Joyce Perkins
Executive Director
Joyce Perkins comes to Solstice at Auburn with a lengthy background in senior living, including experience in independent living, memory care and assisted living. Joyce moved from the Bay Area to Auburn in 1994, and has lived and worked in the area for more than two decades. In that time, she has grown to know our community well. She has gained the trust of our residents and worked tirelessly to improve our Solstice community. She has worked to lead our employees and residents back into a vibrant life of increased socializing and multiple mealtime offerings, while continuing to tackle challenges stemming from the pandemic.
Her favorite thing about Solstice at Auburn is being able to assist family and friends in the area and provide love and support. She brings this attitude to work and treats every resident like family. Every voice matters, and she looks to resident feedback in order to make our small world better.
Paula Sellers
Senior Director of Sales and Marketing
Liz Steger
Business Office Director
Liz Steger joins the Solstice at Auburn team with four years of experience in assisted living and memory care. As the Business Office director, Liz oversees the maintenance team and night manager, while also handling all aspects of scheduling, operations and accounting.
Liz has lived in Auburn for six years and knows the area well. When asked what she loves most about Solstice, Liz says it’s the residents. She really cares about their well-being and works every day to make their lives better. In her free time, Liz loves to cross-stitch and sew, and is an avid reader.
Tim Hirabayashi
Culinary Services Director
Chef Chef Tim Hirabayashi is a Los Altos and Palo Alto, Calif., native and brings a wealth of culinary knowledge and skills to the Solstice Senior Living Elevate® dining program.
He began his culinary career as a prep cook in high school before attending culinary school in South Lake Tahoe. While in school, Tim worked as an apprentice for Harrah’s Northern California Casino, served under Michelin award-winning Chef Richard Chen at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Sacramento, and was a sushi chef for Google co-founder Sergey Brin.
Tim is a husband, father of two daughters and grandfather of three children. In his spare time, Tim loves spending time outdoors hunting, fishing, camping and, most recently, riding a single-wheel skateboard. His favorite dish to cook outside of work is traditional barbecue.
Cathleen Sommer
Vibrant Life Director
Cathleen Sommer has worked as the Vibrant Life director for more than seven years. Her residents have become her extended family, and she considers spending time with them her favorite part of the job. Before working with seniors, Cathleen was a mentor coordinator with junior high and high school students. When she’s not working, she enjoys spending time with her family and pets, playing golf, watching movies, and summer softball.
