Some families find each other by chance. Others find each other by design. Dan and
Yvonne Perez found each other somewhere in between—at a professional networking
event on the 52nd floor of the Bank of America Center in San Francisco in 1998, with
the whole city glittering below them and absolutely no idea that they were about to change
each other’s lives forever.
“We planned our first lunch in a professional setting,” Yvonne recalls with a smile, “since
we thought we should refer each other clients.” What started as a business lunch became
something far more meaningful. By the end of 2001, Dan and Yvonne were married—in a
ceremony at the All Faiths Chapel on Naval Air Station Pensacola, followed by a reception
at the Officer’s Club on base. The wedding was memorably imperfect in all the right ways.
The real scene-stealer was the flower girl—Yvonne’s young niece Haruka, who traveled all
the way from Japan for the occasion, performed her duties with great seriousness, and then
promptly ran off, tripped, and burst into tears in the middle of the festivities. “To this day,”
Yvonne laughs, “we still watch the wedding video just to hear little Haruka’s cries in the
background.” San Ramon for 23 years before pivoting to teaching. Today, Dan brings his passion for science to local schools and runs a YouTube channel called “Ask Dr P,” dedicated to educating the public on self-care for pain and staying fit over 50.
Yvonne’s story is one of extraordinary determination. Born and raised in Shanghai, she always dreamed of the United States. In 1994, she arrived in Terre Haute, Indiana, with two suitcases and knowing absolutely no one. What followed
was a remarkable climb—from Indiana State University to Golden Gate University, from local
CPA firms to PricewaterhouseCoopers, Novartis, and Deloitte—specializing in international taxation during one of the most dynamic periods of global business expansion in modern history. In 2016, she co-founded what would become Lead International CPAs, where she serves today as managing partner, helping businesses and entrepreneurs navigate cross-border investment, international tax planning, and global expansion.
The Star in the Water
If Dan and Yvonne are the foundation of the Perez family, eighteen-year-old Sean is its brightest
current chapter. Sean began swimming with HOX when he was young, left briefly at 15 to train with a competitive year-round club team, and then made the decision to come back. “I missed the community, the friendships, the coaching, and the atmosphere that summer swimming brings,” he says. In his first HOX season at age 14, he won the VSA League Championship in the 50 Butterfly. Last summer, he won the 100 Butterfly Championship—and this season, he hopes to defend his title one final time before heading off to college.
Central to Sean’s journey has been Coach Sean—a mentor he credits with shaping him not just as a swimmer, but as a person. “He taught me the importance of consistency, accountability, and having confidence in myself,” Sean says. Coach
Sean also guided Sean through the college recruiting process, helping him find the right fit academically and athletically. “Coaching Sean has been an amazing privilege. While his accomplishments in the pool are exceptional, what stands out even more is the young man he has become. Sean leads with humility, works relentlessly, treats his teammates with respect, and consistently chooses to do the right thing even when no one is watching,” says Coach Sean. This August, Sean will head to Stevens
Institute of Technology in New Jersey, where he will join the college swim team. He is also a young man of surprising talents—capable of performing a standing backflip on a flat surface, a skill he put on full display at his high school’s final dance team performance in May, where he wowed the audience on stage.
Rooted in Blackhawk
The Perez family has called Blackhawk home since 2020, drawn here by a best friend already in the neighborhood; Sean’s determination to attend Monte Vista High School; the Sports Complex; and the need for a home that could accommodate Yvonne’s mother, Lilian. A retired civil engineer born in Shanghai in the late 1930s, Lilian helped raise Sean from birth, teaching him mathematics, building LEGO models with him as a toddler, and communicating with him in Mandarin—a
language the two still share today. “It’s all about carrying on this tradition of helping to keep the family strong from generation to generation,” Yvonne says.
At Blackhawk, the Perez family has found their people—regulars at the Sports Complex, the wine fairs, the dining at the club, and the friendships forged on the pool deck. When they recently purchased a second home, also in Blackhawk, there was never any question about leaving. “It’s the people that made us decide to stay; we found almost every friend right here in our community,” Yvonne says. “It came as no surprise that both the real estate agents and the loan officer who helped us purchase our new home are Blackhawk residents or fellow club members.”
The Family That Keeps Moving The Perez family motto, drawn from an ancient Chinese proverb, is “Lifelong Learning, Purposeful Travel, Strong Family Bonds, and Meaningful Connections.” Sean has visited many countries. Their most memorable adventure? A hike along the Nā Pali Coast on Kauai that ended in complete darkness, pouring rain, slippery cliffs, no water, no snacks — and Dan practically carrying an exhausted Yvonne through the final three miles. When they finally collapsed into a restaurant booth, they ate, as Yvonne puts it, “as if we had not eaten in a week.” “It was difficult,” she laughs, “but it remains one of our favorite family memories because it tested our perseverance, teamwork, and sense of adventure.” That, in a nutshell, is the Perez family. People who show up, push through, carry each other when necessary, and always — always — find a way to laugh about it later. Blackhawk is lucky to have them.
By Megan Scott, Resident since 2010
Photos provided by the Perez Family