Board of Directors

Ashok Attri has been the owner of Appian Express Mart and Gas since 2005 and loves our community.  Appian Express is a gas station and mini-mart selling beer, wine, snacks, lottery tickets, medicine chest and household items as well as other grocery and convenience items.  Ashok was born and raised in a small village in India.  He has three children, two of them now adults with children of their own.  Not only is he a proud grandfather of two, he also has a younger son and a lovely wife that he lives with in Tara Hills. Ashok Studied philosophy at an Ashram in India for four years after completing his formal public education and then in his early 20's moved to Berkeley California where he continued to study philosophy. Ashok enjoys living the simple life and spending time with his family.

Donnie Beeler grew up in the East Bay for most of his life. "I attended and eventually graduated from Sacramento State in 2013. I spent the next 7 years working for the Richmond Boys and Girls club, and the Golden State Warriors, until I came to my current job as the sports manager for the Special Olympics of Northern California. I currently live in El Sobrante and am passionate about helping this city's small business and community."

Marie Carayanis, resident of El Sobrante since 1963. She was co- owner for 30 years (1970-2000) of a local business in downtown El Sobrante, Nick & Marie's Delicatessen and Catering, and thus became active in representing the needs of business owners. Marie has served on the Chamber Board since 1968, held the position of President in 1984-85, 2003-04, 2014-16, and is currently Membership Chairperson. She was one of the founders of the El Sobrante Stroll and serves as the Director of Vendor Booths for the Stroll. Her priorities are her family,  3 daughters & grandchildren, her friends, and promoting the goals of the Chamber for the betterment of the El Sobrante Valley Community.

Jim Cowen joined the Chamber in 1985, and became a director the following year. He has served 3 times as Chamber President, and is the 2005 Citizen of the Year.  Jim grew up in El Sobrante and attended local schools, and graduated from St Marys’ College in Moraga.  His first business was Mail Plus, and since 2000 he has run Jim Cowen Insurance Brokers.    

Manager @ The Artist Tree 4100 San Pablo Dam Road El Sobrante, CA 94803510-224-5001 OPEN DAILY 8am-9pm   [Bio to come]

Ronnie Mills  grew up in Richmond’s Crescent Park community and has a passion for public service and driving positive change. With a deep-rooted connection to Richmond, Ronnie's journey has been marked by impactful advocacy, creative pursuits, and a commitment to empowering his community. Ronnie is a proud graduate of El Cerrito High School (Go Gauchos!) and earned his B.A. in Music from Oral Roberts University in Tulsa, OK. He's also an award-winning singer/songwriter. Ronnie's professional journey is a tapestry of community-driven projects. His time as a Project Manager for the Richmond Main Street Initiative showcased his commitment to revitalizing Downtown Richmond. Through initiatives focusing on beautification, economic development, and local business support, Ronnie played a pivotal role in enhancing the city's heart. He currently lives in Albany with his wife of 12 years and their two remarkable children. A member of the Richmond Rotary Club since 2022, Ronnie's dedication to service includes local faith-based organizations in Oakland and San Francisco–underscoring his commitment to creating a strong sense of community and belonging. Ronnie is ready to serve El Sobrante, East Richmond Heights, and more. With a focus on code enforcement, animal services, and veterans' issues, he is committed to addressing the diverse needs of the district.

Max Perez grew up in Immokalee, a small farm-working community in SW Florida. As a youth, he spent his time picking tomatoes, watermelons and organizing in community to bring better wages and working conditions to the fields. Today, he is proud to be a small business owner in El Sobrante where he is focused on providing easier access to tools and equipment though his company, Little Big Equipment Rental. He serves on the board of the El Sobrante Chamber of Commerce, and is also a member of Triangle Works, where he seeks to be a part of El Sobrante's vibrant community and it's continued growth. His dream is to one day build a Day Labor Center to provide work, training in the trades and access to resources in EL Sobrante and the surrounding Bay Area.        

Harpreet S. Sandhu emigrated from Punjab, India to Berkeley California in 1970, where he attended public school and graduated from Berkeley High in 1977.  He then enrolled at Contra Costa College and continued on to San Francisco State University. An avid tennis player, he played varsity tennis in high school and at San Francisco State University when SFSU was ranked 15th nationally. After college, Harpreet worked as a tennis pro for the Sleepy Hollow Tennis Club in Orinda and then as the manager for Golden Gate Fields Tennis Club in Albany. In 1984, he married Inderpreet K. Virk. They have three children. Their oldest daughter, Tanisha, graduated from University of California at Davis with a BS in Biological Science in June 2008 and plans to enter Dental School. Hoorin, their middle child, is currently attending the University of California at Davis and is majoring in Biological Sciences with a minor in Spanish. Their son, Bharjoban, is attending Contra Costa College. Harpreet began employment at the United States Postal Service in 1991 in the city of Tiburon, where he has received many awards and accolades from the community for his work. He retired in 2023. Harpreet is active in the Sikh community and has served consecutively as Secretary, Treasurer, and President of the Sikh Center of the San Francisco Bay Area which has over 2000 members. Community Service Harpreet has been engaged in extensive community and public service since the early 1980’s, serving on area committees and commissions, such as:

• Academic Committee of the West Contra Costa County Unified School District
• Chairman for the past 10 years on the parents Multi-lingual Advisory Committee of the WCCCUSD since 1997. Of the 31,530 students in grades K-12, 32.4% are English Learners who are represented by this Committee.
• City of Richmond’s Human Relations and Human Rights Commission from 2002 to 2007

Harpreet service includes:

• Executive Committee of the Democratic Party of California.
• Developmental Disability Board for Area 5, which covers the counties of San Mateo, San Francisco, Marin, Alameda and Contra Costa. He was appointed by the Governor of California, Gray Davis in 2002.

 

• National Association of Bilingual Education. NABE has affiliate organizations in 23 states, representing a combined membership of more than 20,000 bilingual and English-as-a-second-language teachers, administrators, paraprofessionals, university professors and students, researchers, advocates, policymakers, and parents.
• Chairman of NABE’s Asian & Pacific Islanders Special Interest Group
• California Association of Bilingual Education
• Contra Costa County Democratic Central Committee member, since 2004
• California State Democratic Party Delegate to the state convention seven times since 1998
• Chairman of the West Contra Costa County United Democratic Campaign

Harpreet Sandhu is probably best remembered as a strong advocate for creating safer working conditions for West County taxi drivers. After the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks, taxi drivers in West County — 90 percent of whom are Sikh — increasingly became victims of attacks. One driver was killed in 2003, and one was shot in the face in what appeared to be hate crimes. Sandhu, then president of the Gurdwara Sikh Temple in El Sobrante, worked with U.S. Rep George Miller, D-Martinez, County Supervisor John Gioia and Richmond Vice Mayor Maria Viramontes to raise money to equip taxis with safety glass and surveillance cameras. “Many of the drivers are new immigrants, and there is a language barrier. There was a feeling that nothing was going to happen unless someone spoke up for them,” Sandhu said. “We were able to raise $30,000, which was not sufficient to cover all the taxis, but it was a start.” City of Richmond Council Member Harpreet Sandhu focused on the City Council Member in creating economic stability within the city, jobs, and employment opportunities for Richmond residents, and improving security and safety for Richmond residents with regards to crime. When he was appointed on January 23, 2007 to the Richmond City Council, Sandhu said the most critical issue facing the City Council is Richmond’s chronic violence. He said violence has many causes and that a solution will come from numerous sources, including better education, more cooperation among law enforcement agencies, and increased services to Richmond residents who live below the poverty level. “Education is a critical component to ending violence, and we have to work together to help children overcome hardships like not having breakfast before going to school in the morning. How are we going to attract industry and jobs to Richmond if we can’t solve the problem of violence?” He served  on the following Sub-Committees of the City Council:

• Public Safety Committee, Vice Chair
• North Richmond Mitigation Fee Planning Committee

Harpreet also was the City Council Liaison for the Human Relations and Human Rights Commission, the Library Commission, and the Police Commission. He prides himself on diligently attending every meeting. Harpreet was elected as a Delegate to the Democratic National Convention for Senator Barack Obama and represented Richmond Democrats at the National Convention in 2008 and 2012.  He is elected to be a delegate to Biden and Harris 2024 Democratic National Convention.

Owner- Mountian Mike's Pizza located at Princeton Plaza Shopping Center- 3340 San Pablo Dam Rd. San Pablo CA 94803 510-262-9000  

Bob Sharp is a commercial property owner in El Sobrante.

Harry Weiner was appointed to the El Sobrante Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors in February, 2022.  He  serves as a Director on the West County Waste Water District Board. He is a twice elected member of the Board of Directors, Ward 4.  He moved from Occidental, CA,  7 years ago, with his wife of 46 years, Anita White. “This community is unique in the East Bay and wonderful because of it.  I am on the Chamber Board to promote small business and town beautification, to enrich the lives of the people that live here.”

Jim Hammack is the owner of Nerdcrossing.  In 2025 he became the Chair of the Lauren Hanley Scholarship Committee.

Thomas (Tom) Lang has lived in El Sobrante for nearly 20 years with his wife Vivi and sons Adam and Alex.  He serves as a member of the El Sobrante Municipal Advisory Council (ESMAC) and as Co-Chairman of the El Sobrante Stroll Committee. Tom’s former day job was Associate Dean for Research at the University California, San Francisco (UCSF) School of Dentistry. He retired in 2020. In addition to his position in the School of Dentistry, he was on the UCSF School of Medicine Faculty for 25 years, where he carried out research in osteoporosis and other musculoskeletal disorders of aging.

Scott Tuffnell is a Realtor® with his own office, Tuffnell & Associates Real Estate on San Pablo Dam Road. Scott has been recognized by the National Association of Realtors as a Seller Representative Specialist [SRS] and a Seniors Real Estate Specialist [SRES].  His office is also NAR recognized as an At Home With Diversity business [AHWD]. Tuffnell & Associates Real Estate was named Business of the Year for 2023. Scott joined the chamber in 2000 as the owner/operator of Biancos Deli & Catering, which was voted Business of the Year in 2004, and has been on the board for all but one year since.  He was elected President of the Board in 2005 serving one year, and re-elected in 2017 serving until January, 2020.  Scott now serves as manager of chamber's marketing. He is honored to have been the first chair  the Lauren Hanley Scholarship Committee, named after past President Lauren Hanley .