2006 - 2007, Class XXII
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ERIC AASEN
Division Chief, Santa Cruz Fire Department
Eric has been a Santa Cruz County resident since 1970. He currently serves as Division Chief in charge of training and safety with Santa Cruz Fire Department. Still certified as a paramedic, much of his past has been focused on enhancing the delivery of emergency medical care to the community. He is currently working to establish a public access defibrillator program for the City of Santa Cruz. Eric completed his Master’s degree in emergency services administration from California State University Long Beach. He will focus on teaching principles of disaster management to enhance community preparedness. He is a member of the Santa Cruz Elks, Cub Scouts of America, and coaches various youth sports teams. He and his wife are actively involved at their children’s school through the parent-teacher club, site council, and working in the classroom. His wife, Karlyn, and their children, Kirby and Taylin, live in Santa Cruz.
LUIS A. ALEJO
Staff Attorney, California Rural Legal Assistance (CRLA)
Luis was born and raised in Watsonville and received dual B.A. degrees from UC Berkeley in 1997, his juris doctorate from UC Davis School of Law in 2001, and his Master’s of Education degree (Ed.M) from Harvard University in 2003. He returned to his hometown to work as a staff attorney for California Rural Legal Assistance (CRLA) where he works on education, housing, employment, public benefits, and civil rights cases on behalf of low-income families and residents. He previously worked as a research assistant for Harvard University's Civil Rights Project in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and was also a Jesse M. Unruh Fellow for the California State Assembly where he worked as a legislative aide for Assembly member Manny Diaz (D-San Jose). Luis is also a former high school teacher in Watsonville and a California Advisory Committee member of the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights.
MARY ANDERSEN
Mary is a local business owner. She holds degrees in music and math and studies traditional arts in Japan where she was born. An avid SCUBA diver, she has traveled the world documenting reef habitats and indigenous cultures. Her impetus for participating in Leadership Santa Cruz County is a desire to gain a broader understanding of the community and a working knowledge of how to interact with and educate local organizations and community leaders. She lives with her husband and son in Felton. She and her husband homeschool their seven-year-old son and manage Santa Cruz Jujitsu Academy, a martial arts school, and Andersen Construction Company, a green building contracting company. They are members of the US Green Building Council.
JEAN MARIE ANDERSON
Senior Technical Writer, Anderson Writing Services
Jean is the Principal Senior Technical Writing consultant for her Anderson Writing Services company, the author of the Hannah and Niki Mysteries that encourage, educate, and entertain girls ten to fourteen years old, and the Vice-President and Emergency Services writer for the volunteer Seascape Community Emergency Response Team. Originally from New Jersey, she moved to fabulous Santa Cruz County after a fun cross-country adventure, and completed her B.A. in Management at St. Mary’s College of California. Jean’s American Red Cross Disaster Services extensive training and awards validate her commitment to top notch, compassionate disaster preparedness and volunteer response service; her writing awards encourage her ongoing diversification into new topics and activities. As Jean’s local volunteer activities expand, she is looking forward to Leadership Santa Cruz County supporting her growth as a positive leader, mentor, and well-rounded team player with more knowledge of the Santa Cruz County community.
SAMANTHA BAGLIONI
Operations Manager, Santa Cruz Chamber of Commerce
Samantha was born and raised in Hollywood, California. At eighteen, she moved to Hawaii and made the north shore of Oahu home for nine years. She came to Santa Cruz in 1996 and fell in love with this magnificent place. Samantha began working for the Santa Cruz Chamber of Commerce in 1999 as an intern, and has worked her way up from receptionist to operations manager. She en joys working with the various businesses and people in the community, but hosting events is her favorite activity. Samantha loves to hang out at the beach watching her thirteen-year-old son, Seven, surf. Shopping and hanging out with friends, reading, and cooking are some of her favorite pastimes. Joining Leadership Santa Cruz County is something Samantha has wanted to do for a long time. She believes she will gain a better understanding of the community and build a stronger foundation for employment growth.
ROWLAND BAKER
Educator; Assistant Superintendent, Santa Cruz County Office of Education
Rowland was born and raised in Santa Cruz. He grew up loving the area, and wanted to return to Santa Cruz to pursue his career in education after college. He became a teacher in 1973, and taught for fifteen years before going on to become a principal and now Assistant Superintendent at the County Office of Education. He has a B.A. in Education, and an M.A. in education administration, and is a graduate of the Harvard Principal’s Center. Rowland has brought many innovations to local schools, including having some schools connected to the internet in 1994, before the World Wide Web. He has been active locally from coaching sports teams to serving on the board of directors for local Chambers of Commerce. Rowland has a wife of 36 years and one daughter, who also came up through local schools and is a recent graduate of Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo.
NATHAN BENJAMIN
Attorney, Comstock, Thompson, Kontz and Brenner
Nathan is an attorney practicing law in the areas of real property, business, and probate litigation as well as intellectual property disputes and transactions. He practices in Santa Cruz County with the Comstock, Thompson, Kontz and Brenner firm. Nathan is geographically diverse, having received his undergraduate degree in philosophy from Rollins College in Florida, a Master’s in political science from Humboldt State and attended law school in Minnesota. Nathan lives near Scotts Valley with his young son and wife, Nicole, a public health nurse with the County of Santa Cruz. Nathan is active in the community and serves on non-profit boards. He is a musician and plays guitar and bass in local bands, and is an avid gardener.
JEROD BLACK
My Property Wealth
Although born in La Selva Beach, Jerod grew up in the San Jose area. Recently, he returned to Santa Cruz County to live and work. He is currently working for My Property Wealth, which is a web-based company that provides ongoing, in-depth education and resources for real estate investors. Prior to moving back home to Aptos, he was a wildland firefighter for the California Department of Forestry. Having lived an exciting and unusual life, Jerod is focused on and passionate about becoming a positive force in the community and learning as much as he can about the people, places, and dynamics of Santa Cruz County.
MICHELLE BOISEN
Supervising Accountant, Soquel Creek Water District
Michelle is a graduate of College of Notre Dame, Belmont. She spent several years working with developmentally disabled adults in a vocational training environment before moving to Santa Cruz, starting a family, and switching careers. She has had the privilege of living in Santa Cruz for eighteen years with her husband and two children, ages seventeen and twelve. In their spare time, Michelle and her family volunteer at the Second Harvest Food Bank. Michelle hopes that her experience in Leadership Santa Cruz County will broaden her knowledge and help her to make a greater contribution to this county.
DAVID CAVANAUGH
Santa Cruz County Farm Bureau
David and his wife, Nancy, were drawn to Santa Cruz County during a visit shortly after they were married in 1970. After working for a landscape architecture firm, owning a retail nursery in Laguna Beach, developing two landscape construction corporations, and developing a cut flower ranch on Maui, David and his family moved to South Santa Cruz County to fulfill a life long dream: to own a place in the country, to shed vast amounts of responsibility and concentrate on raising two children. David is giving back to his community as president of the fourteenth DAA Fair Board, Farm Bureau Director, and co-chair of the Legislative Committee. He believes in people working together outside the political arena to make life’s experiences fulfilling and rewarding. David advocates for small communities and the good work they do. He is a Vietnam veteran and has a Bachelor of Agricultural Sciences degree from Cal-Poly-Pomona.
CYNTHIA CUELLAR
MACSA Grant Administration and Fund Development Manager
Cynthia was born in Mexico and has been a Santa Cruz resident since 1975. She is a graduate of U.C. Santa Cruz. In addition to her teaching experience, she has over eight years of non-profit management experience working with the Mexican American Community Services Agency (MACSA, Inc.), the largest Latino based non-profit in Santa Clara County. As the former Director of Human Resources, Education Services, and the Fund Development departments, she helped spearhead the agency’s infrastructure development efforts. She is currently dedicated to special projects including strategic planning and the development of the agency’s technology plans. Locally, Cynthia is the volunteer Development Director and a dancer with Xochipilli Grupo Folklórico de Santa Cruz, an emerging Mexican folk dance company. Over the past years, she has taken on the most important and rewarding challenge to date, raising a healthy fourteen-year-old teenager who is the greatest love of her life.
BILL DALL
State Park Superintendent, California State Parks
Bill is a life long resident of the State of California. He received his Associate Degree in criminology from Grossmont College and his Bachelor’s Degree in park recreation management from San Diego State University. Bill has been an employee of California State Parks for over thirty years. As the Sector Superintendent of the Mountain Sector, he is responsible for the operation of Big Basin Redwoods State Park, Castle Rock State Park, Portola Redwoods State Park, Butano Redwoods State Park, and Ano Nuevo State Reserve.
DANIEL DANGZALAN
Security Manager, Santa Cruz Seaside Company
Dan was born and raised in Watsonville. He has been with the Santa Cruz Seaside Company since 1979 and is currently the Security Manager. He en joys the daily adventures and challenges of helping provide a safe environment at the Boardwalk. Dan was fascinated with the diversity of previous Leadership classes and is excited to be part of this class. He is looking forward to learning more about the community he lives in and making new friends along the way. Dan thanks Leadership Santa Cruz County and the Seaside Company for the opportunity to develop both professionally and personally. He currently resides in Santa Cruz with his wife, Cheryl.
LARISSA DANIEL
Driscoll Strawberry Associates
Larissa came to Watsonville four years ago from her native Panama. She graduated from the ITESM in Mexico in 1993 with a biochemistry degree in food science. She returned to Panama where she spent three years working in the dairy industry, followed by three years in the poultry industry . In April 2003, Larissa began working at Driscoll Strawberry Associates in the product quality and food safety departments. Her greatest challenge and accomplishment professionally were successfully navigating the intricacies of the English language, which has enabled her to develop and deliver European Union compliance trainings in Spanish and English throughout the United States and Mexico. Larissa’s experiences in Leadership Santa Cruz County will broaden her understanding of the functioning and needs of her new community, so she can pass this knowledge on to others. Larissa believes that if more people help others, we’ll have a better community in the end.
JIM DIXSON
Retired Planning and Material Management Professional
Jim lives in Rio Del Mar, is married, and has two children and three grandchildren. He en joys reading and walking his dog on the beach. Jim graduated from Santa Clara University in 1969 with a Bachelor’s degree in business administration. He is fortunate to have retired early from a 32-year career in planning and materials management within the semiconductor equipment industry. He now wants to turn his talents and energy to the volunteer/non-profit arena and will use the knowledge gained and the relationships built with Leadership Santa Cruz County to help focus his efforts.
PAT EMARD
Retired Family Therapist
Pat is married and was one of the owners of A Clean, Well-Lighted Place for Books. She has lived in Santa Cruz County for over eight years and has had a long, successful career helping couples, families, and individuals solve personal and professional problems. She developed and worked in research and training programs in family therapy and managed poverty programs for youth. Pat is currently the Ways and Means Chair of the Democratic Central Committee in Santa Cruz County and does volunteer work with political and community groups. She hopes to expand her knowledge base of the commercial, non-profit, and government organizations of Santa Cruz County in order to better understand this community so she can make an effective contribution. Pat hopes to work together with others who are also seeking solutions to problems within the county.
KEVIN ENOX
Sergeant, California Highway Patrol
Kevin moved to Santa Cruz County in 1990 as a new officer with the California Highway Patrol. Since that time, he has also been assigned to the Stockton Area Office and CHP Headquarters in Sacramento. In 1997, Kevin was promoted to Sergeant and was transferred to the Los Banos area, returning to Santa Cruz in 1998 with his wife Debby, a Santa Cruz local. Kevin's current assignments include field supervisor, motorcycle supervisor, field training supervisor, and scheduling sergeant. He also serves as a protective services supervisor for CHP Coastal Division, San Luis Obispo, protecting and coordinating transportation of visiting dignitaries as far south as Ventura County. Kevin's career choice goes hand in hand with his passion for traffic safety. He hopes to further his skills and knowledge by learning more about the community through Leadership Santa Cruz County.
SARAH FERGUSON
Project Coordinator, Santa Cruz County Office of Education
Sarah has lived in Santa Cruz for the past ten years. Prior to that, she grew up overseas primarily in developing countries. Her Master’s degree is in public policy from the Leon Panetta Institute and California State University, Monterey Bay and her undergraduate degree is in sociology from University of California, Santa Cruz. Sarah has been employed by the Santa Cruz County Office of Education for the past four and a half years. During that time she has coordinated a variety of programs that are geared towards empowering “at risk” youth. She sees Leadership Santa Cruz County as a way to not only learn more about the intricacies of her community, but to network and create new contacts.
COURTNAY FIELD
Development Associate, Community Foundation of Santa Cruz County
Courtnay graduated from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, in the Social Thought and Political Economy Program with a focus on the roles of communities in developing countries. She spent four months in Costa Rica on the Nicoya Peninsula working with women and children on health and nutritional issues, and teaching English. Courtnay embraces learning about different cultures and walks of life to broaden her perspective. She believes that building strong connections to the people and issues of one’s community makes effective and positive change possible on many levels. Since Courtney comes from the East Coast, Leadership Santa Cruz County will give her the background she needs to feel more connected to the history of the county and the people who have made it the unique community that it is.
JENNIFER C. FLIPPEN
Director/Senior Debt Analyst/CFO, Law Offices of Emilio N. Francisco (formerly Woodland Financial Wellness, Inc.)
Jennifer has lived in the Watsonville area since 1995 with her high school sweetheart, Travis. Married since 1974, they have four children, three grandkids, one cat, two dogs, three acres of gophers, and the occasional vegetable. Jennifer pursued an agricultural major, music minor in college. She ran a small farm when her children were young, raising specialty produce for restaurants, along with milk, meat, and eggs for home consumption. She continues to perform as a classical, jazz, gospel, and wedding vocalist for fun. Jennifer worked in the insurance, customer service, and legal service fields, and became a partner at Woodland Financial Wellness in 2003 to serve the local community as a personal Debt Management and Identity Theft Specialist. The company recently joined forces with a law firm to provide enhanced services to clients. Jennifer looks forward to developing an even deeper understanding of the needs of our community through LSCC.
DAVID ARTHUR FOSTER
Housing and Community Development Planner, City of Capitola
David Foster moved to Santa Cruz County in 1958 at the age of four, graduated from UCSC in 1976, and earned his Master’s Degree in community development from UC Davis in 1982. David, his wife, Margo, and their two teenage children share their home with his parents who live in a straw bale granny unit constructed last year as an experiment in sustainable in-fill building. David has twenty-five years of experience working with affordable housing and community development projects around the state. He serves on the Santa Cruz City Planning Commission and General Plan Advisory Committee. As a housing and redevelopment planner for the City of Capitola, David sees community work as most successful when there is a community-wide understanding of the problem and collaborative effort to bring about needed changes. He sees Leadership Santa Cruz County as a way to further that educational and relationship building process.
SALLY FRENCH
Director, HOPE Services
Sally has more that twenty-eight years experience working with people with developmental disabilities. She joined HOPE in 1978 as a rehabilitation/production supervisor for the Gilroy program. For the next twenty-seven years, Sally worked as coordinator, manager, and director of the HOPE programs in the South Valley district. In the fall of 2005, an opportunity arose for her to relocate to the Santa Cruz community. Since she was born in Santa Cruz and spent her early childhood years at Cowell’s Beach, it seemed like coming home. Sally has many fond memories of the area, from the old days at the Fun House on the Boardwalk, playing Skee-ball at the Capitola arcade, to fishing off the end of the cement boat. Sally holds a Bachelor of Science degree in occupational therapy. She has a son and daughter and two grandchildren who camp out at her house regularly.
SEBASTIAN “SEB” FREY
Real Estate Broker
Originally from Berkeley, Seb moved to Santa Cruz to attend UCSC in 1988. Seb has a passion for travel, having visited over 35 countries. In 2006, he married his wife, Rocio, whom he met while studying Spanish in Peru.
Seb is a proud member of the Capitola-Aptos Rotary Club, and serves the community as a Rotarian. Fluent in Spanish, he is especially interested in serving the Latino community. In his work, Seb serves folks concerned with housing, jobs, education, transportation, health, and safety. Leadership Santa Cruz County presents a rare opportunity to gain a deeper understanding about these issues in Santa Cruz County, and a way to meet the people who shape the milieu in which we live. Seb will use the insights gained through participation in Leadership Santa Cruz County to enable him to better serve his clientele and help make Santa Cruz a better community for all.
ADELA GONZALEZ
Director of Human Resources, City of Santa Cruz
Adela, a graduate of UCSC, has worked in public administration for twenty-five years. She is currently serving as the Director of Human Resources for the City of Santa Cruz. Prior to her current position with the City of Santa Cruz, Adela worked as the Human Resources Director for the cities of San Rafael, Fresno, and Hollister. She served the City of Delano as Assistant City Manager and City Manager during the period 1997 to 2002. In 2001, the Delano Chamber of Commerce named her Woman of the Year. She is a past president of the Delano Soroptimist organization. Adela highly values education and family. She and her husband, Julio, have three grown children and three grandchildren. Adela en joys theater, music, walking, hiking, and relaxing with her cats. Adela hopes to find opportunities to get involved in beautiful Santa Cruz County through the LSCC program.
LISA HAUX
Director, Health Information Management, Sutter Maternity and Surgery Center
Lisa moved to Santa Cruz in 1969 and was in the inaugural freshman class at Aptos High. She attended Cabrillo and graduated from UCSC with a BA in biology. She received a Health Information Administration credential and currently oversees the HIM, Admitting, Compliance, and Patient Privacy programs at SMSC. Healthcare delivery encompasses the collection and analysis of large amounts of patient data toward improvement in patient care and system efficiencies. Lisa co-authored a nationally recognized manual which helped establish organizational systems for health data processing. Her passion is patient advocacy. Santa Cruz County has changed immensely, evolving into a very diverse community. Healthcare systems must accommodate the changing demographic and physical landscape of our communities. Exposure to county-wide demographics, programs, and community challenges will help clarify and apply a patient advocacy focus where it is most needed.
CARMEN HERRERA-MANSIR
Executive Director, El Pajaro Community Development Corporation
Carmen was born in Tijuana, Mexico, a city that has many of the same issues as Watsonville where she currently loves working and living. Both cities are growing rapidly due to immigration from the south of Mexico. Carmen’s family is a binational-bicultural family. Her maternal grandfather was a United States citizen with a visa to work in Mexico and her father was born in Long Beach, California when his parents where “braceros” in 1932. Carmen has worked in public administration and project management. She has a strong background in business management acquired at an early age while working and managing her family’s bakery and cake shop. Carmen holds a law degree from Universidad Iberoamericana, Mexico, and an M.A in International Policy from the MIIS. She has worked in Monterey and Santa Cruz counties serving the migrant community in diverse projects.
SHEA JOHNSON
Sheriff-Sergeant, Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office
Shea moved with her family to Santa Cruz County in 1989. She graduated from Aptos High School, attended Cabrillo College, and was hired by the Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office at age twenty-one in 1994. Shea has worked a variety of assignments including patrol, the D.A.R.E. program, recruitment and hiring, court security, and sexual assault investigations. She was promoted to sergeant in 2005 and is currently assigned to community policing in Aptos. Shea received a Bachelor’s degree in political science from San Jose State University, where she is currently working on her Master’s degree in public administration. Shea is passionate about making a difference in the community by helping develop ways for youth in Santa Cruz County to have positive outlets for recreation and self-development. She plans to use the skills and networking from Leadership Santa Cruz County to become a leader in the Sheriff’s office and the community.
BRITT JORDAN
Sales Representative, Driscoll Strawberry Associates
Britt studied film at UC Santa Barbara before returning to her hometown of Watsonville. She has been employed by Driscoll's for the last seven years and en joys working with the independent farmers to provide healthy berries to consumers throughout the world. Britt hopes to gain a greater knowledge of the problems facing the growers, including land, water, and labor. Through Leadership Santa Cruz County she would like to gain a wider perspective and in-depth knowledge of community issues, and learn how she can become more involved in them along with helping her fellow team members become more involved. Her hobbies are traveling, running, and reading.
SHEBREH KALANTARI
Social Worker, Director of Community Building, United Way of Santa Cruz County
Shebreh is from Iran and moved to the United States when she was eight years old. She has lived in Santa Cruz County for three years. She holds a BA in psychology and French from UCSC and a Master’s in social work from San Jose State University. She loves to travel and learn about different cultures. Shebreh has been in social work for six years, but has worked in a variety of fields and populations, including mental health, community organizing and policy advocacy with youth, mentally ill adults, and homeless families and adults. She enjoys learning about cultures within communities and believes that is how she can serve the community best.
ALEX KHOURY
Division Chief/Principal Planner – Current Planning, City of Santa Cruz
Alex came to Santa Cruz in 2000 to work for the City of Santa Cruz as Principal Planner of the Current Planning Division in the Planning Department. Prior to this, Alex worked for over fifteen years with the City of Pasadena, California, where he grew up. Alex lives in the San Lorenzo Valley with his wife, two daughters, and two dogs. He is on the United Campus Christian Ministry at UCSC Board of Directors, and is past president of the San Lorenzo Valley Girls Softball League, and Clark Theological College Nagaland, India, Tribal Ministries US Board. Alex sees Leadership Santa Cruz County as a great opportunity to become more involved in the community and as an opportunity to develop interpersonal relationships and contacts with other community leaders, which he hopes will help in dealing with city and regional complex planning challenges.
RENEE M. KILMER
Vice President of Instruction, Cabrillo College
Renee holds a Ph.D. in English literature, with graduate work in classical rhetoric, theoretical linguistics, and second language acquisition. She has served in higher education for twenty-five years, in teaching and administration. She was a researcher at the Center for Intercultural Studies, and received a fellowship for research at Oxford University and the British Library. The results of her research have been the foci of several professional papers presented at national and international conferences. Renee has organized and facilitated symposia and conferences domestically and abroad and has a passion for designing and developing programs. Since she has recently moved here for her position as Vice President of Instruction at Cabrillo College, she looks forward to learning more about Santa Cruz County’s agencies, businesses, and communities. Renee will use this information in the development and refinement of programs and services so the college can serve the community better.
GINGI KINNINGER
Gingi was born and raised in a farming family in Watsonville. She returned to Watsonville with her own young family in 1984. She is married to Ron and has two grown daughters, Katy and Megan. After college she taught in K-8 public and private schools in San Mateo, La Jolla, Santa Cruz, Aptos, and Watsonville. During this time Gingi became a volunteer for non-profit organizations and worked in leadership positions in these groups. She also became a management consultant. Cooking, reading, traveling, walking, and knitting are her favorite hobbies. Gingi’s most recent endeavor is participation in a grassroots group that is working to improve student achievement in her local school district. She looks forward to gaining insight into the continually changing community that extends throughout Santa Cruz County. Her new challenge is how to best use her skills while en joying retirement.
BETH LANDES
Departmental Systems Analyst, County of Santa Cruz Emergency Medical Services
Beth is proud to be a public servant with Santa Cruz County since 1990, recently completing six rewarding years with Emergency Medical Services. Beth aspires to enrich the quality of life for those around her and en joys being a “back yard ambassador,” sharing her familiarity with various aspects of the community whenever opportunity arises. Working in the public and private sector gives Beth the chance to help connect not-so-obvious partners as leaders to create a more integrated community. She’s raising two future leaders (currently ages three and five) with the love of her life and the help of her parents.
LESLEE LONG
Bookkeeping/Payroll Manager
A natural at accounting, Leslee joined her father, George Woodbury, at Monterey Bay Business Advisers, Inc. (MBBA) full-time in 1980, having worked part-time for MBBA while attending high school, Cabrillo, and while married and running MacFarlane's Candies store with her husband. An avid bowler, Leslee has bowled three 300 games and has averaged as high as 209 for a season. Her other interests include playing bridge and following professional sports. She lives in Soquel with Marcus, her significant other of sixteen years, her dad, and two dogs. Leslee is a Big Sister through Big Brothers/Big Sisters, is on the Aptos Chamber Board of Directors, is a past president of the women's bowling association, and was treasurer of her condominium association for over fifteen years. Since she has lived in the area since 1963, Leslee feels Leadership Santa Cruz County is the way to learn more about our great diverse community.
STUART MAGER
Branch Manager, Graniterock
Born and raised in Annapolis, Maryland, Stuart moved to Santa Cruz County after completing a Master’s degree in civil engineering from Auburn University, Alabama. He was attracted to California by the array of outdoor activities and has en joyed living on the Central Coast the past ten years. While working for Graniterock, Stuart has helped design and produce construction materials for transportation and infrastructure projects throughout the Bay Area. Graniterock has given him many opportunities to make a difference in the community. Stuart has worked with the Make a Wish Foundation, Boys Scouts of America, and the Hollister School District. He became interested in Leadership Santa Cruz County as a unique opportunity to learn how local governments, businesses, and community support organizations work together to improve the county. Stuart hopes to take this knowledge and the network he will develop through the program and make a positive difference in the county.
LAURA MARCUS
Executive Director, Dientes Community Dental Clinic
Laura is thirty-five years old, has been married for almost ten years to a Belgian, Joop Rubens, and has a four-year-old daughter, Charlotte. She spent many years traveling after university and developed a passion for issues related to equality and social justice. The experience in her life she is most proud of is spending three years in South Africa working in HIV/AIDS Education and Prevention, where she developed a great respect for the importance of access to Public Health Care. At Dientes Community Dental Clinic, Laura has contributed to establishing Dientes as the pre-eminent provider of high quality dental care to low income residents of Santa Cruz County. She hopes Leadership Santa Cruz County will provide an opportunity to learn more about the needs of the county’s poorest residents. Laura also hopes to develop relationships with businesses and other agencies in anticipation of Dientes’ future growth.
MAUREEN MCCARTY
Field Representative for California State Senator, Joe Simitian
Maureen graduated from San Francisco State University with a dual BA in International Relations and French. During that time she was a delegate to the National Model United Conference in New York, intern-writer for the United Nations Association in San Francisco, and Lyndon B. Johnson Congressional intern in Washington DC. She also spent two years studying and working in Southern France. In her professional life, Maureen has worked for legislators on both the federal and state levels. She is also a technical writer, having published written and online documentation for local and international audiences. She is currently serving the residents of Santa Cruz County as Field Representative for California State Senator Joe Simitian. By participating in the Leadership program, Maureen hopes to gain a keener understanding of the different issues facing the community, and to forge meaningful relationships with fellow leader participants. She and her husband, Peter, live in Aptos.
TODD MUCK
Senior Planner, Association of Monterey Bay Area Governments
Todd joined the Association of Monterey Bay Area Governments in 1993. Todd has a degree in urban and regional planning from Cal Poly Pomona. He en joys working on a diverse set of issues that are important to the Monterey Bay region. Transportation, housing, and smart growth are areas of particular interest. Todd lives in Monterey with his wife, Kim, and their two young boys. Sailing and racing on the Monterey Bay are his favorite pastimes. Todd joined Leadership Santa Cruz County to broaden his understanding of civic organizations in Santa Cruz County and he looks forward to making contacts with people who are working to make Santa Cruz County a better place to live.
CAROL PELLETIER
Human Resources Professional
While earning a degree in business administration, Carol began her career with a prestigious San Jose based law firm and was later promoted to Human Resources Director. After eighteen years with the firm, Carol had an exciting opportunity to join a start-up national document management company, and as the hosts of an upcoming conference, a chance to meet Colin Powell at a private breakfast briefing. Most recently she was the HR director for a high-tech company. Born and raised in nearby Saratoga, Carol was always drawn to the beauty of the Monterey Bay and the eclectic community of Santa Cruz. She has lived in Santa Cruz since 1991. Carol’s personal and professional objectives are focused on becoming a more active member of the Santa Cruz community. Being a member of the LSSC program is a great opportunity to gain the insight needed to make these objectives a reality.
ROGELIO PONCE, JR.
Operations Manager, Sun Valley Berries
Born and raised in Watsonville, Rogelio is currently the operations manager for his family owned business, Sun Valley Berries. Rogelio graduated from San Jose State University with a B.S. in business administration in 2001. Aside from managing the family business, Rogelio en joys being active in the community. He currently serves on the CASA Board (Court Appointed Special Advocates), is the chair for the Pajaro Valley Outreach Committee for CASA, and also took part in the Blue Ribbon Committee for the City of Watsonville’s retirement action committee. In his free time, Rogelio en joys challenging himself in competitive cycling and triathlons. He recently completed a 200-mile bike ride in Solvang, California. Rogelio also en joys spending time with his wife and their two-year-old black Lab, Rocco. They are expecting their first child in Fall 2006.
DON ROLAND
Sand and Gravel Operations Manager, Graniterock Company
A native of Southern California, Don moved to Santa Cruz with his wife, Randa, in 1996. He has been with Graniterock for ten years and Randa is a chemistry instructor at UC Santa Cruz and Cabrillo College. Don has a bachelor’s degree in economics/business management from UCSC. Having a strong commitment to the community, he has served on the board of directors for two Santa Cruz County United Way agencies: Big Brothers/Big Sisters and Families in Transition. For the past two years he has served on the Equal Opportunity Employment Advisory Body for the City of Santa Cruz. Don and Randa also volunteer at the UCSC Arboretum Gift Shop. Don is eager to learn more about the unique needs of Santa Cruz County from his fellow participants in Leadership Santa Cruz County.
FRANK SOUZA
Finance Director, Central Coast Alliance for Health
Frank first moved to Santa Cruz County in 1981 to attend UCSC. After four years, he left with a degree in economics and his future wife. He later earned his MBA in finance from St. Mary’s college in Moraga. Frank’s career in finance has covered a variety of industries including banking, oil bunkering, and telecommunications. In 1998, Frank accepted a job in San Jose as the CFO of a chain of luggage stores which allowed him to move back to Santa Cruz County. Frank has been with Central Coast Alliance for approximately three years and is currently the Director of Finance. Frank believes that Leadership Santa Cruz County will enable him to better serve his community both personally and professionally. Frank and his wife, Joy, who is a local landscape designer, live in Scotts Valley. Together they enjoy traveling and snowboarding.
TAD STERLING
Director of Development, UCSC Arboretum
Tad brings many years of development experience to his position at the Arboretum. His educational background began at Stanford University where he majored in sociology and culminated in a Master’s degree in sociology at University of Washington. The majority of his career in fund raising has been in the social services and non-profit arenas and at two major universities, including Stanford and UC Davis, prior to his current position. Tad is looking forward to learning more about the business, civic, government, and non-profit organizations of Santa Cruz County through Leadership Santa Cruz County. Tad's wife, Jacci, is a Leadership Santa Cruz County graduate. They en joy tennis, golf, gardening, and the outdoors together, and are proud grandparents.
SUSAN TRUE
First 5, Santa Cruz County
As proud Live Oak residents, Susan and her family are frequently seen at Sunny Cove beach and on hiking trails throughout the county. Her sixteen-year-old son is a junior at Soquel High School and her husband works for Community Action Board. Susan’s career reflects a deep passion for the healthy development of children and the community’s corresponding ability to impact the health, learning, and protection of our county’s most vulnerable children. She looks forward to learning more about the county’s strengths and challenges and understanding the backgrounds and passions of her classmates while building bridges to children’s issues. Susan hopes that LSCC will further tie Santa Cruz County to the needs of young children and broaden her own understanding of the many aspects of our community.
KEITH VAN DER MAATEN
Operations Manager, Public Works, City of Santa Cruz
Keith received his MBA from Santa Clara University in 2003 with a concentration in leading people in organizations. Keith has a BS degree in civil engineering from San Jose State University and is a registered Professional Engineer in the State of California. Keith spent the last seventeen years working for a private water utility in San Jose, working his way up from a maintenance worker to an engineering manager. In April 2006, Keith accepted a job with the City of Santa Cruz as an Operations Manager in Public Works to take on new challenges and growth opportunities and so that he and his wife could move closer to her family in Aptos.
CLYDE VAUGHN
Retired United Methodist Minister
Clyde, born in Venice, California, has spent all his life in California. He went to UOP in Stockton and Claremont School of Theology. His last church was Grace United Methodist in Santa Cruz. Clyde spent fifteen years as a senior housing administrator, and his last job was with the Scotts Valley Chamber of Commerce. He is retired and en joys travel, gardening, community volunteer opportunities, and time with his wife, Sheila, his children, and grandchildren. Clyde has invested much time and energy in Santa Cruz County and is eager to learn more about the county and the people providing leadership. He intends to remain active in the community and is interested in finding more ways to be useful. Leadership Santa Cruz County is a great way to accomplish these goals and he finds the classes and classmates stimulating, interesting and challenging. It’s a great gift to the community.
SHEILA WALSH DUNTON
Sheila is very happy being a stay at home mom and raising her two children, Taeg, four, and Lazuli, three. She and her husband, Brent, have lived in Santa Cruz for nine years. Before that she was in Marin County, where she grew up, and where she received her high school teaching credential from Dominican University. Sheila taught history for seven years at Gilroy High School and Scotts Valley High School. She also started her own college admissions counseling company, Get Collegewise, to help high school students navigate the college admissions process. Sheila serves as Vice President on the board at Soquel Parent Education Nursery School. She is passionate about education, and her reasons for participating in Leadership are simple: to build community and learn about the county she and her family live in.
JOSHUA WEINBERG
Goldwin Mortgage, One World Tropicals
Joshua is committed to social justice and environmental sustainability, demonstrated through active involvement in non-profit and environmental protection organizations. He studied at the University of Colorado, Boulder, earning a degree in anthropology and political science with an emphasis on East Africa. In 2002, Joshua returned to California, and opened One World Tropicals, LLC, a sustainable, import, tropical flower company. Purchasing a home in Jamestown, Colorado, gave Joshua an introduction to real estate. After returning to California, he purchased his second home in Aptos in 2003. He passed the California Real Estate Broker’s Examination and became a mortgage consultant. In April of 2006, he opened Goldwin Mortgage and became the C.O.O. for its parent company, the Luken Corporation, a firm located in San Francisco specializing in real estate services. Creating community and securing representation for marginalized people are areas he feels need improvement both locally and on a global scale.
DANA WERDMULLER
Owner/Creative Director, Dana Werdmuller Advertising and Design
Dana lives in Aptos with her husband and two children. She has a BA from San Jose State in Pictorial Arts. Dana enjoys reading, film, camping, painting, and photography. She is interested in co-operative relationships within the small business community and en joys presenting educational workshops in marketing to small business owners through the Small Business Development Center. Dana also enjoys her work on the Pajaro Valley Arts Council, supporting exhibits and educational programming. LSCC will give her the tools to broaden her understanding of the community’s strengths and needs as well as sharpen her focus toward those areas where she can truly make a difference. Dana looks forward to taking on new challenges within her role as community member, board member, and small business owner. She anticipates tapping resources previously unavailable to her as well as tools to engage those resources in more effective ways.
TERRY-LYNN WINSTON
Attorney
Terry likes to come up with solutions to improve her community. As the president of the Seacliff Improvement Association, she en joys working with the board and the various committees to accomplish the goals of improving the Seacliff neighborhood. Terry received her BA in art history from California State University, Hayward in 1987. She graduated from Southern Methodist University Law School, Dallas, in 1997 and has passed both the Texas and California Bars. She is an attorney working as a litigator with the firm of Beck and Mathiesen in Santa Cruz. Terry believes we create our lives, and people working together can create a better world. Through Leadership Santa Cruz County she wants to improve her skills in working with others and hopes to learn from the classes and classmates how best to implement projects that improve the community.
THOMAS WYNN
Managing Member, Wynn Capital Management, LLC
Thomas is the owner of Wynn Capital Management, a Registered Investment Advisor. Thomas has been in the investment business since 1981 when he started as a clerk on the floor of the Pacific Stock Exchange. Thomas rose from clerk to floor manager and eventually started his own options trading company, Wynn Options in 1987. Thomas is a member of the Santa Cruz, Aptos, Capitola-Soquel, and Scotts Valley Chambers of Commerce. He is currently the president of the Ben Lomond Business Association. Thomas is a ten-year resident of Ben Lomond and lives with his wife, Beth, and their two children, Lennon, age three, and Lucy, age one. Before having children, Thomas en joyed basketball, bike riding, movies, playing guitar, tennis, political activism, and entertaining. Currently, Thomas en joys chasing, feeding, and cleaning children.
LUPE ZEPEDA
General Manager, Mas Mac Inc., McDonald’s Restaurants
Lupe started working at McDonald’s in 1993. Her last thirteen years of professional growth have taken her from a crew position to a manager position, and have included formal McDonald’s management development training and graduation from “ Hamburger University” in Chicago in 1996. Her management development classes have not only helped her in business but in all aspects of her life and have contributed to her great passion to succeed. Lupe is proud of her work accomplishments, growth, and awards for a job well done. Through Leadership Santa Cruz County, Lupe hopes to meet others in the county that she would otherwise not have had the opportunity to meet. She is hoping to network and expand her circle of business associates and peers. Lupe is married and has two sons.
LYNN ZEPHRYNA
Owner, The Spa at Pajaro Dunes
Lynn has lived in the Santa Cruz area for over twenty-one years. She owns The Spa at Pajaro Dunes and works with Women’s Crisis Support/Defensa de Mujeras to bring healthy touch to the community. She earned her CMT from Twin Lakes College of the Healing Arts where she now teaches Professional Studies. Lynn spent several years at Food and Nutrition Services (now Community Bridges) in the accounting department and as chair of the Worker’s Council. She created and implemented Food and Nutrition’s newsletter to connect and inform employees from the various sites throughout Santa Cruz County. She spent ten years in “Pacific Voices,” a sixty-person choral group, and became a board member for “Voices of the People,” a combination music and speaker venue. Lynn will use her experience and relationships in Leadership Santa Cruz County to serve her students, Women’s Crisis Support, and the greater Santa Cruz community.
