Board of Trustees & Staff
Julian Varela, President
Julian has been inspiring others to adopt a fitness lifestyle for over 15 years, and has helped establish numerous community efforts to create healthier companies, individuals, families and youth. As a fitness trainer, industry presenter, columnist for various magazines and newspapers and co-owner of Equilibrium Fitness, Julian fell in love with Avila Beach when he first moved to SLO in 2001 and has been a resident of Avila Beach since 2003. He is actively involved with multiple community organizations including the American Heart Association, SLO Chamber of Commerce and HEAL-SLO, a childhood obesity coalition.
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Mike Ginn, Vice President
Mike, his wife Carrie Anne and their son Anthony came to the Central Coast in 2003, quickly falling in love with Avila Beach and settling in the San Luis Bay Estates. Mike is a manager with PG&E and has been actively involved as a volunteer with community organizations like the American Red Cross and other public safety agencies over his career. You can often find Mike on the Bob Jones trail enjoying a cup of coffee while walking his dogs, or at the top of the Sycamore Ridge trail enjoying the beauty of Avila Beach with his family and friends.
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Boyd Horne, Treasurer
Boyd retired in 1994 after 34 years working in the business
section at the headquarters of the system of California State Universities. He
and his wife Sara moved to Avila Valley in August of 1998 after overseeing
construction of their new home in Bassi Ranch. After retirement Boyd spend a few
years consulting for university foundations and overseeing the creation of the
business office at the newly opened CSU Monterey Bay. Boyd served as the
founding Executive Director of the Avila Beach Community Foundation from 2000
through 2008, is currently vice chair of the Avila Valley Advisory Committee,
and advisor to the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at Cal Poly, and a local
voting precinct manager.
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Maridel Salisbury, Secretary
Maridel Kennedy Salisbury is a resident of Avila Beach and a native of San Luis Obispo. She is owner/operator of Salisbury Fine Art/Salisbury Vineyards in Avila Valley. She was a grant writer and program director for Project Head Start for the South County of Sacramento until retirement. Maridel got involved in art acquisition for a Susan Street Fine Art Gallery, and in 2000 became a full-time art dealer/gallery operator. She has served on the Cuesta College Board of Directors, the Avila Beach Civic Association Board of Directors, and was a founding member and first President of the Avila Beach Community Foundation.
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Mike Ritter, Immediate Past President
Mike and his wife Shirley came to Avila Valley in 2000. His career included practicing law then building and managing a cable television company. His passions include sailing, snowboarding, learning jazz piano, travel, playing with his grandchildren, and his families small organic farm. You will usually see Mike, or his son-in-law, at the Friday night Avila Beach Fish and Farmers' Market selling avocados and olive oil.
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Lucinda Borchard, Trustee
Lucinda is a long time SLO County resident who was raised in Cayucos and has lived in Avila Beach since 2004. A very active member of the community, she has served as a Cayucos Advisory Council member, as executive director, board member and board president of several non-profits, as a member of the SLO County Community Foundation Womens Legacy Fund Grants Selection Committee, and as grants administrator for the Nevada Humanities Committee. Lucinda attended the University of Nevada-Reno for undergraduate and graduate school, and has earned degrees in Anthropology, Archaeology, Sociology and Spanish. She enjoys working out at the gym, volunteering, walking, gardening and traveling especially in Mexico where she has had a condo for almost 30 years.
Michael Faber, Trustee
Mike first moved to Avila in fall of 2009 while a member of the National Guard. Originally from the Midwest, he decided to trade in the cold weather for the Central Coast’s almost year-round sunshine. He enjoys running the Bob Jones Trail on a regular basis, is a licensed skydiver and an occasional SCUBA diver. Mike is the head of distribution for a regional gardening-soil manufacturer. After two military deployments overseas and several relocations around the country, he is ready to stay put in the area. Mike looks forward to being part of the community and to serving on the Avila Beach Community Foundation board.
Chris DeWeese, Trustee
Chris DeWeese and her husband Eric purchased their Avila Beach home in 2010 after visiting their son, who was living in San Luis Obispo at the time. Chris, a media and public relations consultant previously residing in Southern California, says it got harder and harder to leave the Central Coast paradise and decided they had found their retirement spot in Avila Beach. The couple splits their time between the Central Coast and Los Angeles, where Eric manages Classical KUSC 91.5 (KESC) FM.
Bill Gerrish, Trustee
Bill has lived on the Central Coast since 1974. He and his wife Nancy who is a retired Arroyo Grande High School English teacher now live in Nipomo. Bill is a retired CPA and currently consults for various businesses in the South County. His connection with Avila Beach comes from his ownership in the Old Custom House. In his spare time, Bill serves on various nonprofit boards and travels extensively.
Justin Hodges, Trustee
Justin is employed as a Specialist with the SLO County
Behavioral Health Department. Combining
a Master’s Degree in Public Policy with an emphasis in Public Health from Cal
Poly, and his life experiences, Justin possesses extensive knowledge of alcohol
and drug prevention and treatment sciences. Justin has also been mentoring youth for over
15 years - first through the medium of skateboarding.
A semiprofessional skateboarder in his youth, Justin later created a skate team in partnership with Pancho’s Surf Shop in Pismo Beach that centered on positive youth development practices. Justin also enjoys surfing, and spent six years as a professional instructor – including work with VA Winter and Summer Sports Clinics and Operation Surf events. Justin currently resides near the beach in Avila, and spends all of his free time in or near the ocean. He is very passionate about making other peoples’ lives better.
A semiprofessional skateboarder in his youth, Justin later created a skate team in partnership with Pancho’s Surf Shop in Pismo Beach that centered on positive youth development practices. Justin also enjoys surfing, and spent six years as a professional instructor – including work with VA Winter and Summer Sports Clinics and Operation Surf events. Justin currently resides near the beach in Avila, and spends all of his free time in or near the ocean. He is very passionate about making other peoples’ lives better.
Steve Johnson, Trustee
Steve’s real estate and personal injury law practice has been at Front and San Miguel Streets in “Downtown” Avila Beach the past six years (after 28 years in SLO). He and his wife of 36 years, Liz, raised their three children on their fruit ranch in See Canyon. A member of the State Bar of California, SLO County Bar Association (past President), Central Coast Trial Lawyers Association (past President and voted by his peers Trial Attorney of the Year), Steve is also a founding member of the See Canyon Watershed Group and has served on the Avila Valley Advisory Council, the San Luis Yacht Club Board of Directors, the Avila Business Association and the Avila Beach Civic Association. Steve enjoys spending time in his orchards, gourmet cooking “off the land,” sailing, travel and jogging Avila's surf line before work.
Percy Jones, Trustee
Percy and his wife first found and fell in love with Avila Beach in 1997. They moved to this paradise in 2003 with their two sons. Percy is currently a Fire Captain with the Los Angeles City Fire Department. In his 31-year career, Percy has worked with many community-based organizations, and in his spare time coaches basketball and football. Most recently, Percy served as an assistant coach with the San Luis Obispo Youth Football League. Percy looks forward to serving the Avila Beach Foundation and the community of Avila Beach.
Steve May, Trustee
Stephen, his wife Ane and their children came to the Central Coast in 2000 while Stephen attended Cal Poly. The May family resides in Avila Valley and loves the coastal and surrounding communities. Stephen is President of a local Internet company. You can often find the May family on the Bob Jones Trail, on the beach, or hanging out with family and friends. Stephen looks forward to working with fellow trustees on the Avila Beach Community Foundation Board, and in serving the residents of the Avila Beach area.
Carolyn Morton, Trustee
An engineering contract at Diablo Canyon Power Plant brought husband Allan and Carolyn to Avila Beach in late 1997 from Atlanta, Georgia. Carolyn is a makeup artist and image consultant. Commuting to Santa Barbara and traveling the West Coast, she is a representative for a New York cosmetic company whose products are sold at department stores such as Saks Fifth Avenue and Nordstrom. Carolyn and Allan are avid windsurfers and enjoy surfing, mountain biking, hiking and volleyball.
Rick Rowe, Trusteee
Rick and his wife, Stephanie moved to Avila Beach in 2006. He has been an educator for the past 12 years and currently teaches the 6th Grade at Taylor Elementary School in Santa Maria. Before teaching, Rick worked in Silicon Valley for a variety of technology companies including Applied Materials, Trimble Navigation, and Xerox International Partners. He currently serves as Vice President of the Avila Beach Community Services District, and was a past Director of the Avila Beach Civic Association. Rick and Stephanie are thankful for each day they get to spend in beautiful Avila Beach with their dogs Riley and Tucker.
Rick Cohen, Executive Director
Rick and his wife Kay moved to the central coast in 1989, and settled in Avila Beach in 1995. Rick has spent his career in the non-profit sector, working for well-known organizations such as the YMCA, the American Red Cross, Big Brothers Big Sisters, and HOTLINE of San Luis Obispo County. In his spare time Rick can be found golfing, playing tennis or softball, camping, participating in community coalitions, or consulting for local non-profit board members and staff.
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Penny Burciaga, Project Specialist
Penny can see Avila from her home in Arroyo Grande - does that count?? Well, the sun in Avila always beacons Penny and her husband Chris to Avila Beach at least a few times a week. You will often find Penny walking or biking on the Bob Jones Trail, or playing football on the beach. Avila Beach is one of Penny's favorite spots in the ENTIRE WORLD! Penny works full time for the County of SLO and has worked for ABCF since 2009. Penny's hobbies are studying health and nutrition, hiking, running, biking, swimming, and working out. "I love working for ABCF because they are making a difference in a great community."
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