Troy Niday is Chief Operations Officer for Sonoma Media Investments, LLC publisher of the Press Democrat and other Sonoma County publications and websites. He oversees all aspects of audience development, consumer revenue generation, production and distribution for the organization. A native Nebraskan, Troy worked at four other media companies before bringing his expertise to Sonoma County in 2014. He resides near the town of Freestone with his wife Pam; they have two children in their early 20s, and enjoy traveling together.
Lisa Wittke Schaffner is the Executive Director of the John Jordan Foundation. Prior to this position she spent seven years as CEO of the Sonoma County Alliance. Lisa was born and raised in Healdsburg, and graduated from CSU Sacramento with a degree in Government and Journalism.
Lisa is the on the Board of Redwood Credit Union and co-chair of Health Action Sonoma County. She sits on the boards of the Sonoma County Fair, Sonoma County Grape Growers Foundation, Family Justice Center, Social Advocates for Youth, the 10,000 Degrees Advisory Board and the Career Technical Education Foundation Board. She is the also an Operational Team Member for Cradle to Career, the Upstream Investments Policy Committee, and the policy team for the Violence Prevention Partnership.
In 1999 Lisa was elected to Healdsburg City Council. She was Vice-Mayor from 2002-2003, and 2007. She became Mayor of Healdsburg in December of 2003 and again in December 2007, retiring from Council at the end of 2008. In 2010, Lisa was appointed to the Council to serve out an existing vacant term. In 2012, Ms. Schaffner was elected to the Sonoma County Board of Education, and was re-elected in 2014 and 2018 to represent District 4.
Most importantly, Lisa is a mother of two amazing young adults, McKenzie and Malloy.
Ty Comstock is approaching his 23rd anniversary with Jackson Family Enterprises, and currently serves as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer. He is responsible for all aspects of finance, IT, human resources, and international businesses for the Jackson Family. During his tenure, Ty had the opportunity to help shape the company as it is configured today, including executive leadership, corporate treasury and financing, general accounting and process improvements, mergers and acquisition, strategic vision, and information systems and technology. Prior to joining the Jackson Family, Ty spent ten years in general and financial management with Core-Mark International. A graduate of The Ohio State University, he is married and has a daughter also in the wine business.
Gina Belforte is currently serving her third term as a Rohnert Park City Council member. Gina has previously served as the Mayor for two years and as Vice Mayor for three years. In addition to serving on SAY’s board, Gina currently serves on the Economic Development Committee, the Senior Citizen Advisory Committee, on the Water Committee and is a Rohnert Park Foundation board member.
Gina’s background includes a long career in marketing and public relations. She opened new territories for advertising companies, trained sales people and handled multimillion dollar advertising campaigns. A Northern California native, she has lived in Rohnert Park for 31 years with her husband Kevin and has two grown children. Gina is also the local owner of Stanley Steemer, employing over 20 people and servicing Sonoma, Lake and Mendocino counties.
Jeff Ahlers initially joined La Tortilla Factory as a Board Member in 2013 and was immediately captivated by the company’s values and culture. A year later, he accepted the opportunity to take on the role of President and CEO.
Jeff has worked in the food industry for over 30 years, embracing an entrepreneurial approach to cultivate business success and build strong relationships. Jeff and his wife, Kelly, have been active with many non-profit organizations over the years including Courage Worldwide and locally in fostering youth and adoption advocacy. Jeff enjoys spending time with his family and keeping fit. He has two grown sons, three young children and one grandson.
Lorraine Ashton PhD is a Psychologist in private practice in Sonoma. Lorraine is a retired Professor of Psychology at JFK University where she was an Associate Professor in the Masters program and served as Assistant Director of the Doctoral program. In her professor role, Lorraine was Director of Clinical Training for both masters and doctoral students overseeing clinical supervision of a school based counseling program and a community family therapy center. After relocating to Sonoma 20 years ago, Lorraine became a founding member of Impact 100 Sonoma serving a 3-year term on the Board of Directors as Community Grants Chair. Lorraine has worked with many nonprofits in Sonoma Valley including: Seeds of Learning who built schools in El Salvador & Nicaragua, Sonoma Overnight Support homeless program, Willmar Center for grieving children & families, Sustainable Sonoma and Teen Services Sonoma where she was Board President. Lorraine was the facilitator of the Council of Board Presidents of Nonprofits in Sonoma Valley.
In her personal life, Lorraine enjoys time with her two daughters, daughter-in-law & two grandsons; practices Buddhism; and loves her life of international travel with many friends.
Susan Barnes is the owner of Barnes & Company, an award-winning strategic consulting firm specializing in the areas of land planning, land use approval, communications, public outreach and strategic communications. Susan works throughout Northern California in a wide spectrum of businesses, industries and nonprofits. Susan earned both a B.A. Political Science and a B.A. in Psychology from the University of California, Irvine. Susan has over 30 years of experience in dealing with federal, state, county and local government providing public affairs, land use, public outreach and media services.
Clay Bilby MBA, BSEE, IRC, is the Senior Director of Investor Relations for Keysight Technologies, a Santa Rosa headquartered, high-tech S&P 500 company.
Prior experience includes: Corporate Development, Financial Controller, Marketing Manager, Global Procurement Manager, and advisor to high-tech start-ups. Prior employers include Agilent Technologies and Hewlett Packard. Clay is also an adjunct professor at Sonoma State University teaching the Financial Statements Analysis course in the Executive MBA program. Clay enjoys active sports including tandem biking with his wife and a bit of golf.
Matt Brewer was born and raised in Sonoma County, and graduated from Sonoma State University with a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration with an emphasis in accounting. Matt is a certified public accountant and works for Pisenti & Brinker where he is a manager in taxation and assurance services. Matt provides corporate, partnership and individual tax planning and compliance services and oversees audit, review and compilation engagements. Matt married the love of his life, Chloe, in 2010. When he is not working and volunteering, he keeps busy raising his three children.
Mike Cook is a Principal Landscape Architect with Integra Planning + Landscape Architecture, an integrated design firm based in Santa Rosa, California. Mike attended California State Polytechnic University at San Luis Obispo, California for his Bachelor of Landscape Architecture degree (2001). He volunteers his time in many different ways and believes in making Santa Rosa/Petaluma and the North Bay an attractive place for doing business, and believes that Social Advocates for Youth is an essential part of creating a knowledgeable, involved and active generation of our youth. Mike enjoys playing golf when he’s not working, has two young daughters and lives in Santa Rosa with his family.
Jared Cooley is the Director of Leasing/Financing for Hansel Leasing, a local company focused on providing equipment leasing across the US including the local Sonoma County wine industry.
Born and raised in Northern, CA, Jared spent 15 years in the commercial banking industry after receiving his BA from University Nevada Las Vegas and MBA from California State University Sacramento.
Jared spends his time outside the office with his wife and 3 young children supporting their interest in sports and his interest in cycling/mountain biking.
Shawn Crozat started his career at G&C Auto Body in 1996, sweeping floors and washing cars. He worked his way up in the family business, serving 10 years as Chief Operations Officer before becoming Chief Executive Officer in 2016. Giving back has been a company and personal focus since the beginning. Helping others and the community is a strong core value at G&C Auto Body. In addition to serving on SAY’s board, Shawn serves on the board for the Crozat Family Foundation and leads vehicle acquisition which has resulted in donating over 150 vehicles to Sonoma County families. He lives in Santa Rosa with his fiancé and three young children. When he’s not at work he enjoys time with his family, good food, good beer, watching football and working out.
Gerard Giudice is the owner of Sally Tomatoes Catering and Event Company in Rohnert Park. Born in the Bronx, Gerard is proud to call Rohnert Park home, and is a proud member of the Rohnert Park Cotati Rotary Club and the Rohnert Park Planning Commission. He also serves as a board member for the Sonoma State Athletic Association. Gerard is married to Suzanne Knauer-Giudice and has two inspiring daughters, Katarina, 2 and Isabella, 18.
Peter Hsu is a Senior Vice President – Regional Manager for Bank of Marin. Peter has more than 25 years of financial services experience and has worked in various positions in both the community and wholesale banking. Peter’s work experience also includes several years at Bank of the West, Wells Fargo Bank, N.A., ABN AMRO Bank, N.V. and Allied Capital Corporation. Peter received his double B.A. in Economics and International Relations with a Minor in Chinese from the University of California at Davis.
Cynthia Negri has been with Redwood Credit Union since 1997. As Chief Operating Officer, she oversees the operational functions of the institution, including branch operations, wealth management, marketing and communications, member experience, and project management. During her tenure, Redwood Credit Union has grown from a $300-million institution to a credit union that’s the 8th largest in California with over $4.9 billion in assets. An advocate of high service standards, Cynthia keeps the credit union focused on supporting its members and communities to help them succeed financially and achieve their dreams. She holds bachelors degrees in accounting and finance from San Francisco State University.
Heather Nelson-Tapia is the Business Development Manager for Encore Events Rentals, with over 20 years of sales and management experience in the hospitality and events industry. A dedicated volunteer, Heather has served on committees for the Sutter Health Catwalk for a Cure Event, Redwood Empire Food Bank, American Heart Association’s Go Red Event, and Lytton Springs 4H. She is a member of the Santa Rosa Metro Chamber’s Leadership Santa Rosa Program, Class 36, and a facilitator in the Be Better Platform, a networking and professional development group. She served 8 years on the ILEA Napa Sonoma Board, including 2 years as the President.
Heather is a mother of three, a lover of good food and wine, and an 80s enthusiast. She can often be found supporting local restaurants and wineries while connecting with colleagues, friends, and family.
Ted Patchet is a Client Executive at Alight Solutions, a benefits administration and cloud-based HR services provider. He has expertise in strategic business planning and has led clients through a wide variety of projects across the HR landscape over the past 24 years. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Finance from the University of Nevada, Reno and a Master of Arts in Sports and Fitness Management from the University of San Francisco.
Ted lives in Petaluma with his wife Patience and their two teenage sons, Gavin and Colin. He is the Secretary for the Northern California Chapter of US Lacrosse. Other organizations that Ted has served previously include Petaluma Youth Lacrosse, the Marin Cricket Club, the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Massachusetts-Rhode Island and Boys Scout of America. In his down time, Ted enjoys playing golf, visiting new craft breweries and relaxing with his family.
Mark Stapp is a Director of Development at Sonoma State University, where he assists with resource development and community engagement. Mark’s work experience also includes roles at the San Francisco Zoo, Paradigm HealthCare Services, and Logistics.com. In addition to serving on SAY’s board, Mark currently serves on Santa Rosa’s Measure O committee, the Sonoma County Farm Bureau Foundation board, and the board of the World Affairs Council of Sonoma County. Mark earned a B.A. in Religion from Williams College and a Ph.D. in Theology from the University of Chicago. Mark and his wife, Viviann, live up the street from the Dream Center and enjoy walks in Annadel.
Tina Wallis practices land use and environmental law, with the Law Offices of Tina Wallis, Inc. The firm advises private and public clients on all aspects of land use, such as general plan updates, zoning code updates, compliance with California’s Environmental Quality Act, land use entitlements for residential and commercial projects, conservation easements, and many other natural resource issues.
Outside of her work, Ms. Wallis can be found swimming, cycling, or walking her very bossy dog.
Marcus Benedetti
Bob Casanova
Connie Codding
Matthew Davis
Nancy Fastenau
Bill Friedman
Hon. Gayle Guynup
Kevin Konicek
Kay Marquet
John Meislahn
Steve Page
Brian Purtill
District Attorney Jill Ravitch
Hon. Arnold Rosenfield
Willie Tamayo
Linda Tavis
Vic Trione
Steve Worthen
Supervisor Shirlee Zane