Yosemite Association Board of Trustees

The Yosemite Association is governed by a volunteer board of trustees from a wide geographic area. The trustees oversee a staff that operates the organization from its headquarters in El Portal, California.

Christy Ahlm Holloway is the Chair of Yosemite Association Board of Trustees. She has served on the YA board since 1992. Born in Watford England, she came to the U.S. in 1941. She was raised in California both West Los Angeles and Berkeley. She attended UC Berkeley where she met Chuck Holloway and married him in 1959. Christy skied for UC Berkeley and competed in the annual Tressider meet at Badger Pass in 1957-59. She finished college at George Washington University in D.C and she has lived in Palo Alto and at Stanford since 1968. Christy has been in involved with environmental education, land saving, through the Peninsula Open Space Trust, national parks and publishing focused on the natural and social history of the western US. She has, with Chuck, three adult children and five grandchildren.

David Bowman is the Association's Vice-Chair of External Affairs.  He is a Financial Advisor for the Northwestern Mutual Financial Network in Murphys (Calaveras County).  He maintains a “financial security” practice, helping individuals, families and businesses coordinate their overall long-term insurance, investment and benefit planning.  A 1978 graduate of UC Berkeley (AB: Economics), David also hold the Chartered Financial Consultant (ChFC) and Chartered Life Underwriter (CLU) designations from the American College, Bryn Mawr, PA.  Prior to locating to Murphys in 1993, he was Managing Partner for Northwestern Mutual in San Jose, leading Northwestern’s operations in the greater South and East Bay Area.  His non-profit experience has included membership in the Angels-Murphys Rotary Club (9 years) and leadership of the contemporary music worship band at Foothill Community Church in Angels Camp (10 years).  His involvement with Yosemite began at an early age, when most of his family vacations were spent camping at Lake Tenaya (continuing a family legacy of three generations).  He is familiar with the Yosemite Valley and the high country, having backpacked extensively in the Tuolumne Meadows area.  Mr. Bowman is
married to Gloria Miller; they reside in Murphys. He is the father of two adult daughters, Jessica Lindstrom of London, England; and Lindsay Bowman, of San Francisco.  His outside interests besides Yosemite include tennis, cycling, skiing, and playing his Taylor guitar.

Phyllis Weber is the Association's Vice-Chair of Park Affairs.  She lives in El Portal, at the Highway 140 entrance to Yosemite.  She came to Yosemite in 1978 to teach for Yosemite Institute, where she met her spouse, Art Baggett.  They raised two children, Fritz and Allison.  Phyllis has served on the Yosemite Association Board of Trustees since 1981.  She is currently the teaching principal of two small schools –Yosemite Park High and Yosemite El Portal Elementary, which has been named a California Distinguished School.  She has developed school partnerships with the National Park Service, Yosemite Institute, and local businesses.  She loves teaching, learning, hiking, backpacking, and cross-country and downhill skiing.

Barbara Boucke, the Association’s Treasurer, lives in Stinson Beach.   She is a C.P.A., California license, providing accounting and limited Trustee services.   In addition to YA, she is a Board Member of the Stinson Beach County Water District, an elected position, and serves on the Boards of Heyday Institute, the Bolinas Lagoon Foundation and the Coastal Health Alliance (West Marin medical clinics).   Barbara's passions/hobbies, etc. are her two grown kids, 2 grandchildren and her 18 month old Yellow Lab, "Sugar".  She is a 5th generation Californian, a graduate of Cal Berkeley (back in the dark ages) and first visited Yosemite with her grandfather in 1952.  She is lucky to have been to Yosemite many, many times and is honored to serve on the Association Board.

Keith Alley is a founding faculty member in the School of Natural Sciences at the University of California, Merced where he currently serves as the Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost. Prior to his arrival at UC Merced in 2002, he was a professor in the Colleges of Medicine and Dentistry at Ohio State University where he held administrative roles at the department, college and university level during his seventeen-year tenure. From 1972-1985 was a faculty member at Case Western Reserve University, School of Medicine from 1974-1985.  He holds both a D.D.S. and Ph.D. from the University of Illinois. Alley has served on and chaired numerous scientific and graduate program review panels and has been the recipient of numerous research and teaching awards throughout his career including a Research Career Development Award from the National Institutes of Health.  His research is in the field of developmental neurobiology and he has published on developmental mechanisms that regulate scaling of neuronal populations with the peripheral targets they innervate.

Brad Anderholm is the Vice-President of Lodging for Delaware North Companies (DNC) Parks & Resorts, where he is responsible for eleven hotels with annual revenues of $225 Million. This includes Tenaya Lodge & Spa, The Ahwahnee Hotel, Yosemite Lodge, Curry Village, and The Wawona Hotel in Yosemite, as well as The Balsam’s Resort, Geneva-on-the-Lake, Gideon-Putnam Resort, Harrison Hot Springs Resort, Asilomar Conference Center, and Wuksachi Lodge throughout the country. He was previously the Chief Operating Officer for DNC in Yosemite National Park.  He has served on the Board of Trustees for the University of California, Merced, the Georgia Hospitality and Travel Association, the Atlanta Convention and Visitor's Bureau, and the Atlanta Food Bank. His passions include Yosemite, international travel, tennis, golf, bowling and hiking the Appalachian Trail.

Rod Attebery is principal attorney with Neumiller & Beardslee whose practice focuses on land use, environmental, public agency, energy, and natural resources law, as well as CEQA, Proposition 65, Subdivision Map Act, Zoning, and Waste Discharge.  Mr. Attebery belongs to the San Joaquin County and American Bar Associations.  He is also a member of the State Bar of California where he is part of the Environmental Law Section.  In 1993, Mr. Attebery graduated from the University of California at Irvine with a B.A. in Political Science, and in 1997, he received his J.D. from University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law.  While at McGeorge, Mr. Attebery received Top Oralist Award in International Moot Court.  He also worked as an intern for the State Environmental Protection Agency, Department of Toxic Substance Control.  In 1998, Mr. Attebery earned his LL.M. in Natural Resources and Environmental Law from University of Denver College of Law, with specializations in energy law and environmental law and policy. Mr. Attebery was admitted to practice in California in 1997. 

Gabriella (Nené) Casares was born in Mexico City.  In her mid-teens, her mother accepted a job as a vice-consul in the Mexican Consulate in Fresno. Nené worked very hard to learn English and to understand the Anglo culture. Hired by The Fresno Bee in 1969 as assistant to the secretary of the public relations manager, she is currently events coordinator, primarily responsible for coordination and administration of community activities. She has preserved her Mexican heritage and has used her Spanish to open many doors at her job and through her volunteer work in the community. She has also served on numerous committees and programs both at work and in the community. She judged Union Bank’s Annual Hispanic Heritage Local Hero Awards, is the founder /director of the Yosemite Writers Conference, is currently a board member of Artë Americas and Central California Women's Conference, and was a founding member of Fresno Hispanic Scholarship Fund.  Nené has served on the boards of San Joaquin Memorial High School, the Central California Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and Hispanic Task Force at the Central California Blood Center. Her honors and awards include: the John Martin Literacy Award from the Fresno Area Reading Council; 1994 Woman of the Year in the 14th District by Senator Ken Maddy; Women of the Year of the Commission on the Status of Women, and one of 12 outstanding Hispanics in the community by El Concilio de Fresno. Her son, Ryan Booth, who graduated from CSU, Fresno with a bachelor's in biology and physiology, is one of her greatest joys. 

Suzanne Corkins is a business consultant to companies in the life sciences industry.  Her professional experience includes leading mergers and acquisitions for Molecular Devices Corporation, strategic planning for The Permanente Medical Group, and consulting with Monitor Company.  Suzanne holds an MBA and an undergraduate degree from Stanford University and currently resides in Los Altos, where she serves on the board of Children’s Corner preschool.  She and her husband, Trey Pruitt, have two children, ages 2 and 4.  Suzanne loves hiking, biking, cross-country skiing and brewing beer.  She first visited Yosemite in 1995, became engaged at the Ahwahnee Hotel in 1999, and was married there in 2000.  Suzanne joined the Yosemite Association board in 2002 and currently serves as the Vice Chair.

Kathy Fairbanks is a partner in the Sacramento-based political consulting firm Bicker, Castillo & Fairbanks. The firm oversees statewide issues management campaigns (ballot propositions and legislative campaigns), with an emphasis on grassroots advocacy and media relations. Ms. Fairbanks specializes in developing communications strategies, messaging and media relations. In her spare time, she enjoys hiking, running, biking, snowshoeing or anything outdoors, usually accompanied by her dogs. Ms. Fairbanks lives in Sacramento and is involved in efforts to increase companion animal adoption, and spay/neuter efforts to decrease unwanted pets. She is a newcomer to Yosemite National Park, but recognizes its iconic beauty as much as anyone who has been enjoying Yosemite for decades.

Writer Gerald Haslam, Ph.D., has been visiting Yosemite since just after World War II when his parents began camping in the Valley.  In 1962, he and his wife, Jan, carried their 4-month-old son into Ten Lakes Basin, the baby's first backpacking trip...and later they introduced their four other children to Yosemite.  He has published 19 books and 10 booklets, plus edited 7 other books, as well as written hundreds of stories and articles, winning over twenty literary awards.  Haslam has served on the boards of the Western Literature Association (past Chair), the Institute for Critical Thinking and Moral Critique, the California Studies Association, and the Multi-Culture Institute, plus various community groups.  He retired in 1997 after 30 years as a professor of English at Sonoma State University and is now adjunct professor there and at the University of San Francisco.  A self-confessed "broken-down old jock," he remains an active cyclist, weight-lifter, and hiker, and also much enjoys fishing with several of his ten grandchildren.

Vince Kehoe is a native of New York City and a graduate of the University of Dayton (Ohio). He first came to Yosemite in 1975 to work as an Instructor for the Yosemite Institute. Over the next 15 years he worked his way through the ranks to the positions of Program Coordinator at the Headlands Institute, Executive Director of the Yosemite Institute, Acting Executive Director of the Olympic Park Institute and Senior Vice President of the Yosemite National Institutes. He also worked for three seasons as an Interpreter for the National Park Service (NPS) at Gateway National Recreation Area in Brooklyn, NY, and earned an M.A. in Geography from San Francisco State University in 1985. Upon leaving YI, Vince and his wife Lisa, a career NPS employee, made their home and raised their two children in Mariposa, California. More recently, Vince served for seven years as Vice President of Yosemite Bank. He holds the CCIM professional credential in commercial and investment real estate and earned a diploma in Banking and Finance from the American Institute of Banking. He is self-employed as a real estate appraiser.

Walt Lemmermann is the CEO of Advantage Enterprises, Inc., a national environmental organization delivering advisory and managed print services to top law firms. Walt’s professional experience is broad in management consulting, manufacturing, marketing and banking. His Latin American non-profit endeavors focus on children’s education, health and welfare. Outside of his role of Park & Recreation Commissioner for the City of Sausalito, California he has headed Federal and State funded projects for bicycle thoroughfares and municipal bond funded special assessment districts. While maintaining dual residency in Sausalito and New York City, Walt is an avid hiker, mountain biker, and fly fisherman both here and in the Swiss Berner Oberland and enjoys Broadway performances and the Symphony. Walt has been visiting Yosemite on a regular basis for twenty-five years.  

Arnita Multani Proffitt is an independent marketing consultant, serving retail and consumer goods clients. Prior to her current position, she spent 15 years in marketing and strategy consulting in the consumer goods and retail industries. Most recently, she was Vice President of Marketing at Williams-Sonoma. Arnita lives in Cupertino, CA with her husband and toddler daughter. Arnita's interests include travel, cooking, hiking, running road races and running around after her daughter. After first getting hooked on Yosemite during a spring break trip in college, she has been coming to Yosemite for the last 22 years.

Angie Rios is an owner of The Rios Company a marketing, public relations and issues management agency located in Fresno, CA. She brings more than 20 years of experience in public relations, social marketing, public affairs and media relations to the Yosemite Association Board of Directors. Prior to founding The Rios Company, Angie served as marketing director for the Fresno Private Industry Council.  During the 1984 Olympics, she served as a news advance consultant to the president of the Los Angeles Olympic Organizing Committee and a press secretary for the Olympic Torch Relay. Angie’s current involvement in other community organizations includes: Saint Agnes Medical Center Board of Trustees, State Center Community College Foundation Board, College of Social Sciences at California State University, Fresno Dean’s Leadership Circle; and Proteus, Inc., Board of Directors. She received her Bachelor of Arts degree from California State University, Fresno. Angie’s interests are reading, traveling and social entrepreneurship development. She lives in Fresno with Samuel Norman, her husband and business partner. Collectively they have traveled to Yosemite Valley eight times.

Lennie Roberts is a third generation Californian who grew up in Orinda, and graduated from Stanford University with a B.A. in Art.  Her abiding interest in Yosemite began with her first visit to the park in 1942.  Roberts has a special interest in National Parks, and served on the Citizens Advisory Commission for the Golden Gate National Recreation Area (GGNRA) and Point Reyes National Seashore for 8 years.  In addition to her service on the Board of Trustees of Yosemite Association, she is also a member of the Yosemite Fund Council of Directors.  Since 1978 Roberts has served as the full time volunteer San Mateo County Legislative Advocate for the Committee for Green Foothills. In this capacity, she monitors all land use planning decisions that affect the rural areas of the county, particularly the coastside.  A resident of Portola Valley since 1965, Roberts and her husband Mike have two daughters, Deirdre and Jennifer.  Roberts has managed a local public recreation district, taught nursery school, and built two mountain cabins with her husband.   

Anne Schneider lives in Davis, California, and practices water law in Sacramento with the firm Ellison, Schneider & Harris L.L.P.  She has previously served as a Yosemite Association Board Member for 12 years, from about 1988-2000.  She is currently on the board of Tuleyome, a very active environmental group working on the Yolo/Solano/Napa/ Lake County bioregion.  Serving on energetic and effective boards of organizations like the Yosemite Association continues to be a very important part of Anne’s life.  She has two adult sons who are both artists, and who grew up traveling to Yosemite at every opportunity.  Anne has climbed extensively in Yosemite and many other parts of the world, but happily has retired from that sport.  Her focus now is ultra-distance cycling, fly-fishing, and cross-country skiing.

Jonathan Spaulding serves as Vice President for Exhibitions and Executive Director of the Museum of the American West at the Autry National Center in Los Angeles, California. He is the author of Ansel Adams and the American Landscape: A Biography, published by the University of California Press in 1995, and coauthor of Edward Weston: A Legacy, published by Merrell in 2003. He lives with his wife and two children in Pasadena, California. From childhood vacations, to high country backpacking in his teens, to extended stays in Camp 4 in his twenties, and back to family vacations these days, Spaulding has been a lifelong lover of Yosemite.

Nancy Sutley is Deputy Mayor for Energy and Environment for the City of Los Angeles, serving as the Mayor's chief advisor on all environmental, energy and water initiatives and priorities. She has more than 20 years experience protecting natural resources and the environment at all levels of government and in the private sector.  She has served on numerous public agency boards, including currently the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California. Nancy is also a Board Member of the San Francisco Baykeeper.  Her interests include painting, hiking, cycling and skiing. She resides in Los Angeles, California, within walking distance of Dodger Stadium.  Her first visit to Yosemite was in 1997, shortly after relocating to California. 

Thomas Bowman holds a B.A. in Economics from U.C. Berkeley as well as a Chartered Financial Consultant (ChFC) from the American College.  He held a contract with Northwestern Mutual Financial Services for 49 years including 20 years as Managing Partner.  During his career, Thomas has also served on Executive Committees and Officer positions with: Boy Scouts of America; Oakland Museum of California Education; Better Business Bureau of Bay Area for 40 years; The Oakland Symphony; Commission for the Environment of the Episcopal Diocese of California; Planned Giving Commission for the Diocese as above; St. John’s Episcopal Church; and Yosemite Fund for 10 years.  He is still downhill skiing after 75 years, and plays tennis twice daily.  Thomas has also enjoyed hiking, backpacking, and camping throughout the Sierra Nevada, Tetons and Alps.  He and his wife have lived in their home in Piedmont for 49 years and have the benefit of frequent visits from their kids and grandkids. 

Thomas Shephard resides and is an attorney in Stockton, California.  He has been with the law firm of Neumiller & Beardslee practicing law for 45 years and he has practiced law for 50 years.  With respect to community service, he has served as President or Chair and Board Member of the Lincoln Fire District, Stockton Chamber of Commerce, St. Joseph’s Hospital System, and Yosemite Association.  He is currently a member of the Board of the San Joaquin Business Council, the Truman Club of San Joaquin, and the San Joaquin County Historical Society and Museum.  His favorite hobbies include backpacking and traveling world-wide.  He has been coming to Yosemite for nearly 74 years. (As he is 74, he relies on his mother’s statement for the first few years).