John Walton, Past President

“I first drove through Gualala in 1976 and was so taken with the natural beauty that I decided to live here.  My wife Lynn and I married here in 1989, built our home, and still awaken amazed every day. We’ve spent much of our 40 years together in outdoor activities and are committed to enjoying and protecting the local environment.  Membership on the Board of RCLC offers me the opportunity to engage with an experienced and dedicated group of environmentalists to protect more of our coastal lands, increase public access, and restore the environment to the benefit of all of our neighbors, human, critters, and plants.”

John’s first involvement with organized environmental action was in mid-1970 with Catfish Alliance in Tallahassee, Florida addressing concerns with the rapidly developing nuclear power industry. He has remained involved in environmental causes as an activist and conservationist.

John had a career in non-profit healthcare spanning more than 40 years. He began working in mental health as a therapist, transitioning to administration, culminating in the position of administrator of a full spectrum mental healthcare system. He completed advanced training in clinical psychology and mediation that facilitated his career. John has always believed that working collaboratively to achieve goals and address issues to the benefit of all is the most effective and rewarding path.

Cheryl Harris, Director

“Through the years, my husband and I spent many vacation days enjoying this beautiful Sonoma Coast and are now able to spend extended periods of time here. We engage in multiple volunteer activities while also enjoying hiking the coastal trails, kayaking the rivers, birding, and dabbling in art and quilting projects.  I have been fortunate to live in a beautiful natural area most of my life, enjoying the peace and calm as well as the exhilaration and inspiration it provides.  I would like everyone to have the opportunity to enjoy similar experiences.  My hope is that working to help preserve and restore our local natural areas through RCLC can help achieve this.”

Cheryl’s experience includes extensive work with volunteers in parks, gardens and interpretive centers.  She served on several Napa County Commissions and committees appointed by the Napa County Supervisors.  She has also been president of Napa CA. Native Plant Society and the Napa-Solano Audubon Society.  She organized and implemented the successful volunteer campaign to establish and manage the 850 acre Skyline Regional Park and served as President. More recently, she worked on the ballot measure that created the Napa County Parks and Open Space District.

Education: BA Environmental Studies & Botany Sonoma State University; post grad work -Non-profit Administration

Rich Trissel, Director

“My wife, Nancy, and I moved to the Mendocino coast in 2008 and have been steadily setting down deeper and deeper roots in this amazing, unique place. We’ve always been avid nature lovers and were immediately entranced upon discovering this area. My particular passion has long been birding and, specifically, enjoying the observation and identification of a large diversity of bird life. RCLC’s mission resonates with me — conservation and helping to educate people about the area’s nature.”

Rich holds a B.S. in Engineering Physics with a concentration in Optics. His career was defined by challenging ultra high-tech optical engineering projects that spanned the spectrum from deep-UV to Far-IR and micro-optics to meter-class telescopes. His professional science background and passion for natural science has lead him to be excited about citizen science programs and will bring sound scientific methods and communications to his RCLC contributions. He and his wife have been volunteers for Greater Farallones National Marine Sanctuary BeachWatch program since 2014, surveying area beaches every 4 weeks.

Amy Wolitzer, Technical Support

Amy provides technical support, training and database assistance to the Redwood Coast Land Conservancy team. As a young person, Amy enjoyed occasional family trips to Gualala and The Sea Ranch. After two decades working as a park ranger in the San Francisco Bay Area, Amy moved to Mendocino County in 2020. She enjoys revisiting the beaches and trails that she traversed as a youth and is honored to provide technical assistance to conservation organizations that work to protect these beautiful places. Amy loves tech, data, native plants, and sharing nature with young people.

Joel Chaban, Webmaster

Joel and his wife, Pat, moved here from San Rafael, CA, in 2003. He spent 30 years as a software developer, a profession that changed between 1999 and 2003 when he went from servicing his clients onsite to remotely online. It was then he realized he could move and work full-time at his home on the beautiful Mendonoma coast, and, as he says, “Instead of taking a two week vacation every year to a beautiful get-away spot, I could live full-time in a beautiful spot and take a two-week vacation to someplace ugly every year.” He hasn’t looked back since.

His past advocacy for environmental and climate change awareness motivated his work as a board member with Friends of Gualala River, Power Local Mendonoma, Mendonoma Climate Change Action Group, and Sonoma Clean Power Community Advisory Council. It inspired him to work towards bringing Sonoma Clean Power to Mendocino. He continues to be Steward for Cooks Beach and webmaster for RCLC.

Joel’s career started in the foodservice industry where he opened numerous restaurants in San Francisco, Kentfield, Sausalito, and Beverly Hills. Joel taught Hospitality Marketing and Computer Applications in the foodservice industry at Golden Gate University. He has authored six books, three of which are textbooks. He developed a high-end general ledger for SBT Accounting Systems, has one software patent and several software application copyrights. He loves to hike, garden, read, ski and watch movies.