San Diego Regional Center
Serving San Diego and Imperial Counties
About the San Diego Regional Center
The San Diego Regional Center (SDRC) is a service of San Diego-Imperial Counties Developmental Services, Inc.
SDRC is a focal point in the community for persons with developmental disabilities (intellectual disabilities, cerebral palsy, epilepsy, autism, or other disabling conditions similar to intellectual disabilities) living in San Diego and Imperial counties.
We are a private, non-profit 501 c (3) organization that contracts with California to provide the services outlined in the Lanterman Developmental Disabilities Services Act. The San Diego Regional Center is one of 21 regional centers throughout California.
Read about the history and progress made since the two pilot regional centers opened their doors in 1966.
Meet The Executive Leadership Team
Mark Klaus
Executive Director
Mark serves as the Executive Director of the San Diego Regional Center (SDRC). He was appointed to the position by the Board of Directors on November 1, 2021. SDRC serves over 39,000 individuals in San Diego and Imperial counties with a staff of 800 and a combined budget of over $750 million.
Before joining SDRC, Mark was President & CEO of Home of Guiding Hands (HGH), a community-based provider that supported over 4,200 individuals in San Diego and Imperial counties.
Mark has over 41 years of senior-level executive experience operating and developing person-centered service options for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
He is active in numerous local, statewide, and national organizations including the California Department of Developmental Services Statewide (DDS) Task Force, the Fiscal & System Reform Workgroup, Department of Healthcare Services Long Term Care Workgroup.
Mark is a graduate of the University of Illinois and attended the prestigious Stanford Executive Program for Nonprofit Leaders. He lives in San Diego with Angie, his wife of 36 years. In his off hours, Mark is often outdoors working on his landscaping and enjoying time with his family.
Kate Kinnamont
Associate Executive Director
Kate is the Associate Executive Director of the San Diego Regional Center. She began her career at SDRC over 25 years ago as an Intake Service Coordinator. She held various positions at SDRC including Service Coordinator in the North County office, Program Manager of a Children’s Unit in the National City Office, Manager of Intake Services, Regional Manager for the Kearney Mesa office, and Director of Client Services. Before joining SDRC, Kate worked as an educator for the US Navy Drug and Alcohol Prevention Program, Outpatient Psychiatric Counselor for the Escambia County (FL) Mental Health Services, and a Victim’s Services Specialist for the US Navy Family Advocacy Program.
Kate has a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology and a Master’s in Counseling and Human Development. She lives with her husband, Keith, who served in the US Navy for over 20 years. She has two children; Kristofer, who is a Captain in the US Army, and Kaitlin, a licensed Speech and Language Pathologist who practices in Irvine, CA. Kate loves to travel, shop and spend time with family (not necessarily in that order).
Celeste Graham
Director of Clinical Services
Celeste joined SDRC as the Director of Clinical Services in October 2024. She is a graduate of East Carolina University, where she earned her Bachelor of Science in Physical Therapy in 1997.
Celeste’s career as a PT has primarily focused on pediatrics, working with children and young adults with developmental disabilities. The majority of her experience has been with California Children’s Services in San Diego County for 17 years cumulatively, with roles as a treating therapist, Senior PT, Supervisor, and the Chief of Occupational/Physical Therapy Services. She was also an active member of the Medical Therapy Program Advisory Committee, where she collaborated with colleagues across the state and the CA Department of Health Care Services. In addition to her time at CCS, Celeste also worked in various multidisciplinary settings, including skilled nursing facilities, early intervention, outpatient therapy clinics, hospitals (NICU and acute care), health plans, and non-profit organizations. Over the years, she developed an interest in management and spent less time in patient care, but draws from both her clinical and administrative experiences in achieving positive outcomes for the teams, programs, and individuals that she serves.
Celeste lives in North County San Diego with her husband, and is a proud mom and stepmom to their two now adult children. Outside of work and family, Celeste enjoys reading and running.
Miguel Larios
Director of Community Services
Miguel Larios is the Director of Community Services and has been with SDRC for 13 years.
He has held various positions within the agency that include: Bilingual Service Coordinator for adults living in the family home or their own home; Evaluation Specialist in Community Services (was responsible for developing and coordinating a program evaluation system to assess the effectiveness of programs provided to individuals supported); Program Manager for an Early Start unit, Regional Manager overseeing teams in our East and South Inland regions, Manager of Client Services for Early Childhood.
Miguel is also one of SDRC’s certified Person-Centered Thinking trainers and facilitates a reflective practice group for the staff.
He has a bachelor's degree in early childhood development and a master’s degree in education. He is bilingual in English and Spanish. Before working at SDRC, he was a kindergarten teacher.
Miguel’s outside interests vary from hiking to playing competitive kickball and dodgeball. Recently his team won the Sin City Classic Tournament for Kickball.
Seth Mader
Director of Information Technology
Seth is the Director of Information Technology where he oversees the IT for the organization and the regional center system, SANDIS, and has worked for the San Diego Regional Center since 2001. Seth brings a diverse set of skills and job experience including Social Work Counselor, Developmental Center Deflection Placement Specialist, Program Manager, and currently the Director of Information Technology to SDRC. Before becoming the Director of the IT department, Seth was responsible for developing a search-based, user-friendly online interface to host SDRC policies & procedures.
Seth holds an undergraduate degree in Psychology from Millersville University. He earned a Master’s degree in Counseling Psychology from National University.
He lives in San Diego with his wife of seven years and his daughter and two stepchildren. Seth enjoys gardening and sustainability and is a motorcycle buff. One of his earlier motorcycle projects was removing the gasoline engine of a sport bike and replacing it with an electric motor, motor controller, and a lithium battery pack he made from scratch. He used the custom electric motorcycle to commute to the regional center for over a year, but eventually sold it to a software developer.
Seth’s first job after undergraduate school was working as a mental health counselor and case manager in a prison on the East Coast. He enjoyed serving individuals with mental health issues and developmental disabilities. When he moved to San Diego, he sought jobs in similar fields and eventually found his way to the San Diego Regional Center.
Clorinda Merino
Director of Equity
Clorinda Merino currently serves as the Director of Equity at the San Diego Regional Center. She previously held the Integrated Learning System Director role at the Social Policy Institute at San Diego State University and worked as a private consultant specializing in Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) for school districts and various organizations.
Before these roles, Clorinda was the Rural Mental Health Project Coordinator at the Western Regional Children’s Advocacy Center and spent over eight years as a senior trainer at the National SafeCare Training and Research Center at Georgia State University.
As a private consultant, she focuses on Child Abuse Prevention and taught in the master's program at CETYS University. For 30 years, Clorinda has traveled internationally to speak and train professionals on child maltreatment and parent and community engagement. She holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology and a master’s in counseling from the University of San Diego.
Throughout her career, she has worked with various community agencies, directing programs focused on child maltreatment and domestic violence. A strong advocate for children and families, Clorinda has also contributed to a national initiative to develop treatment guidelines for working with Latino families.
Dulce Morin
Director of Business Services
Dulce Morin serves as the Director of Business Services at San Diego Regional Center, bringing over ten years of experience in leadership within various sectors. Dulce is committed to transparency and accountability, guiding the organization’s financial strategy to ensure long-term sustainability and impact.
In her role, Dulce oversees all financial operations, including budgeting, forecasting, and financial reporting. She is dedicated to optimizing resources and supporting SDRC’s mission to serve and empower persons with developmental disabilities and their families to achieve their goals with community partners.
Dulce holds a bachelor’s degree. As a San Diego native, she enjoys spending time outdoors with family in beautiful San Diego.
Gabriella (Gabby) Ohmstede
Director of Client Services
Gabby was hired by San Diego Regional Center in September 2003 as an Early Start Service Coordinator. After seven years as a Service Coordinator, she worked as a Resource Coordinator in the Community Services Department before being promoted to Program Manager, and then Regional Manager of the Carlsbad office.
At that time, she began following the progression of the Self Determination Program in California and became involved with the implementation of the program both locally and state-wide. This has continued to be a program that Gabby is actively involved with. She was promoted to Associate Director of Client Services two months prior to the start of the Covid Pandemic and has been the Director of Client Services since May 2022.
Gabby has been married to her husband Jason for 11 years and has two stepchildren who are both in college at the University of Portland and the University of San Francisco. Away from work, Gabby enjoys spending time outdoors, camping, attending concerts, and the Padres and Aztec games. She has a small art studio in her home and has had several pieces juried into local art shows.
Gabby has a B.S. in Psychology from the University of California San Diego (UCSD) and a Masters in Social Work from San Diego State University (SDSU). She also completed her licensure as a Licensed Clinical Social Worker.
Robert Webb-Rex
Associate Director of Business Services
Robert is the Associate Director of Business Services. He has 15 years of experience working with non-profit agencies, with 9 of those at SDRC having joined the agency in 2015. During his time at SDRC, he has held various positions in both the Community Services Department and Business Services Department.
Robert describes his work at SDRC as his passion. It’s important to him to work in a field where he has an opportunity to make a positive impact in his local community.
Robert has a B.A. in Communications from the Pennsylvania State University and a Master’s in Business Administration from the University of Phoenix.
Outside of work, Robert enjoys exploring all that San Diego has to offer by exploring its rich neighborhoods, trying new restaurants, and enjoying relaxing Saturday afternoon walks in
Balboa Park
Pamela Starmack
Director of Marketing
& Communications
Pamela is the Director of Marketing & Communications. She accepted the role in February of 2022 after eight years as the Marketing Manager at Home of Guiding Hands (HGH), a service provider for persons with developmental and intellectual disabilities.
Pamela started her career at an advertising agency in her hometown of Denver, Colorado while attending art school. She later relocated to San Diego, launched her freelance design business, and worked for a local marketing and advertising agency.
Three years later, Pamela took the position of Art Director for Brandes Investment Partners where she stayed for seven years building brand awareness and growing a marketing and design team.
She then changed direction to what she considered her most important job – an opportunity to be home to raise her three children. During this time, Pamela began volunteering for the American Cancer Society (ACS) where she held several chair positions for the ACS Relay for Life in Ramona. She has a passion for helping others and believes that no matter what your life circumstances, you always have something to give. This philosophy brought her to HGH where she truly began to understand the special needs community.
As the Director of Marketing & Communications, Pamela oversees the organization’s branding, internal and external communications, marketing and advertising, and outreach efforts.
Outside of work, Pamela spends time with her family and friends, traveling, enjoying music and art, and the outdoors.
Kimberly Steitz, MA
Director of Client Services, Adults
& Residential
Kim is a Director of Client Services overseeing residential, adults, the Imperial Valley Office, Federal Programs and risk management. She has dedicated 19 years of service at SDRC starting as an Early Start Intake Service Coordinator before advancing to roles such as Program Manager, Regional Manager, and Associate Director of Client Services in 2022. She actively participates in community multidisciplinary groups and serves as the AB 2083 System of Care Operations Representative, collaborating with partners to develop positive outcomes for foster youth with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities.
Prior to working at San Diego Regional Center, Kim was a Mental Health Case Management Clinician for San Diego County Mental Health and a Case Manager for a Non-Profit, County Contracted Foster Family Agency. She has a bachelor's degree in child and family development from San Diego State University and a master’s degree in marriage and family therapy from the University of San Diego. Kim's background in mental health services, combined with her education enriches her approach to client care and advocacy.
Kim and her husband, James, of 19 years live in El Cajon with their three children, ages 18, 16, and 14. Their son, CJ, the 14-year-old is a client with San Diego Regional Center. Outside of work, Kim enjoys reading, family activities like movie nights, and supporting their kids' endeavors, including Girl Scout activities (cookie sales!), basketball and volleyball games, and roles in musical plays.
Christine Lux-Whiting
Director of Human Resources
Christine has enjoyed her role as Director of Human Resources since November 2004. She was previously with Episcopal Community Services in San Diego as their Human Resources Director for 13 years.
She holds a master’s in Human Services Management from the Florence Heller School, Brandeis University, and a bachelor’s degree from New York University.
Christine has lived on the east coast and in France, Germany, Mexico, and Chile. Her outside interests include hiking, watching films, and spending time with family.
Our Goals
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Enhance the quality of individuals’ daily living experiences in the provision of day services by improving individual experiences in activities that are defined as meaningful to/by them.
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Increase the number of clients engaged in competitive and integrated employment.
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Increase the number of affordable housing opportunities.
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Reduce disparity in purchase of service spending among ethnic groups.
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Improve collaboration between and among the San Diego Regional Center with vendors, Department of Developmental Services, elected state officials, and other community partners.
We Value
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The uniqueness of human life is valued.
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Client and family choice is respected.
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Services reflect, and are sensitive to, the cultural and ethnic diversity of the community.
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We value outreach and collaboration with the community to identify the individual’s needs and develop new ideas and services.
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High quality services engender a sense of confidence and support within the community.
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Individuals, communities and government entities are well informed about (issues and services affecting) persons with developmental disabilities.
SDRC Locations
In order to serve you better, we have offices around San Diego County and in Imperial Valley
MAIN OFFICE
4355 Ruffin Rd, Suite 200
San Diego, CA 92123
P (858) 576-2996
F (858) 576-2873
NORTH COUNTY
300 Rancheros Drive, 4th Floor, Suite 400
San Marcos, CA 92069
Phone: (760) 736-1200
Fax: (760) 736-1262
EAST COUNTY
7787 Alvarado Road
La Mesa, CA 91942
P (619) 596-1000
F (619) 596-1098
SOUTH BAY
2727 Hoover Avenue, Suite 100
National City, CA 91950
P (619) 336-6600
F (619) 477-6248
IMPERIAL VALLEY
3095 Imperial Avenue
El Centro, CA 92243
P (760) 355-8383
F (760) 355-0739
CARMEL MOUNTAIN
15015 Avenue of Science, Suite 250
San Diego, CA 92128
P (858) 924-8700
F (858) 924-0878
SOUTH INLAND
2300 Boswell Road, Suite 200
Chula Vista, CA 91914
phone: (619) 489-3200
fax: (619) 489-3299