Our Team

A resident of San Diego since 1974, Margie joined the Pathfinders board in 1992.  She has worked as a newspaper and magazine writer and editor, served as the public relations director for Pacific Southwest Airlines [PSA] and has owned a p.r. agency that specialized in crisis communications.  Most recently, she was the founding editor and chief writer for the Congressionally mandated Naval Center for Combat & Operational Stress Control, which is headquartered in San Diego.  In addition to Pathfinders, her other volunteer activities include the San Diego Press Club, of which she is a past president, and teaching writing at the Monarch School, which serves homeless youth in downtown San Diego.

Dr. Tara Zandvliet has her own practice at South Park Doctor. She is board certified internal medicine, pediatrics, and integrative medicine.  She has been on the board at Pathfinders since 2015.

Tara is a graduate of Stanford University, with a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Spanish. She became fluent in Spanish while studying in Salamanca, Spain. After a year as a substitute teacher in Los Angeles, she entered medical school.

She received her m.d. from New York Medical College, where she was recognized for her skill in clinical diagnoses.  As a medical student she chose challenging assignments in Harlem and the South Bronx, emergency rooms in Detroit, and Indian Health Services in rural Colorado.

For her residency she attended the University of Texas, Houston. She pursued both internal medicine and pediatrics in a double residency.  She was selected as chief resident in internal medicine by Dr. James Willerson, head of the Texas Heart Institute.  Upon completion of her residency Tara was on the faculty at UT Houston. She also headed up the Baylor College of Medicine/University of Texas HIV clinic during that time.

At Palomar Medical Center in Escondido she worked as a hospitalist for several years, taking care of very sick, complex patients.  She then moved to Family Health Centers of San Diego to provide clinical services to low-income patients. There she was recognized by her peers for being their most qualified physician for difficult cases, and equally important by the patients for having the best bedside manner.

She has a special interest in working with patients to take charge of their own health and those in recovery.

Jesse Papike is a former Pathfinder resident who graduated the program in 2004 and has been very active within the recovery community.   In 2007 Jesse married his high school sweetheart Raquel and they are blessed with two boys, Tyson and Cooper. In 2012 Jesse joined the Pathfinders of San Diego board of directors.  Through his dedication to the program, Jesse sponsors and mentors many men who are taking steps towards a life in sobriety.  Professionally, Jesse is a partner at Cross-Search, which assists financial advisors in making a move to a new Broker Dealer.

J Tim Ochoa, a retired warden, is a 36-year veteran of the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.  During his career he actively supported the concept of self-help programs, such as anger management, parenting and communication skills and Narcotics/Alcoholics Anonymous within the inmate rehabilitation process and consistently attended and encouraged participants within the various programs.  His philosophy is that by providing an opportunity to improve one’s self, be it physical, mental/emotional and/or spiritual, that person will be in a better state to encourage and pass on the opportunity to others.  A first generation American and Pomona, California Native, he currently resides in the City of Brawley and looks forward to his new role as a Pathfinders Board Member.  A native of Ponoma California, he is a first generation American. He currently resides in the City of Brawley.

D.K. Sappington, director of business development for Swift Navigation, a Silicon Valley-based technology startup, has more than 20 years of experience as a senior level telecom professional in business development to international wireless operators and a long history of strategic alliance building. D. K. has also demonstrated a proven record of success in revenue-generating business development activity with the international wireless operator community. Over his career, D. K. has developed ext0ensive global contacts with international mobile operators and SMEs at levels from the end-user to the board of directors, consistently demonstrating the ability to establish, execute and successfully bring to completion strategic objectives for a wide range of products and services, including but not limited to hardware, software, SaaS, value-added services and complete turnkey solutions.

D. K. has applied his extensive corporate experience to many community-based NGOs, such as the San Diego Urban League, San Diego Chamber of Commerce and most recently as a board of directors member for Pathfinders of San Diego.  It has always been D. K.’s heartfelt belief that the ability of a community to lift up its most at-risk members benefits everyone.

Ezra Mock is a Southern California native and UCSD Alumni, holding advanced degrees in Applied Mathematics, Computer Science and Statistics. As an experienced tech professional, mathematician and data scientist – education, perseverance, and personal growth have been themes throughout his life. Through mentoring younger students and burgeoning scientists at the community college level, Ezra found his passions for giving back to the community. His goals include furthering vocational and social mobility for the County’s most vulnerable population through educational opportunity and advancement.

Tylhor Dodd, originally from New York, has been a San Diego resident since 2006.  After many ups and downs, Tylhor found sobriety at Pathfinders in 2007.  He went from working as a maintenance man for a local roller coaster, to landing his dream job as an on-air personality on San Diego’s number one morning show called “The Show” in 2014.  He is still on that show today, which has now become a nationally top 100 podcast for iHeart media.  Tylhor married his wife Hayley in 2021, and they enjoy spending life together in South Park.  Tylhor is still incredibly active in his recovery by going to meetings, sponsoring men, and helping Pathfinders as often as he can.