Meet the Team

Gabriella, a native of Italy, has dedicated her life to caring for others, beginning as a senior care provider as a teenager and eventually working as an RN in the ER and ICU departments. After moving to the U.S., she received her B.A. in Biological Sciences from Rutgers University and then pursued a career in marketing back in Europe, working as a marketing manager for Baxter Healthcare. Prior to starting Sequoia Senior Solutions with her husband in 2003, she earned a master’s degree in marketing from Golden Gate University. Gabriella most enjoys meeting with families who are beginning their search for home care, conducting home assessments, and helping potential clients and their families feel relaxed and relieved. She is a mother to three boys and lives with her husband Stanton Lawson in Petaluma, where she also serves on the board of the Petaluma Health Care District. In her free time, Gabriella enjoys cooking, gardening, and revisiting classic Italian literature through audiobooks.

Stan grew up near the beach right here in northern California. He holds a B.A. in Business Economics and Italian Literature and spent the early part of his career in international finance positions before returning to the U.S. to take on the management of his family’s resort in Dillion Beach. He eventually returned to finance and worked in that capacity until 2003, when his wife Gabriella introduced him to the growing field of senior care. Together they co-founded Sequoia Senior Solutions and Stan quickly realized how rewarding it was to do something that matters every day, especially in the community he grew up in. He most enjoys interacting with a variety of different people each day – from co-workers and caregivers to clients and their families. He is a father of three living with his wife in Petaluma, and in his free time, he enjoys all things motorcycle and returning to the beach with his family.

Carlos has  lived in Sonoma County for most of his life and much of his background has been in helping others.  Carlos received his degree of Business Administration of Science at Sonoma State University in 2021 and decided to pursue a career as the HR Coordinator at Sequoia Senior Solutions in August of 2021. Carlos says,  “It’s been a great journey helping caregivers and clients. I have learned a lot from this business, and I am very proud to be part of an amazing team that cares about helping others. A little more about me is that I live a pretty active life. I enjoy traveling a lot and have been to some amazing places. I also enjoy playing baseball and doing gymnastics.”

Erik learned early in life to be caregiver from his mother, who was a Registered Nurse in Marin County. He attended College of Marin, studying Business Administration and Hotel Management, and he’s had a varied career path that led him to working with cancer and AIDS patients in Sonoma County. Erik started with Sequoia Senior Solutions in 2016 as a Certified Care Aid and worked with a large variety of clients. When the Lakeport office needed an Office Coordinator, Erik stepped up to help and assisted two Care Managers in their duties. When the Care Manager position became available Erik eagerly stepped into the role. Erik thoroughly enjoys his role as Care Manager, as he thrives on helping our caregivers and clients. Erik loves his time off with his wife as they explore Lake and Mendocino Counties on their road adventures.

Monique’s experience with working with seniors began early in her life. Her first paying job was as a care provider helping her grandmother and her friends with meal preparation, housework and companionship. Later, as an adult, she took care of her grandfather who lived in the family home for 13 years and passed away at the age of 99. Helping people in this way was a very rewarding experience for Monique and choosing Sequoia Senior Solutions as her employer has been just as rewarding.

Monique’s current position as Community Relations Manager involves nurturing current connections and relationships in the local community and building new ones. As a point of contact, her role is to be an ambassador of Sequoia Senior Solutions to the local community by sharing its mission to ensure a better quality of life for our elderly clients and their families and aligning this mission with those of the neighboring businesses and institutions offering programs and activities as well as support those offered.

In her free time, Monique enjoys spending time with her husband, Peter, and their dog, Barry. They live in the redwoods of Guerneville and enjoy summer days at the river and the ocean. They also enjoy movies and for restoration they sit in meditation with their CityZen group of Santa Rosa.

A Bodega native and oldest of four children, Nadia has been with Sequoia Senior Solutions for more than a year – first serving as a caregiver and now as training specialist. She’s currently enrolled in her senior year at Sonoma State University and became a CNA in 2020. Nadia’s interest in caregiving began in her youth when she was frequently caring for family members when they were ill, including her diabetic grandfather and a great-aunt who had cancer. After helping her family, she developed an interest in the health field and wanted to give back to the community, so she joined the team as a caregiver. Her favorite part of the job is the work environment and all the wonderful clients. She loves to make them smile, and also values what they’ve taught her – that there’s more to life than dwelling on problems. In her free time, Nadia loves to hang out with her family and go hiking with her husky-German shepherd, Odis.

Chris is a Buffalo native but has called Petaluma home for more than 30 years. She joined Sequoia Senior Solutions as a bookkeeper in 2011 after having trained extensively in accounting, both at the collegiate level and with the American Management Association. Chris has a heart for caregiving, serving as a hospice volunteer for six years and helping out family members in need of personal care assistance. In addition to working at Sequoia Senior Solutions, she has also been a client – bringing in a caregiver to help her father who suffers from Alzheimer’s. Chris most enjoys talking with clients and their families and especially appreciates the wisdom seniors have to share. In her free time, she likes to garden, read, and spend time with friends. She also loves anything tie-dye!

Derrick was born and raised in Los Angeles, California and is a graduate of Santa Monica College. He moved to Sonoma County in 2009 and is currently pursuing a certificate in Bookkeeping with Santa Rosa Junior College.

After moving his mother from Minnesota to California, Derrick and his sister have been taking care of her since 2021. This move has brought about an understanding of the quality of care that is needed in our advanced years.

Tiffini has had a passion for seniors since high school, when she became certified as a nursing assistant in a facility in Santa Rosa. She later married, raised three boys of her own and participated in the raising of three foster daughters. She’s enjoyed working for our seniors both in facilities and in their own homes. She continued to expand her knowledge through education and specialized in the care of clients with dementias of different types, traumatic brain injuries and stroke recovery. Tiffini retired for a time to help several of her own family members with their journey. She came to Sequoia Senior Solutions as a caregiver, however, she now loves helping families do what they love to do and experience less stress, and anxiety about the process. Tiffini loves to read and learn and help in the community. She spends time with her animals and her family, now including her grandchildren and, if there’s a moment or two to spare she pursues her love of music.

Marsha worked as a dental assistant for 20+ years and then in the medical field as a certified medical assistant/PSR and phlebotomist for 22yrs. She has been with Sequoia Senior Solutions for almost 5 years–the first 4 as a caregiver before becoming the Lakeport Office Coordinator. As the office coordinator she helps with answering phone calls, setup for orientations, HCP, and wherever else she’s needed. Marsha’s free time is usually spent with her adoring great grandchildren.