CPA Issue Committees

You do not have to be a member of CPA to attend our committee meetings. In fact, attending our meetings is a great way to become more familiar with our work, and we encourage anyone interested to attend.

COMPREHENSIVE PLANNING COMMITTEE

Meets 12:00-1:30pm on the 4th Monday of each month in Santa Barbara

Examines such issues as population growth, housing affordability, jobs/housing balance, density and sprawl, the preservation of open space and agriculture, community plans, and traffic and congestion issues. Provides input to decision makers regarding these issues.

For more information, or to attend these committee meetings, or to share information with this committee, please email Paul Hernadi or call the CPA office at (805) 966-3979.

SOUTH COUNTY LAND USE COMMITTEE

Meets 11:30am-1:30pm on the 1st Monday of each month in Downtown Santa Barbara
& the 3rd Monday of each month in Goleta

Looks at specific development projects, studies policies, Community Plans and General Plans as they affect land use planning on the South Coast. Provides input to decision makers regarding specific land use projects.

For more information, or to attend these committee meetings, or to share information with this committee, please call (805) 966-3979.

LOMPOC VALLEY COUNTY LAND USE COMMITTEE

Meets on an as-scheduled basis in Lompoc.

Looks at specific development projects, studies policies, Community Plans and General Plans as they affect land use planning in the North County. Provides input to decision makers regarding specific land use projects.

For more information, or to attend these committee meetings, or to share information with this committee, please email Carol Nash or call the CPA office at (805) 966-3979.

SANTA BARBARA CITY GENERAL PLAN UPDATE COMMITTEE

Meets on an as-scheduled basis in Santa Barbara.

This committee is working to assist the City of Santa Barbara in producing a General Plan that is built on Santa Barbara's illustrious history to chart our course for the future, and to ensure zoning ordinances that are consistent with the General Plan. The Committee's core values are: (1) Living within our existing resources including air, water, wastewater, and visual resource; (2) Managing growth to protect openness and naturalness from conjestion, pollution, and crowding; (3) Preserving public views of the ocean, mountains and foothills; and (4) Protecting clean air, public health and safety.

If you are interested in sharing information with or joining this committee, please email Mary Louise Days or call the CPA office at (805) 966-3979.

About CPA Board Members

David Bernal
(Outreach & Development Committee Chair)
David Bernal is a Vice President and a State Licensed Professional Geologist at URS Corporation, an international environmental and engineering firm with a regional office in Goleta.  David's primary responsibility at URS is environmental remediation and restoration.

In 1998, David was on CPA's Board of Directors concerned in preserving the quality of life here in the central coast.  David actively contributed to CPA's Water Resource Discussion Group as his professional experience is in hydrogeology.

David moved to Santa Barbara in 1974 to attend UCSB and has worked locally as environmental geologist since 1987. In 1997, he participated in the Water Front Visioning Committee representing the interest of the Santa Barbara Sailing Club (i.e., maintaining the balance between local harbor usage and tourist development).

Most recently David and his wife, Sandra Lugo, have been busy raising two sons.  For the past 9 years, David has been an active parent leading the North American 29er Class Association, an Olympic training platform for youth sailing.

Louise Boucher
Louise has lived in Santa Barbara almost all of her life.  She is a graduate of Marymount School and UCSB.  She has worked for many years, especially in Santa Barbara issues, beginning with the Board of the Eucalyptus Hill Association and the UCSB Art Affiliates.  She has cared for preservation of the quality of life in her beloved city through her involvement with many important organizations and committees, including (but not limited to): member of the Landmarks Committee (later the Historic Landmarks Commission) from the 1970's until 2003 (with a mere 2 year hiatus in the middle); former and current member of the Board of CPA (serving as past President); former board member of CPF (also serving as Treasurer, and Vice President); founding member and current board member of the Pearl Chase Society; former member of the SB City Sign Committee (she helped write the City Sign ordinance) (you will note that there are no pole signs in Santa Barbara); member of the SB Museum of Art and former volunteer there; member of the Santa Barbara Conservancy.  Her greatest commitments have been to the Historic Landmarks Commission and CPA & CPF.

Louise has been presented three distinguished awards: the Pearl Chase Historic and Conservation Award; the Saint Barbara Award from the Architectural Board of Review and the Historic Landmarks Commission, given by the City Council; and the UCSB Environmental Studies Program's Outstanding Community Service Award.

Scott Bull
Scott Bull completed a BA in Environmental Science Degree from UCSB in 1996 and MA Ecology, Evolution, and Marine Ecology in 2002. While an undergraduate at UCSB, Scott co-founded the Isla Vista Chapter Surfrider Foundation and led a campus-wide ballot initiative that established the Shoreline Preservation Fund (SPF), which raises $180,000 per year to be distributed in grants for local coastal enhancement.

Scott is a member of the Gaviota Coast Conservancy (GCC) Board of Directors and continues to play an important and active role within the Santa Barbara and Isla Vista Chapters of the Surfrider Foundation. He continues to participate on Common Ground to collaborate bi-weekly with local landowners for strategies to protect the Gaviota Coast as well as the Goleta Beach Working Group, a similar stakeholder process.

Scott is currently working part-time for the City of Santa Barbara in the Public Works Water Conservation Division leading the creek water quality monitoring efforts. His full-time employment is with UCSB as the Shoreline Preservation Fund Grants Manager and Student Affairs Advisor for environmental organizations within Associated Students. He has served on CPA’s Board since 2003.

Mary Louise Days
Mary Louise is a native Santa Barbaran and a fifth generation Californian. She is a current (and longtime) board member of CPA, and has been associated with CPA since March, 1961, when she began employment with the City of Santa Barbara Planning Department. She helped with preparation of the City's General Plan, was secretary to the Planning Commission and the department, then worked in zoning administration and case processing. She was also involved with the City's Comprehensive Population Impact Study which resulted in zoning changes to lower the maximum allowed number of dwelling units. In the mid-1970s, when the department was combined into the Community Development Department, she was assigned to the City's Advisory Landmark Committee, helping to create a new preservation ordinance and then supervising the architectural and historical resource surveys. In the 1990s she wrote an amendment to include the Historic Landmarks Commission and El Pueblo Viejo Landmark District in the City Charter. She continued to handle Planning Commission cases.

Mary Louise received degrees from SBCC (history) and from UCSB (history, minor in architectural history). She retired from City employment in December 1996. A registered professional historian, she has written on local history subjects, including the book "Park Histories, City of Santa Barbara." Active in the Santa Barbara Presidio project since 1967, she is a past president and an honorary life trustee of the Santa Barbara Trust for Historic Preservation. She is a current board member of the Trust for Historic Preservation and several other organizations, a founder of the Pearl Chase Society, an honorary member of the local chapter of the American Institute of Architects, and Historian for the Native Daughters of the Golden West. She is a recipient of SB City's St. Barbara Award and has received other awards. She frequently gives historical/architectural tours in Santa Barbara.

Gerry DeWitt
(Executive Vice President)
Gerry has degrees in Economics and Sociology from UCSB. During 1974 & 1975, he helped to write the landmark urban planning study Santa Barbara: The Impacts Of Growth.  He became active in local planning issues, and served on the CPA Board, chairing its Comprehensive Planning Committee, until his appointment to the City Planning Commission in 1979.  His involvement with CPA has continued since then, and he is currently serving as South County Vice President, and as a member of CPA's Housing Policy Task Force.

Gerry served on the Planning Commission from 1979 until his election to the City Council in 1981.  On the City Council, he assumed a leadership role on planning issues ranging from the Central City Redevelopment Project to the creation of the public process leading to the voter-approved Measure E, which sought to bring the Citys commercial buildout potential into line with its housing supply.  His work on the Council resulted in widespread and bi-partisan support in the community.  He was chosen Best Elected Official or Best Local Politician six times in local newspaper polls (until the category was eliminated from the poll!).  He was supported for reelection by labor, environmental and progressive organizations, as well as by the Chamber of Commerce, the Downtown Organization and others - the widest spectrum of political groups ever joined behind a single political candidate in our community.  He was re-elected to the Council by large majorities in 1985 & 1989.

Professionally, Gerry has worked as a journalist, broadcaster and administrator in the Santa Barbara area since 1975.  He served as News Director at KTYD-FM from 1976-1981, and as Program Director at KTMS-AM from 1993-1994.  He created, hosted and produced The Sixties Revisited, a staple of SB radio from 1976-2001, and from 1986-2005 he co-hosted Head To Head, a political debate program which began as a radio program is now on Public Access Ch. 17 in the SB area.

Steve Dunn
(President)
Steve is a native of Santa Barbara.  Professionally, he has worked in ocean related industries since 1968, including surfboard and commercial fishing boat manufacturing since 1972.  He has been a community activist for many years.  His community activities throughout the years include involvement with many groups/issues, including: the Coastal Zone Initiative; Hammonds Reef; LNG (Liquefied Natural Gas); Commercial Fishing; Environmental Coalition (liaison to local fisher groups); Joint Oil-Fisheries Committee (Trap Fisheries Representative and Fisheries Caucus Chair); liaison between fisheries and SB County APCD Innovative Technologies Groups marine diesel clean air retrofit program; Commercial Fishermen of Santa Barbara County, Inc.; Downtown/Waterfront Vision Committee; Committee for Santa Barbara (wetland advocate); Committee for Santa Barbara’s Waterfront (wetland advocate); Santa Barbara ChannelKeeper (founding member and former board member and Vice President); CPA and Citizens Planning Foundation (CPF).  Steve has been involved with CPA and CPF for more than a decade, currently serving as CPA’s President and CPF’s Vice President, and formerly serving as CPA’s Executive Vice President and Treasurer.

Michael Gray
A resident of Santa Barbara since 1975, Michael is an attorney. During the 1980’s he served on the Santa Barbara City Planning Commission for 7 years, including serving as its Chair. Following his service on the Planning Commission, he joined the CPA board, on which he served until 2001, and served as its president for 2 terms.

Nels Henderson
Nels is a Marketing Project Manager for Citrix Online and manages web site optimization for GoToMyPC. Formerly, Nels was a freelance graphic design and marketing consultant for over 18 years.  He has held numerous leadership positions for non-profit boards of directors and political organizations in Santa Barbara and Ventura Counties.  In 1990, Nels was the youngest elected chair of a political party county central committee in the State of California. He has served as President of the Board of Directors for Sarah House, CPA and Citizens Planning Foundation (CPF), including serving as past Presidents of both.

Nels has been an aide to Santa Barbara Mayor Marty Blum, former County Supervisor Gloria Ochoa, State Senator Gary K. Hart and the late Rep. Walter Capps.  His consulting clients have included Mayor Marty Blum, Earl Warren Showgrounds, State Street Ballet, CALM, Santa Barbara Neighborhood Clinics, Antioch University and the California Coast Venture Forum.

Nels received his BA in Political Science at the University of California at Santa Barbara, and holds a Master's Degree in Organizational Management from Antioch University. He is currently serving as an adjunct faculty member in their master's degree program and teaches management and communication-related courses.

Paul Hernadi
(South County Vice President & Comprehensive Planning Committee Chair)
Paul was born in Budapest, Hungary, and is Professor Emeritus of English and Comparative Literature at the University of California, Santa Barbara.  Having received doctorates in history of the theater (University of Vienna) and comparative literature (Yale), he has published numerous books and articles in both fields. Between 1984 and his retirement in 2001, he taught at UCSB and also served as Dean of Humanities and Fine Arts for three years.

Increasingly concerned with environmental and neighborhood preservation issues, Paul began speaking at public hearings, writing letters to newspapers, and joined CPA's Land Use Committee. He is currently Treasurer of the Allied Neighborhoods Association and serves on various CPA committees one of which (Comprehensive Planning) he co-chairs.

John Lengsfelder
John moved to Santa Barbara in 1980 where he raised his family, managed property and made film & videos.  He has been a member of CPA for about 23 years.  He first became involved with CPA when he was very involved with the preservation of the Wilcox Property.  The creation of the Monarch Butterfly Preserve resulted from a settlement of a developer lawsuit against him and five other neighbors who were trying to save the property.  Other organizations with which he is or has been involved include: the Family Therapy Institute (current board member), Small Wilderness Areas Preserve (SWAP) (member), City Cable TV Committee (past Chair), Joseph Campbell Library (board member). He has created video installations at both annual Funk Zone Festivals, which help bring citywide attention to our unique artist neighborhood. He started and is currently organizing/planning CPA/CPF's annual Sandcastle Festival at East Beach. He has begun a video documentary chronicling CPA's impact/full history.

Lee Moldaver
Lee Moldaver is a long-time Santa Barbara resident. He is also a longtime CPA board member, as well as a past CPA president. He serves on numerous non-profit, civic, charitable, business boards, task forces and committees. He is also a member of various regional and professional societies, with numerous articles and publications to his credit. Lee’s professional work is oriented toward tech sector new-product development in the western states, and beyond.

Carol Nash
(North County Vice President)
Carol has a degree in Biology from Newcomb College, Tulane University.  She moved to Lompoc in 1961.  Since then she has served on the Fourth District General Plan Advisory Committee(appointed by Supervisor Francis Beattie); as Alternate Public Member of LAFCO; on the County Planning Commission (appointed by Supervisor Robert Hedlund) for the Fourth District (Lompoc Valley) until Commission went from 10 to 5 members (at which point she resigned); and on Vandenberg Village Community Service District (serving for 6-1/2 years).

Carol chaired the SB County Interbranch Council of AAUW, during which time it sponsored a county-wide Land Use Workshop.  In 1970, she put together the first Lompoc Water Forum with City and County hydrologists.  In the 1980's she participated in a state-wide AAUW study on the State Water Project.

Carol became involved with CPA many years ago, after reading about CPA in the newspaper.  She had land-use concerns and was very impressed by how much CPA knew about the Lompoc area.  She later became a board member of CPA, and over the years has served on our Water, Land Use, and North County Land Use (NCLUC) committees, as well as helping with fundraisers whenever possible.  She has served as CPA's NCLUC Chair and currently serves as CPA's North County Vice President.

Beatrice Rosales
Beatrice was born in Santa Barbara and has lived here all her life.  She loves her Santa Barbara and will do all she can to keep it the lovely place it is.  She attended City schools here, graduated from Santa Barbara High in 1940 and went on to what became UCSB, where she graduated in 1944 with a BA in Biology and a teaching credential.  She did graduate work at UCSB and USC.  She taught biology and Spanish at Santa Barbara Junior High School and Santa Barbara High School for 30 years. 

She currently belongs to the Daughters of Spain (her parents being from that country), the League of Women Voters, and is on the board of the Cacique Street Homeless Shelter.  Through the past many years, Beatrice has been an active CPA member, Land Use Committee member, Water Committee member, Comprehensive Planning Committee member, and board member of CPA.  She is particularly concerned with the design and quality of the buildings that are going up in Santa Barbara, that they maintain the classic Spanish architecture that has been Santa Barbara’s tradition.  Her motto is “if you’re going to do it, do it right!”

Selma Rubin
Selma has lived in Santa Barbara for 44 years. She has been on some 42 boards.  During her active working career, she was in the accounting field.  She has served as the treasurer for many groups, including CPA.  She has a major interest in the environment, civil liberties, peace, health, women's issues, elimination of nuclear weapons, and politics.

Arve Sjovold
Arve has a deep knowledge of water supply planning issues.  From 1967-1970 he was a member of the Water Commission of the City of Santa Barbara; from 1975-1982 he served on the Santa Barbara County Water Advisory Committee.  Arve first joined CPA's board in 1991, and has served as co-chair and chair of CPA's Water Committee.  He was awarded "Volunteer of the Year" in 1993 for his efforts on water issues.

Arve retired from his career as a research scientist and cost analysis specialist in 1996.  Since then, he has been even more active in community affairs.  He has served on the board of the Community Environmental Council and as Vice President of the Scenic Shoreline Preservation Council.  He is currently Treasurer of Water For California, an independent nonprofit dedicated to better water planning in California, which came into being due to CPA's efforts with the Monterey lawsuit.

Misty Williams
(Treasurer)
Misty's education consists of a BS in Hydrological Science with an emphasis in Geography (GIS) from UCSB and a Master of Environmental Science and Management with specialization in Water Resources Management from the Bren School. Throughout her education she held positions with the National Park Service, the Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary, SB County Flood Control, the City of Santa Barbara Water Supply Management, SB County Air Pollution Control District, and CEC's South Coast Watershed Resource Center. Misty is currently an Engineering Associate for the Goleta Water District.

Keith Zandona
Keith is a native Santa Barbaran. He is a home builder and President of the SB County Archaelogical Society. He was a founder and steering committee member of Save Our Coast, an organization in which he was active from 1987-1995. From 1995-2002 Keith was Chair of the Santa Barbara Chapter of the Surfrider Foundation

Eric Zimmerman
Eric has been a member of the south coast community since 1990.  He originally moved here to attend UCSB and in 1994 graduated with a B.S. degree in Biological Sciences and a B.A. in Environmental Studies. Since graduating he has worked as the Student Affairs Officer/Internship Coordinator for UCSB's Environmental Studies Program. As one of the oldest, largest, and most respected undergraduate environmental programs in the country, Eric is proud to have helped more than 2,100 students attain their degrees and move on to work to help preserve and enhance our local and global environments.

Over the years Eric has volunteered with a number of different campus organizations including the Chancellors Staff Advisory Council, UCSB Recreation Center Governance Board, and UCSB's Staff Assembly, of which he was chair for two years. He also served as one of two campus delegates to the UC System wide Council of University of California Staff Assemblies and currently serves on UCSB's Highway 217 Review Committee. He was also a founding member and four-term president of the UCSB community support group, Environmental Studies Associates.

Some of the community organizations he has been involved with include the Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary's Marine Educator's Regional Alliance (MERA), The Nature Conservancy's Island Fox Program, and the Santa Barbara Whale Festival.

Eric is a past CPA board member.  He has served on the Citizens Planning Foundation’s (CPF) board for the past several years, including serving as Treasurer.

And we bid farewell with great appreciation to the following board members:

Cynthia Brock
(Secretary)
Cynthia has a BA in Communications Design from the University of Illinois.  After moving to Goleta in 1980 she worked as a technical illustrator, graphic designer, and publications manager. She is a past president of the Santa Barbara Chapter of the Society for Technical Communication and served on the international board of the Society.

Cynthia became involved in land use issues in the late 90's as president of the Santa Barbara Shores Homeowners Association when the nearby Ellwood Mesa was threatened by development. She joined CPA and participated in the Land Use Committee, and later became a CPA board member and chair of the LUC.

Cynthia was a founding board member of Friends of the Ellwood Coast, the group that partnered with the Trust for Public Land and the City of Goleta to acquire and protect the Sperling Preserve on the Ellwood Mesa.  Cynthia was elected to the Goleta City Council in 2001 and served as Mayor, 2004-2005.  During her term on the council, she represented Goleta on the Santa Barbara County Air Pollution Control District board and the Santa Barbara County Community Action Commission board.  She returned to the CPA Board in 2007 and is currently serving as Secretary.  Her continuing interests include safeguarding the environmental, aesthetic, and recreational assets of our coast, including the Monarch butterfly.  A long-time participant in community supported agriculture, she is especially interested in preserving agricultural resources and supporting local food production.

Marell Brooks
Marell Brooks has lived in Vandenberg Village since 1978 where she and her husband taught at the local high schools and where they raised three children.  She served on the Vandenberg Village Association for several years during the early 1980's and has just returned to that board as treasurer.  Marell has been active in the American Association of University Women for more than 25 years, serving several terms as co-president and board member.  She serves on the Santa Barbara County Commission for Women and has been chair three times in the past six years.  She co-chairs the Friends of the Village Library and is very active in their annual fundraising efforts to pay for increased hours and services  Marell has served on the board of CPA for five years and has chaired the North County Land Use Committee during that time.  She has  also served as the the CPA representative on the EDC Energy Coalition for the past two years.

Marell was appointed by 3rd District County Supervisor-elect Doreen Farr in January 2009 to serve as a Santa Barbara County Planning Commissioner, and as a result, has resigned her service from the CPA board.

Sheila Lodge
Sheila was born in California and has lived in the state all her life except from 1947 – 1950 when she taught elementary school and did social sork in Maryland.  She moved to Santa Barbara in 1952.

She is a former SB City Planning Commissioner and served on the SB City Council from 1975 – 1981.  In 1981 she was elected the first woman mayor of Santa Barbara and served 3 terms until 1993 (at which point the term limits law took effect).  She’s been a CPA board member for the last 3 years.  Involved in the adoption of numerous innovative community planning measures while on the City Council, she cares deeply about Santa Barbara and the Preservation of its high quality of life.

An active volunteer since leaving office, she is currently a docent at Santa Barbara Botanic Garden and at the Santa Barbara County Courthouse. 

Sheila was appointed by the Santa Barbara City Council in December 2008 to serve as a Santa Barbara City Planning Commissioner, and as a result, has resigned her service from the CPA board.

About Our Staff

LeeAnne French, Executive Director
LeeAnne French is the Executive Director of CPA. LeeAnne brings to CPA more than 20 years of experience in strategic marketing and communications in the high-tech industry where she consulted with the leading software companies including Oracle Corp. and SAP. In her most recent role in the technology industry, LeeAnne was the executive vice president and board member of Waggener Edstrom Worldwide and moved to Connecticut to open up the company’s East Coast operations and oversee the U.S. business development efforts.

In 2004, LeeAnne left "Corporate America" to pursue her entrepreneurial spirit creating private swim school in Connecticut where she and her team taught more than 700 children per week how to swim. With a passion for sailing, LeeAnne spent six weeks at sea in 2008, conducting oceanographic research during a voyage from Tahiti to Honolulu.

She is a recent graduate from the Bren School of Environmental Science & Management at the University of California, Santa Barbara. Her master's degree focused on land use and conservation planning, policy, economics and climate change. LeeAnne's undergraduate degree was in Business Administration from the University of California, Berkeley.

Thushari Wijesinghe, Administrative Assistant
Thushari joined the CPA team in June 2009. Prior to working at CPA, she was an executive & personal assistant at the Law Office of Robin L. Unander and an administrative receptionist at The Samarkand, both here in Santa Barbara. She also did internships at the Santa Barbara County District Attorney's office and Ricker, Pfau, Pyle & McRoy, LLP, also in Santa Barbara.

She received her B.A. in Law & Society from UCSB. While a student, in addition to being a member of the Track & Field League Champion team, she served as Historian of the student group Indus, and Choreographer and Event Coordinator for Visions Culture Show. Additionally, she has been a volunteer at Direct Relief International and Red Cross.