Our team
Margriet DeLange, Project Director
Margriet DeLange is a Certified Professional Gerontologist and insightful educator and presenter. She holds a Master’s degree in Gerontology from San Francisco State University and a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from J.F. Kennedy University, and was selected at both Universities as Alumni of the Year (2007 and 2014).
Margriet founded StoriesUnfolding in 2006, and has since enjoyed bringing together hundreds of participants to connect through the sharing of personal life stories.
Starting 2006 until her retirement in 2017, Margriet has taught Gerontology courses at Foothill College in Los Altos, San Francisco State University and J.F.K. University.
Her experience also includes working with the Santa Clara Country Department of Aging and Adult Services (DAAS) as the Community Organizer for the project Protecting Our Elders: an Interfaith Response to Elder Abuse and Neglect.
In 2016, in response to the alarming prevalence of senior loneliness and isolation, Margriet, in collaboration with CAFE’s Director, Dr. Anabel Pelham, launched SIPP, the Senior Inclusion and Participation Project.
Debbie Ulanday, Associate Project Manager
Debbie Ulanday has been involved in the eldercare arena for many years. She has always felt a calling for the older adult population to have a voice, a dream, and a community where they feel they belong and are valued.
She has volunteered at many Senior-oriented events since youth, was Senior Services Community Director in college, worked for an assisted living facility and an in-home care services company, is in progress for her Gerontology certificate, and well networked with other elder services and people of the same heart. Being Associate Project Manager of SIPP has become a natural part of that calling.
Manon Janssen, SIPP Associate, Strategic Alliances
Manon Janssen has a passion for helping older adults find a new balance as they retire – especially connecting them with hobbies that they used to enjoy as way for them to feel less lonely and more engaged.
She spent most of her career in the tech industry and has extensive business management experience in analytics, software development and operations. In that capacity she managed large teams, served a worldwide customer base, and developed strategic partnerships to create value for the businesses and external customers. For the last few years she’s been helping make life more interesting and fun for retiring community members, and is eager to use her professional experience to have a bigger impact.
Susan Lewis, Project Associate
Susan Lewis loves helping older adults achieve optimum health and wellness.She is currently working for the Center for Age-Friendly Excellence, providing technical assistance for all 15 Santa Clara County cities engaged in the process of receiving their Age-Friendly designation from the World Health Organization.
Previously, she was a task force member and lay leader for Protecting Our Elders, an interfaith elder abuse and neglect project of the Santa Clara County Department of Aging and Adult Services and the Archstone Foundation.Susan’s education includes: B.A. in Sociology, AA in Adaptive Fitness Therapy and Career Certificates in Gerontology and Adaptive Aquatics.
Jason Amaral, Project Associate
Amaral has a passion for helping people age-in-place and receive healthcare in the comfort of their own homes. He is an engineer and business leader working to bring this about through a combination of community and technology.
Jason brings to SIPP his experience of 20-plus years as an executive and consultant in medical devices and high-tech. He currently serves on the faculty of the Association for Advancement of Medical Instrumentation and as an industry representative on the Food and Drug Administration’s Device Good Manufacturing Practice Advisory Committee. Both organizations are focused on achieving safe and effective development, management, and use of healthcare technology.
Locally, Jason is a volunteer with the Los Altos Block Action Team and previously volunteered as a care companion at El Camino Hospital’s Critical Care Unit (CCU) and as a hospice companion with Pathways.
Susan Roche, Project Associate
Susan Roche has lived in Los Altos for 31 years. As a BAT leader in her neighborhood she has re-discovered the value of a supportive network of neighbors helping to build a better community.
By also becoming a SIPP associate she hopes to foster the idea of inclusion by encouraging other BAT leaders to reach out to seniors and make sure they are getting the resources and support they need.