Our Staff

Petra Lowen

• Community Living Advocate
• (805) 963-0595 x101
• plowen@ilrc-trico.org

Based in the Santa Barbara office serving South Santa Barbara County.

Petra has been with ILRC for many years, most recently since 2000. Her favorite color is blue. For her, the best part of working at ILRC is she is very happy and proud to be working for a non-profit agency as opposed to the corporate world. When a consumer tells her that she has made a real difference in their life and they accomplished a major goal with our assistance it is the best feeling in the world. When our consumers improve their independence it improves the whole community. Her favorite independent living advocate is Anette Rubino.

Rosa Lopez

• Information & Referral Specialist - Bilingual
• (805) 963-0595 x100
• rlopez@ilrc-trico.org

Based in the Santa Barbara office serving Santa Barbara County.

Rosa started working at ILRC in 2005. Her favorite color is green. For her, the best part of working at ILRC is she has always loved to help people, but at ILRC you really help people who feel like this is their last hope, they feel so appreciative just for you to take time to hear their struggles and make them feel equal to everyone else. Her favorite independent living advocate is Eunice Kennedy Shriver.

Alexa Martin

• Community Living/Youth Advocate
• (805) 650-5993 x202
• amartin@ilrc-trico.org

Based in the Ventura office serving all counties.

Alexa started working at ILRC in 2017. Her favorite color is teal. For her, the best part of working at ILRC is she has always been passionate about advocating for underrepresented communities and she gets to do that each day here! Her favorite independent living advocate is Richard Pimentel.

Jacob Lesner-Buxton

• Systems Change Advocate
• (805) 963-0595 x105
• jlesner@ilrc-trico.org

Based in the Santa Barbara office serving all counties.

Jacob started working at ILRC in 2013. His favorite color is tie-dye. For him, the best part of working at ILRC is being paid to: help, love, understand and be there for his communities in times of joy and pain. His favorite independent living advocate is his mentor, Dolores Tejada.

Nicole Janikowski

• Community Living Advocate
• (805) 462-1162 x413
• njanikowski@ilrc-trico.org

Based in the San Luis Obispo office serving San Luis Obispo and North Santa Barbara counties.

Nicole started working at ILRC in 2015. Her favorite color is burgundy. For her, the best part of working at ILRC is that she discovered her passion to help her community. When she was in need of services and peer support she was unable to find someone in her area that would work with her to get back on her feet. Her love is working with consumers hoping to build satisfaction and become self-sufficient. Her favorite independent living advocate is Natasha Jade Devon.

Jennifer Martinez

• Information & Referral Specialist - Bilingual
• (805) 650-5993 x201
• jmartinez@ilrc-trico.org

Based in the Ventura office serving Ventura County.

Jennifer started working at ILRC in 2011. Her favorite color is pink. For her, the best part of working at ILRC is being part of something bigger than herself, ILRC is a diverse team of individuals with an array of views and beliefs, but a team of advocates with the commonality of hope and passion to make a difference in other people's lives. Her favorite independent living advocate is Dani Anderson because she always manages to find the strength to keep fighting, even when her strength and her will are tested. She is a great example to all.

Vacant

• Older Individuals Who Are Blind

Based in Ventura office serving all counties.

Adam Herrera

• Operations Coordinator
• (805) 963-0595 x106
• aherrera@ilrc-trico.org

Based in Santa Barbara office.

Bio coming soon...

Jim Cencer

• Assistive Technology Advocate
• (805) 963-0595 x104
• jcencer@ilrc-trico.org

Based in the Santa Barbara office serving South Santa Barbara and Ventura counties.

Jim started working at ILRC in 2014. His favorite color is teal. For him, the best part of working at ILRC is the challenge of matching up a consumer's requirement with the best Assistive Technology 'solution'. His favorite independent living advocate is Lizzie Velásquez.

Dani Anderson

• Executive Director
• (805) 963-0595 x108
• danderson@ilrc-trico.org

Based in the Santa Barbara office serving all counties.

Dani started working at ILRC in 2013. Her favorite color is pink. For her, the best part of working at ILRC is benefiting local consumers though state and federal involvement. She never wants the tri-counties to be left out! Her favorite independent living advocate is Teresa Favuzzi. Teresa's ability to connect with people to create change was uncanny.

Jennifer Griffin

• Deputy Director
• (805) 963-0595 x112
• jgriffin@ilrc-trico.org

Based in the Santa Barbara office.

Jennifer started working at ILRC in 2000. Her favorite color is red. For her, the best part of working at ILRC is she never wanted to work in a very large company where she would be just a number. She knew she wanted to work where she could feel good about what she does and enjoy those that she worked with. Her favorite independent living advocate is Maysoon Zayid.

Crystal Harman

• Independent Living Advocate
• (805) 925-0015 x302
• charman@ilrc-trico.org

Based in the Santa Maria office.

Crystal started working at ILRC in 2019. Her favorite color is teal. For her, the best part of working at ILRC is being able to help others and learning new things everyday. Her favorite independent living advocate is Ed Roberts.

Marcella Clark

• Bookkepper

Carol Baizer

• Community Living Advocate/Benefits
• (805) 963-0595 x102
• cbaizer@ilrc-trico.org

Based in the Santa Barbara office serving all counties.

Carol started working at ILRC in 1997. Her favorite color is blue. For her, the best part of working at ILRC is being a part of an organization that provides a different window to the world. Her favorite independent living advocate is Marta Russell.

Ken McLellan

• Community Living Advocate - Deaf
• (805) 284-9050 Video Phone
• kmclellan@ilrc-trico.org

Based in the Santa Barbara office serving Santa Barbara and Ventura counties.

Ken started working at ILRC in 2002. His favorite color is blue. For him, the best part of working at ILRC is increasing communications access. His favorite independent living advocate is Larry Littleton.

Brian Hollander

• Program Manager
• (805) 963-0595 x107
• bhollander@ilrc-trico.org

Based in Santa Barbara office.

Brian started working at ILRC in 2018. His favorite color is purple. For him, the best part of working at ILRC is empowering people in the truest sense of the word to live full lives with equal access in the community, but also to take an interest in creating change in their communities. His all time favorite independent living advocate is Ed Roberts, without whom ILC's and the ILC movement would not exist.

Erica Morales

• Transition Advocate
• (805) 963-0595 x113
• emorales@ilrc-trico.org

Based in Santa Barbara office serving Santa Barbara County.

Erica started working at ILRC since 2017. Her favorite color is turquoise. For her, the best part of working at ILRC is working for a non-profit has always appealed to her because it feels more like a "family" environment rather than a "corporate" environment. She also enjoys providing support and encouragement to our consumers. Her favorite independent living advocate is Bonita Bergin, the inventor of service dogs.

Ben Samuel

• Focused Population Case Manager
• (805) 650-5993 x203
• bsamuel@ilrc-trico.org

Based in the Ventura Office serving Ventura County.

Ben started working at ILRC in 2019. His favorite color is Turquoise. For him, the best part of working at ILRC is advocating and creating awareness within our community for individuals with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities. His favorite Independent living advocate is Jean Wirth, an English professor from San Mateo, California. She had developed peer counseling and supports for minority college students in order to reduce their dropout rate. After meeting Ed Roberts, founder of the Rolling Quads and father of the Independent Living Movement when he was a student at UC Berkeley, they created the peer counseling and supports philosophy we use with consumers with disabilities today!

Jerry Mihaic

• Information & Referral Specialist - Bilingual
• (805) 462-1162 x410
• jmihaic@ilrc-trico.org

Based in San Luis Obispo office serving San Luis Obispo County.

Jerry has been with ILRC for many years, most recently since 2017. His favorite color is azure blue. For him, the best part of working at ILRC is that after having worked in the cut-throat business world for several years, he finds it refreshing to work in an environment that cares about others and helps humanity be its best. He also likes the diversity of people he comes in contact with and how he’s always learning something new that he can share with the individuals we serve. His favorite independent living advocate is Wade Blank, Founder of ADAPT. Although he says, ILRC has many amazing advocates he has met throughout the years.