ABOUT US

JAYSON JAY      PRESIDENT OF THE BOARD

“Restoration House is dedicated to making a positive difference in the lives of the men it serves. I am privileged to join such an effective organization and hope to build on its success by taking on the ongoing funding issues and establishing personal connections with the residents. I am eager to see what God has in store for Restoration House and how I may be a part of that.”

Jayson Jay, a native Californian, has had many learning opportunities and experiences while growing up in construction, auto repair, budgeting, teaching and travel. He joined the Restoration House (RH) board of directors in late 2012.

While in high school in 1988, he started dating his future wife, Michell, and the two were married in 1994. They have been heavily involved in leadership at their church, including Celebrate Recovery, marriage classes and bible studies.

Jayson has been a financial consultant since 1998, working for multiple banks as they merged their businesses, and he was exposed to a great variety of people with various needs. In 2004, he started consulting for the largest financial institution in the world at the time. In 2008, after successfully using advanced planning and managed money strategies, he moved his business away from a corporate structure. As an independent advisor and together with his business partner at Harvest Wealth Advisors, Inc., Roseville, he has been able to better focus on the specific needs of his clients and implements solutions to uniquely achieve their goals.

Jayson loves to travel and enjoys hiking in the local Sierra Nevada mountains. Photography, cooking, nutrition and fitness, as well as teaching and helping others, are his passions.

He has his bachelor’s degree in accounting from The Union Institute and has accumulated multiple certifications and licenses in the financial services industry.

ARNOLD SCHULER    VICE PRESIDENT OF THE BOARD

“I have always considered that the successful integration of even one person back into society is worth the entire Restoration House effort. Our record of success with our clients fully supports the continuation and expansion of this program.”

Sacramento native Arnold Schuler, a California certified public accountant, joined the Restoration House (RH) Board of Directors in May 2004. He served the state of California more than 39 years in six agencies, managing the State Controller’s Office, technology functions for the Department of Transportation and the Board of

Equalization and the Department of Benefit Payment’s 37 field offices engaged in audits and collections of the employment insurance tax.

As a consultant, on fiscal and organizational matters, he has advised management for the State Departments of Managed Health Care, Transportation, Motor Vehicles, Water Resources, State Teachers Retirement System and the California Attorney General.

He is a past board member of the NorCal Center for Deafness, which he served more than 10 years, and has also served on numerous statewide and national boards and committees. In addition, he has done extensive lecturing on fiscal and management issues to numerous public and private groups.

Arnold earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration and a master’s degree in public administration from the California State University, Sacramento.

DONALD TIMMONS   TREASURER OF THE BOARD

“I initially joined the board to assist my brother, Gary, with the business side of establishing a Christian-based program to help male parolees successfully transition from inmates to productive,self-sufficient citizens. I’ve remained on the board since because I’ve seen how many men our small nonprofit has helped. Men committed to change for the better, but without the support or resources to achieve that goal.”

Donald Timmons, a founding member of Restoration House (RH), is a principal in The Evergreen Company, one of Sacramento’s top commercial real estate development and management firms. He is also a licensed certified public accountant.

Donald has been the treasurer of the RH Board of Directors since the organization’s inception in 2002. With the volunteer assistance of his wife, Denise, the organization’s founding president, Donald performs the varied financial tasks of budgeting, accounting, reporting, banking and bill paying.

Donald and Denise are long-time Sacramentans. He moved here at the end of his three-year tour of duty in the U.S. Army in 1966, and Denise with her family in 1967.  In addition to Restoration House, they actively support the Sacramento Children’s Home and the Crocker Art Museum.

Donald graduated from Sacramento State College in 1969 with a Bachelor of Science degree in accounting.

ESTELLE SALTZMAN     SECRETARY OF THE BOARD

“Restoration House has opened my eyes to the realities of the criminal justice system. Though we are a small group of advocates that offers assistance to a small group of parolees, I believe our baby steps will have a much more global impact down the road. The residents we serve have the potential to lead productive, happy lives, and I feel good about trying to help them achieve those goals.”

Estelle Saltzman, a founding member of Restoration House (RH), parlayed a seven-year career as a newspaper reporter and editor into her current position as chair of the board of Runyon Saltzman & Einhorn, Inc., a leading Sacramento-based advertising, public relations and public affairs firm, which she joined in the early 1970s.  Her keen interest in and knowledge of community social and political issues propelled her company into the field of social marketing in the early 1980s.

In addition to numerous professional honors, Estelle’s work has been recognized with two “woman of the year” awards from the Sacramento Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce, lifetime achievement awards from the Sacramento Public Relations Association and the International Association of Business Communicators, a “luminary award” from the National Association of Women Business Owners and a 2013 Women Mean Business Award from the Sacramento Business Journal.

And as a board member of the Junior Statesmen Foundation, the Crocker Art Museum Association, the Sacramento History Foundation, Opening Doors, Inc. and Restoration House, she has continually found ways to help her community.

Estelle earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of California at Berkeley with a major in political science and a minor in American literature.

AROL CRESPO        BOARD MEMBER

“From my experience in adolescent recovery, prevention and rehabilitation programs, I understand the need for Restoration House and am honored to support its mission.”

Carol Crespo has been active at Restoration House (RH) as the organization’s “adopted grandmother” since 2007, bringing sweets and clothes and finding odd jobs for residents. She also participates regularly in RH Bible study meetings of residents. Carol became a member of the board in 2011.

Carol, a native of Sacramento, moved to the area from San Lorenzo in 1996 after working nine years as accounting director for Thunder Road, a chemical dependency hospital for adolescents in Oakland.  She is active in Sacramento’s Fruitridge Christian Church, volunteers her time for Friends of the Library and likes to hike, watch birds and attend musical productions. In fact, it was through church activities that she became acquainted with several RH residents.

As often as possible, Carol spends her spare time with her five children, five grandchildren and one great grandson.

JAMES FLAM      BOARD MEMBER

“I look forward to helping Restoration House and the community by supporting our residents as they rebuild their lives and become contributing members of society. As an educator, each day is one in which I seek to motivate and inspire students who face enormous life challenges. I often think that guiding even a few students toward a path that does not include contact with the penal system provides a strong rationale for the monetary compensation I have received during my career. ”

James Flam, who joined the Restoration House (RH) Board of Directors in November 2009, has worked in K-12 public education for the past 24 years. During that time, he has provided academic interventions, behavioral support and guidance for many at-risk youth … work that has presented daily challenges and has been satisfying on a spiritual and professional level.

Jim, currently a high school special education teacher in the San Juan Unified School District, was intrigued to learn that some states project their long-term prison needs upon the academic scores of their current fourth graders.

Originally from New Jersey, he was educated at The State University of New York at Buffalo (bachelor’s, English literature), San Francisco State University (general education teaching credential), and National University (special education). He has lived in the Sacramento area since 1996 and previously served on the Board of Directors of Synergy School in San Francisco.

In his spare time, Jim plays the saxophone, travels and enjoys outdoor activities such as hiking and biking. Hanging out with his 18-year-old tennis-player son and his wife, Norma, are also special times for him.

MICHELL JAY    BOARD MEMBER

“Restoration House is a blessing to the community. Its board members believe in second chances and share a desire to walk alongside the men who live there. I’m privileged to be able to bring my skills and passion to men who embrace change in their lives. I’m excited to see what God has planned for me in helping Restoration House and how I can serve this community.”

Michell Jay, a native Californian, has had the opportunity to work in a family business for 34 years. Her experiences working with the community, providing customer service and establishing a strong work ethic have been strong assets to the Restoration House (RH) board, which she joined in late 2012.

She and her husband, Jayson, met in high school in 1988 and were married in 1994. They have been heavily involved in leadership at their church, including Celebrate Recovery, marriage classes and bible studies.

Michell enjoys presenting workshops on resumes, cover letters, job search, how to communicate effectively, career assessments and interviewing techniques.  She loves to help her students find their passions and purpose as they shape their future careers.

She enjoys hiking, traveling, fitness and living a healthy lifestyle, as well as spending time with her friends and living a life of balance.

Michell worked and attended the Union Institute where she received her bachelor’s degree in public Relations and organizational communication.

She later earned her master’s in career counseling and is currently an instructor at American River College, teaching career development for the Work Experience & Internship Program.  She is also a part-time academic counselor and instructor at Sierra College.

REYES Y. RIOS       BOARD MEMBER  

“It is both an honor and a pleasure to serve my community as a member of the Board of Directors of Restoration House. Assisting hard working and determined individuals regain control of their futures has been a humbling and shared experience.”

Reyes Y. Rios, the first former resident of Restoration House (RH) to serve on its board, lives in Sacramento with his wife, Laura, and their three children.

With more than 20 years experience in the construction trades, Reyes has worked on many local projects as a welder, millwright and, more recently, as a special inspector and non-destructive testing technician. He holds multiple certifications in welding and weld inspection and is a member of the American Welding Society.

Reyes enjoys working with at-risk youth and has worked as a volunteer for YEAGA and Straight Talk. He brings his lived experiences with the justice system and his understanding of the challenges RH residents face to board discussions.

In his leisure time, Reyes enjoys fishing, watching his daughter play soccer and going camping with his family.

MICHAEL STEFFEN BOARD MEMBERMSteffan

“Restoration House, as conceived by its founder, Gary Timmons, has provided me with the opportunity to progress from just complaining about California’s deficient penal policy, to personally doing something about it. I am grateful in these past years for the chance to have been a part of the Restoration House family of parolee participants and their dedicated supporters.”Mike Steffen, among the founders of Restoration House (RH), is a member of the California State Bar and a licensed real estate broker. Besides his work as an RH board member and the board’s president for three terms, he has served as a mentor to parolees and has facilitated personal growth workshops at Old Folsom and Mule Creek prisons. A native of Fresno, 

he obtained undergraduate and law degrees from the University of San Francisco. Mike had a long career with the California State Automobile Association in San Francisco and in Sacramento, where he managed the organization’s local office of litigation attorneys. After several years of retirement, he joined the Roseville law firm of Penney and Associates where he currently supervises the firm’s workers compensation and Social Security sections.

He and his wife, Taffy, make their home in Folsom.