By admin 
The Sacramento Bee and Nehemiah Leaders Programs are celebrating this year’s 60 Change Makers. Join them at our gala at 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 13 at the Grand Sheraton in downtown Sacramento. Buy tickets at sacramentochangemakers.com.
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When Germán Ayon was 7 years old, he was already challenging doctors.
His grandmother, Paula Casillas, noticed something was wrong with her pacemaker. Her doctor, however, didn’t immediately recognize how badly it troubled her. The young boy, who translated his grandmother’s Spanish to English, refused to let the issue go until doctors took another look. They discovered his grandmother was right. She needed surgery.
That early lesson — that people are too often unheard until someone advocates for them — became the foundation of Ayon’s career.
Now 29, the first-generation Mexican American and first in his family to graduate from college oversees case management and program development for Agency on Aging Area 4. He helps older adults, people with disabilities and caregivers across a seven-county region remain safely in their homes. Rather than simply leaving people to connect a web of services on their own, he has helped build systems that make those services more responsive and easier to find.
His philosophy is deceptively simple: People seeking help should help define the solution.
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That person-centered approach influences everything from housing and transportation assistance to Medi-Cal and CalFresh enrollment to disaster preparedness and long-term case management. Under Ayon’s leadership, staff don’t simply hand callers a phone number. They stay on the line during three-way calls, continue to follow up weeks later and adjust plans when circumstances change.
After learning about an innovative caregiver support platform from another agency, the Sacramento State graduate brought it to the region. The new Care for Caregivers program delivers personalized coaching, educational resources and one-on-one support through a combination of text messaging and case management. As someone who helps care for both his mother and an aunt with dementia, Ayon understands the emotional and financial strain caregivers shoulder.
His influence extends well beyond his agency. He led development of the Yuba-Sutter Local Aging and Disability Action Plan, strengthening collaboration among public agencies and community organizations. As accessibility lead for Sacramento Pride, he helped add wheelchair ramps, mobility equipment, accessible seating and American Sign Language interpreters, ensuring the celebration welcomed everyone.
Despite his growing resume, Ayon measures success differently than many leaders.
“The greatest impact,” he said, “is helping people feel seen and supported.”
It’s a philosophy rooted in a childhood spent advocating for one grandmother. Today, it shapes programs that help thousands of Californians age with greater dignity, independence and hope.
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