Beyond the Boardroom Joe O’Hehir, interim CEO of Vivalon
J oe O’Hehir wants to change the narrative on aging. Instead of living in fear of age, he believes we should instead be working to maintain our elders’ connection to the community. Like it or not, we will all get old eventually and O’Hehir and senior-services nonprofit Vivalon want to provide older people with proper care. By Rosie Padilla
What services does the Healthy Aging campus provide? We partnered with [affordable housing developer] Eden Housing to build 66 units of 100% affordable housing and there are 85 people living there. They can walk downtown, it’s a very safe place. We also partnered with Marin Community Clinics to put in an on-site medical clinic and that’s there to serve the elders, not only the ones that live in the building but also people that come in for day programs. And then we have our Healthy Aging Center, which is about belonging, nutrition, keeping [seniors] vibrant in the community and giving them a place to belong. How did Vivalon manage to get you out of retirement? I got a call from the board in March that they were making a CEO/leadership change, and they asked if I would come back. I was actually in Hawaii at the time. They felt that having me come back in as the interim CEO would be good for the organization—given that I had been the CEO for 13 years. And the organization is near and dear to my heart. For years the company was known as Whistlestop—why the rebrand? I was making a presentation at Kaiser probably eight or nine years ago; it was all of their department heads. After the presentation, they said, “Jeez, we thought Whistlestop was only a bus company because people would see our buses all over.” That was the impetus—to come up with a name that more encompassed all of the services and programs we offer. It’s called a developed name and “viva” is for life and “lon” is for longevity. How has your health-care experience influenced your leadership at Vivalon? I think my experience dealing with the Medicare population in my for-profit career made me realize that we needed some alternative care, particularly for the elders that were in the later stages of life. And then I started working in the nonprofit world and came to Whistlestop in 2008 and I realized this was a great intersection for my career. Seeing what I thought was needed and then getting into an organization like this—and that really was the impetus for the O’Hehir, 73, is currently the interim CEO of the San Rafael-based Vivalon (formerly known as Whistlestop), a position he previously held for 13 years. Vivalon utilizes a community-based plan of integrated care to enhance the independence, health and quality of life of older adults and people with disabilities. One of O’Hehir’s biggest accomplishments with the organization is the establishment of the Healthy Aging Campus, at 999 Third St. in San Rafael, which provides housing, transportation, access to health care and nutrition, while mitigating social isolation. O’Hehir emphasizes how important the Healthy Aging Campus is to the community as Marin County has one of the oldest populations in California. The campus officially opened in January of 2024 and continues to help individuals live vibrant, healthier and happier lives. “Hopefully we can be a part of a new model that will make the elderly feel more a part of the community,” says O’Hehir. For more information on Vivalon visit vivalon.org .
idea of the Healthy Aging campus. And your other passion is golfing?
What I love about golfing is that you have a fatal attraction to it. It’s something that you can’t master so it’s an ongoing learning [process]. Every time you hit a golf ball or are on the golf course, it’s a great experience. It’s the challenge and the beauty of the game, the socialization side too. What’s one word you would use to describe yourself? Compassionate. I try to use emotional intelligence or intellectual intelligence to really understand where people are coming from. And I think to do that you kind of have to set your ego or yourself aside first to really understand the other individual. That’s one of the things I like to do and I always want to be available to people. What is the key to a great life? You have to stay active to enjoy your life. Physically, mentally and emotionally. Giving back to the community is our energy. It also keeps [my wife and me] physically, mentally and emotionally active and engaged.
Duncan Garrett Photography
74 NorthBaybiz
February 2025
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