Meet Our Team
Anya Jindrich
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Anya relocated to Mendocino County from her native Chicago in 2009 to attend the Krenov School of Fine Furniture. Captivated by the community, she returned to Fort Bragg after earning her social work degree at San Francisco State University and practicing as a social worker in the Bay Area. She is deeply committed to CRC’s mission as a result of personal experiences supporting loved ones affected by cancer. Alongside her work with CRC, she finds joy in nature, baking, woodworking, and sewing.
Jill Longcrier
CLIENT SERVICES MANAGER
Jill brings an extensive 23-year career in public service. Her personal experiences supporting family members through cancer left a profound impact on her and instilled in her a deep desire to assist others as they navigate their own cancer journeys at CRC. Jill's firsthand encounters with the challenges and emotions associated with cancer provide her with a unique perspective that is incredibly valuable to the CRC team. In her spare time she enjoys outdoor activities and traveling with her family.
Mayte Sanchez
BILINGUAL PATIENT NAVIGATOR
Mayte Sanchez obtained her bachelor's degree in Gerontology from Sacramento State University, where she became a member of Sigma Theta Psi Sorority Inc. She values her involvement with this philanthropic organization, which focuses on breast cancer. Driven by her genuine interest in helping her community, Mayte became a lending hand for individuals navigating their cancer journeys at CRC. Mayte cherishes quality time with her family and embarking on outdoor adventures.
Keily Becerra Sánchez
BILINGUAL PATIENT NAVIGATOR
Keily was born and raised in Fort Bragg. After graduating from the University of San Diego and completing a year of service with the Jesuit Volunteer Corps, Keily returned home, where she has since had the privilege of serving the local community in different capacities. She thoroughly values the work done at CRC. When not at work, you can find Keily walking the coastal trails with her dog, Lobito, and spending quality time with her family.
Lori Chambers
OPERATIONS MANAGER
Lori, a true local of Fort Bragg, has been an invaluable member of the CRC team since October 2017. With a heart that genuinely cares about people and a deep-rooted connection to the community, Lori finds fulfillment in being part of an organization that shares her values. Her curiosity about different cultures led her to host exchange students from Thailand, South Korea, Finland, Brazil, and Germany. When she's not busy at the office, you'll find Lori showcasing her skills at first base on the softball field.
Yahaira Valenzuela
BILINGUAL PATIENT NAVIGATOR
Yahaira received her Bachelor’s degree in Ethnic Studies from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo in 2021 and returned to her coastal hometown of Fort Bragg. She taught for two years in the Fort Bragg Unified School District, teaching alongside some of her former teachers. Her desire to assist the community that she grew up in brought her to CRC. When she is not at work, Yahaira is coaching softball at FBMS or walking around town with friends and family.
Joyce Paterson, RN
VOLUNTEER PATIENT NAVIGATOR
Joyce moved to Mendocino County in 1981 with her husband Steve Zuieback. After working as a Registered Nurse for many years, she joined the CRC team as a Volunteer Patient Navigator in 2017. Her personal experience of supporting her husband through his cancer informs her in ways to assist not only clients but caregivers and families as they face this life challenge. Being a part of this amazing organization and having the opportunity to feel a part of the team brings her great joy. Joyce has an ongoing passion for quilting that has been fulfilling her creatively since 1988.
Photo: Jendi Coursey
Karen Oslund
retired Executive Director
Sara O’Donnell
Founder, Executive Director Emeritus
After founding the Cancer Resource Centers of Mendocino County and serving as its executive director for 21 years, Sara O’Donnell retired in 2016. Karen Oslund, the agency’s second ED, led the agency from 2016 until 2022, when Anya Jindrich accepted the position as only the third executive director in CRC’s history.
Established in 1995
Our vision: No one will face cancer alone
Around a table at a house in the woods, the idea sprang forth to provide our communities with access to cancer-related services. We were women living with cancer who had sought information and resources and found there was no single local place to find the information we sought. With this need in mind, we worked hard, formed a board and opened our doors in the summer of 1995 in an alleyway in a room off of a garage in the town of Mendocino.
We became the first non facility-based cancer resource center between Marin County and the Oregon border. Twenty-eight years later, CRC remains an essential part of our rural community and has grown beyond our wildest imaginings. So, too, has the spread of cancer. More and more of us are touched; some are healing, some have died. Our hope is that someday our work will not be needed, that prevention will be foremost on the minds of research funders, governments, and citizens of the world, and that the Precautionary Principle will be in place globally. Until cancer is no longer a threat to anyone’s life, we will continue serving.