The Foundation
Board of Directors
Our diverse board of directors is composed of business leaders, conservationists, scientists and educators, and is representative of the Laguna’s broad appeal to Sonoma County’s many cultural and economic communities. Our strategic approach is collaborative, building a “big tent” embracing private landowners and public agencies to jointly solve problems and improve management of the Laguna’s natural resources. Our directorship, accordingly, reflects a wide range of perspectives and interests, but shares the common goal of improving the health and functioning of the Laguna.
President
Jeff Allen is a founder and board member of American BioDiesel/Community Fuels, and is President of Allen Land Design a Sonoma County landscape firm which has been creating award winning gardens throughout the Bay Area for over 25 years. An entrepreneur in the classical sense, Jeff has the natural ability to recognize what it takes to create a successful venture, energy to carry out the necessary tasks and the insight to choose a talented team of players in which to surround himself. Jeff lives near the Laguna with his wife, Anne-Marie, and their three daughters.
Vice President
Caroline Christian is on the faculty of the Department of Environmental Studies and Planning at Sonoma State University. She received her PhD in population biology from UC Davis in 2002 and has done ecological research on a broad range of conservation and land management issues, including invasive species, grassland and riparian restoration, livestock grazing and prescribed fire. Prior to her position with Sonoma State, Caroline was a Smith Postdoctoral Fellow with The Nature Conservancy at UC Santa Cruz and then held a position with TNC as a senior ecologist.
Secretary
Guy Smith grew up along the Laguna. He and his family have lived and farmed on the Laguna for over 50 years and he has broad longstanding relationships in the agricultural community. He serves on the Board of Directors of both the Pacific Coast Air Museum and the Sonoma County Historical Society. He is a lifelong construction professional specializing in large-scale earth-moving projects.
Directors
Nina Arrabit has been a resident of Sonoma County for 65 years. She attended Santa Rosa High School, Santa Rosa Junior College and Sonoma State University. Nina is married with three children and seven grandchildren. For 32 years, she owned and operated a food market. She has been retired for 20 years and now takes groups around the world on tours. Nina has been to over 100 countries. She has also served on boards and commissions for Sonoma County, City of Santa Rosa, Santa Rosa Junior College and various nonprofits.
Denise Cadman is the Natural Resources Specialist for the City of Santa Rosa. She holds a Masters Degree in biology from Sonoma State University and is a member of the adjunct faculty of the Santa Rosa Junior College biology department. In her position with the City, she is responsible for the management of natural lands within the City's land holdings in the Laguna. She leads hundreds of visitors each year on tours of the Laguna.
Ken Churchill founded one of California’s first solar energy companies, Daystar Energy Systems in 1976 and later founded ACC Environmental Consultants with his wife Susan in 1986. He sold both companies and moved to Santa Rosa in 1999. He and Susan currently grow grapes and produce wines under their Churchill Cellars label. As a Project Coordinator, donor and fundraiser, Ken headed the team that completed the farmhouse renovation at the Laguna Learning Center.
Bill Cox started his Department of Fish & Game career in 1974 as a Seasonal Aide living in Point Arena studying the salmon and steelhead runs on the Garcia, Gualala, and Klamath rivers for what was then known as the Anadromous Fisheries Division. His full-time appointment came in November of 1977 in Yountville, in 1980 Bill moved out to Sebastopol to cover Sonoma County, representing the Department on all things fish and stream related. Then, in 1982, Bill picked up Marin County as well. Bill sees his greatest accomplishments as being the positive relationships he has built with the local agencies and the public in Sonoma and Marin counties.
Hugh Helm is an attorney who has practiced employment and business law in Sonoma County since 1985. He taught legal ethics at Empire School of Law for 15 years and served as a small claims judge for 10 years. He is active in Rotary, is a land monitor for the Sonoma Land Trust, and is training to be a docent at Bouverie Preserve. His interests involve anything outdoors, and his partner Christine has been a very active docent with the Laguna Foundation since 2004.
Richard Power has lived in Sebastopol since 1992 near one edge of the Laguna. He often commutes across it by bike to his office in Santa Rosa where he is a founding partner of Carle, Mackie, Power & Ross LLP. His practice focuses on affordable housing and it’s financing utilizing the low income housing tax credit.
Jim Shelton and his brother founded Food For Thought natural food stores in Santa Rosa and Sebastopol, which they sold to Whole Foods in 2000. Since then, he has been an independent businessman. He is the current treasurer of the board of Community Action Partnership of Sonoma County and active in a range of charitable work.
Betsy Stewart has been a Sonoma County resident for 50 years. She attended Montgomery High School and Sonoma State University, and is licensed as a Certified Public Accountant in the states of California and Oregon. She is one of four owners of Zainer Rinehart Clarke Certified Public Accountants, where she is responsible for the firm’s practice administration in addition to providing creative business, tax, and financial reporting services primarily for privately owned companies and their owners. She has previously served on a variety of boards of directors in Sonoma County, including Burbank Housing, Santa Rosa Symphony Association, and Social Advocates for Youth.
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