President
Corazón Board President, John, has been active for over 25 years. Starting as a volunteer from a sponsor group, Huntington Beach’s Saint Simon & Jude Catholic Parish, John soon became a lead builder and has been on its Board of Directors for the last 14+ years. He is a Vice President of Traylor Bros. Inc, a national heavy construction firm, and lives with his wife in the Huntington Beach area. John’s favorite Corazón experiences continue to be leading sponsor groups, large and small, through the build process. He is especially grateful for the numerous local Blue Shirts that support his efforts each year.
Co-Treasurer
Based in Huntington Beach, Joe Gergen has served as Owner and President of Gergen Construction and JSS Construction since 1988. Under his leadership, the companies have grown to become the nation's largest installers of fluid-applied below-grade vapor barriers and waterproofing systems. With decades of industry expertise, he continues to set the standard for quality and innovation in the field, and shares his passion for helping others through Corazón.
Co-Treasurer
Tom and his wife, Nancy, volunteered for their first Corazón project in 1994 while St Martin de Porres Church members in Yorba Linda. They wanted their then high school-aged children to see how many in the world lived. It made a significant impact on the whole family, and within a year, all were blue shirts, with Tom and Nancy becoming active-behind-the-scenes volunteers.
Tom has been a Corazón Board Member since 1995 and is currently interim Co-Treasurer. He served as Board Vice-President from 1999-2008 and as President from 2009-2017. If you’ve been on a Corazón house-build with them, Tom is the one who makes bad jokes in the introductory meeting, and his wife, Nancy, is the one on the chop saw, skillfully cutting lumber for a house. His children (now in their early 40’s) are still Corazón donors. His son Kelly and his wife Jen are active blue shirts. Daughter Dana is too far away in Virginia to come for Saturday projects, but her husband, Jaime, has participated in a few projects during summer visits.
Tom is retired from Chevron, where he had a 34-year career, mainly in Research and Technology management. He has a B.S. degree in Chemical Engineering from Kansas State University and a Ph.D. from Caltech. They live in San Juan Capistrano.
Secretary
Board Member Cheryl Wolocatiuk first heard about Corazón through her parish St Martin de Porres, in 1994 and went on a house build. Cheryl helped with the High School program and there were many trips where Cheryl took kids down for the day. When she received her Blue Shirt, Corazón offered other opportunities to volunteer with the organization. Cheryl became a truck driver, carrying house build materials from Laguna Niguel to Mexico. She continues volunteering as a Blue Shirt.
About her long commitment to Corazón, she says, "I continue to volunteer for Corazón because I believe in making a difference, I can see change, I can see the difference that Corazón has made in the communities. Working side by side with the family you're building for on a Saturday is very rewarding." Cheryl relays that "helping families and building community is part of our mission. I continue to hear stories and see people coming together to help one another - everyone benefits in the long run." She loves that Corazón does not "give and go," that the participants work and support each other in growing their communities. In Corazón's future, she hopes to continue raising funds for scholarships and other programs that will allow Corazón's families to grow and learn. Cheryl's life outside of Corazón includes enjoying outrigger paddling and softball among other outdoor activities.
Board Member
Paul Sicking is a retired executive with over 40 years’ experience in the software development industry where he led large organizations engaged in highly complex projects. He is the former Chief Technology Officer for a $2B business unit within Siemens, a German multinational conglomerate company. His current volunteer activities include tutoring at-risk teenagers and mentoring a high school robotics team. He has been involved with Corazón since the late 1980's and is gratified to see how the organization has matured over the years and the positive impact it has had on the communities in Mexico.
Board Member
Raul Verduzco is a Senior Project Manager at Walsh Construction with a passion for construction and community service. He has led volunteer groups to build homes for families in need through Corazón. Raul also plays a key role in organizing successful fundraising efforts. His leadership reflects a deep commitment to making a lasting impact in the communities Corazón serves.
Board Member
Tania Zaragoza is a seasoned Project Manager with extensive experience overseeing large-scale residential, hospitality, and mixed-use developments throughout Southern California. With a background in computer engineering and a deep understanding of construction logistics, Tania brings both technical expertise and hands-on leadership to Corazón.