meet the chamber < Sonoma Valley Chamber of Commerce

Susan Reber, President

Susan Reber of Mission Hills Mortgage Bankers has lived in Sonoma for 23 years. In addition to her Chamber involvement, she serves on the board of directors of the Sonoma Plaza Kiwanis Club and Congregation Shir Shalom. The mother of three children, she also has served on the High School Site Council and as the Girl Scout Area Coordinator.

Edward Roe, Vice President

Edward Roe, Director of Operations for the Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn & Spa was appointed to the Sonoma Valley Chamber of Commerce board of directors in November, 2005. Edward joined the Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn & Spa from his most recent position as Director of Rooms at the Fairmont Kea Lani Maui, which he held since November, 2002. A graduate of the Birmingham College of Food and Domestic Arts, BTEC (Birmingham, England) and Southfields College of Further Education (Leicester, England) Mr. Roe manages a staff of over 250 colleagues.

Jeff Walter, Treasurer

Jeff Walter and his wife Valerie Pistole are partners in the law firm Walter & Pistole. They have lived in Sonoma Valley since 1977 and have two sons. Jeff currently serves as the city attorney for the Cities of Cotati, Martinez, and Novato and for the town of Corte Madera, and as special council for the Civil Service Commissions of Sonoma, Marin, and Mendocino Counties. He is a past chair and member of the Sonoma County Planning Commission, past president of the Sonoma County Bar Association, past member of the Sonoma County Trails Committee, and a member of the Kiwanis Club of Sonoma Plaza.

Molly Fedorchak, Exofficio Past President

Molly Fedorchak is Vice President of business development at Sonoma Valley Bank . She has had an extensive career in banking and has worked in Sonoma for 13 years. She has served on the Chamber’s board of directors for the past three years, was an Ambassador for four years, and is a 2004 Leadership Sonoma Valley graduate. She is an active member of the Sonoma Valley Kiwanis Club and a strong advocate for the disabled and Becoming Independent. Molly and her husband have lived in Glen Ellen for 18 years, today with two adult children and three grandchildren who reside in Sonoma.

Sean Cutting, Director

Sean grew up in Sonoma with his parents and younger sister, attended El Verano and Altimira and graduated from Sonoma Valley High School in 1987. He attended UCLA majoring in Economics, spent four years as an investment consultant. Sean attended MBA school at the Marshall School of Business at the University of southern California, graduating in 1997 with Honors. Post-MBA school, Sean worked for several international banks. Sean joined Sonoma Valley Bank in 2001. Sean has since become the Bank’s Executive Vice President/Chief Leading Officer, overseeing the entire leading team and other operations at the Bank. Civically, Sean is a member of the Executive Board/Treasurer of the Boys & Girls Club Valley of the Moon, a member/Board Member of the Sonoma Valley Rotary Club, and past board member of the Sonoma city Opera. He also just finished a stint as coach of his daughter’s under 8 girls soccer team this fall. Sean lives with Perrin Cutting, his wife of 11 years, and their two children, Grace and Sam.

Sheana Davis, Director

Sheana Davis has independently owned and operated The Epicurean Connection, a culinary marketing and education company, for 12 years. She has worked as a professional chef throughout Sonoma Valley and as a guest chef throughout the country. In addition to her Chamber involvement, Sheana is an active member in the Sonoma Valley Grange, Sonoma County Winery Association, Springs Task Force Coordinating Committee, Sonoma County Land Trust, Sonoma County Culinary Guild, American Cheese Society, and Women Chefs and Restaurateurs. Each year she co-hosts the Opportunities and Challenges Conference with artisan cheesemaker Ig Vella at the Sonoma Valley Inn. A Sonoma resident and mother of a school-age daughter, Sheana is a graduate of Sonoma Valley High School and attended Santa Rosa Junior College.

Dale Downing, Director

Dale moved to California from Mississippi in 1945 and has lived in the Sonoma County area since then. In 1968 he bought into a partnership with his brother-in-law, Don Shone, to establish Shones Country Market in Glen Ellen. The two partners currently own Sonoma Market & Glen Ellen Village Market. He actively participates in the operation of the markets. While living in Glen Ellen, Don served as a volunteer with the Glen Ellen Fire Department and acted as assistant Fire Chief for four years. He has been an active supporter and sponsor of Sonoma Valley Youth sports teams and currently serves on the Board of Directors of Sonoma Valley Bank.

Rich Lee, Director

Rich Lee and his wife, Dr. Rhonda Stallings, have lived in Sonoma for 13 years and have owned Arroyo Veterinary Hospital since 1997. Rich has worked as the practice manager of the hospital for the last seven years after a 17-year career as a graphic designer and project manager. He oversaw the extensive renovation of the building (formerly occupied by Goodtime Bicycle) to which the business relocated in May 2002. For the past five years, he has been active in the Rotary Club of Sonoma, serving on the board of directors and participating in many of the club’s community service projects. He also is a member of the Sonoma Valley Redevelopment Advisory Committee and serves on the Springs Task Force.

Lillian Meyers, Director

Lillian is the founder and president of Meyers Financial, and the owner of Sonoma Beauty Supply. She has been providing financial services to clients in and around Sonoma and throughout the United States since 1985. She is a Board Member of the Sonoma Valley Hospital Foundation, past board member of the Valley of the Moon Teen Center, Valley of the Moon Vintage Festival and the Valley of the Moon Boys & Girls Club. Lillian is also currently a member of the Sonoma Valley High School Boosters, Rotary Club and a past member of the Soroptimist International of Sonoma Valley.

Kris Van Giesen, Director

Kris Van Giesen serves as the Chief Development and Community Relations Officer of the Hanna Boys Center where he oversees all aspects of fundraising and public affairs for Hanna, in addition to playing a vital role in helping to grow and manage their $150 million endowment.

Kris began his career in Washington D.C. almost 20 years ago as an advisor to both former Congressman Richard Gephardt and former Massachusetts Governor Michael Dukakis during their 1988 Presidential campaigns. Following his return to San Francisco, Kris spent three years as a Director for the San Jose Sharks of the National Hockey League, where he oversaw corporate sponsorship and event management. In 1992, Kris returned to Washington DC to accept a position in the Clinton-Gore Administration, working in the White House and on President Clinton's re-election campaign for a total of seven years. During his time with the administration, Kris held key leadership positions focusing on national fundraising, political affairs, international diplomatic missions and, upon his return to California, served as the Western United States regional representative for the U.S. Small Business Administration.

Since 2000, Kris has continued to play a pivotal role in helping to raise funds for political, business and nonprofit clients and has served in various leadership positions at San Francisco Bay Area startup companies. Prior to accepting his position in Sonoma, Kris played a pivotal role in raising $2 million for the California Alumni Association at the University of California, Berkeley.

Kris grew up in Santa Rosa and received his Bachelor of Arts degree in International Political Economy from the University of California at Berkeley. Kris and his wife, Holly, have two children.

Bill Vreeland, Director

Bill Vreeland is co-owner of Bonanza Ford Lincoln-Mercury. Vreeland moved to Sonoma in 1993 when his dad bought a Ford franchise carrying on a family tradition in the automotive business. He is a graduate of Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo with a degree in finance. Vreeland coaches soccer, baseball and basketball and is very active in the community. He and his business partner Gus Shubel, believe in building their business through the community first.

Jerry Wheeler, Director

I have worked at Infineon Raceway for the past four years and have learned the unique needs of a larger business; but I also have intricate knowledge of the specific challenges facing smaller businesses, because for many years I have worked with my husband to manage and grow his company. I am a past board member of the Valley of the Moon Boys & Girls Club, Sonoma Community Center and am currently a trustee for Speedway Children’s Charities. SCC has distributed over nearly $1.7 million to Sonoma County youth organizations since 2002.

STAFF

Jennifer Yankovich, Executive Director

jennifer@sonomachamber.com
Jennifer is serving her 6th year as Executive Director working with the Board of Directors to guide the Chamber's work to promote and support the Sonoma Valley business community. Jennifer was born and raised in Sonoma. She is a graduate of Sonoma Valley High School and UC Davis. Prior to the Chamber, Jennifer was the Community Development Manager for the County of Sonoma.

Kathy McKenna Perry, Executive Assistant

kathy@sonomachamber.com
A third-generation Sonoma native, Kathy Perry has been with the Sonoma Valley Chamber of Commerce since 1999 and is responsible for office management, bookkeeping, historical information, and supervision of interns. She also coordinates the Leadership Sonoma Valley program. Kathy holds a bachelor’s degree in computer science and mathematics from California State University, Sacramento.

Laurie Decker, Economic Development Project Manager

Laurie Decker, a Sonoma resident since 1993, guides the Economic Development Partnership Project, a joint program of the Sonoma Valley Chamber of Commerce, the City of Sonoma, and Sonoma County. Prior to taking on this role, Decker worked as a manager with the City of Vacaville for more than 15 years. Her wide range of responsibilities have included city-wide budget development, public information, establishment of leadership development programs, regulatory compliance, operational audits, and special project management. She has also worked for the cities of Lafayette and Sacramento, and for a management consulting firm in Washington D.C.

Yaquelin Alvarez, Community Outreach Coordinator

membership@sonomachamber.com
As the Chamber’s outreach coordinator, Yaquelin Alvarez helps members take full advantage of the many Chamber resources available for promoting their businesses, from attending Business After Hours networking events to submitting articles for Sonoma Valley Business. As a bilingual representative, she can also assist Spanish-speaking members with translating marketing materials, filling out forms, writing business briefs, and other administrative needs. She has worked at the Chamber since 2002.

Markie McNeilly, Student Intern

info@sonomachamber.com
Markie McNeilly joined the Sonoma Valley Chamber of Commerce September, 2006. A Sonoma native, she is a Junior at Sonoma Valley High. Markie is responsible for customer service, administrative functions, mailings, and e-mail inquiries.

Betty Tinsley, Volunteer

Betty Tinsley has been volunteering at the Sonoma Valley Chamber since 2003. She answers the phone in the mornings and helps with various office tasks. She is retired and has lived in Sonoma for the past eight years. A member of the Sonoma Mission Lions Club, she was previously the secretary for a maritime union in San Francisco.