Board & Staff
Val Nixon, President
Val Nixon, a retired California Park Ranger has lived in Lake County since 1985. She was a well-known figure at the Clear Lake State Park where she served as a Park Ranger for 22 years. She is trained to protect, preserve and interpret lands of significant natural and cultural value.
“I feel strongly that the best way to protect the environment is to involve the local community proactively in finding methods to act locally to preserve habitat so that we will all benefit intrinsically and also economically,” she notes. Val still lives in Kelseyville where she raised her family with her husband Tom Nixon.
Merry Jo Velasquez, Vice President
The Lake County Land Trust (LCLT) is pleased to have Merry Jo Velasquez on the board of directors. Merry Jo has been interested in environmental issues since childhood and originally hails from upstate New York.
She and her husband, David, joined the Land Trust as members shortly after moving to Lake County in 2015. After coming to events and getting to know other board members, she became a member of the Land Trust’s “Lands Committee,” and helped to organize and present the recent workshops to update the LCLT’s Land Conservation Priority Plan. Merry Jo is also a director for the Lake County Resource Conservation District (RCD), a member of the Middle Creek Marsh Restoration Coalition, a member of Lake County Master Gardeners and is active with the Lake County Symphony Assoc.
Merry Jo brings an astounding level of expertise to the Land Trust. She graduated from Skidmore College in upstate New York with a combined Biology and Chemistry degree. Her undergraduate thesis was “Co-Evolution of Insect Pollinators and Flowering Plants”. While working full time as a technician at the University of Rochester, she obtained a Master of Science degree from the University in Environmental Studies. In one of her classes, she met and then married her husband of 40 years, David Velasquez, who was in a Ph.D. program at the University. After they both completed their degrees, the couple moved to Saint Louis for David to take a job and Merry Jo enrolled in a Ph.D. program at Washington University.
After being awarded a Ph.D. in Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, Merry Jo and David relocated to Minnesota where David took a position at 3M while Merry Jo continued her training at the Mayo Clinic as a postdoctoral fellow in the area of Bone Cell Biology. After completing her training, she accepted a position at the University of Minnesota as an Assistant, then Associate Professor of Biology. Seven years later she relocated to the Mayo Clinic College of Medicine as a Professor of Medicine. Since 2003, she has been the Director of the Bone Cell Biology Laboratory at the Mayo Clinic... only now Merry Jo gets to telecommute from her Lakeport home!
Lynne Bruner, Treasurer
Lynne Bruner has lived in Lake County since 1982. She was a CPA until retiring in 2020 and is now the treasurer for the Lake County Land Trust. Lynne helped the Land Trust with taxes in the early years and has always appreciated LCLT goals.
Lynne grew up in San Leandro but since her mom was in high school, her family had a place in Clear Lake; so it was only natural that Lynne would grow up visiting Clear Lake too. “When I was in high school, I told my mom I wanted to live in Clear Lake,” she related. So, after graduating from Davis with a degree in Agricultural and Managerial Economics, taking accounting courses at Sacramento State University, and passing the Certified Public Accountant (CPA) test, she decided to move here. She started working here for John Robertson and Associates CPAs. Lynne says she has always been interested in the Land Trust and a supporter. “I’ve seen where you have come, from first acquiring Rabbit Hill, to Rodman, to where you are now,” she said. She is happy to go from being a supporter to contributing her skills as an accountant, helping with the expanding finances of the Land Trust.
An accomplished musician, Lynne has played the second violin with the Lake County Symphony for 40 years, during that time she has also been the treasurer for the symphony.
Dr. Eric C. Woychik
Our treasurer, Eric Woychik, has worked on advancement of clean energy policy across five continents, since 1977, with a focus on distributed energy resources (solar, wind, energy efficiency, demand management, and electric vehicles), largely at the customer level. This includes work in over 45 countries. He has worked to develop electricity markets and policy initiatives, including working with environmental voices, consumer groups, energy companies, and governments. He has written over 200 reports, many publications, and made presentations at numerous policy venues. Finally, Eric has been an expert witness in over 50 administrative and civil proceedings. A resident of Lakeport, Eric and his wife Debra enjoy living on Clear Lake and appreciate the birds and other wildlife they can view from their home and on Land Trust properties.
Catherine Koehler
Cathy originally comes from Canada, where she grew up and went to school in Calgary, Alberta. After finishing her B.S. in Zoology and M.S. in Behavioral Ecology at the University of Calgary, she worked on a variety of wildlife management jobs in California and Arizona. Because of habitat quality issues underlying many wildlife management projects, plant ecology and conservation became an important element in her work, and today most of her focus in researching or enjoying natural systems centers on plants, including the striking relationships between geology, botany, and plant ecology that are so prominent in California. She brings her skills and interests to the position of Resident Director of the University of California’s Donald and Sylvia McLaughlin Natural Reserve where she has worked since Sept 2002.
Her love of science and natural history drives Cathy to also work towards fostering an appreciation and understanding of science and nature in the general public and school children.
She served as community outreach manager at Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden, a botanic garden in southern California dedicated to California native plants, and has developed outreach programs at the McLaughlin Reserve. She also worked with a team of educators from Lake County and Sonoma State University to provide science curriculum workshops for grade 4-6 teachers in Lake County. Cathy also understands the need to work across fence-lines and political boundaries when addressing land stewardship or conservation issues, and works with regional agencies, conservation groups, and private individuals to address issues of ecosystem management and preservation at a landscape scale. She served as the Executive Director for the Lake County Land Trust for 6 years before retiring from that position in 2016 and continuing to work with the Lake County Land Trust as a Board Director.
Roberta Lyons
A native of Washington State, Roberta grew up in Jago Bay on Clear Lake. Her family moved to the area in 1955 when they purchased the Clear Lake Observer-American which they published for over 30 years. Roberta continued in the newspaper business, including helping to run another family paper in Cloverdale, the Cloverdale Reveille, until the family sold that paper in 2013.
Roberta attended Lower Lake schools throughout elementary and secondary school. She attended Santa Rosa Junior College, Yuba Community College, and received a BA degree in liberal studies from Sonoma State University. She lives at the family home in Jago Bay with her husband, Harry Lyons, Professor Emeritus at Yuba College. Their daughter Kate graduated with a Ph.D. in Linguistics from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
Growing up on the shores of Clear Lake, Roberta developed a deep appreciation for the natural beauty of the lake and surrounding terrain of Lake County. In her work at the Clear Lake Observer-American, she reported on such issues as diminishing wetlands around Clear Lake, the impact of geothermal development on Cobb Mountain watersheds, and various city and county issues. The Clear Lake Observer-American was supportive of the acquisition of Anderson Marsh State Historic Park. Local activist, archeologist John Parker, used articles published in the Clear Lake Observer-American to prove the case for the acquisition at the state level. Roberta is President of the Anderson Marsh Interpretive Association (AMIA) the cooperating association for the State Park.
Beginning in the late 1980s Roberta became active with the Redbud Audubon Society, serving as president of that organization for five years. She remains active with the Audubon Society as President, Conservation Chair and Newsletter Editor. Also interested in historic preservation, Roberta was a founding member of the Lower Lake Historical School Preservation Committee. This committee was responsible for the preservation and restoration of the historical Lower Lake brick school that now serves as the south county museum.
After seeing the difficulty in protecting sensitive habitats strictly through zoning and planning regulations, it had become clear that a land trust, an organization that would aid in the permanent protection of sensitive Lake County lands, was needed. In 1993, Roberta and a small group of friends founded the Lake County Land Trust. She served as the charter president of the trust from 1993-1999 and remains active on the board as newsletter editor, membership committee chair, lands committee member, and publicist.
Roberta and her family enjoy water activities on Clear Lake, including sailing, waterskiing, kayaking and swimming. Other favorite activities are bird watching, walking, photography and music. Lake County is Roberta and her family's home and they hope that it stays a beautiful and inviting place for humans and wildlife.
Bernard Butcher
Bernie Butcher was brought up in the San Fernando Valley. He attended Stanford University and the Columbia Business School before serving two years in the Peace Corps in Uruguay. Bernie joined Bank of America in 1969 where he worked in San Francisco, Hong Kong and then London. In 1982, he returned to San Francisco and became head of the Asia Division at Crocker Bank before its purchase by Wells Fargo.
In 1985, Bernie joined two partners to form Amsterdam Pacific Corporation, a small investment banking firm eventually sold to Amro Bank in 1994. Ready to pursue another passion - Bernie obtained his masters degree in history and a teaching credential. He spent 10 years teaching high school history and economics in San Francisco.
In 2003, Bernie and his wife Lynne, purchased the Tallman Hotel and Blue Wing Saloon and began renovation and expansion of the properties. These two establishments opened to positive reviews – the restaurant reopened in 2005 and the Hotel a year later. Lynne and Bernie sold the business in the spring of 2025, but remain committed members of the Lake County community.
Kate Schmidt-Hopper
Kate is a lifelong environmentalist starting back in the day when recycling required soaking off labels, bundling newspapers, separating metals, and sorting glass by color.
Kate is a strong believer in “Think globally, Act locally”, she has always had an interest in tracking environmental legislation and subsequent local applications. She is a member of the Lake County Resource Conservation District Board and current
ex officio to the Lake County Democratic Central Committee for Rep. Mike Thompson’s office.
“It is my honor to have this opportunity to support the Lake County Land Trust,” she states.
Staff
Angela De Palma-Dow, Executive Director
Angela De Palma-Dow is a well-known figure in Lake County having worked for the County of Lake for the last six years as the Invasive Species program coordinator, and author of the famed “Lady of the Lake,” column for the Lake County News. Through her column she familiarized the people of Lake County with the many facts, myths, concerns, and conservation efforts involving the County’s most impressive asset: Clear Lake.
In her work with the county she went far beyond her activities in the invasive species program. She filled high-level management roles, over-saw ramp monitoring (for the invasive mussel prevention program) and developed strong and trusted relationships with the local community, including the six regional tribes around the county.
In her own words, Angela explains: “I am personally and deeply invested in improving the natural resources of Lake County, from the bottom of the lakes to the top of the mountains and volcanoes.” In continuing she noted, “I am committed to living and working here and I am passionate about protecting, preserving, and conserving the land and water for the next generations of people, plants and animals.”
Angela backs up this passion with an impressive background in science and natural resource and conservation work. She has 20 years of experience working directly with natural resources in a variety of positions from management, conservation, research, teaching, education and outreach. She has a BS in Biological Science, and a minor in Chemistry from California State University (2010) and an MS in Fisheries and Wildlife, with a limnology/freshwater science emphasis, from Michigan State University (2014). She has acquired a variety of certificates from established organizations such as eCornell, University of Geneva and the National Association of Counties.
Growing up in Modesto and the Davis/Sacramento area, she spent time as a youth swimming at Lake Berryessa and Folsom. She was a swimmer and always loved water – perhaps an indication of her later career. Despite her eventual occupation as a biologist and scientist, her first goal was a job in communications which then evolved into working in horticulture, then “plants in water,” then biology.
Angela worked for a variety of university, city, state, and extension agencies in Michigan during and after grad school, but still yearned to return to California. When her husband, Jody Coenen, got a job in Southern California, back they came. In the San Fernando Valley she worked for the Mountain Restoration Trust where she set up water quality monitoring, crayfish management in urban streams and more. Angela became aware of the Water Resources job in Lake County and applied. “I got hired right away and after a year and a half in Southern California, we moved here in 2018,” she explained. Currently her husband has his own business working with race car teams; he travels around the country helping pit crews. The couple are parents of a two and one-half year old son, Kimi, and make their home in the Big Valley area.
“I’m excited to be a part of the Lake County Land Trust and to be a part of its growth,” the new Executive Director concluded. A sentiment echoed by all LCLT board members as well.
Meg Harper, Outreach Coordinator
Margaret Harper, or Meg, is the Lake County Land Trust’s Administrative Coordinator. Meg has lived in Lake County for over 30 years and still recalls the day she “drove over the hill,” and saw Clear Lake. “I’ll always remember that day,” Meg states. “I was overwhelmed with the beauty of this place and knew it was where I wanted to be.” Before making a career change and moving to Lake County, Meg graduated from California State University Sacramento with a Bachelor’s degree in human development. She worked her way to a general manager position with an advertising and publication company and has an extensive background in marketing, art and management. Seeking a career where she could contribute more to the greater good she jumped from an administrative career to teaching—receiving her teaching credential from Chico State in 1989. She worked here in Lake County as a teacher at Lakeport Elementary until her retirement in 2019. Meg met her former husband Ken here and they share a son, Nathan, who is a Registered Nurse. The Land Trust first became acquainted with Meg when after her retirement she started volunteering at the Upper Lake office at the Rodman Preserve. From that time on it became clear that she had a deep affinity for the Lake County Land Trust and her caring and skills are genuinely welcomed by the trust.
Nicola Selph,
Finance Director and Information Technology (IT) Expert
Nicola Selph is the Lake County Land Trust Finance Director and Information Technology (IT) expert. Nicola has lived in Lake County for about 10 years, moving here from Modesto where she soon volunteered for the Redbud Audubon Society, becoming a board member and treasurer.Nicola grew up in the Bay Area and received her undergraduate degree in biochemistry from UC Berkeley. She went on to get her PhD in biochemistry from Michigan State University. Despite her academ- ic success, Nicola went into accounting, working for corporations in both San Francisco and Oakland, including the Oakland Tribune. She transitioned from accounting to IT and worked in Modesto for E & J Gallo before retiring and moving to Lake County. While in the Bay Area, Nicola was a board member and treasurer for Golden Gate Audubon, one of the largest Audubon societies in California. Nicola enjoys kayaking, birdwatching, jewelry making and other hobbies. Nicola has been an ardent supporter of the Land Trust and is pleased to be part of the team to help move the Lake County Land Trust forward during this time of growth.
