Our Staff & board of directors
Dedicated to protecting Sonoma’s County’s future
Guided by a passion for the land and dedicated to protecting Sonoma County’s future, the people of Sonoma Land Trust drive our impact and foster community engagement.
Board of Directors
Providing strategic oversight
Our board comprises dynamic, passionate Sonoma County community members who provide strategic oversight of our work. They volunteer their time and expertise and contribute financial and social capital as we collaboratively tackle issues like climate resilience, biological diversity loss, habitat restoration, and more.
Scott Hafner
Chair
Gregory Appling
Vice Chair
Philip Jensen
Vice Chair
Ellie Rilla
Secretary
Marie Andel
Board Member
Simon Blattner
Board Member
Clay Clement
Board Member
Anita Das
Board Member
Frank Dean
Board Member
Liz Fisher
Board Member
Reno Keoni Franklin
Board Member
Duncan Higgons
Board Member
Steven Hightower *In Memoriam*
Board Member
Quincey Tompkins Imhoff
Board Member
Claire Jahns
Board Member
Nancy Otto
Board Member
Jeanette Pantoja
Board Member
Tim Portwood
Board Member
Allison Sanford
Board Member
Judy Scotchmoor
Board Member
Lewis Warren
Board Member
Jennifer Wong Hartman
Board Member
Our Staff
Dedicated to protecting the land we love
Our staff is a community working together toward the vital goal of protecting the land we love—forever. Each of our dedicated staff members play an important role in the acquisition and preservation of Sonoma County’s most treasured landscapes.
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Eamon O’Byrne
Executive Director
He/Him
Merrill Hallett
Chief of Staff
She/Her
Alison Rodrigues
Executive Administrator
She/Her
Melodie Grubbs
Conservation Director
She/Her
John McCaull
Land Acquisition Director
He/Him
Georgiana Hale
Land Acquisition Program Manager (Countywide)
She/Her
Maryrose Kulick
GIS Program Manager
She/Her
Kate Freeman
Land Acquisition Program Manager
She/Her
Mel Lozano
Acquisition Project Manager
She/They
Julia Elkin *In Memoriam*
Land Acquisition Program Manager
She/Her
Gina Fabiano
Director of Marketing & Media Relations
She/Her
Emily Harwitz
Communications Manager
She/Her
Neal Ramus
Director of Community Engagement and Education
He/Him
Mirella Ramos
Bilingual Youth Programs Manager
They/Them
Kylie Kerr
Bilingual Youth Programs Coordinator
She/Her
Alayza Cervantes
Community Outreach Manager
She/Her
Ingrid Stearns
Public Programs Manager
She/Her
Carlos Rivas
Outings Coordinator
He/Him
Chloe Howard
Community Engagement Programs Assistant
She/Her
Joe Rizzo
Director of Finance & Administration
He/Him
Sonya Sirrs
Accounting Manager
She/Her
Kirti Bavdekar
Senior Accountant
She/Her
Amy Swanson
Staff Accountant
She/Her
Annya Maskey
Associate Director of Operations
She/Her
Carl Gboney
Operations Project Manager
He/Him
Ellen Velazquez Muralles
Operations Manager
She/Her
Shannon Nichols
Director of Philanthropy
She/Her
Hillary Jarcik
Deputy Director of Philanthropy
She/Her
Camille Matson
Gift Planning & Donor Relations Manager
She/Her
Natasha Bacci
Major Gifts Officer
She/Her
Melissa Bennett
Philanthropy Program Manager
She/Her
Shawnalee Pusey
CRM Database Administrator
She/Her
Grace Martino
Philanthropy Experiences Manager
She/They
Matthew Cadigan
Philanthropy Operations Associate
He/Him
Ariana Rickard
Policy Director
She/Her
Kyle Pinjuv
Stewardship Director
He/Him
Chris Carlson
Sonoma Valley Stewardship Program Manager
He/Him
Shanti Edwards
Sonoma Coast Program Manager
She/Her
Melina Hammar
Stewardship Program Manager
She/Her
Julian Meisler
Associate Director of Stewardship
He/Him
Joe Plaugher
Stewardship Program Manager
He/Him
Tom Tolliver
Stewardship Program Manager
He/Him
Riley Scaff
Stewardship Project Manager
She/They
Grant Coleman
Stewardship Technician
He/Him
Bianca Vargas
Stewardship Technician
She/Her