she worked for the US Embassy. She has traveled to more than 40 countries on 6 continents and is passionate about politics and her volunteer work on behalf of social justice issues locally and in the developing world.
Growing up with a mom who was a Director of Nursing at a Skilled Nursing, Regina loved spending most days after school in the SNF and caring for seniors. Once she graduated and obtained her nursing license in 2013, she began her career in a SNF in Arizona. Being a new nurse at that time, she wanted to explore the different paths in nursing and transferred to a more acute setting in an Ortho/Surgical unit and her unit became the first in the nation to be certified in four joints for joint replacement. She moved back to California to be closer to family and worked as an RN Case Manager in a hospital while finishing her master’s program in Healthcare Administration. Wanting to utilize the knowledge she gained, Regina decided it was time to return to her true passion and go back to her roots in caring for seniors and joined Sunrise in 2018.
Marcia Foster realized her love for elders at age 18 when she began working in Skilled Nursing, first as an Activities Assistant and then later as a state-certified Activities Director. After eight years in Skilled Nursing, Marcia made the decision to change companies in search of an environment where quality of care is a foundational belief and joined Sunrise of Oakland Hills in 2008. She started as an Activity Director and then became RCFE-certified and was promoted to Reminiscence Coordinator. It is important to Marcia that everyone is well taken care of, whether she’s with the residents at Sunrise or with her family at home. She is a passionate supporter of the Alzheimer’s Association and leads our community’s fundraising efforts for the annual Walk to End Alzheimer’s.
Val Baldugo got her start in the senior living industry in 2009 when she joined Sunrise as a Care Manager and later became a Medication Care Manager. After 3 years, Val had the opportunity to explore other disciplines in senior living and during her hiatus, she worked as an Activity Director, Sales & Marketing Manager, and became RCFE-certified. In 2018, Val jumped at the opportunity to return home to Sunrise as the Assisted Living Coordinator. In her free time, she enjoys family time with her husband and their miniature dachshund, Kamatis.
Larry Collins has worked at Sunrise of Oakland Hills since 2001 and was recently awarded the National Sunrise Joy in Service award. Larry received his Certified Dietary’s Managers Certification from Merritt College and prior to joining Sunrise, he worked at Orinda Convalescent hospital as the head chef for eleven years. He serves as a mentor for fellow Dining Service Coordinators to help to support other Sunrise communities. He has a passion for making good food for our residents and creating an environment that stimulates pleasant conversations.
John Doyle joined Sunrise of Oakland Hills in 2012 and has always been eager to learn and find ways to better serve our residents. He first realized he had a passion for serving seniors while working at the Sacramento Airport, where he assisted disabled and senior passengers to their flights. He began his career at Sunrise doing laundry, and quickly fell in love with the environment and the residents. He made his transition to Concierge and Activities Assistant before being promoted to Activities and Volunteer Coordinator. John comes from a close-knit family, loves people, enjoys trying new things, but most importantly loves helping others find joy.
Aimee Garibay has been with Sunrise since 2011 and discovered her passion for serving seniors while working as a Concierge at The Stratford. After being promoted to an Administrative Assistant, she transitioned into Resident Services before making her way to Oakland Hills as the Business Office Coordinator in 2017. Aimee enjoys team building, promoting growth, and helping residents and team members find enjoyment within Sunrise. In her spare time, Aimee loves volunteering at pet shelters and spending time with her husband and new baby boy.
Alan Bryant is a Bay Area native with 17 years of experience in the assisted living industry. He joined Sunrise in 2017 because he believes in the Sunrise mission. His gets immense satisfaction from seeing the smiles on the residents’ faces as he helps them and his motto is, “when you love what you do, it’s not work.” He’s been married to his wife Karen for 15 years and they have three daughters, a son and two grandchildren. When he’s not at Sunrise, Alan enjoys working in his shop where he builds, repairs and refinishes furniture.
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