Board of Directors
PRESIDENT Denise Koroslev Denise joined Rodgers Ranch in 1996 and headed up the "Round Up" summer heritage camps before becoming president in 2004. She is co-chair of The Herb Society - Northern California Unit and gives presentations on the uses and benefits of herbs to DVC Culinary students and other organizations. She has been an instructor for several workshops on sustainable living such as"De-Cluttering: Getting More From Less," co-sponsored by RRHC and Sustainable Contra Costa. Denise wrote a book on the history of Rodgers Ranch, A Walk Through Time: Stories of Rodgers Ranch, in celebration of the ranch's sesquicentennial (150th) anniversary (1867 - 2017). |
VICE PRESIDENT Aloma Levine Aloma has been active with Rodgers Ranch on and off from the beginning. She is currently the vice president of RRHC and serves as chair of the Events/Fundraising Committee. Aloma recently retired from a long-standing ownership of Innovations Hair Salon, and she currently works with both the P.H. Chamber and the P.H. Community Foundation. |
SECRETARY Alison Clary Alison was a docent for the "Round Up" summer heritage camps at RRHC before joining the board in 2014. She is a writer and the copy editor for Community Focus newspaper as well as the coordinator of the sustainable workshop series with Sustainable Contra Costa. She helpled dismantle an 1890s barn in Martinez to recycle the wood for RRHC's future barn. Alison has a Master's Degree in Museum Studies from JFKU and is the secretary and chair of the Education Committee and the Marketing Committee at RRHC, She enjoys taking photos and maintaining the blog for this website. She and her family live just over the fence from RRHC. |
HONORARY DIRECTOR
Steve Wallace Steve joined RRHC in 2005. He is the owner of J.S. Wallace Group, Inc. and was instrumental in overseeing the restoration of the interior of the farmhouse, including the installment of window security screens and the wraparound porch. He supervised the dismantling of the original barn, directed a scout troop in erecting the windmill, and obtained a donation for having the front lawn installed. He was RRHC's treasurer for two years and resident BBQ master for our public events, not to mention Santa Claus for the holiday boutiques. He is a member of Pleasant Hill Rotary, hosts Special Olympic dinners at his home, and volunteers for Christmas for Everyone as well as Loaves and Fishes. Although Steve recently moved to Placerville, he will remain active in an advisory position. |
GROUNDS AND STRUCTURES
Christian Rousset Christian joined the board in 2014 and is an enthusiast of the site and its history. As a life-long builder, he particularly enjoys being the chair of the Site Committee and working on fundraising for the future barn. Christian feels volunteering for Rodgers Ranch Heritage Center is an opportunity to give back to the community of Pleasant Hill, where he has resided for 35 years. He is also a real estate broker and volunteers for the Contra Costa Food Bank and the Pleasant Hill Community Foundation. |
LIAISON TO SUCCULENT GARDEN CLUB
Habiba Hall-Bey Habiba joined our board in 2016 and is the president and one of the founders of the Contra Costa Succulent Garden Club, which meets monthly at the ranch. She is also owner of Habibitique, which features ethnic home decor products and jewelry she makes herself for vendor fairs around the Bay Area. |
TREASURER
Chris Holm Chris discovered RRHC in 2016 through herb society meetings and events. She grew up in Pleasant Hill, first living in Sherman Acres and then moving in 1960 to a home on Paso Nogal Rd. After living and working as a state civil engineer in other California locales for 40-odd years, Chris retired and returned to Contra Costa to be near her elderly parents. After seeing many changes over time, she values historical education and preservation. She joined the board in May of 2018 and is especially interested in making the wheat barn project become a reality. We welcome Chris as our new treasurer! |
URBAN FARM CO-FOUNDER Marian Woodard Marian and her husband, John, developed the Rodgers Ranch Urban Farm in 2012. Marian is a certified master gardener and a permaculture design and composting specialist. She presents instructional workshops on the benefits of sustainable gardening, and her permacultural gardening classes offered through Sustainable Contra Costa provide valuable information on improving soil conditions to increase garden production. |
URBAN FARM CO-FOUNDER
John Matthesen When John and Marian began developing the Urban Farm in 2012, the hill was hard clay. Using soil-building techniques and a lot of hard work, John has created a fertile and rich growing environment along with a water saving drip irrigation system. He works actively with many groups, teaching time-tested methods of building and protecting a garden using recycled materials. He has also developed a comprehensive class for DVC Culinary students, showing them how to grow and use common and unusual plants in their farm-to-table menus. Join John and Marian at garden meet-ups on Saturday mornings. |
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Lynn Spatz
We welcomed Lynn to the board in April of 2018. After moving to Pleasant Hill 30 years ago, the Spatzes wondered about the abandoned and sad looking old house on Cortsen. As they raised their family, they watched the transformation of Rodgers Ranch as it became "an historical gem in Pleasant Hill, with so many activities that invite the community to get involved and see life from a simpler perspective." Lynn recently retired from her job as park superintendent for PHRPD and a lifelong career in residential and commercial landscaping that started when she was 16. She looks forward to having time to help the ranch's programs thrive and to rebuild the barn as an asset to the community. Lynn's grandaughter has been involved in many activities at the ranch over the years. They love the ranch and are committed to its continued success. |
Harold (Hal) Jeffrey - Advisory Board member
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HONORARY FOUNDERS
BARBARA CONNERS MARY WALTERS DENNIS MESSICK
MARIE DUNCAN NANCY WHALEY ELLEN STEVAHN
JANE FUENTES TED WINSLOW BARBARA THOMPSON
LOUIE MANGINI SARAH YOUNG
BARBARA CONNERS MARY WALTERS DENNIS MESSICK
MARIE DUNCAN NANCY WHALEY ELLEN STEVAHN
JANE FUENTES TED WINSLOW BARBARA THOMPSON
LOUIE MANGINI SARAH YOUNG
FOUNDERS
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MARIE DUNCAN
ELLEN M STEVAHN BARBARA THOMPSON |
MARY A WALTERS
NANCY WHALEY SARAH C YOUNG |
