Board of Directors
KENDALL LAM
President
Kendall Lam is currently a management consultant in Deloitte's Healthcare practice and has a personal passion for mental, physical and spiritual wellbeing. He brings strategy & operations professional expertise to DBSA California. As someone who supports friends and family that suffer from serious mental illness, Kendall is a strong advocate for mental health services especially peer support to decrease loneliness and share collective hope.
Amy Lombardi
Treasurer & Chief Administrative Officer
Amy holds a PhD in Linguistics from UC Davis and has taught College Writing since 2004. Inspired by the compassion and wisdom of peers in DBSA San Francisco, she began facilitating support groups in 2022. Amy is dedicated to raising the profile of DBSA throughout California, supporting facilitators, and developing the peer specialist workforce.
She is a dancer, yoga practitioner, and meditator who believes that optimal health is always an integration of the physical, mental, social, emotional, and spiritual. Amy lives in Santa Cruz with her husband and teenage daughter.
Niku Sederat
Secretary, Director of Youth Outreach
Niku Sedarat is a passionate mental health advocate working to combat the youth mental health crisis. As the Founder and Executive Director of Unité – a youth mental health initiative committed to eradicating stigma and fostering emotional resilience – she leads communities of thousands of youth, empowering them with tools to uplift their mental well-being. Niku is also the author of two published mental health books for young people and host of the Unity Mental Health podcast, taking a community-focused approach to enhancing education, awareness, and support regarding mental health.
Through her writing, speaking, presentations, and advocacy, she strives to cultivate vibrant communities that embrace compassion, openness, and understanding around mental health.
Christa Phillips
Board Member
Christa is a therapist, life coach, and co-founder of Aligned Potential Collective, where she helps individuals overcome imposter syndrome, discover their purpose, and align their lives with their goals. She is a proud member of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Incorporated and a partner with a nonprofit supporting students who have lost their mothers. As the co-host of the podcast Journey 2 The Mind, Christa shares insights on mental health, inspired by her lived experience with Bipolar I and anxiety. She joined the board of DBSA California to support its mission of empowering those navigating mental health challenges.
Caroline Fraissinet, Ed.D
Board Member
Caroline Fraissinet, Ed.D serves as a facilitator with DBSA City of Angels by moonlight, and works as a higher education career services professional by daylight. She earned her doctorate in Organizational Change and Leadership from USC Rossier School of Education in 2022, with a dissertation focused on the challenges faced by low-income college students in gaining entertainment industry experience due to the prevalence of unpaid internships. She is passionate about supporting individuals with mental health conditions and is excited to further advocate as a member of the DBSA California Board of Directors. Caroline lives with cyclothymia and OCD.