The South Bay Parkland Conservancy Board of Directors:
Melanie Cohen, Board Member
Dawn Esser, Board Member
Jessica Hall, Board Member
Irene Kurata, Treasurer
Jim Light, Board Member
Terrence McCarthy, Vice President
David Sundstrom, President
Paula Tuckerman, Secretary
Dave Wiggins, Board Member
Christine Wike, Board Member
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The South Bay Parkland Conservancy Advisory Board:
Bill Brand, City Council Member, City of Redondo Beach
Steven Carey, former Board Member, South Bay Parkland Conservancy
Jillaine Force, former Board Member, South Bay Parkland Conservancy
Ted Lieu, California State Senator
Mimi Marrs-Andersen, Owner, Garden Magic Company
Cliff Numark, City Council Member, City of Torrance
Don Vangeloff, former Board Member, South Bay Parkland Conservancy
Wendy Weber, former Board Member, South Bay Parkland Conservancy
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SBPC's Board of Directors:
Melanie Cohen - Board Member
Melanie Cohen has been living in the South Bay since 1989. She was a member of the Torrance and Bellflower Chamber of Commerce where she was involved in recycling and open space projects. Melanie moved to Redondo Beach in 1993. She is working tirelessly to try and help Redondo Beach retain and develop open spaces for use in the South Bay. 
Dawn Esser - Board Member
Dawn Esser is a mother of two children attending school in Redondo Beach School District and a resident of Redondo Beach since 1989. She is an active member of the Herondo Park Initiative, active in the schools as PTA Board Member, Chairperson and volunteer, and an active volunteer in Children and Student Ministries at her church. She hopes to improve the beauty and environment of Redondo Beach through the expansion of parks and green belt areas in Redondo.
Dawn has a BS in Finance and MBA in International Finance and is currently a self-employed real estate investor, property manager and notary signing agent.
Jessica Hall - Board Member
Jessica Hall is an ecologically-based landscape designer and planner in the Los Angeles area. She is a Senior Associate at Restoration Design Group, a Berkeley-based landscape architecture firm specializing in stream restoration. A South Bay native, Jessica moved to Redondo Beach in 2010 and looks forward to contributing to improving watersheds, open space and habitats locally. She studied at California State Polytechnic University at Pomona and Princeton University. Ms. Hall received a Switzer Environmental Fellowship in 2000-2001, and a subsequent Switzer Leadership Grant recipient for her stream mapping and restoration efforts. Her work has been covered in local media, and she blogs at LA Creek Freak (lacreekfreak.wordpress.com).
Irene Kurata - Treasurer
Irene Kurata is the Treasurer of the South Bay Parkland Conservancy. Irene is a native Angeleno who grew up in the South Bay enjoying the neighborhood parks with her family. She hopes to enhance and preserve the South Bay parks so that friends, neighbors and family can continue to build memories of the joys the outdoors brings.
Irene graduated from UCSB with a degree in mechanical engineering and currently works for a financial institution.
Jim Light - Board Member
Jim is a founding Director of the SBPC. He has lived in Redondo Beach since 1989. A former Air Force officer, Jim is now an executive with a local aerospace firm. He has a degree in Aerospace Engineering and an MBA.
With a passion for water sports, Jim got his start in community service as an executive member of the local Surfrider chapter in the 1990’s. He led activities related to water quality, protection of the Ballona Wetlands, localism in Palos Verdes, and Pratte’s Reef. Jim became involved in Redondo land use issues after reading the Heart of the City Environmental Impact Report (EIR). Having worked EIR’s in his Air Force career, Jim quickly identified obvious flaws in the city’s EIR that resulted in dramatic understatement of the traffic impacts. Jim participated in the Heart of the City referendum drive after the City unanimously voted to approve the flawed document despite resident concerns with the impacts of the rezoning. Since Heart of the City, Jim has focused his energy on protecting and enhancing resident quality of life, public open space, parkland and waterfront recreational uses.
Terrence McCarthy - Vice President
Terrence McCarthy is a resident of Torrance and is married with one child. Terrence is a licensed Civil Engineer and works as a Project Manager for a major utility in Southern California.
He enjoys sailing out of King Harbor and spending time with his family in neighborhood parks. Terrence hopes to enhance the South Bay parks so that his children can enjoy the same open spaces and quality of life with their families in the future.
David Sundstrom - President
David Sundstrom is a Certified Public Accountant and has been a board member of the California Native Plant Society since 2004, serving in various capacities including Treasurer, Vice President and Webmaster. David previously served as Chair of the Environmental Task Force for Long Beach Strategic Plan 2010, having been appointed by the Mayor.
David has a history of leadership in numerous community and environmental organizations and has been a longtime supporter of open space advocacy organizations such as Friends of the Los Angeles River, the Los Cerritos Wetlands Land Trust for Long Beach and Seal Beach, and the Palos Verdes Peninsula Land Conservancy.
Paula Tuckerman - Secretary
Dr. Tuckerman was raised in Montana, where she received her BA in English from the University of Great Falls. She came to California in 1969, with a teaching credential and a contract to teach in LAUSD. She taught English and Math for 30 years in several schools in the urban district, eventually earning her Doctorate of Education (EdD) from USC, and holding positions as an administrator for the last 10 years of her career. One highlight was a position as the LAUSD US Department of Education Smaller Learning Communities Grants Coordinator, holding oversight of more than 20 schools with respect to this federal grant. Dr. Tuckerman retired in 2008, but has continued to work on a substitute administrator basis from time to time. Dr. Tuckerman became a resident of Redondo Beach in 1991, and became engaged in community activities to enhance and preserve the historic character of Redondo Beach. She mentors and tutors her grandson, who attends Bishop Montgomery High School. He lives with her much of the week.
Dave Wiggins - Board Member
Dave Wiggins is a founding Director of the South Bay Parkland Conservancy and currently serves as the Secretary to the corporation. Dave grew up in the South Bay and has lived in Redondo Beach since 1991. He has been active in conservation and land development issues throughout his adult life.
After a seven year career as a teacher, Dave began practicing law in 1985. He holds a B.A. degree in History from Pomona College, an M.A. degree in Education from Claremont Graduate University, and a law degree from the University of California Hastings College of the Law.
Dave periodically serves as a Judge pro tem for the Los Angeles Superior Court. He also teaches law classes in the paralegal programs at UCLA and Cal. State Los Angeles. From 1999 to 2003, Dave served as a member of the Board of Education of the Redondo Beach Unified School District. He was elected by fellow boardmembers to serve as their President from 2001 to 2002.
Christine Wike - Board Member
Christine is a Hermosa Beach resident who is interested in helping to preserve coastal land resources in the South Bay region. With over eighteen years of experience in marketing and product management, her background includes creating communications pieces, managing marketing campaigns and planning events to effectively reach targeted audiences. She joined the South Bay Parkland Conservancy to help communicate our organization’s key messages and goals.
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