Amanda Blosser
Cultural Resources Program Manager, California State Parks
Amanda Blosser is the Cultural Resources Program Manager for the Diablo Range District, California State Parks. With more than two decades of experience in historic preservation, Amanda has led complex statewide efforts involving the identification, documentation, and stewardship of historic sites, structures, and cultural landscapes.


Carolyn Christian x
President, California League of Park Associations
X


Ruth Coleman  x
Executive Director, California Parks Hospitality Association
Ruth Coleman currently serves as the Executive Director of the California Parks Hospitality Association, representing concessionaires that operate in California State Parks. She is also a board member of LA River State Parks Partners, a non-profit cooperating association of California State Parks. From 2013-2020, Ruth helped launch Sustainable Growers, a non-profit dedicated to improving the livelihoods of women coffee farmers in Rwanda. As Sustainable Growers’ first Executive Director, Ruth oversaw the growth of the nonprofit, ultimately serving over 37,000 low-income women coffee farmers. Prior to joining Sustainable Growers, Ms. Coleman served for ten years as Director of the California Department of Parks and Recreation.


Adrien Contreras x
Assistant Deputy Director of Park Operations, California State Parks
Adrien Contreras began his career with State Parks in September 2001. He spent the first 14 years of his career working for the Acquisition & Development Division, then moved to Park Operations in March of 2016. Adrien has been serving as the Assistant Deputy Director of Park Operations since June 2021.


Annie Cresswell x
Executive Director, Stewards of the Coast and Redwoods
x.


Carlene Croisdale x
Chief of Partnerships, California State Parks‍ 
‍
Carlene Croisdale Carlene Croisdale joined California State Parks as Partnerships Division Chief in June 2023. Prior to this role, she served at the California Governor's Office of Emergency Services, beginning in June 2020. Before her state career, Carlene held various management positions in the hospitality and travel industry, including roles as a hotel manager on expedition cruise ships and in operations at Asilomar Conference Grounds.


Heidi Doyle x
Executive Director Emeriti, Sierra State Parks Foundation
Heidi Doyle has produced hundreds fundraising and educational events during her career with four public lands agencies and, most recently, as the Executive Director of the Sierra State Parks Foundation. She has served on the boards of several successful non-profits and advised senior leadership with the California State Parks on both the Transformation efforts (2015-18) and the Strategic Plan (2018-2022). An elected official with the North Tahoe Fire Protection District, Heidi holds a BS from California Polytechnic State University (San Luis Obispo) and has completed master’s coursework in public policy at George Mason University and UC Berkeley. Having lived on four continents, she brings a wealth of experience, talent, determination, and leadership to this discussion. The mother of three grown children, she lives in North Lake Tahoe with her husband and dog, Goldie.


Marty Greenstein x
Deputy Director of Marketing, California State Parks
x.


Heather Holm
Chief of Interpretation & Education, California State Parks
Heather Holm is the Chief of the Interpretation and Education Division of California State Parks. Heather has 22 years of experience in interpretation, having worked in various positions in California State Parks. Her work experience includes interpretive program development and facilitation, distance learning program development, project management, interpretive training development and facilitation, policy development, interpretive planning, and intellectual property rights administration. Heather is passionate about supporting front-line interpretive staff, partners and volunteers in their work. She has a Master of Arts degree in Public History from California State University, Sacramento.


Cleve Justis x
XX, Potrero Group
x.


Lauren Kalfsbeek x
XX, XX
X.


Geoff Kish
Vice President of Programs, Parks California
Geoff Kish is Vice President of Programs at Parks California, California State Parks’ statutory nonprofit partner. He leads the organization’s statewide program portfolio and works closely with California State Parks to identify priorities, develop strategic partnerships, and address complex challenges facing parks. Geoff leads a team that brings together government agencies, community organizations, nonprofits, and philanthropy to translate shared priorities into programs and investments. His work supports a welcoming, inclusive, and resilient state park system where all Californians can build lifelong connections to nature.


Takeo Kishi x
X, X
X.


Lada Kocherovsky
Principal, Page & Turnbull Archtecture
Lada Kocherovsky, AIA, has led Page & Turnbull’s Parks Architecture sector for over two decades. As a Principal and design leader, she specializes in balancing historic preservation, new development, and contemporary uses within historic and natural settings. Her work enhances built and natural environments, enriches visitor experiences, and supports lasting community benefits. Her experience includes planning, assessment, rehabilitation, and design projects involving significant historic resources and cultural landscapes, including Asilomar State Park, Hearst Castle, Grand Canyon National Park, and the Presidio of San Francisco.


Brad Krey
Statewide Interpretation & Education Program Manager, California State Parks
Brad Krey is the Statewide Interpretation & Education Program Manager for California State Parks, where he leads innovative initiatives that expand access to parks and connect communities with California’s natural and cultural resources. Through his leadership of the award-winning PORTS (Parks Online Resources for Teachers and Students) Program, Brad has helped transform how students experience State Parks through technology, partnerships, and engaging educational experiences. Passionate about collaboration, Brad works to strengthen connections between parks, educators, and community partners to create meaningful K-12 learning opportunities, both virtually and in person.


Matt Leffert x
X, Jack London Park Partners
X.


Martin Lowenstein x
Executive Director, Friends of China Camp
X.


Danielle Lynch x
X, California State Parks
x.


Maria Mauricio
Monterey District Superintendent of California State Parks
Maria Mauricio is the Volunteer Coordinator for Sonoma Ecology Center at Sugarloaf Ridge State Park, where approximately 90% of projects and operations are volunteer-led. She supports volunteers who contributed nearly 18,000 hours across 86 roles and projects in 2025, overseeing recruitment, onboarding, training, and recognition. Maria and the Sugarloaf team have developed a model where volunteers become leads and trainers. She also expanded internship opportunities for youth. Her work centers on retention and sustainable growth.


Michael Myers X
Executive Director, Sierra State Parks Foundation
x.


Rachel Norton x
Executive Director, California State Parks Foundation
A graduate of Barnard College, Rachel Norton spent the first decade of her career as a journalist, working at Reuters, The New York Times, and CNET. Rachel discovered her passion for parks and outdoor education when working for the San Francisco Parks Alliance from July 2013 through April 2017, serving as Director of External Affairs and interim Chief Executive Officer. She joined California State Parks Foundation as Executive Director in May 2017. Rachel was elected to three terms on the San Francisco Unified School District Board of Education, chairing the Budget, Student Assignment and Legislative committees and serving as Vice President and President. She left office in January 2021. She also represented Assembly District 19 on the San Francisco County Democratic Party Central Committee from 2016 to 2020. Rachel lives in San Francisco with her adult daughters Audrey and Jackie.


Frank Pikus
X, X
X


Armando Quintero x
Director, California State Parks
Armando Quintero, director for the California Department of Parks and Recreation since September 1, 2020. An experienced parks professional with expertise in park operations, outdoor education, equity and access, and diversity and inclusion in hiring and retention, Quintero is an environmental scientist by training. Since 2015, he was the executive director of the Sierra Nevada Research Institute at the University of California, Merced, where he was also director of development from 2008 to 2014. He also served as a member and Chairman of the California Water Commission from 2014 to 2020.

Quintero held multiple positions at the National Park Service from 1976 to 1998, including chief of the Special Park Uses Group and district ranger at the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, personnel staffing specialist for the National Park Service, park ranger and supervisory park ranger at the Point Reyes National Seashore and park ranger at the Sequoia National Park and at the John Muir National Historic Site.

Following his career at the National Park Service, he was an independent environmental educator and outdoor trip leader for a decade, from 1998 to 2008. He served on various non-profit boards including the Sequoia Parks Foundation and also served as an elected member of the Marin Municipal Water District Board of Directors from 2008-2020. 


John Roney x
Sugarloaf Ridge State Park, Park Manager, Sonoma Ecology Center
John Roney has been the Park Manager at Sugarloaf Ridge State Park since 2012, focusing on enhancing the visitor experience and the ecological health of the park. The Sonoma Ecology Center, an environmental nonprofit with about 40 employees, operates the park on behalf of the State of California. Serving Sonoma Valley and the greater area for 35 years, the center is dedicated to education, research, restoration, and land management. Under John's leadership, the park has received several accolades, including the Grassroots Champion Award from the California State Parks Foundation in 2018 and the Park Partner of the Year award from CALPA in 2022.

Born and raised on the Big Island of Hawaii, John graduated with a degree in Economics from Santa Clara University. He served four years as an artillery officer in the U.S. Army stationed in Germany. After earning an MBA with an emphasis on marketing and finance from the University of California, Irvine, he spent 15 years consulting for middle-market businesses at Salomon Smith Barney. John retired from the Army Reserve in 2014 with the rank of Colonel, having served in logistics, intelligence, and information operations.


Alma Shaw
Bilingual Program Director, Sonoma Ecology Center
Alma Shaw is the Bilingual Program Director at Sugarloaf Ridge State Park, managed by the Sonoma Ecology Center in partnership with California State Parks. Alma directs bilingual programing, oversees event planning and logistics, including permits, liability waivers and public event pages. She also sets volunteer and staffing needs and keeps the team aligned and running smoothly. Her hands-on experience at every level of the organization shapes her practical, people-centered approach to making a busy public park welcoming and accessible to all.


Susan St. Marie x
X, California State Parks
X.


Emily Walsh
Associate Program Manager, Parks California
Emily Walsh is the Nonprofit Manager in California State Parks’ Partnerships Division, overseeing cooperating associations, Volunteers in Parks, and Park Impact Partners programs. She joined the division in January 2022 as the Cooperating Associations and Volunteers in Parks Program Manager. Her previous experience as a project manager and director of programming for a youth nonprofit informs her work in program development and collaborative partnerships. An avid hiker and camper, Emily is committed to strengthening nonprofit partnerships that support California’s state parks and the communities they serve.


Randy Widera
Program Director, California State Parks Foundation
Randy W. Widera is Director of Programs at California State Parks Foundation, leading statewide initiatives in park access, stewardship, conservation, and advocacy. With more than 35 years of experience, Randy founded the Web of Life Field (WOLF) School, served as Executive Director of Friends of Santa Cruz State Parks, and established Blue Oak Nonprofits. Since joining the Foundation in 2019, he has advanced partnerships, park preservation, and policies to strengthen California's state park system. His contributions have been recognized with AEOE's Howard Bell Lifetime Achievement Award (2014) and the California State Park Rangers Association's Honorary State Park Ranger Award (2025). 


Steve Williams
Executive Vice President, InterWest Insurance Services, LLC
Steve Williams specializes in the risk management and insurance needs of businesses operating in state and national parks. A Certified Insurance Counselor (CIC) and Certified Risk Manager (CRM), he works with outdoor recreation clients to assess risks, develop solutions, manage insurance costs, and meet permit and agreement requirements. Steve and his team also provide training to help operators reduce claims, strengthen leadership, and improve business outcomes. Through active involvement in hospitality and recreation associations, he collaborates with industry and agency partners to address common challenges.


Greg Yanito
Senior Planner / Senior Associate
Greg Yanito, AICP, is a Senior Planner and Senior Associate at Page & Turnbull with over 25 years of experience in urban design, planning, and project management. His expertise includes land use planning, community engagement, and long-term strategies for parks, neighborhoods, and urban districts. Greg guides multidisciplinary teams through visioning, feasibility analysis, master planning, and conceptual design. His portfolio includes the Sonoma Developmental Center Facility Reuse Plan, master planning for the Monterey Regional Park District, park and trail development for Martial Cottle County Park, and neighborhood revitalization initiatives.