Team & Board

Tuesday joined the staff in 2022 as an Accounting & Administrative Associate. She was elated to begin employment with a place where she believes in what they stand for. Tuesday has seen her share of landscapes in the U.S., her favorites being places with water or beaches. She spent her early youth in San Jose, California, visiting Santa Cruz, Monterey, and the nearby redwood forests. As a teen she moved to Grand Rapids, Michigan and enjoyed frolicking in the waters of Lake Michigan. She has been in the accounting and administration field for more than 10 years. She enjoys spending time with her family and in the outdoors. Tuesday is excited to fulfill the Save Mount Diablo mission.

Venny and Alyxa are our caretakers. They live at our Wright Canyon property with their three children, Layla, Raylan, and Walker. They grew up in Oakley, California at their families’ vineyards harvesting grapes. They both have a love for nature, animals, the land, and history, which is very rich in the mountain region. They steward the land, help raise cattle with local cattle ranchers, and continue to learn and grow each day.

Juan Pablo joined the staff as the new Land Use Planner in 2013. He grew up in Benicia, but since high school has lived and worked in Costa Rica, Mexico, Washington D.C. and different parts of California. Juan Pablo has always loved animals and been interested in learning about and protecting them and the habitats they live in – even since kindergarten when he brought an octopus in for show and tell. Juan Pablo graduated from the University of California, San Diego with a B.S. in Ecology, Behavior and Evolution and a minor in Political Science. Then after working in Mexico for a year, he pursued an M.S. in Sustainable Development and Conservation Biology at the University of Maryland, College Park. Juan Pablo’s work experience ranges from bird and marine mammal researcher, environmental educator and environmental consultant on NCCP/HCP projects. He now comes to Save Mount Diablo to help protect the area that has provided him with so many great hiking and birding experiences over the years.

Shannon joined Save Mount Diablo in 2011. She supports the development team and manages events. Shannon holds a BS in business administration from St. Mary’s College and has several years of office manager expertise. Neighbor to the mountain with her family, she is a dedicated hiker embracing the peaceful escape of Diablo’s slopes and foothills.

Dana joined Save Mount Diablo in 2011. She works at the front desk handling emails, phones, and processing donations while also assisting staff with various projects and events. Dana holds a BA in Exercise Science from U.C. Davis and has many years of administrative assistant experience, having worked at both Stanford University and UC Berkeley. Dana grew up in the East Bay enjoying Mount Diablo. She continues to enjoy being outdoors with her husband and two children and treasures her beautiful view of Mount Diablo from her home in Danville.

Brit joined the team as Event Coordinator in 2022, offering over a decade of event experience. Originally from Illinois, she was raised traveling the US and developed an early appreciation for the importance of state and national parks. After graduating with a human services degree and developing social impact programs in Chicago throughout most of her twenties, she followed her dream of exploring the world with a backpack for three years. Her adventures led to the self-study of environmental disasters across the globe, instilling her determination to make a positive impact on our planet. Now based in the East Bay, she has hugged countless trees through 49 states and 32 countries—including the beautiful oaks of Mount Diablo. Brit is an avid hiker, biker, backpacker, climber, free diver, yogi, and beekeeper dedicated to preserving Earth’s precious natural resources.

Samantha joined the staff in 2022. She holds a B.A. from Middlebury College, where she studied English literature and Russian language, as well as a J.D. from the University of Wisconsin Law School, where she focused on environmental law, estate planning, and Native American law. She then served as a Skadden Fellow and offered community education and legal services to members of 11 Native American nations in urban and rural Wisconsin. Samantha grew up near Mount Diablo and credits its beautiful climb for turning her into an avid cyclist. She also loves to hike and spends as many nights as possible camping with her husband, three sons, and dog.

Morvarid Keymanesh joined Save Mount Diablo in 2023 as our Staff Accountant. She is so proud and happy to be part of the Save Mount Diablo team! She was born in Iran, and she moved to the US in 2009 with her husband. They have a daughter and a son. She has two BS degrees: one in solid-state physics that she earned in Iran, and the other in business administration with emphases in accounting and finance that she earned from California State University, East Bay. She has more than 5 years of accounting experience. Her favorite hobbies are camping, bike riding, and going out into nature with her family and friends. She loves nature and animals!

Laura Kindsvater has a passion for protecting land for native plants (especially oaks and rare plants), wildlife, and people. She sees the climate crisis as the most important challenge of our time, and conserving and restoring land and connecting people to nature as essential in addressing it. She previously worked at Save the Redwoods League as a conservation planner, at California Wilderness Coalition as an editor and graphic designer, and at TechSoup as an editor. She holds a PhD in geography from UC Davis, with specializations in biogeography, plant ecology, and GIS. In her spare time, she enjoys hiking, gardening, and bike riding with her family.

Queenie started as an intern in 2021 after graduating from UC Berkeley with a BS in environmental science and BA in sustainable environmental design and joined our staff permanently in 2022. She has been passionate about environmental issues since she was a child and is excited to join the Save Mount Diablo team after having the natural beauty of Mount Diablo and the Bay Area in the background her entire life. Her interests primarily lie in freshwater ecology and habitat restoration. When she’s not searching for macroinvertebrates in local streams, she can be found practicing Wushu (contemporary Chinese martial arts), tending to her plants, and trying her hand at various arts and crafts.

Katie is our Staff Accountant & Office Administrator; she joined the staff in March of 2017. She brings more than a decade of accounting experience along with some administration experience to Save Mount Diablo. She grew up in the beautiful state of New Mexico, from there moved to Arizona, and then moved to northern California with her husband and two dogs. She loves to explore the beautiful landscapes of the Bay Area by hiking, mountain biking, and snowboarding. Katie is very passionate about preserving our natural lands and is excited to help fulfill the mission of Saving Mount Diablo.

Roxana began as an intern in 2016 and joined our staff permanently in 2017. As our Land Stewardship Manager, Roxana manages programmatic elements, events, outreach, and fieldwork within stewardship. She also maintains the mapping program for Save Mount Diablo. She attended San Francisco State and earned her B.S. in environmental studies with a concentration in natural resource management and conservation. As a student, she gained valuable experience with the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, and the San Francisco based nonprofit, Nature In the City. Roxana is from Bay Point and is passionate about preserving the lands she grew up with.

Mary joined Save Mount Diablo in 2022 as an intern and joined our staff in 2023. Growing up near Mount Diablo, she developed a deep love of nature that inspired her to earn a degree in environmental studies with a minor in professional writing from UC Santa Barbara. In college, she worked for the urban forestry restoration nonprofit Your Children’s Trees and assisted a PhD candidate in examining data related to central California vernal pools. Prior to joining Save Mount Diablo, she performed an extensive research project on the effects of sea-level rise on coastal wetlands, for the startup Stormsensor, and worked as a park aide at Mount Diablo State Park. When she’s not exploring local open space, Mary enjoys making art and visiting the coast.

Kendra joined Save Mount Diablo at the start of 2024. She has a BA in environmental studies from Sonoma State University, with a concentration in conservation and restoration, and brings over eight years of environmental education experience to her role as Education & Outreach Coordinator. She worked as a Naturalist for three outdoor science schools and as a Zoo Educator for Happy Hollow Park and Zoo before taking a year off with her partner to travel and learn about homesteading on an organic farm in Hawaii. She is excited to bring her passion for resilient, sustainable communities to supporting Save Mount Diablo’s mission. Kendra is an avid hiker, dancer, and jewelry maker and is continuing her sustainable living journey through gardening and preserving food.

Haley grew up hiking and running the trails around Mount Diablo, where her love for nature and passion for conservation first took root. This connection to the land led her to UC Santa Cruz, where she earned her B.S. in Marine Biology and developed a deep commitment to environmental stewardship. Before joining Save Mount Diablo in the winter of 2020, Haley previously worked to restore watersheds through community focused programs with a nonprofit based in the South Bay Area as a Watershed Stewards Program Corpsmember. She is continually inspired by the beauty of the iconic Diablo Range and feels privileged to care for its many unique landscapes. In her free time, Haley seeks trail adventures of all sorts and appreciates a hot cuppa and a good book.

Cecilia Zefeldt came out of retirement in 2024 to join Save Mount Diablo as our Executive Assistant. Cecilia is passionate about education and conservation—she joined Save Mount Diablo to make an impact and protect the earth. Cecilia moved to California from Argentina, where she previously worked as a special education teacher. She worked for Cal State University East Bay for 18 years, becoming the Director of Fiscal and Administrative Services for University Extension at the Concord Center. During her time at CSU East Bay, she worked closely with us on the Beacon lighting ceremony for a decade. Cecilia’s hobbies include quilting, long walks in nature, travel, and playing with her grandkids.

Emily grew up in Contra Costa County enjoying local open spaces, including hiking, kayaking, and horseback riding. She fell in love with the deer and coyotes on her grandmother’s property in Lafayette, becoming an avid observer of local wildlife. In 2022, she graduated with a BFA in animation and a minor in writing from California College of the Arts. One of her most memorable classes from college was a class on environmental ethics, which encouraged her deep-seated interest in how we treat the environment. Since graduating, her love of California’s wonderful biodiversity has only grown with time, fostering a further passion for environmental protection and advocacy. In 2024, she joined the team at Save Mount Diablo as a Communications & Advocacy Intern. In this role, she hopes to bring attention to meaningful solutions that are available for combatting biodiversity loss.

Dr. Felton is currently a Senior Biomedical Scientist-Retired (LLNL) and was Associate Director for Cancer Prevention and Control (UC Davis Cancer Center). Dr. Felton was the Deputy Associate Director for Biology and Biotechnology at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (2001-2004). He was on staff at LLNL for 32 years in various positions. He received his AB in zoology at UC Berkeley, and his Ph.D. in molecular biology at the State University of NY, Buffalo. Since retirement, he has taught courses related to cancer for the Osher Lifetime Learning Institute (CSUEB) and been active as a steward with Save Mount Diablo. He has been a volunteer advisor at LLNL and science tutor at San Ramon Valley High School and the continuing education program at Del Amigo High School. He also with his wife, Bette, manages an award-winning winery and vineyard in Danville.

Burt received his BS in business administration from the University of Illinois and did his graduate work at the University of Illinois Institute of Labor and Employment Relations. He has held a variety of human resources positions with Exxon and Eastern Airlines, and he is the principal of Bassler Associates, Inc., a human resources consulting firm he established in 1982. He lives in Pleasanton.

Giselle joined Save Mount Diablo’s Board of Directors in 2019 and serves on the Land Committee and the Stewardship Committee. Prior to retiring from active practice, Giselle was a partner at Little & Saputo, a local real estate law firm, for nearly 30 years. Retirement gave her time to be more active in Save Mount Diablo as part of the watering team for restoration projects and as a crew member for Four Days Diablo. She believes it takes dedicated donors and volunteers to help the amazing staff make Save Mount Diablo successful and is grateful to have the opportunity to be both. She loves to travel and is frequently off wandering around the world.

Keith is a “prodigal” Californian, born in Palm Springs, raised in the Midwest before returning to the state later in life. He is an alumnus of the University of Illinois and served as a Professor at Case Western Reserve University and Ohio State University. He is currently an emeritus Professor of Cell Biology at the University of California, Merced where he served as a founding faculty member and in a variety of administrative roles during the initial development of the new campus. Keith was instrumental in establishing the relationship between the new campus and Yosemite National Park while serving as an advocate for the protection of the park through service on the Yosemite Association Board. As an avid hiker, Keith has relished the beauty of Mount Diablo since he and his wife, Jill, moved to Rossmoor seven years ago.

Steve Balling grew up a stone’s throw from Fossil Hill in Walnut Creek, enjoying early life in the shadow of Mount Diablo. He earned a BS in conservation of natural resources and a PhD in aquatic entomology at UC Berkeley before working at Del Monte Foods Research Center in Walnut Creek as Director of Agricultural Research. There, he established new agricultural IPM programs to reduce the use and risk of pesticides. During his career, he served on many regional and national committees that sought to improve the environmental and social footprints of agriculture in the US. In 2016, he retired and began volunteering for Save Mount Diablo. Since then, he has led numerous hikes for our Discover Diablo and Four Days Diablo programs. He is a certified California naturalist and has participated in our BioBlitz every year since 2016. He also started working as a Mangini Ranch docent soon after our preserve opened.

John has been cycling, hiking, and backpacking since childhood; his first exposure to Mount Diablo was a Boy Scout trip to the long-defunct Camp Force. When John was just 14 he rode his bike from his native Berkeley to the summit of Mount Diablo and he continues this feat in our annual Mount Diablo Challenge. He can frequently be found somewhere on Mount Diablo, on foot or bike. He is one of the Beacon Boyz who coordinated the restoration of the beacon atop the summit building. A retired veterinarian, John lives in Danville with his wife, Tena. Tena and their two grown children also enjoy hiking.

Liz Harvey Roberts, Chief Development Officer with The Nature Conservancy, has over 30 years of experience in Bay Area philanthropy and currently works for the Conservancy’s California chapter, connecting her love of the outdoors with her concern for the environment. She joined Save Mount Diablo’s Board in 2017 and serves on the Development Committee. Recent prior experience includes serving as Director of Major Gifts at Mills College and Director of Corporate and Foundation Relations at San Jose State University. Mrs. Harvey Roberts received her BA from Westmont College and her MBA from UC Berkeley’s Haas School of Business. Based in Danville, she loves running, kayaking, and hiking, as well as hanging out with her husband Bill and their two dogs.

Claudia has a master’s degree in chemistry and science education from Oregon State University and a bachelor of science degree in chemistry and natural science from Muhlenberg College. She has been a Chemistry Professor at Diablo Valley College since 1989. As an educator, she is a strong believer in the Baba Dioum quotation, “We will conserve only what we love. We will love only what we understand. We will understand only what we are taught.” Claudia says, “Supporting Save Mount Diablo’s mission to protect open space and ensure wildlife corridors is paramount to helping people understand nature’s importance in our lives.” Claudia has served on the Board of the Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano and the Mount Diablo Audubon Society. She lives in Concord with her husband, Scott, who is also a Save Mount Diablo Board member.

Scott has a doctorate in analytical chemistry from Oregon State University and a bachelor of science degree in chemistry from Indiana University. He is a founding principal of Diablo Analytical, Inc, a small technology business located in Antioch. Scott is also a naturalist, birder, hiker, and nature and conservation photographer whose images grace the pages of our publications and walls of our office. Scott was appointed by the Concord City Council to serve on the original Community Advisory Committee for the Concord Naval Weapons Station Reuse Project. He has received the Diablo Magazine Threads of Hope award for his volunteer efforts with Save Mount Diablo. He has lived in Concord since 1988 with his wife Claudia, who is also a Board member.

With more than 20 years of public accounting experience, Maga has served numerous not-for-profit clients including national and international private foundations, public charities, and associations. Prior to joining his current firm, Hood & Strong, 10 years ago, Maga worked for a national accounting firm in Washington, DC, where he was in charge of the regional exempt organization tax practice. Maga also has first-hand experience working directly for a nonprofit organization, having served as a field officer for the International Red Cross during the war in Chechnya. Maga participates on the California Society of CPAs Annual Nonprofit Conference planning committee and is a frequent presenter on nonprofit tax issues. Maga earned an M.S. in accounting from East Tennessee State University and a bachelor’s in economics and business administration from Kings College.

Shirley Langlois earned a BA in political science at Oberlin College and a master’s degree in city and regional planning at UC Berkeley. She completed a 33-year career at Kaiser Permanente, serving as a Manager of Medical Economics and Statistics and a Director of Competitive Intelligence. She is an avid hiker, a kayaker, a lover of the outdoors, and a long-time supporter of environmental causes. Shirley has served as a member of the Oakland Museum Women’s Board and President of the Clarewood Townhouse Association. She has volunteered as a docent at Mangini Preserve and with Save Mount Diablo’s Diablo Restoration Team.

We welcome Bob Marx back to our Board! Bob was a Board member from 1997–2004. Bob & his wife Joan own Summit Ranch in Alamo which is 22 ½ acres bordering Mount Diablo to the North and East. Summit Ranch is a private horse boarding facility accommodating 100 horses. Over the past 30 years, he has spent many hours every week riding horses on the trails of Mount Diablo. Bob was the recipient of Save Mount Diablo’s Mountain Star Award in 2009. Bob’s love and appreciation of Mount Diablo goes beyond words!

Doug grew up in the Northgate area of Walnut Creek, back when Ygnacio Valley Road was a two-lane road and when the area east of Oak Grove Road was ranches and walnut orchards. He and his wife, Sylvia, currently live in Walnut Creek, close to Shell Ridge Open Space. Mount Diablo has been “near and dear” to him for a long time. Doug has a BA in economics from Stanford and an MBA from the University of Chicago. He worked for four decades in the transportation and logistics field in various roles including strategic and financial planning. He became a member of Save Mount Diablo’s Finance Committee in 2018, and continues to serve in that role.

Amara has more than 25 years of experience of municipal law experience and, now, as an attorney in the private sector, enjoys working closely with mixed use, residential, commercial, industrial and hotel developers, public agencies, and individuals and community groups on everything from land use approvals and subdivisions to capital improvement projects. Amara is currently general counsel to various transportation agencies and Geologic Hazard Abatement Districts (GHADs). Amara was named “Woman of Influence” by Globe Street Real Estate in 2019. Amara was also honored as one of San Francisco Business Times’ “Most Influential Women in Bay Area Business” in 2020 and a Northern California Super Lawyer® in 2023. She is rated AV Preeminent by Martindale-Hubbell®, the highest rating available. Amara currently serves as a Board member of the Bay Planning Coalition. She is also Secretary for the East Bay Chapter of Commercial Real Estate Women (CREW). Amara is an avid dressage rider and hiker and proud parent of her daughter, Islay, who attends Brandeis University.

Phil O’Loane is a former San Ramon City Councilmember and Planning Commissioner. As the Planning Commission Chair in 2010, he was the sole opponent of the city council’s efforts to break the voter-approved Urban Growth Boundary. He became a Co-Chair of the No on Measure W campaign and worked closely with Save Mount Diablo and other environmental and community groups to defeat the measure with a 72 percent no vote in November 2010. He was a Mountain Star Award winner as a result. Phil has been a key figure in San Ramon open space preservation ever since. He led the establishment of a council-appointed Open Space Advisory Committee as well as successful partnerships with key agencies to secure substantial open space preservation on San Ramon’s borders. He has been a member of the Land Committee since 2011. A native of Rochester, New York, Phil graduated from the University of Notre Dame in 1980 with a degree in economics and holds a masters in hospital administration from the University of Michigan’s School of Public Health. He and his wife Rachele have two adult daughters who are avid hikers. Phil works as a Practice Leader for the Permanente Medical Group.

Robert Phelps is a retired Associate Professor of History at California State University, East Bay and the former Executive Director of Cal State East Bay’s branch campus in Concord. The author of numerous articles on the history of California and the American West, Phelps has also worked extensively in the realm of public history, serving as an interpretive advisor and content editor for a number of historical museums, including the Oakland Museum of California. As campus Executive Director, he worked extensively to preserve the Galindo Creek section of university property. Phelps holds an MA and Ph.D. in US history from the University of California, Riverside and a BA in History from San Diego State University. Born and raised in San Diego, he is a member of the San Pasqual Band of Mission Indians of California and a former tribal vice chairman. He lives in the North Bay region with his son Aaron.

Malcolm received his B.A. and M.L.S. in Environmental Planning, from UC Berkeley, and then worked for the Marin County Planning Dept. for four years. In 1979, he joined LSA Associates and is now a principal in natural resources management and environmental planning, managing their Point Richmond office. An avid outdoorsman, Malcolm feels that Mount Diablo is a wonderful visual resource and that the open space we are protecting is not just for people, but is essential to the protection and stability of the greatest possible diversity of biological resources in the central California region. Malcolm and his wife Casey live in Moraga. In 2020, Malcolm was was awarded Save Mount Diablo’s Mountain Saver Award.

Jeff graduated from UCLA with bachelor of arts degrees in political science and communications, and a JD from UC Davis, King Hall. Following law school, Jeff immediately went back into a family construction business, Diamond Construction, based out of Lafayette. Expanding his dad’s business, Jeff currently works in construction, transactional real estate, and development. Jeff’s nonprofit experience includes a six-month stint as Deputy Director of China Business Development for the US China Green Energy Council in Beijing, China. Above everything, Jeff enjoys the outdoors with his wife Lauren, and their miniature Australian shepherd, Bella.

Achilleus Tiu teaches science at Pittsburg High School. Many of his students have participated in Save Mount Diablo’s Conservation Collaboration Agreement program.