Board of Directors

Karleen Arnink-Pate – 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.

Michelle Ausburn – Executive Committee – Secretary/Treasurer

Partner

BPM LLP

Michelle’s area of expertise is GAAP compliant financial accounting and reporting. She serves middle-market, privately-held, family owner-managed, and institutionally owned businesses and publicly held companies. She has experience working with companies in the start-up phase through ownership transition, including IPO. Over the past decade or so, she has spent more than 90% of her time working with wineries, vineyards, real estate entities, négociants, custom crush facilities, wine and spirits distribution companies, natural and organic food companies, and non-wine agriculture. As a result, she has extensive knowledge of the more common and complex accounting issues those types of businesses face. In addition to providing traditional audit and review services, she offers guidance in the areas of business combinations, consolidations, lease accounting, inventory valuation, revenue recognition, and evaluation of internal control. Michelle also has over 10 years of experience in the area of audits of employee benefit plans.

Michelle has served on several boards including as Treasurer for the Napa/Sonoma Chapter for Women for WineSense (2011-2013) and Treasurer and Finance Committee Chair for The Healdsburg School (2013-2015). Since 2009, she has served on the planning committee for the Cal CPA Wine Industry Conference where she has also presented on GAAP accounting and reporting in the wine industry. Michelle has also participated as a speaker at the Wine Industry Technology Symposium and through Sonoma State University’s Wine Business Program. She is active in the Firm’s recruiting efforts at SSU.

Alon Adani – 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.

Barry Friedman – 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.

Patricia Garbarino – 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.

Kathryn Lowell – 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.

Steve Page – Executive Committee – Chairman Emeritus

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.

Mark Wood – 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.

Dr. Armika Berkely – Board Member

Medical Group Administrator

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.

John Costa

Government Relations Manager

PG&E Corporation

John Costa is the Manager of Government Relations & Local Public Affairs for Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E) Company in Northern California. John works with various Community Leaders/Organizations, aids the various lines of business (Gas, Electric, Renewables, etc.), oversees the day-to-day operations of various projects/company initiatives and coordinates with counterparts throughout California.

Prior to joining Pacific Gas and Electric Company, John worked as a Director of Government and Public Affairs for the North State Building Industry Association, focusing in the field of Housing and Land Use advocacy, political campaigns and non-profit leadership.

John currently serves as a Board Member for ARI, American River Parkway Foundation, Sacramento Metro Chamber, Sacramento Asian Chamber, North Bay Leadership Council, and coaches U12 girls/U14 boys’ soccer for the Elk Grove Youth Soccer League.

A graduate of CSU Sacramento, John holds a bachelor’s degree in organizational communications.

Aimi Dutra Krause

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.

Ingrid Estrada

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.

Brian Flynn

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.

Jason Foster

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.

Jim Geist

Senior Vice President – Finance & Accounting

Nelson Connects

Jim Geist joined Nelson Connects in 2005 to manage the company’s North Bay Finance & Accounting practice. After multiple leadership promotions, he now serves as Senior Vice President overseeing Nelson Connects’ corporate-wide Finance & Accounting Division.

Jim’s over 25-year career in the employment services industry includes placement, retained executive search, leadership, and employee training and development. Focused on providing top-tier service to every client and candidate, Jim serves as an expert adviser to businesses across multiple industries. Under his leadership, his teams have placed thousands of people in organizations across California, providing them with employment opportunities that advance their careers and professional growth.

Jim was recently appointed as a board member for the North Bay Leadership Council, and has been a regular contributor to KSRO Radio, Sonoma State University, Santa Rosa Junior College, and the North Bay Business Journal on job market and employment trends. Jim graduated with honors from Sonoma State University with a degree in Psychology, is a member of Nelson’s Chairman’s Club, and has won multiple awards for innovation and leadership.

Eric Johnston

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.

Chuck Kassis

CEO, Providence Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital

Providence Sonoma County

Chuck Kassis is the Chief Executive Officer at Providence Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital. For the past 14 years he was the Chief Executive Officer (7 years) and Chief Operating Officer (7 years) at Mercy Medical Center in Merced part of Dignity Health. Chuck’s key accomplishments were overseeing the build and move into a new hospital while building a culture of openness and inclusiveness pushing the ministry to build strategic service lines for growth, improved quality and patient safety programs, improve patient experience through grassroots front line service improvements, employee experience through partnering with Merced College’s customer service academy and a heightened focus on philanthropic efforts.
Chuck has excelled in networking and team building while having operational success both before and during the current pandemic.
Chuck holds a Master’s Degree from Golden Gate University and he is a proud Paul Harris Fellow.
In his spare time, Chuck enjoys playing golf and spending time with his friends and family.

David Klein

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.

Darren LaShelle

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.”

Mike Lee

Interim President

Sonoma State University

Ming Tung “Mike” Lee, Ph.D. began his tenure as interim president of Sonoma State University on Monday, August 1, 2022 – after being appointed by California State University (CSU) Interim Chancellor Jolene Koester.

With a career spanning 28 years at Sacramento State, Lee held several university leadership roles including vice president for Administration and Business Affairs/chief financial officer as well as interim provost and vice president for Academic Affairs.

Lee retired from Sacramento State in 2018 and has since held emeritus status on the Sacramento State campus as a professor of Business Administration.

Lee joined Sacramento State as an associate professor of marketing in 1990 before being promoted to professor in 1997. He also served as associate vice president and dean/vice provost for academic programs from 2005-10. He has served as a member of the faculty since then in addition to his administrative appointments.

Lee earned a bachelor’s degree in literature from Tunghai University in Taichung, Taiwan, and a master’s degree in international commerce and a Ph.D. in business administration from the University of Kentucky.

Dr. Lee was the first Asian to ever serve as the Provost and the Vice President/CFO positions for Sacramento State.

Dr. Lee and his wife, Fei, have a daughter and two sons.

Dr. Yung-Jae Lee

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.

Brett Martinez

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.

Meagan Moore

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.

Les Perry

Partner

Perry, Johnson, Anderson, Miller & Moscowitz LLP

Mr. Perry practices in the areas of land use, real estate and business law. He represents clients before various administrative and planning agencies, including County of Sonoma, City of Santa Rosa, Town of Windsor, City of Petaluma, City of Rohnert Park, City of Sonoma, City of Cotati, City of Sebastopol, Sonoma County Airport Land Use Commission and Water Quality and Air Quality Boards.

Mr. Perry also represents clients in general real estate, environmental and contractual litigation. He has significant experience with California Environmental Quality Act compliance and litigation.Mr. Perry has practiced law in Sonoma County since 1975. He is a founding partner of Perry, Johnson, Anderson, Miller & Moskowitz and previously partner with the firm of Luke & Perry. He is an AV rated attorney by Martindale-Hubbell (AV: “indicates very high to preeminent legal ability and very high ethical standards as established by confidential opinions from members of the Bar and Judiciary.”)

Mr. Perry currently is a member of the Board of Trustees of Memorial Hospital; a member of the Sonoma County Harvest Fair (past president); a member of Santa Rosa Mainstreet Board of Directors (past president); a member of Business Advisory Assessment District (vice-chairman); and a member of the Sonoma County Volunteer Center Board of Directors (past president).

Mr. Perry was formerly a member of the Audubon Canyon Ranch Board of Directors; Sonoma County Planning Commissioner 1986-1995, Chairman 1987 and 1992; a member of the Sonoma County Emergency Medical Care Advisory Committee; Sonoma County Energy Advisory Committee; Northern Sonoma County Air Pollution Control Board; Sonoma County Civil Service Commission; member of the Board of Directors of Burbank Housing Development Corporation; Member of the Board of Director of the Sonoma County Fair (past president).

Mr. Perry attended the University of Nevada, Reno for two years. He received a bachelor of science degree in economics from University of California, Davis, in 1971 and a Juris Doctorate from the University of California, Davis (King Hall) in 1974. Mr. Perry attended “Mediation of the Litigated Case” at Pepperdine University.

Dan Peterson

Chief Executive Officer, Sutter Santa Rosa Regional Hospital

Sutter Health

Dan Peterson, MHSA, FACHE, is the CEO of Sutter Santa Rosa Regional Hospital, operating an 84 bed inpatient facility with a 40 bed expansion project underway, a series of outpatient clinics, a Family Medicine Residency Program and over 35,000 ER visits annually.

From 2017-2019 Peterson served as the Chief Administrative Officer for Sutter Lakeside Hospital.  During this time, the hospital received it’s first four star ratings from CMS in both service and quality, multiple dashboard awards from Sutter Health, and the Lake County Large Business of the year award in 2018.  Sutter Lakeside also undertook a full-scale two week evacuation during the Mendocino Complex fire of 2018.

Prior to joining Sutter Lakeside Hospital, Dan served as the administrator for Sutter Santa Rosa Surgery and Endoscopy Center, and as Director of Ambulatory and Ancillary services at UCLA Health System.

Dan holds a Masters degree in Health Services Administration from the University of Michigan, and a Bachelors in Economics from Brigham Young University.  He is also a Fellow in the American College of Healthcare Executives.

Fred Stemmler

General Manager

Recology Sonoma Marin

The Recology business model began over 100 years ago when our founders began sorting through San Francisco’s trash to find and sell what was salvageable. This Waste Zero model continues today in Sonoma and Marin with General Manager Fred Stemmler partnering with the 470 local employee-owners servicing 155,000 customers across these two counties.  For more information on the services we provide, please visit our website at www.recology.com/SonomaMarin.

Fred Vela

Regional Vice President

Wells Fargo Bank

Vela has 16 employees in an office that serves public and private companies with annual revenues of $20 million or more.

Most recently, Vela served as senior vice president and loan team manager for North Coast and San Francisco offices. Previously with Comerica Bank, Vela joined Wells Fargo in 2011 as a loan team manager. His financing knowledge made the San Francisco regional office one of the top performing teams in Wells Fargo Middle Market Commercial Banking.

Aaron Walker

Vice President, North Bay Area

Comcast

Aaron Walker is approaching 26 years in the Cable, telecommunication, and technology deployment industry.  He has held numerous leadership positions within Comcast, supporting different departments that include Technical Operations, Dispatch, Construction, Engineering and Network while serving the Bay Area, Central and Sacramento California, and North Bay areas.

Walker holds a Bachelor’s degree in Business from the University of Phoenix and a Master’s degree in Psychology from Arizona Global Campus.   He serves Comcast California as the Executive Sponsor of Veterans Network, SCTE board member and former Advisory Board member of the Salvation Army, a 2016 Leadership Sacramento graduate, and Sacramento Chamber of Commerce Alumni Board member

Walker spends his past time traveling in his RV, riding ATVs’, along with hunting/fishing with his wife and children.  He is a big supporter of martial arts, earning a 2^nd degree black belt in Taekwondo at age 12.  His children have followed in those footsteps and his son holds a 3^rd degree black belt in March, while his two-daughter’s achieved 1^st degree Black belts.