Our Board of Directors
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+ Jordan Lavinsky, Hanson Bridgett LLP, Executive Committee – Chair
Partner
Hanson Bridgett
Jordan represents shopping centers, property owners, office building managers and developers in landlord-tenant, land use and bankruptcy matters.
Jordan has extensive experience in all landlord-tenant disputes involving nonpayment of rent, exclusives, tenant improvements, mechanic’s liens, tenant bankruptcies and post-lease termination collections. Jordan also represents banks enforcing commercial loan agreements. He has trial and appellate experience in state and federal courts.
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+ Karleen Arnink-Pate, Sonoma Media Investments LLC, Executive Committee – Vice Chair
Chief Revenue Officer
Sonoma Media Investments, LLC
Karleen Arnink-Pate is the Chief Revenue Officer for locally owned Sonoma Media Investments, publishers of the Press Democrat and a variety of other brands found online and in print.
Previously Karleen served as the Vice President of Strategic Revenue at the San Francisco Chronicle and sfgate.com/Hearst, and she served the Hawaii and Nevada markets as Advertising Director for Gannett Company (publishers of USA Today and over 100 Print, Digital and Television brands nationwide).
Her expertise in helping businesses navigate their options in today’s rapidly changing world is diverse & deep. Recognized as an industry leader, Karleen was a national Folio “Top Women in Media 2019” Honoree, in the Change Maker category & described as “a woman who has successfully altered the course of their brand or the industry for the better.” Karleen motivates and energizes organizations through collaborative, open communication and with an innovative, creative approach to marketing and sales. She founded the popular Sonoma County Women in Conversation speaker series and also serves on the board of Sonoma County CASA and the Steering Committee for United Way, Women United.
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+ Darren LaShelle, Northern California Public Media, Executive Committee – Secretary/Treasurer
President & CEO
Northern California Public Media
Darren LaShelle is the President and CEO of Northern California Public Media. Previously, LaShelle was the Content Manager for NorCal Public Media, overseeing television, radio, marketing, and digital projects. Before relocating to the Bay Area in 2015, LaShelle was the Executive Producer for WGTE, Toledo, Ohio, where he began work in 1995. Previous to his career in public media, LaShelle worked as the Promotion/Public Affairs Producer for WUPW Fox 36 in Toledo, after serving as a Creative Services Producer and Director for WTOV NBC9 in Steubenville, Ohio.
LaShelle is an Emmy award-winning Executive Producer for the science and technology TV series “Plugged-In.” He has written and produced documentaries, studio-based and magazine series, commercials, public service announcements, promotional material and news production. LaShelle is the Executive Producer of seven nationally-broadcast documentary programs on public television. He has a Bachelor’s of Arts in Media Studies from Marietta College.
Some of LaShelle’s projects that have been distributed nationwide on PBS stations include: “War of 1812 in the Old Northwest,” “Jeep: Steel Soldier,” “Reverence: Life in Ballet” and “Indus River: Journey of a Lifetime.”
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+ Alon Adani, Cornerstone Properties, Executive Committee
Owner
Cornerstone Properties
Founded in 1985, Cornerstone is a leading North Bay commercial real estate owner and development firm. As a respected, successful real estate entrepreneur, Alon has nearly 20 years of diverse experience in shepherding ideas to viability. Alon is the founder of the North Bay Makers, 180 Studios. In this role, he establishes vital connections in the community and encourages forward progress. Alon’s goals are to make 180 Studios the premier facility of its kind and to ensure maximum economic and interpersonal benefit to the community.
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+ Barry Friedman, Friedman’s Home Improvement, Executive Committee
President & CEO
Friedman’s Home Improvement
Barry is the third-generation leader of Friedman’s Home Improvement, celebrating over 70 years in business committed to delivering the human side of home improvement. Based in Petaluma, Friedman’s employs over 600 Team Members at it stores located in Santa Rosa, Petaluma, Sonoma and Ukiah. Barry continues to honor the family’s tradition of being both a supporter and active participant in the local community. Barry and his wife Heidi live in Santa Rosa with their four children.
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+ Patricia Garbarino, Marin Sanitary Service, Executive Committee
President
Marin Sanitary Service
Patricia “Patty” Garbarino is President of Marin Sanitary Service, Marin Recycling Center and Marin Resource Recovery Center and has been since 2000. Patty began her career at Marin Sanitary Service in 1987, in Company Development and Human Resources, a combination that facilitated her learning both the operations and administration of the business.
Her background in the education field has been a major benefit to Marin Sanitary Service’s Public Education Program. In fact, Patty worked closely with her father, Joseph in establishing the company’s Environmental Classroom and its ongoing outreach to environmental organizations and public and private schools in Marin County.
Today Patty is responsible for policy development and implementation and the overall management and oversight of the operations of the company. In addition to her administrative and management responsibilities, Patty remains directly involved in all aspects of the company’s governmental and community relations as well as the Public Education Program. Patty has spoken at several national conferences regarding waste and recycling issues and has been a member to Assemblywoman Delaine Eastin’s California Waste Reduction, Refuse and Recycling Advisory Committee. She was inducted into the Marin Women’s Hall of Fame in 1999 and has been chair and co-chair to 6 different local bond measures and planning commissions.
She has a Bachelor of Arts degree and a Master of Sciences degree, both from Dominican College.Marin Sanitary Service, Marin Recycling Center and Marin Resource Recovery Center have been lauded by the California Integrated Waste Management Board as having the highest recycling rate in California since 2002 and the Marin County Board of Supervisors rated Marin Sanitary Service, business of the year in 2006.
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+ Kathryn Lowell, BioMarin Pharmaceutical, Executive Committee
Vice President, Government Affairs & Advocacy
BioMarin Pharmaceutical
Kathryn Lowell is an executive and Board Member with more than 25 years of experience in the healthcare industry. Kathryn is the Vice President of Government Affairs & Advocacy at BioMarin. In this capacity, she oversees the development and implementation of local, national and global legislative strategy and advocacy.
Previously, she was appointed by Governor Schwarzenegger to develop and execute policy and strategic healthcare initiatives. During this time, she developed a partnership with the California Council on Science and Technology to create the Personalized Health Information Technology Coalition. It drew senior executives together to address the challenges of personalized medicine. She also oversaw program and policy initiatives from the California State Department of Managed Health Care and the Office of the Patient Advocate. Kathryn was a Board Member of the California Privacy and Security Advisory Board and a Board Member of the California Telehealth Network Advisory Council.
Also prior to her current position, Kathryn was the Vice President for Strategic Growth at Lumetra, a health care consulting firm that specialized in federal health care program management. For six years, she also worked at Maximus, (NYSE:MMS), which is a national government health care services firm. Serving as the Vice President for Government Affairs, she worked with states to partner on Medicaid program management.
From 1995 to 1998, she was appointed by Governor Wilson as Assistant Secretary for Health at the California Health and Human Services Agency. During that time, she worked to create and staff the Biotechnology Council for the State of California. In her early years, she worked on Capitol Hill as a legislative analyst for a Member on the House Ways and Means Committee.
Kathryn received her undergraduate degree at Stanford University. She received her Master’s Degree in Public Policy from USC, under academic scholarship. For her time in State service, she received a career recognition award and was selected to represent California in attending Harvard University’s Program for Senior Executives in State Service at the JFK School.
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+ Steve Page, Sonoma Raceway, Executive Committee
Former President & General Manager
Sonoma Raceway
Steve Page retired in 2021 after nearly 30 years as President and General Manager Sonoma Raceway. Previously he spent 11 years working in marketing and special events for baseball’s Oakland Athletics where, among other responsibilities, he served as coordinator for the 1987 MLB All-Star Game. Before entering the sports arena, he spent several years on Capitol Hill as press secretary for then-U.S. Congressman Leon Panetta. He is a graduate of the University of California at Berkeley.
Page was the principal advocate for Sonoma Raceway’s $100 million modernization project, which has transformed the facility into one of the premier motor racing venues in the country. Page is currently board chair of the Santa Rosa Junior College Foundation and serves on the boards of directors of Speedway Children’s Charities and the North Bay Leadership Council, of which he is the past chair. He also serves on the advisory boards for 10,000 Degrees Sonoma County, the Sonoma Valley Hospital Foundation and Social Advocates for Youth and is former chair of the Sonoma County Tourism Council.
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+ Mark Wood, Mark Wood Consulting, Executive Committee
Chairman Emeritus
Mark Wood Consulting
Mark Wood served as Chair of the North Bay Leadership Council Board of Directors from 2012 through 2013. He is currently Consultant & Proprietor at Mark Wood Consulting, providing expertise in HR and organizational performance, as well as serving as adjunct faculty at the Dominican University School of Business and Leadership and the Sonoma State University Executive MBA Program. Previously, Mark worked at BioMarin Pharmaceutical for 9 years, serving as Senior Vice President of HR & Corporate Affairs; at AG Consulting, as Vice President of HR & Administration; at Genentech, as Manager of Compensation & Quantitative Analysis; and at Wells Fargo Bank, in various HR roles. During his tenure at BioMarin, Mark also served a term as Chair of the Marin County Workforce Investment Board. Mark earned a Master of Industrial & Labor Relations from Cornell University and a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from the State University of New York at Buffalo.
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+ Dr. Armika Berkely, Kaiser Permanente
Chief Administrative Officer
Kaiser Permanente
Dr. Berkely is a seasoned leader known for driving innovative organizational change and delivering exceptional performance. Her strategic advisory skills, ability to build trust and credibility across all levels of an organization and passion for helping others are several of her most notable leadership characteristics.
Dr. Berkely joined The Permanente Medical Group in 2019 and previously served as the Regional Director of Strategy & Operations in TPMG’s Regional Offices, where she successfully developed and executed competitive business strategies. She enhanced care delivery operations and coordinated a portfolio of ambulatory services. Dr. Berkely also led value-based care modeling and labor negotiations, driving significant improvements and cost-effective solutions.
Prior to The Permanente Medical Group, Dr. Berkely was Chief Executive Officer & President of Cooper Green Mercy Health System, holding accountability for operations and performance, achieving remarkable results in productivity, revenue growth, and employee engagement. Dr. Berkely’s experience also includes leadership roles at Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare and Christ Community Health Services, where she implemented strategies to improve patient satisfaction, while improving management systems and developing policies to enhance quality of care.
Dr. Berkely holds a Doctor of Science (DSc) in Health Services Administration and Leadership from University of Alabama Birmingham, a Master of Public Health (MPH) from Christian Brothers University in Memphis, Tennessee, and a Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree in Psychology with an emphasis in Behavioral Studies. She also holds various certifications to include a Graduate Certification in Health Analytics and is IV certified as an Emergency Medical Technician. She is an active member of professional associations and has received recognition for her leadership abilities, including being named one of Birmingham’s Top 40 under 40 Leaders to Watch!
Dr. Berkely is committed to improving the lives of underserved populations with a personal mission to serve as a leader in the continuing effort to positively impact health disparities. She is married with 4 children, 2 in college and 1 recent Xavier University of New Orleans college graduate. In her spare time, she loves to spend time in the gym with her husband, try new restaurants in the bay area and spend time with her family.
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+ Dr. Abhishek Dosi, Kaiser Permanente
Senior Vice President & Area Manager, Santa Rosa Service Area
Kaiser Permanente – Santa Rosa Service Area
Abhishek Dosi is the Senior Vice President and Area Manager for the Kaiser Permanente Santa Rosa Service Area. In this role, he oversees health plan and hospital operations for Kaiser Permanente in Sonoma County.
Known for his transformative leadership, Abhishek previously served as Chief Operating Officer for the Kaiser Permanente San Francisco Medical Center, overseeing the medical center’s operations, and fostering collaboration across functional, medical group and community partners. Before joining Kaiser Permanente in 2021, Abhishek was the Chief Executive Officer of Sutter Solano Medical Center (SSMC) in Vallejo. Through his leadership, SSMC achieved its strongest patient experience, quality and access results since 2010. Prior to his promotion to CEO, Abhishek spent ten years at Sutter Health CPMC in San Francisco, starting his career in 2007 and quickly gaining progressive responsibility within the organization to the Vice President, Specialty Services. In that role, he oversaw transplantation, cardiac, pulmonary, imaging and gastroenterology services with site administration for the Pacific Heights Campus.
Throughout his career, Abhishek has had an avid interest in identifying and addressing the social factors that impact total health, such as housing, homelessness, and food insecurity, which makes him a tireless advocate for bringing the Kaiser Permanente mission to life.
Abhishek holds a Bachelor of Science in community health from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and a master’s degree in health administration from Washington University School of Medicine in Saint Louis, Missouri. He lives in Marin County with his wife and two daughters, where he enjoys golfing and spending time with his family.
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+ Aimi Dutra Krause, The Dutra Group
Public Relations Director
The Dutra Group
Aimi Dutra is the Director of Community Relations and Governmental Affairs for The Dutra Group overseeing all corporate communications, government relations and community outreach programs for the company. Recently, she successfully led the extensive efforts to secure critical land-use entitlements on behalf of the company.
Since joining the firm, Aimi has brought a proactive and hands-on approach to community involvement. As a result of her vision, The Dutra Group has become a leading contributor toward important local causes and non-profits throughout Marin. Aimi has professional memberships with the Engineering Contractors Association, San Rafael Chamber, Bay Planning Coalition and California Marine Affairs and Navigation Conference (CMANC) and sits on the Heads Up Public School Foundation Board.
Aimi is married to her husband J.C. Krause and together they have 3 young children. She is a graduate of the University of the Pacific with a degree in Psychology.
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+ Dr. Jonathan Eldridge, College of Marin
Superintendent/President
College of Marin
Jonathan Eldridge, Ed.D serves as College of Marin’s 11th Superintendent/President. He came to the College in 2013 and most recently served as the College’s Assistant Superintendent/Vice President for Student Learning & Success. Dr. Eldridge supports a diverse group of faculty, staff, and administrators to create a truly coherent and integrated educational program for students. His commitment to student success is rooted in recognizing historical and systemic disparities in opportunity and outcomes and ensuring resources are directed at eliminating those disparities. At College of Marin Dr. Eldridge has developed, expanded, and nurtured partnerships with 10,000 Degrees, Canal Alliance, Marin Community Foundation, Marin County Office of Higher Education, all local school districts, Sonoma State University, Dominican University, Marin Economic Forum, and many others to allow the College to deliver more fully on its mission of providing equitable opportunities and fostering success for all members of our diverse community.Dr. Eldridge received a bachelor’s degree in History with a minor in political science from Central Washington University, graduating from CWU’s William O. Douglas Honors College. His master’s degree is in student affairs in higher education from Colorado State University and his doctorate is in organizational change and leadership from the University of Southern California. In addition to working at the University of Washington, he has also served as Dean of Students at Lewis & Clark College in Portland, Oregon and Vice President for Student Affairs at Southern Oregon University. These experiences at flagship, land grant, private, and regional institutions have proved to be invaluable in informing his work at College of Marin.
Dr. Eldridge served on the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators Board of Directors from 2005-2007, United Way of Jackson County (Oregon) Board of Directors from 2007-2012, Marin Economic Forum from 2019-2024, and is currently on the Boards of Directors of 10,000 Degrees and North Bay Leadership Council.
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+ James Elliot, BPM LLP
Partner
BPM LLP
James Elliott brings over two decades of public accounting experience to his role as a Partner at BPM. He specializes in supporting high-net-worth clients and businesses in the consumer and wine industries. His unique background and focused experience make him an invaluable asset to wine businesses of all sizes.
In his leadership role at BPM and his past work at a Big Four, he has collaborated with a diverse range of wine companies, from global top-10 producers to local sole proprietors. This broad exposure has given him a comprehensive understanding of the industry’s challenges and opportunities at every scale.
James knows and loves the North Bay. He is an alumnus of Sonoma State University and leads BPM’s Santa Rosa office. He believes in a more personalized, meaningful approach to client service, which he can take at BPM.
Some of his specialties include:
Tax compliance and consulting for wineries and vineyards
Business advisory services for entrepreneurial owner-managed businesses
High net worth individual tax planning
Ultra-high net worth multi-generational family wealth transfers
Estate planning and administration
Business acquisition analysis
James Elliott holds an active CPA license in California.
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+ Ingrid Estrada, Keysight Technologies
Corporate Administration Officer
Keysight Technologies
Ingrid Estrada is the CAO at Keysight Technologies. Estrada’s responsibilities include directing Keysight’s global policies and programs for leadership and talent development, compensation, benefits, staffing and workforce planning, human resources systems, education and organization development.
Estrada joined Hewlett-Packard in 1990 where she held a number of procurement, order management and order fulfillment positions. From 1995 through 2004, she served a variety of senior management roles in manufacturing, materials, and supply chain management, at both the division and business unit levels at HP and then Agilent Technologies. In 2004, Estrada was named a senior manager of manufacturing for Agilent’s Wireless Business Unit and launched the transformation of the Electronic Measurement Group supply chain.
In 2006, Estrada was promoted to vice president and general manager of the Remarketing Solutions Division. In 2011, she was named vice president and general manager of Global Sourcing for Agilent Technologies.
Estrada holds an MBA from Santa Clara University and an Executive MBA from Stanford University.
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+ Dr. Rob Eyler, Sonoma State University
Professor of Economics
Sonoma State University
Dr. Robert Eyler is a well known Professor of Economics at Sonoma State University, where he has been teaching since 1995. He earned a Ph.D. from the University of California, Davis in 1998. He earned a B.A. in Economics at CSU, Chico in 1992. Dr. Eyler also serves on the board of directors of Redwood Credit Union, a $9 billion nonprofit financial cooperative. Robert has been a visiting scholar at both the University of Bologna and Stanford University. His family have been sheep and cattle ranchers in Marin and Sonoma counties since 1910.
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+ Brian Flynn, Sonoma Raceway
EVP and General Manager
Sonoma Raceway
Flynn is a veteran of the motorsports and business management sector, bringing nearly 30 years of experience in the field. This will be his first time as a sports venue executive after serving as a consultant for 18 months with Sonoma Raceway on its high-performance driving, karting and hospitality services.
Flynn has served as CEO of Marty Snider and Associates, a video and marketing production company with clients like NBC Sports and FedEx, since 2018. He’s also served as a management consultant with Thorsport Racing, Zero1 Off Road and Speedway Motors for the past four years.
Prior to his current role, he worked in a multitude of capacities for the Richard Petty Driving Experience, roles that included general manager, chief operating officer and president. Over his tenure, from 1996 to 2008, RPDE became the largest consumer operator of stock car riding and driving experiences in the world.
He eventually took over as CEO of Petty Holdings LLC in 2009, a role he held until 2018. Petty Holdings LLC includes RPDE and Petty Enterprises, where Flynn served as president of the NASCAR race team from 2000 to 2005.
He also served as the president and COO of the Diamond Ridge Motorsports NASCAR race team from 1993 to 1996.
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+ Jason Foster, Bank of America
President for Napa, Marin, & Sonoma, Private Client Advisor, Bank of America Private Bank
Bank of America
Jason serves as the President for Bank of America in Napa, Marin & Sonoma. In this capacity, he coordinates the efforts of leadership across eight lines of business to consistently improve how the bank delivers for clients, our communities, and its employees. He leads the bank’s community engagement efforts and philanthropic giving locally with a strong focus on job creation, economic mobility, and addressing issues of diversity, equity, and inclusion both internally and externally.
Jason has been with the bank for over 25 years. In addition to his role as President, he leads the Private Bank team for in the North Bay. In that role, he and his team work closely with high-net-worth individuals, families, and business owners to help them achieve their financial goals by delivering comprehensive wealth management solutions. He has extensive experience in the areas of banking, credit, investment management, trust and estate planning, and philanthropic consulting.
Prior to joining the Private Bank, Jason held several leadership roles across the bank, including Consumer Market Executive, Premier Market Manager, and Financial Center Manager.
Jason has a strong connection to the area. He was born, raised, educated, and has worked his entire life in Marin and Sonoma counties. He is a longtime resident of Santa Rosa with his wife of 30 years and their two grown boys.
When not working, Jason is happiest spending time outdoors. He is an avid cyclist, golfer, skier, and traveler. In addition, he enjoys giving back as a frequent volunteer at the Redwood Empire Food Bank and Rincon Valley Little League.
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+ Celia Furber, Recology Sonoma Marin
Community Relations & Sustainability
Recology Sonoma Marin
Celia has built her career around designing, strategizing, and implementing large scale sustainability programs. Prior to working for Recology, she successfully implemented plastic bag and polystyrene ordinances for the City of San Jose as well as the City of Menlo Park.
She began working for Recology in 2013 as a Waste Zero Specialist in Mountain View, and spent nearly five years improving and expanding Mountain View’s commercial compost and recycling programs. Her efforts resulted in the city’s full compliance with state laws AB341 and AB1826 – and a 77% diversion rate.Celia is now thrilled to be the Waste Zero Manager for Recology Sonoma Marin, leading a very talented team of nine. Her top priorities in Sonoma and Marin counties are to educate the community on recycling/compost, increase diversion, and reach 100% compliance with state laws AB341 and AB1826. She will be sharing strategies her team is utilizing to accomplish Waste Zero goals, as well as progress made so far.
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+ Dr. Megan Gillespie, Sutter Health
Chief Executive Officer, Sutter Santa Rosa Regional Hospital
Sutter Health
Gillespie is the new chief executive officer of SSRRH. She is a passionate healthcare executive with progressive leadership experience at healthcare organizations across the country. She joins Sutter Health from Advocate Health Lutheran General Hospital in Chicago, where she served as vice president, chief nurse officer, at the 670-bed non-profit teaching hospital with a Level I trauma center, comprehensive stroke, oncology/bone marrow transplant program, comprehensive cardiovascular program and children’s hospital. Previously, she held several chief nurse executive roles with Kaiser Permanente in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Gillespie began her career in healthcare more than 20 years ago as a registered nurse and continues to serve as a leadership consultant coach with a focus on change management, elevating teamwork and innovating infrastructure to drive progress and results.
Gillespie was awarded a Doctor of Nursing Practice in 2021 from University of San Francisco’s Executive Leadership DNP program. She also holds a Fellow American College of Healthcare Executives and earned her MBA in healthcare from University of Texas at Tyler. She is a board-certified Nurse Executive. She holds a master’s degree in Nursing and Health Care Leadership from Western Governors University and completed Harvard’s Mentor Leadership Program. She earned her bachelor’s degree in nursing from Immaculata University after her registered nurse diploma from Pennsylvania College of Health Sciences.
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+ Isaac Gradman, Perry, Johnson, Anderson, Miller & Moskowitz LLP
Partner
Perry, Johnson, Anderson, Miller & Moskowitz LLP
Isaac Gradman is a partner at Perry, Johnson, Anderson, Miller & Moskowitz, LLP. His practice focuses on complex financial litigation and commercial disputes across several practice areas, including civil litigation, structured finance and distressed investments, trusts and estates litigation, real estate, securities, and business law. He is one of the nation’s leading legal experts in structured finance and distressed investment disputes, with particular expertise in residential mortgage-backed securities (“RMBS”) litigation and other legal issues stemming from the mortgage crisis. Mr. Gradman has represented some of the country’s largest and most active hedge funds, investment managers, monoline insurance companies and mortgage insurers in high-stakes litigation and transactions involving RMBS, CDOs and whole loan purchases, and has negotiated settlements of disputes leading to recoveries of over $1 billion dollars in the aggregate. He has represented clients in RMBS Trust Instruction Proceedings nationwide, including in California, Minnesota and New York. He has represented both claimants and defendants in FINRA arbitrations and has assisted businesses with navigating privacy and cybersecurity issues. He also applies the experience gained from his sophisticated national securities practice to a wide variety of local matters in Sonoma County and the greater Bay Area, where Mr. Gradman represents both estates and beneficiaries in trust disputes, and represents individuals and businesses in disputes involving real estate, land use, management agreements, wine and grape sales, regulatory issues and permitting, and business sales.
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+ Miles Horton, Sonoma Clean Power, Legislative Policy & Community Engagement Manager
Legislative Policy & Community Engagement Manager
Sonoma Clean Power
Miles serves as Legislative Policy and Community Engagement Manager at Sonoma Clean Power, where he represents the organization in the political arena and helps inform policy discussions around clean energy, infrastructure buildout, electric rates, and more. He also handles stakeholder engagement efforts for Sonoma Clean Power’s GeoZone initiative, working with elected officials, unions, environmental groups, and others to build support for local geothermal energy.
Prior to joining Sonoma Clean Power, Miles worked in the California Legislature as an aide to Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas and State Senator Scott Wiener, where he worked on environmental and labor issues.
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+ Eric Johnston, The Press Democrat
CEO Sonoma Media Investments
The Press Democrat
A California native, Johnston has been an industry leader for nearly 25 years with a successful track record of building strong community connections, growing revenue, transitioning newsrooms to the digital age and finding creative marketing solutions for advertisers in markets across the West. Accomplishments in leading multimillion-dollar organizations, establishing unified, diverse and inclusive teams across national operations, and directing multi-faceted initiatives that drive holistic change. His focus on promoting sustainable culture shifts, leading integration for advanced technology solutions, and oxygenating new ideas has been instrumental driving innovation in highly complex markets and generating substantial gains in both revenue and profit margin.
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+ Dr. David Klein, Marin Health
Chief Executive Officer
Marin Health
David Klein, MD, MBA, brings an especially informed perspective to his position as CEO of MarinHealth, having spent the first fourteen years of his career working as a general surgeon. Since leaving the operating room, Dr. Klein has built a long, successful career as a healthcare executive and hospital CEO. His open leadership style fosters communication and collaboration between the hospital staff, the administration, and the community at large. Prior to his position at MarinHealth Medical Center, Dr. Klein served as President and CEO of Dignity Health’s two San Francisco-based hospitals: Saint Francis Memorial Hospital and St. Mary’s Medical Center. At Dignity Health, he oversaw a great deal of positive change, including a turnaround to profitability, multiple Healthgrades Five Star and Excellence Awards, the development of a Transgender Health Program, the establishment 14 Bay-Area based urgent care centers, and the launch of the new Bothin Burn Center, the largest burn unit in Northern California.
Before joining Dignity Health, Dr. Klein was Chief Operating Officer and then President of the Baylor Scott & White Health All Saints Medical Center in Fort Worth, Texas. Under his stewardship, the hospital received many accolades for service line excellence and overall quality, including top hospital rankings in US News and World Report. Prior to his role at Baylor, Dr. Klein served as Administrator of Presbyterian Hospital of Denton in Denton, Texas, and as Chief Executive Officer of Cedar Park Regional Medical Center in Austin, Texas. Dr. Klein has sat on numerous community boards, from the American Heart Association, March of Dimes, and American Cancer Society to the Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce. He is the current Chair of the San Francisco Section of the Hospital Council of Northern and Central California and a member of the San Francisco Marin Medical Society.
Dr. Klein received his bachelor’s degree from the University of Southern California, his medical degree from the University of New Mexico, and his master’s degree in Business Administration from the University of California, Irvine.
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+ Dr. Yung-Jae Lee, Dominican University of California
Dean, Andrew P. Barowsky School of Business
Dominican University of California
Lee comes to Dominican University of California from Saint Mary’s College of California, where he spent the past year serving as interim dean of the School of Economics and Business Administration. Lee, who joined Saint Mary’s in 1998 as a professor of business analytics, also has served as associate dean of Graduate Business and Global Programs, director of the Professional MBA Program, and chair of the Operations Management and Quantitative Methods Department.
At Saint Mary’s, Lee worked with faculty and staff to develop and launch several degrees and certificate programs. These include an Executive Doctorate in Business Administration (2019), a Women’s Leadership Certificate Program (2019), a Leadership Development Program for Provident Credit Union (2019), an Executive MBA Shanghai (2018), an M.S. in Management (2016), an M.S. in Business Analytics (2015), an M.S. in Accounting (2013), and a Short-Term Silicon Valley/SF Immersion Program (2013).
He was responsible for all five graduate business programs in the university’s initial AACSB accreditation in 2013 and then led the AACSB re-accreditation process in 2018.
Lee has broad experience in higher education, having taught at the University of California Irvine, Chapman University, the University of St. Gallen in Switzerland, California State University Fullerton, and California State University San Marcos. Courses taught include Global Operations and Supply Chain Management, Operations Management, Quantitative Methods, Data Analysis, and Business Statistics. He has also consulted with many global companies, including Roche, McKesson, OASIS International, Abbot Medical Optics, Lucky Stores, Varian, Transcept, and Walt Disney.
Lee has been published extensively in leading journals, including the International Journal of Social Entrepreneurship and Innovation, Decision Support Systems, Expert Systems, Decision Sciences Institute, and Engineering Applications of Artificial Intelligence.
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+ Brett Martinez, Redwood Credit Union
President and CEO
Redwood Credit Union
Brett Martinez is President & Chief Executive Officer of Redwood Credit Union, the North Bay’s largest credit union. Mr. Martinez oversees all aspects of the Credit Union, which serves 230,000 Members with $2.2 billion in assets.
Mr. Martinez has over 28 years of credit union experience and has served as a Senior Executive for
both the California Credit Union League and a large Southern California credit union prior to
joining Redwood Credit Union in 2002. Mr. Martinez holds a Masters Degree in Business
Administration (MBA) from California State University/San Bernardino. He is also a graduate of
Western CUNA Management School.Mr. Martinez was the fundraising coordinator for Credit Unions for Kids in the Bay Area and has
served on the Credit Union for Kids National Advisory Board. He was presented with the 2010
Distinguished Service Award, which recognizes outstanding service and dedication to the
credit union community and volunteer and charitable efforts, at the California Credit Union
League’s Annual Meeting and Conference.Mr. Martinez is an active participant in the community, serving on a variety of non‐profit,
community and industry boards. Currently, he is a Board member of RCU Services Group,
the Santa Rosa Chamber of Commerce and the North Bay Leadership Council, and he was the Santa Rosa Chamber of Commerce Board Chair in 2012. Over the past four years, Mr. Martinez has received the United Way of the Wine Country Executive Campaign Chair of the Year award, was presented with the “Caught in the Act of Leadership” award by the North Bay Leadership Council, served as co‐chair of the 2010 Start! North Bay Heart Walk and was recognized as the North Bay’s Best Community Business Leader by readers of Northbay biz magazine. Under Mr. Martinez’s leadership and direction, Redwood Credit Union has received the North Bay Business Journal’s “Best Places to Work” award for eight consecutive years and has repeatedly been voted “Best Credit Union” by readers of numerous North Bay publications.Brett Martinez and his wife Theresa reside in Santa Rosa with their two sons. He enjoys golf, tennis, boating and spending time with his family.
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+ Marcos Montes, Comcast
Director of Government Affairs for the North Bay
Comcast
In his role as Director of Government Affairs for the North Bay, Marcos works with elected officials and municipalities across the North Bay on behalf of Comcast. Marcos joined Comcast in 2021 as Director of External Affairs for the California Region. In this role, Marcos worked with all three External Affairs disciplines – Government Relations, Community Impact, and External Communications – to ensure the teams have the tools and infrastructure they need to succeed.
Before Comcast, Marcos held many roles of increasing responsibility for PG&E including the role of Manager of Integrated Public Affairs. Marcos’s leadership, experience and network have helped further strengthen the reach and success of the Comcast California External Affairs team. Marcos graduated from the University of California Davis Campus and holds an MBA from the University of Phoenix.
When Marcos is not working, he enjoys traveling, volunteering in his local community, and exploring local parks and museums throughout the bay with his wife and kids.
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+ Meagan Moore, Buck Institute for Age Research
CAO
Buck Institute for Age Research
Meagan Moore currently holds the position as Chief Administrative Officer at the Buck Institute for Research on Aging. She joined the Buck in January of 2016 as Director of Sponsored Programs. In November of 2016, she was promoted to her current role. Prior to joining the Buck, Ms. Moore spent 11 years at the Gladstone Institutes in San Francisco in various roles, including as the head of the Contracts & Grants Department. Although not a scientist by training, Ms. Moore is dedicated to the mission of biomedical research. She is thrilled at the opportunity to continue in the tradition of the Buck as a world renowned leader in the field of aging and age related diseases. Meagan lives in San Rafael with her husband, a Marin native, and their two young children.
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+ Melissa Oliva, Nelson Connects
Executive Vice President, Field Operations
Nelson Connects
Melissa Oliva, Executive Vice President of Field Operations, leads Nelson Connects’ sales and recruiting initiatives with a commitment to delivering unmatched service experiences. A distinguished leader with nearly 25 years of staffing industry expertise, Melissa refines processes and services to shape organizational success and has been instrumental in growing companies from the start-up phase to maturation.
A dynamic and entrepreneurial leader, Melissa builds robust, service-focused teams who continuously drive organizational growth and market expansion. Her proactive approach not only fosters a culture of continuous improvement but also directly supports the company’s success in the competitive staffing industry.
Melissa’s expertise extends beyond operations to initiating and conducting impactful engagements with legislators on Capitol Hill, where she has advocated for advancements critical to the background screening profession. This aspect of her career demonstrates her ability to influence and shape industry standards at a high level.
Melissa’s leadership at Nelson Connects is a blend of strategic foresight, industry expertise, and a commitment to excellence, making her a pivotal figure in the company and the industry.
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+ Garry Olney, Providence
CEO, Northern California Service Area
Providence
Garry Olney has been with Providence for eight years. For the past five years, he served as chief executive of our San Pedro and Torrance ministries located in Southern California.
Garry brings of wealth of operational and strategic leadership experience to his new role as chief executive for our newly formed Northern California service area. His multi-decade career includes executive leadership roles at several hospitals throughout California.
Prior to joining Providence, Garry worked for Ascension Health, the largest faith-based health system in the United States, and Tenet Healthcare, where he served as system vice president of patient care services.
After several years with Tenet, Garry assumed the role of chief operating officer for one of the largest multispecialty medical groups in Texas, where he gained extensive knowledge working with physicians in a medical group practice and implemented strategies with local hospital leadership teams to form an integrated partnership.
Garry holds multiple degrees, including a bachelor’s degree in nursing, master’s degree in business administration and a Doctor of Nursing Practice from Texas Tech University.
Garry recently purchased a home in Healdsburg and will be relocating his family in January. Please Join us in welcoming Garry to Northern California.
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+ Mark van Gorder, PG&E Corporation
Government and Community Partnerships | Marin and Napa Counties
PG&E Corporation
Mark van Gorder joined Pacific Gas and Electric Company in 2013 as Local Government Affairs representative for the North Bay where he works with eighteen jurisdictions in Marin and Napa counties. Working with County, City and Town elected and staff leaders, Mark supports large gas and electric construction, inspections, compliance, clean energy transition, and partners with community based organizations to support PG&E purpose to: Deliver for our hometowns, serve our planet, and lead with love.
Mark has 16 years of experience in Napa wine industry direct to consumer sales and events. He was appointed to City of Napa Planning Commission in 2003 and elected to serve on Napa City Council from 2005 to 2013. There, he worked toward fiscal responsibility, public safety, sidewalk and road improvements, increased safety for pedestrians and cyclists, energy conservation, clean energy generation, water conservation, green building practices, and working with neighborhood residents for their improved quality of life.
As Napa Sanitation District Director from 2006 to 2012, Mark pushed for clean energy operations. Napa Sanitation District opened a Fat, Oil, and Grease (FOG) receiving station. Methane gas created when the FOG is broken down in the treatment process is collected and used to generate electricity. The programs reduced trucking impacts and turned waste product into cleaner energy, reducing annual operating costs.
Mark is a graduate of Santa Rosa Junior College and U.C. Davis where he received a BA in Communications. He lives in Napa with his wife Tiffany and has two daughters in high school and college. Mark is an avid hiker and always looking for new trails to share with friends – or a relaxing beach.
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