Board of Directors

Paula devoted her career to managing and restoring public lands. She attributes her commitment to public open spaces to having grown up in the Ojai Valley with unlimited access to trails, barrancas, and Los Padres National Forest in her backyard.  Paula has been an advocate for art and nature for many years. While a biologist for the National Park Service, she organized a juried show of visual art from California’s Channel Islands for the 2016 California Islands Symposium. She is a resident of Meiners Oaks and an Ojai native (Nordhoff High School ’71).

Betsy is a CPA and an experienced financial executive with over three decades of leadership. She most recently provided fractional CFO and accounting services to multiple non-profit organizations. Betsy has deep roots in Meiners Oaks, going back to 1976, and currently lives in Meiners Oaks with her sister, niece, and grandniece.

Jo Carol’s legal career includes working as a commercial real estate and business law attorney, as well as managing a nonprofit legal services organization serving low-income residents. She has also served as an arts administrator for various nonprofit arts venues. She lives in Ojai with her husband.

Dee taught Physical Education at Matilija Middle School for more than 30 years. She is a resident of Meiners Oaks, regularly cares for her two grandchildren, and understands the need for outdoor spaces for young children.

Derek is the former Executive Director of the Ventura Land Trust and former Conservation Director for the Ojai Valley Land Conservancy. Derek is an Ojai Valley resident with two children in the Ojai Unified School District.

Sarah Carter is a maternal and child health epidemiologist at the California Department of Public Health. Both her professional career and personal life have been dedicated to the health and wellbeing of children and she is thrilled to help bring a park to Meiners Oaks. She lives in Meiners Oaks with her husband and son, who is an Ojai Unified student.

Rosalie has worked as a professional geologist for more than 10 years focusing on compliance and water issues. She currently works remotely while living in Japan with her husband who is stationed there with the US Navy. Rosalie is a graduate of Nordhoff High School (’07).