Leadership
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Moke Simon, President
Jose (Moke) Simon III was born and raised in Middletown, California. In 2016, he was elected to the Lake County Board of Supervisors – and was re-elected to a second term in 2020 by an overwhelming margin. He is the first Native American to be elected to the Board.
In his capacity as Supervisor, Moke serves on numerous regional Boards and organizations, including being the sole County Supervisor on the State Board of Fire Services, to which he was appointed by Gov. Newsom in 2019.
In addition to serving in County leadership, he has served as Tribal Chairman of Middletown Rancheria for most of the last 20 years. His responsibilities include leading and representing the Rancheria in all major decisions involving all entities of the Tribe, including but not limited to overseeing all Tribal Government operations.
John Hess, Vice President
John Hess is the newest member of the Board and has served as a Lake County Planning Commissioner since 2017.
In addition to a stint as a small business owner, John spent 24 years on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC working in the Legislative Branch of government in a variety of senior positions, including serving as a congressional chief of staff for his final 12 years on “The Hill.” Following the 9/11 attacks, he worked almost exclusively on counterterrorism, intelligence, and homeland security matters, and managed a staff of 50 in offices in Southern California and Washington, DC.
John is active in the South County community and the Middletown Area Town Hall.
Danielle Matthews Seperas, Secretary
Danielle Matthews Seperas joined Calpine in 1999 and is responsible for Calpine’s geothermal community and local government outreach related to energy and other issues.
Her responsibilities include expanding geothermal energy education in the community, community tours, and overseeing Calpine’s Visitors Center operations. Danielle holds a Bachelor of Science degree in History and Government and a Master’s degree in Public Administration.
Mark Borghesani, Treasurer
Mark Borghesani joins the Hammers for Hope Board of Directors as treasurer and logistics lead.
He brings his experience as general manager and president of the board of Kelseyville Lumber to Hammers for Hope to manage projects, coordinate contracts and supplies, and assist with application assessment. Kelseyville Lumber has been in the Borghesani family for three generations, and is still owned and operated locally. Mark began working for Kelseyville Lumber over thirty years ago, and has managed the company since 1995; he counts his 90+ employees as family.
As a Lake County native, Mark enjoys the natural resources of county by hunting, fishing, and taking his jeep out. He also enjoys riding his Harley, and playing basketball. He is passionate about harnessing the power of community to improve the lives and homes of residents. His other volunteer work includes participation in the Kelseyville Lions, over ten years of involvement with Hospice Services of Lake County, and service on the Chamber of Commerce board.
PUBLIC RELATIONS
Kim Lewis, PR Consultant
Kim joins the Hammers for Hope team as a Public Relations Consultant.
She is the President and Founder of KL Design Solutions, a creative agency offering web design, graphic design, e-commerce solutions and social media management.
She has a Bachelors of Science in Business Administration/Management & Marketing and has worked with companies all over the U.S.
She currently serves on the Board of the Lake County Rural Arts Initiative and the Middletown Area Merchants Association’s Social Media Committee.