Introducing Angel Simpelo and Lydia Dubose
SRNA is very excited to have welcomed Angel Simpelo as our new Administrative Assistant and Lydia Dubose as our Volunteer and Community Coordinator in 2021.
Angel has a background in fundraising and has been an advocate for veterans, people with disabilities, individuals with low incomes, and people who are homeless. Angel started volunteering to help others at a very young age and because of her calling to serve, she decided to leave the for-profit world to make a difference in the non-profit sector. We are so happy she decided to join the SRNA team! Angel has two family members who have lived with debilitating disorders, and it is they who inspired her to accept the Administrative Assistant position with SRNA.
“I witnessed firsthand how associations like SRNA profoundly help people living with debilitating disorders. My family members were able to find support, comfort, and community thanks to organizations like SRNA,” says Angel.
The Administrative Assistant role is vital in providing day-to-day support to both SRNA staff and the Executive Committee. Angel’s many responsibilities include organizing meetings and webinars for all of our programs and projects, maintaining our CRM database, and coordinating spreadsheets and project management systems. In her role, Angel also works alongside, the Board of Directors, the Medical and Scientific Council, educators, researchers, volunteers, and of course, community members.
“To connect with the many lives affected by rare neuroimmune disorders is an incredible experience,” she says. ” I am humbled and honored to do this work and know that I have joined an organization that works tirelessly to make a difference for patients and their families.”
Angel holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Digital Media from San José State University. When she is not working at SRNA, she enjoys spending quality time with family and friends. Her favorite pastimes include photography, gardening, hiking, and traveling.
Lydia has worked with various local and national non-profit organizations to offer resources and improve opportunities for under-resourced families, homeless youth, individuals with heart conditions, and others.
Lydia’s interest in the non-profit world can be traced back to her childhood. Her family valued volunteering and giving back to the community, often serving together at holiday meal distributions. She holds a Bachelor of Behavioral Science degree in Psychology and says that interest in people led her to pursue a career in the nonprofit sector.
In her role as Volunteer and Community Coordinator, Lydia oversees support group meetings, the Peer Connect program, and Walk-Run-N-Roll events. She serves and supports community members and our wonderful SRNA volunteers.
“Though I have only been with SRNA a short time, I have already been impressed by how the community is making a difference. The volunteers I have met are very generous with their time and are great at what they do,” says Lydia. “I hope to be able to expand our reach and provide even more opportunities for the SRNA community to connect with each other.”
When Lydia is not working, you can find her gardening, painting, drawing, or enjoying the outdoors by hiking and jogging with her dog, Winston.
