Who We Are

Board of Directors

NCAPDA’s Board consists of individuals who are committed to preventing prescription drug misuse and abuse that can lead to substance use disorder and overdose deaths. Most also perform volunteer operational support for NCAPDA.

April Rovero – Board Chairperson/Executive Director

April retired from Lucent Technologies as a National Program Management Director in 2001 after a 30-year career in telecommunications. She has a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration and a Masters Certificate in Program Management from Stephen’s Institute of Technology. April founded NCAPDA shortly after her son Joey’s accidental death on December 18, 2009, from an accidental prescription drug overdose while a student at Arizona State University. April leads and oversees all aspects of the organization and is an active member of the Contra Costa County MEDS Coalition, is a Steering Committee member of the California Overdose Prevention Network and is an Executive Steering Committee Member of the Fed Up! Coalition.

Jim Hansen – President

Jim is the President and co-founder of NCAPDA. He has a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science from the University of California, Irvine, and has spent the bulk of his 18-year career building software solutions working to improve the security of small, medium, and enterprise organizations. He is currently the Vice President of Security and Marketing for a security software company based in Austin, Texas. He was inspired to co-found NCAPDA after losing his brother, Joey, who died from an accidental prescription drug overdose. In his capacity as President, Jim helps to drive the strategic and tactical initiatives that help raise awareness of America’s prescription drug abuse/misuse epidemic.

Joseph Rovero – Treasurer

Joe is Joey’s father and helped to found NCAPDA along with other family members. He is a graduate of the Connecticut School of Electronics and he retired as a Program Manager with AT&T in 1998 with 25 years of telecommunications experience. He is the financial manager and planner for the organization and provides technical, operational, and strategic assistance to members of NCAPDA’s Board and staff as needed.

Alicia Frost – Secretary

Alicia is a fourth-generation native to the SF Bay Area and a lifelong enthusiast for community service. After earning a bachelor’s degree in Spanish at the University of Idaho and a teaching credential via St. Mary’s College, Alicia treasured serving both as an educator and mentor to high schoolers as they navigated various life stages and events. In her tenth year of teaching in the K-12 education system, the near misses of losing students to opioids awoke in Alicia the need to serve the community in a different capacity. She is highly invested in her new work as an E.M.T. and assists with EMS courses at a community college while enrolled in a local Paramedic Program. NCAPDA’s mission to educate and prevent loss of life will always serve as a reminder of Alicia’s core values and goals.

Scott Gerbert – Director

Scott has been on the board since NCAPDA’s inception in 2010 and was involved in initial discussions with Joe and April within weeks of hearing about their son, Joe’s, passing. Scott has been an educator since 1995, working in health and wellness at the school site, school district, county office, regional, and state level. Scott continues to support NCAPDA through his professional networks and his personal life, sharing the message of NCAPDA with his extensive network of youth, staff, and parents/guardians, as well as Rotarians and other community partners. Scott continues to aid NCAPDA in developing prescription drug educational tools and programs, and evaluating our program’s effectiveness.

Dr. Larry Nordhoff – Director

Larry’s medical background started as an U.S. Navy Hospital Corpsman as he obtained his licensure as an Emergency Medical Technician and Licensed Vocational Nurse in California. He worked for thirteen years in military and Bay Area Hospitals/clinics while completing a bachelors degree from CSU Hayward and then obtained a Doctor of Chiropractic degree in 1984. Larry has taught numerous first aid and CPR classes over the years and he has authored three trauma textbooks. He has extensive training with opioid overdose research and provides training to various organizations and community groups. Larry has assisted with Alameda County’s opioid overdose research and trained volunteers to educate the public.

Sanjay Patel RPh – Director

Sanjay Patel Graduated Pharmacy school from BK Modi Govt Pharmacy College, Rajkot, India. Sanjay has worked as a Pharmacist since 1997 starting with Walgreens pharmacy as Staff Pharmacist, Pharmacy Manager, Pharmacy supervisor and since November of 2019, as director of Pharmacy with Haller’s Pharmacy and Medical Supply. Sanjay Manages vaccine efforts by Haller’s Pharmacy and Alameda County’s mobile unit. He runs clinical programs and educational efforts in the city of Fremont. Sanjay is a past President of the Alameda County chapter of CA Pharmacist Association and member of their Education Committee, Election Committee and Chair Elect for the community pharmacy owner SIG, Sanjay is the currrent NorCal Chapter Manager of the Indian Pharmacist Association of CA and Education Committee chair of IPA, Managing Network Facilitator for CPESN Central CA, and Luminary for CEPSN CA, member of Diversity Advisory group of CPESN USA and technology committee member for CPESN USA. Additionally, Sanjay works with students from UOP, UCSF, Touro, and Washington State University as a Preceptor.

Dr. A.J. Shergill – Director

Dr. AJ Shergill is a board-certified physician who started his career in medicine as a hospitalist. After recognizing a severe lack of available treatment options for drug and alcohol addiction in the community, he opened his own part-time clinic that served the indigent population. Within months, this became a full-time endeavor with multiple locations. He continues to manage his treatment clinics, but is also involved in other organizations, such as the NCAPDA, that are working to raise awareness of substance use and mental health problems; as well as building tools and services to combat them.

Outreach Directors

The following are supporters who outreach in their local communities on behalf of NCAPDA

Randy Abbott – Outreach Director, North Carolina

Randy is a North Carolina native. He graduated from Lees-McRae Junior College in 1981 and then Appalachian State University in 1983 where he met his wife, Christine. After they were married, they moved to Greensboro where they raised their three children, Rachel, Vanessa, and Matthew. Their daughter Vanessa lost her long and hard-fought battle with substance use disorder on January 31, 2015, at the age of 24. After her death, Randy made the commitment to carry on her battle, working to end our nation’s opioid epidemic and the stigma associated with it. Randy is an advocate for those suffering from substance use disorder, those in or seeking recovery and the families fighting along with them. Recognition for Randy’s community and state-level work includes the Change Maker Award from the Greensboro Chamber of Commerce and the NC Attorney Generals Dogwood Award. Randy serves on the steering committee for Care 4 Carolina, is the planning committee chair for the annual NCAPDA hosted “International Overdose Awareness Day – NC Raleigh Rally for Change” event and is a volunteer with the Healthy Guilford and Expand Good Sam NC Coalitions.

Aglaia Panos Pharm D – Outreach Director, San Francisco Bay Area

Aglaia is a graduate of the University of Pacific College of Pharmacy with a Doctorate of Pharmacy and an adjunct professor and preceptor for pharmacy students on their public health rotation at Touro University College of Pharmacy. As a past President of Marin Pharmacist Association, Aglaia helped launch the RxSafe Marin Coalition and is an active member of the Alameda and Contra Costa County MEDS Coalitions. Aglaia is very active in providing drug prevention and naloxone training in Marin, Alameda and Contra Costa Counties in California. Aglaia is also an active affiliate and participant in Smoke-Free Marin, Tobacco Use Prevention Education (TUPE), Youth Development Program of Oakland, the California Pharmacist Association, and the Alameda/Contra Costa Medical Association.

Sara E. Goldstein – Outreach Director, Contra Costa, CA

Sara E. Goldstein is a Pharmacist at Heller’s Pharmacy and Outreach Director at NCAPDA. She has a Bachelor’s Degree in Pharmacy from the University of Kentucky. She also has acquired extensive experience across her decades-long collaboration with the California Pharmacist Association and the Contra Costa Pharmacist Association.

Staff

The following are staff members who provide consultative support as needed.

Dr. Ken Saffier – Medical Director

Dr. Saffier is a family and addiction medicine physician who throughout his career has been involved in medical school, residency, and health professions education with a special focus on addiction medicine, chronic pain management, and motivational interviewing. He is a member of the Residency Leadership Group of the Contra Costa Regional Family Medicine Residency, located in Martinez, California. In 2008, he completed a faculty development fellowship at USC’s Division of Medical Education and is a Clinical Professor in the Department of Family and Community Medicine, UC San Francisco. In 2012, he became a member of the Motivational Interviewing Network of Trainers. After receiving his medical degree from SUNY, Stony Brook, he completed his family medicine residency at Chicago’s Cook County Hospital and has continued to work in “safety net” hospitals in medically underserved communities. He is certified by the American Board of Family Medicine and the American Board of Addiction Medicine. Dr. Saffier actively works collaboratively with NCAPDA’s Board members in direct support of NCAPDA’s mission.

Kathy Rains – Legal Director

Kathy brings her experience as a law enforcement officer and attorney to her position as NCAPDA’s legal advisor. She retired from Contra Costa County as a Deputy Sheriff and served in the Town of Danville as a police officer. Kathy is currently an attorney specializing in Family, Criminal, and Employment Law. In her private practice, she provides legal counsel to local youth, representing their interests in criminal matters that all too often involve substance abuse. She is committed to helping NCAPDA educate youth and young adults about the dangers, both physically and legally, that can stem from prescription drug abuse. Kathy has a teenage son who works as one of NCAPDA’s Youth Ambassadors, helping to bring prescription drug abuse education to his high school peers.

NCAPDA UC Berkeley Interns

The following interns focus on special projects that include policy change, peer and community education.

Calvin Yang – UC Berkeley Intern Coordinator

Calvin Yang is currently an MPH student at UC Berkeley. He recently graduated from UC Berkeley with dual bachelor’s degrees in Molecular and Cell Biology and Public Health. He has a longstanding passion for the intersection of medical science and public service. As the founder of the NCAPDA internship program at UC Berkeley, Calvin has led numerous initiatives, including multilingual translation projects, the installation of a Barney (naloxone dispenser) unit in UC Berkeley’s Martin Luther King Jr. Student Union, student survey research, data collection and analysis, policy drafting, and advocacy for local overdose prevention policies. Through this work, he aims to expand the impact of harm reduction prevention efforts throughout Berkeley and the broader community.

Sophia Cheng – UC Berkeley Intern Coordinator

Sophia Cheng is a third-year undergraduate at UC Berkeley, majoring in Public Health and double minoring in Public Policy and Global Poverty & Practice. She has strong passions for advancing health equities through advocacy and community engagement. Her interests lie at the intersection of public health, public policy, community nutrition, fitness, immigration rights, mental health, and social justice. As an intern with National Coalition Against Prescription Drug Abuse, she provides trainings to families on how to reverse overdoses with naloxone and pushes for legislation that requires naloxone in public schools. On campus, she serves as an External Vice President for Cal Undergraduate Public Health Coalition, where she helps to organize public health workshops and trainings that ultimately benefit both the UC Berkeley and broader Berkeley community. In the past, she has interned with Health & Human Resource Education Center, Outdoor Kids Occupational Therapy, and Cal Athletics.

Sarah Phung – UC Berkeley Intern

Sarah Phung is a fourth-year undergraduate at UC Berkeley studying Chemical Biology and Digital Humanities. She joined NCAPDA in Summer 2024 with the goal of helping the media team refurbish the organization’s website and expand outreach on overdose prevention. Outside of NCAPDA, Sarah conducts research on chronic metabolic diseases such as diabetes and obesity at UCSF and is active in the American Chemical Society chapter at UC Berkeley. In her free time, she enjoys food blogging, watching movies, and playing golf.

Hibba Zafar – UC Berkeley Intern

Coming soon!

Arushi Reddy Neravetla – UC Berkeley Intern

Coming soon!

NCAPDA Youth Action Council

The following high school student focuses on special projects that include policy change, peer and community education.

Leishadharini Sattiamoorthy – Youth Outreach Director

Leishadharini Sattiamoorthy is a junior at Emerald High School with a strong interest in medicine and public health. She is passionate about raising awareness of the overdose epidemic to promote a safer and healthier community. Alongside her work with NCAPDA, she is a board member of the California Youth Empowerment Network Youth Advisory Board. She supports child development by working with neurodivergent children at Spirited Play Labs, and is a Sports Medicine student through the Tri-Valley Regional Occupational Program. She is currently pursuing the Congressional Award, as well. As Youth Outreach Director, Leisha aims to strengthen community relationships, increase public engagement, and develop meaningful educational programs.

NCAPDA UC Berkeley Alumni

The following alumni have worked with NCAPDA to make meaningful progress toward our projects.

Jasmine Lobo – Human Services Analyst at the County of San Mateo Human Services Agency (Center on Homelessness)

Jasmine graduated from UC Berkeley in December 2025 with a B.A. in Public Health. Following graduation, she began her career in the City of Livermore’s Housing & Human Services Division before transitioning to her current role as a Human Services Analyst with the San Mateo County Human Services Agency in the Center on Homelessness branch. Jasmine also serves as the Assistant Executive Director of the Health Empowerment through Advocacy and Leadership (HEAL) Initiative, a collaborative spanning three universities that trains and empowers students to become leaders in mental health first aid, peer support, and community healing.

Through her work with NCAPDA, Jasmine developed a deeper understanding of the intersections between substance use and broader social issues impacting communities, including homelessness and mental health. She is committed to carrying forward the lessons and experiences gained through NCAPDA by advancing prevention, education, and systems-level solutions through her work.

Aaron Shah – Addiction Neuropharmacology Researcher

Aaron graduated from UC Berkeley in 2026 with a B.A. in Molecular and Cell Biology, emphasizing in Neurobiology. Originally from Orange County, he currently conducts research in an addiction neuropharmacology lab while applying to medical school.
Through his work with NCAPDA, Aaron strengthened his interest in the intersection of neuroscience, substance-use treatment, and patient care.

Sheila Teker – UC Berkeley Intern

Sheila is a second-year student at UC Berkeley, majoring in Molecular and Cell Biology with an emphasis in Molecular Therapeutics and completing a Global Poverty and Practice Minor. She is following a pre-medical/pre-MD-PhD track in her studies. Passionate about social justice and dedicated to community impact, she is involved in various roles on campus and beyond. Apart from her work with NCAPDA, Sheila serves as a student researcher at UCSF, holds the position of Associate Director of Housing and Residential Needs in the ASUC (Associated Students of the University of California) Office of Senator Grottel-Brown, contributes as a Staff Social Justice Writer for the Berkeley Vanguard newspaper, and volunteers in hospitals as well as assisted living/memory care facilities. Her eagerness to raise awareness and provide resources is evident as she dedicates her time to volunteering with NCAPDA.

Advice for Future Interns:

Take advantage of every opportunity to get involved! The process may be challenging at times, but keep pushing forward, stay committed, and celebrate each milestone along the way.

Anju Natarajan – Community Health Worker with Kaiser Permanente and Journey Health

After graduating from UC Berkeley in May of 2026, Anju has been working full-time as a Community Health Worker to support Medi-Cal and uninsured patients with navigating healthcare and social systems in order to get the care they need post-hospitalization. Additionally, Anju is also in the process of applying to medical school and continues to conduct outreach to local unhoused encampments in the East Bay and volunteer as an EMT with Rock Medicine.

Contact Us:

Phone: 925-480-7723

E-mail: info@ncapda.org

NCAPDA P.O. Box 87 San Ramon, CA. 94583

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