Our Team

Board Chair

From my first drive down Highway 1 in 2009, I knew I wanted to return to Big Sur. Years later, after interviewing for my current role at Cal State Monterey Bay, I found myself at Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park imagining how to make this home. I now serve as a tenured faculty member in the library, and have also served as Director of the First Year Seminar Program, and taught Sociology and Global Studies. My first CABS meeting in 2019 left me impressed with its inclusive, thoughtful leadership and the practical way it responded to community challenges. I felt welcomed right away, and it was clear CABS was the right place to invest my time. Today, I’m proud to serve as Board Chair and on the Housing and Fundraising Committees.

Board Vice-Chair

I first visited Big Sur in the late ’70s, arriving during a road closure and quickly realizing I didn’t want to leave. I started at the River Inn as a dishwasher and soon became Chef, worked nights at Ventana, and landscaped by day with Earth Friends. In 1989 I joined the Post Ranch Inn landscaping team, and in 1990 my wife Esther and I moved onto the property. We raised our three sons here, working hard and building community roots. I’ve been Post Ranch’s Maintenance and Landscape Supervisor since 1992 and still run my own business. Joining the CABS board in 2018 felt like the right time to give back - I already felt I was included in the organization through Butch Kronlund.

Treasurer

I grew up with Big Sur as my backyard, spending weekends hiking and backpacking with my dad. After college and years working in San Francisco, I returned full-time, drawn by the same rugged beauty and even more so by the strength of this community. I now manage the Big Sur River Inn and serve as Treasurer on the CABS board. Giving back to the place that raised me feels natural, and I’m grateful to work alongside such dedicated neighbors. Together, we’re making sure Big Sur remains a thriving community and I know that together we can help make this amazing Big Sur community even more special. I also serve on the CABS Housing Committee.

Secretary

My first Big Sur memory was in 2018 with my pup Henry at the Big Sur Bakery under the redwoods—instant magic. Since then, I’ve fallen in love with this place through trail time, cliffside sunsets, and moonlit drives. Nature has always been my compass, but the roots here run especially deep. I work with The Safina Center, supporting strategy, partnerships, and fundraising, and I also teach fitness in Carmel by the Sea. When I was invited to join CABS, it was an easy yes. This community has given me a sense of home and connection, and I’m honoured to give back as a board member, helping to support both the land and the people who make Big Sur so extraordinary. I am the CABS Board secretary and I’m also a member of the CABS Fundraising Committee.

Board Director

I came to California to retire, but Big Sur had other plans. After the 2008 Basin Complex Fire threatened my home, I dove headfirst into community work focused on fire preparedness and resilience. I serve as Treasurer of the Fire Safe Council for Monterey County, leading grant-writing efforts to secure wildfire prevention funding, and I bring that expertise to my role on the CABS board. My focus is on practical, collaborative solutions that strengthen our community in the face of wildfire risk. When I’m not working on nonprofit projects, I’m usually in the garden, coaxing vegetables into life despite the challenges of deer, gophers, and coastal conditions—a reminder of both the beauty and persistence this place requires.

Board Director

I came to Big Sur for its beauty and stayed for its people. That’s the heart of it. I work in hospitality and real estate, but what matters most is being part of this community. Serving on the CABS board gives me the chance to work with neighbors who care deeply about this place. It’s inspiring and rewarding to collaborate on solutions that strengthen our community while honoring the land we call home. 

Board Director

I was first introduced to Big Sur when a supervisor told me about land for sale near Prewitt Ridge. With four kids and limited savings, it seemed impossible, but with neighbors’ help and generous terms, I became a landowner. After fire destroyed my first cabin, we rebuilt with the help of family, friends, and even a helicopter—a true community effort. I retired from engineering in 2001 and now split my time between Big Sur and sailing with my partner, Colleen. My focus is on road conditions and visitor use management, critical issues for South Coast residents. CABS matched my drive to find practical solutions, and serving has given me a deeper connection to neighbors and to the land we all share. I am a liaison for community issues on the South Coast and sit on the VUM implementation team, which addresses visitation on federal lands.

Board Director

My husband and I honeymooned in Big Sur and dreamed of making it home. When he joined Caltrans, that dream became possible, and years later we moved to the South Coast. Today, I work as Assistant Program Manager at Ventana Big Sur, curating hikes and experiences for guests. In the 2022–23 storms, when slides trapped about 200 residents, I helped coordinate support and resupplies with neighbours and nonprofits. That experience showed me the power of this community and led me to CABS. Serving here allows me to give back to the people who make Big Sur extraordinary. I’m proud to continue this work on the Disaster Relief Committee.

Board Director

I’m a third-generation Big Surian, born and raised here. I left in my teens, but when I returned in my 20s to raise my family, I saw how special this community truly is—how everyone looks out for one another. I now manage Glen Oaks Big Sur, Big Sur Roadhouse, and Hidden Valley Inn. Joining the CABS board is my way of giving back to the place that shaped me and ensuring Big Sur remains a vibrant, caring community for future generations.

Board Director

I first came to Big Sur as a live-in volunteer at the Henry Miller Memorial Library, and the wildness of this place—and its people—stayed with me. After time in New York, I returned with my partner and made it home. I’m a working artist, and over the years I’ve also taught and supported families through childcare. I joined CABS to support the creative culture alive here now—not just the legacies, but the artists and thinkers making Big Sur’s present. Housing is a key piece of that work, because creativity needs roots. This landscape keeps me humble and grateful, and serving on the CABS board is one way I can give back.