Ventura Hillsides Conservancy Board of Trustees



		GARY K. BEDNORZ, President, is the California student recruiter for the University of New Mexico. He graduated from UNM with a B.A. in Economics and moved to Ventura in 1981. Gary has been our Boothmaster since the beginning of the VHC and heads up our Arroyo Verde Park Cleanup Campaign. Gary serves on the national environmental committee for the US Power Squadrons and teaches safe boating classes with the Ventura Power Squadron. Additionally, he does wildlife transport of sick or injured animals from the LA area to rehab centers in Ventura County. Gary is married to Karen and they have an adult daughter and two dogs: Betty and Martini. In his spare time he can be caught fishing, gardening or playing Frisbee. Photo: Tim Davis

		TOM WEISEL, Vice President, is a designer of medical implants and surgical instruments. He is president of Arch Day Design located in Ventura. Tom has been involved in various environmental causes over the years. He and his wife Kerry moved to Ventura in 2001 drawn by the open spaces surrounding the city including the hillsides and river valleys. Tom and Kerry with their son Kellin enjoy exploring new places and anything outdoors including hiking, beach-going, camping, skiing and expanding their native plant garden. Photo: Tim Davis

		WILLIAM B. SMITH, Secretary, is a partner with the Ventura law firm Ferguson Case Orr Paterson LLP. He is an estate planner and handles business and real estate transactions for his clients. Bill earned his B.A. degree from the University of California at Santa Barbara, a J.D. from Santa Clara University, and a Master of Business Taxation from University of Southern California. Bill and his wife, Rose Hayden-Smith, moved to Ventura in 1987. Their daughter is a student at Cabrillo Middle School. He has been involved in numerous charitable organizations in Ventura County over the last 20 years. He coaches Fusion club basketball and also coaches the Pumas in Ventura’s Wildcats basketball league. He can frequently be found playing basketball and surfing, and also enjoys gardening and music. Photo: Donna Foster
		KENNETH R. MERIDETH, Treasurer, is a retired CPA and partner with the Ventura County CPA firm Soares, Sandall, Bernacchi & Petrovich, LLP. Ken retired in 2008 after 30 years with the firm. He holds a B.A. degree in Economics from UCSB and an M.S. degree in Accounting from CSUN. Ken has served as the president of the Santa Barbara/Ventura Chapter of California Society of CPAs, and has volunteered his accounting skills to many not-for-profit organizations. Ken grew up in Santa Barbara before moving to Ventura in 1978. He lives in east Ventura with his wife. They have three grown children. For fun, Ken dabbles in most of Ventura County's natural resources, including hiking, gardening, bicycling and surfing. Photo: Tim Davis

		BROOKE ASHWORTH was an environmental analyst with international law firms for over 16 years, specializing in hazardous waste management and environmental due diligence. She has also worked as an environmental consultant and land use planner. Brooke served as the Ventura Hillsides Conservancy's President from its inception in 2003 through 2006. She is a member of the City of Ventura Parks and Recreation Commission. Brooke holds a B.S. degree in Environmental Planning and Management from the University of California, Davis. Brooke and her husband have lived in Ventura for 20 years. Together with their son and daughter they enjoy hiking, bird watching, boating and the beach. Brooke is an avid hill walker and body boarder. She takes pleasure in a good book and gathering friends and family for a fine meal. Her interests in the natural environment and land use planning principles have come together in her passion for preserving Ventura's hillsides. Photo: Donna Foster
		ROBERT BARTOSH is an attorney with Ventura-based Hathaway Law Firm and a part owner of the Ventura Harbor Boatyard. You may also hear Bob singing and picking the mandolin with local group, The Catterwailers. A Ventura County native, Bob brings strong business and legal skills to the Board, along with a steadfast fervor for natural places. Photo: Stephen Svete

		JAMIE L. KING was appointed to the Board in 2008. A professional biologist for over ten years, Jamie is passionate about open-space conservation and the importance of protecting our precious resources for the public interest in perpetuity. Jamie received a Bachelor's degree in Ecology, Behavior, and Evolution in 1997 and a Master's degree in Biology in 1999 from the University of California, San Diego. Her Master's thesis focused on the invasive Argentine ant (Linepithema humile) and its impacts on local arthropod species in southern California. Since 2000, Jamie and her husband Eric Smith have lived and worked in Ventura with their menagerie of small critters. They recently welcomed their newborn daughter Kell into their home. They are usually found reading, hiking, slowly restoring their 1920s cottage or playing a rousing bout of D & D during their time off. Photo: Tim Davis

		PATRICK PERKINS is a former test engineering manager, now retired after 30 years with the IBM Corporation. He holds a B. S. degree in Industrial Technology from San Jose State University. Having grown up in west Ventura County, Pat served four years with the Air Force, and then spent many years living in Silicon Valley and Tucson, and traveling extensively with his career. In 2000, upon retirement, Pat and his wife were fortunate to be able to relocate to Ventura, where they presently happily live. Pat enjoys outdoor activities, including jogging, bicycling, scuba diving, and sailing, and travelling with family and friends. They have two grown children and four grandchildren. Photo: Tim Davis

		STEPHEN SVETE is a professional urban planner and environmental policy consultant. President of Ventura-based Rincon Consultants, his firm advises government and industry on environment science and policy matters. He is certified by the American Institute of Certified Planners. Steve holds a B.A. degree in Geography from the University of California, Riverside, and an M.A. degree in Architecture and Urban Planning from UCLA. Steve is a noted writer on planning issues, and is a contributing editor to California Planning & Development Report. He has been published in the Los Angeles Times, the Sacramento Bee, and the Bakersfield Californian. He has a keen interest in civic issues, and formerly served as Vice Chair of the city's Cultural Affairs Commission. He serves on the board of the California State University, Channel Islands Campus Planning Committee. Steve has traveled widely in Latin America and Mediterranean Europe, and is fluent in Spanish. He and his wife Mindy have two daughters: one in a Ventura middle school and one in college at UC Santa Cruz. They are avid outdoor enthusiasts and beachgoers. In his free time, Steve likes to surf Ventura's renowned point and reef breaks. Photo: Donna Foster