Meet Carol Leish

Carol has taught both elementary school and preschool. She has her MA in Education from CSU San Bernardino. She has been writing for the, ‘Ventura Breeze,’ since 2013, mainly on issues related to seniors and to behavioral health. She has written for other publications, which included writing for the Human Services Agency Ventura County Area Agency on Aging’s, ‘Live Well,’ in 2024: ‘The Joy of Aging Optimally.’ She has also been on the Advisory Council for the Ventura County Area Agency on Aging as the Disability Advocate since 2021, and on the Aging & Disability Resource Connection for the Advisory Committee for the CA Dept. of Aging between 2024-2026 as a consumer advocate.

Carol started her motivational speaking, ‘Call Me Capable,’ in 1997 to educate others that people with disabilities, like herself, have capabilities, too. Now, she continues to focus on being positive, and being able to improvise to various situations through her talks: ‘Facing Challenges with Optimism & Humor.’ She also created and codeveloped the game, ‘Call Me Capable,’ which was published between 2002-2017. Players would have fun as they learned about disabilities and how to show respect for and empathize with the disabled. She’s proud of her accomplishments, which are exemplified on her website at: www.capablecarol.com.

Meet Graal Diaz

Dr. Graal Diaz is a distinguished healthcare leader and researcher with extensive experience in clinical translational research, program development, and healthcare education. With a PhD and a master’s degree from UCLA and a certification in Artificial Intelligence Integration in Medicine from Harvard Medical School, she effectively combines academic rigor with practical application in healthcare settings. Currently, Dr. Diaz serves as a Research Consultant for Graduate Medical Education at Community Memorial Hospital and as the National Surgical Quality Improvement Administrator and researcher at the Ventura County Medical Center. In these roles, she has successfully helped develop and implement a range of programs focused on enhancing patient outcomes and optimizing healthcare delivery. Her contributions to clinical translational research are evident through numerous peer-reviewed publications and collaborative studies that address critical issues in trauma and surgical care and healthcare disparities.

Driven by a passion for integrating cutting-edge solutions in healthcare, Dr. Diaz continues to lead transformative projects that bridge the gap between research, clinical practice, and community health, ultimately striving to improve patient care and outcomes across diverse populations.

Meet Dotti Oliver

A life-long resident of Ventura County, Dotti was born and raised in the City of Ventura and attended Ventura public schools. She was a member of the first class to attend Buena High School and continues to be active with her classmates.

Dotti has been a professional Travel Consultant since 1990. She previously served as Claims Manager for Allstate Insurance Company for the Ventura-Santa Barbara-San Luis Obispo Tri-Counties region; operated a medical billing service; and owned and operated Kidstown, a Santa Barbara amusement center for children and their parents.

Dotti and her late husband Tim, a community college administrator, have been homeowners in Camarillo since 2000. Their love of travel and each other filled their lives with happiness and adventure. Dotti loves spending time with her friends, four adult children and five grandchildren. She has started water color painting and is an avid mahjong player.

Dotti has served on the boards, committees and in leadership positions for several Ventura County non-profit and higher education organizations including the Ventura County chapters of the American Heart Association (President); Boys and Girls Club; Girl Scouts; the Brain Injury Center; California State University, Channel Islands and The Local Love Project.

Dotti takes great pleasure in helping these organizations organize their annual fund raisers and special events including their galas, silent and live auctions, and programs to honor leaders in our Ventura community. As a result, her efforts - along with the hard work of dozens of fellow volunteers – have resulted in raising more than $2,000,000 for these most worthy causes.

Dotti’s biggest passion is her family and giving back to the community.