Events

Dr. Garcia will provide an overview of Santa Rosa Junior College’s mission, impact, and priorities, highlighting how SRJC serves more than 22,000 students each year and remains deeply connected to the evolving needs of the community. The presentation will also outline SRJC’s strategic direction, its role in preparing our local workforce, and the importance of community partnerships in shaping the college’s future.

Maraline “Mimi” Mazzetti Olson grew up in New York. When she came to Sonoma County, she noted the lack of ice cream parlors, and set about to fix that situation. On October 28, 1995, she opened Screamin’ Mimi’s, and has been at it ever since. Finding the perfect location in Sebastopol, making hand made ice cream with new and exciting flavors and the help of her entire family, she has parlayed 30 years into a successful business.

Zeke Guzman has dedicated his life to advocating for farmworkers and their families, a commitment shaped by his own experience as a migrant seasonal farmworker. Mentored at age 17 by George Ortiz, he went on to spend more than 40 years in workforce development with organizations such as the California Human Development Corporation, La Cooperativa Campesina de California, and the Association of Farmworker Opportunity Programs, helping farmworkers gain training and stable employment.

Zeke founded La Familia Sana during the COVID-19 pandemic, leading vaccination efforts in Cloverdale that were recognized by The Washington Post, and in 2022 launched Jardin del Pueblo - Community Farm, which has expanded from one to five gardens and produced over 43,000 pounds of food in 2024, and over 100,000 pounds in 2025.

For more than 40 years, Zeke has also served with Latinos Unidos del Condado de Sonoma, where he is now President and Volunteer Executive Director, continuing its mission to provide scholarships, cultural programming, and community support for the Latinx community.

Cynthi Stefenoni was born at Santa Rosa General Hospital in July, 1949 and family lore has it that she was brought home to Sebastopol in a shoe box! She spent her first two years on 17 acres on Lone Pine Road, the next 2-1/2 years on Florence Avenue and then the family moved to almost 3 acres of apples on Robinson Road.

Cynthi grew up in the self-sufficient town of Sebastopol where Main Street provided everything a family needed for the day-to-day and many car dealerships, apple dryers, canneries and packing houses who ringed the exterior completed the picture. She attended Park Side (twice: K-2 and 7-8), BrookHaven (3-6) and Analy. She was on the student council in Junior High, a member of Sebastopol’s first GATE class and a 3 year member of the A Cappella choir at Analy. She sat on the Sonoma County Youth Council and was a member of the World Affairs Club, head Varsity cheerleader her senior year and a student reporter for area newspapers. She loved politics, books, baseball, writing poetry and family. And then there was music. Her poetry became song lyrics and she started writing songs and singing harmonies with her family of four as soon as her mother taught her the harmony to ‘The First Noel’. Music became her passion. She majored in it at SRJC and UC Santa Cruz and continued her education in vocal performance at BYU.

From 1971-1976, Cynthi was Company Manager of Sun Company LTD, a summer stock musical theater company for youth. At the end of 7 weeks of intense rehearsal and training, young people from throughout Sonoma County played to sold out houses for two weekends. Many of Sonoma County’s thespians started as part of Sun Company where lifelong friendships were forged.

Although her career path led her all over the US as an assistant director and producer whose credits included episodic television, children’s programming, movies of the week and independent features (credits available on Imdb), her first love was musical theater and live event production. Her live event production credits include the mega-productions “LIVE AID”, “Hands Across America” and “The Soviet American Peace Child Tour”. She currently produces reunions for The Rohna Survivors Memorial Association (TRSMA) with her sister. TRSMA serves families of WWII servicemen whose stories were suppressed for 50 years and are only now coming to light.

Cynthi has been a member of the Sebastopol Center for the Arts since 2009 where she has served on and as President of the Board of Directors, and volunteered on the Performing Arts Committee, the Literary Arts Committee and devoted countless hours to the Sebastopol Documentary Film Festival (SDFF). She was integral in getting SDFF qualified as an Academy® Qualifying film festival in 2020 and was Festival Producer from 2014-2025. She has taught at the San Francisco Digital Film School and the American Film Institute in Los Angeles. She has been a member of the Directors Guild of America since 1987 and a member of the Rotary Club of Sebastopol since 2023.

Rachel Jeffreis grew up in Southern California before coming up to Sonoma County to attend college at SSU. She quickly fell in love with the diversity and beauty of this community and has been here for the past 10 years post-college. After eight years in the wine industry and hospitality management, Rachel transitioned to nonprofit program management. She was drawn to Habitat’s mission and the ability to work in a community-centered organization who’s goal is to strengthen the wellbeing of our county.

9878 Mill Station Rd., Sebastopol

Contact Cindy Carter 408-431-7820 or cindycarterflamm@yahoo.com

"Jose Guzman is the Community Engagement Manager at Gold Ridge Resource Conservation District, where he has been working for the past two years. In his role, he focuses on communications, outreach, and building relationships with landowners, partners, and community members around local conservation efforts. His presentation will provide an overview of Gold Ridge RCD’s work in the area, highlighting how local conservation projects support healthy watersheds, working lands, and resilient communities, and how community partnerships play a key role in that work."

The K-3 Proficiency Project is a significant initiative aimed at improving reading proficiency among students in kindergarten through third grade.  It is a two year commitment that focuses on professional development and data-driven instruction to ensure every student is on track to proficiency by the end of 3rd grade.

The project is a partnership between K-3 Innovation, a nonprofit orgranization, and public schools, supported by the Sonoma County Vintners Foundation. The program utilizes one-to-one devices to provide interactive reading programs and adaptive technology tailored to each student, fostering relationships among students, teachers, administrators, parents, philanthropic investors, and community members.  The K-3 Proficiency Project has shown success in closing the student performance gap and is designed to be inclusive and meet every learner where they are. 

A Petaluma native, Ashley Tatman has been the K-3 Proficiency Project Manager for the past 3 years.  With a Master’s Degree in Education and Administration, Ashley has more than 19 years of experience in education. As a former elementary school teacher, instructional coach and administrator, Ashley brings a well-rounded perspective to her work. She understands the importance of looking at data, differentiating instruction to meet student needs, as well as the increasing demands that teachers face every day in the classroom. Ashley’s depth of knowledge of the inner workings of a school, along with her collaborative approach to team work, are invaluable assets to our team. 

Toni Beal is an accomplished educator and administrator with over 35 years of experience in California’s public school system. She served as Superintendent of the West Sonoma County Union High School District from 2018 to 2022, and Superintendent of Two Rock Union Elementary from 2015 to 2018. She served as Principal of Kenilworth Junior High and Marin Oaks High. She also has valuable district experience in curriculum development and leadership coaching. Prior to her leadership roles, she was a teacher and counselor in area middle and high schools.  Most recently, Toni transitioned into independent consulting, offering expertise in superintendent/administrative coaching, grant writing and strategic planning.  She is currently the Executive Director at K3Innovation.

Katie Davis has been with the Sebastopol Area Senior Center since 2017. Working in senior services over the years, Katie is a passionate and dedicated leader with a deep commitment to enhancing the lives of older adults. She has played an instrumental role in expanding senior programs, services, and initiatives at the Center.

Katie holds her Master's degree in Public Administration/Nonprofit Management from Sonoma State University and a Bachelor of Arts in English Communications.

Dick traveled abroad recently with his daughter and two granddaghters.  He will share some of the special places they visited.

Christine has been volunteering and working in the environmental education field since 1995. She joined the Laguna Foundation in 2007 as Education Director where she provides leadership for the Foundation’s education, outreach, and community engagement offerings, shaping programs that connect people of all ages with the Laguna watershed, and inspire stewardship of local ecosystems.

Christine directs the Learning Laguna program for elementary students and the Foundation’s Community Education program. She is the creator and director of Camp Tule, which fosters meaningful learning experiences rooted in wetlands and watershed ecology, social-emotional development, and creative expression for youth ages 6-13, along with leadership development for teens and early career educators. She also directs volunteer programs, training and supporting community members to become environmental educators and ambassadors for the Foundation.

Christine holds a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from Sonoma State University and a Multiple Subject Teaching Credential from Dominican University. She has a background in business administration and volunteer management, along with extensive experience as a naturalist and classroom teacher. Prior to joining the Laguna Foundation, she was the Director of Point Reyes Field Seminars. In recognition of her contributions to environmental education and conservation, in 2024 Christine was honored with the Ernestine I. Smith Environmentalist of the Year Award from the Sonoma County Conservation Council.

Jeff Basham is a Sonoma County native and an information technology professional with more than 20 years of experience supporting technology in local government and higher education. He currently serves as the Department Information Systems Manager for Sonoma Public Infrastructure at the County of Sonoma, where he leads the department’s IT operations and works to ensure that critical technology systems support public services and infrastructure throughout the county.

Earlier in his career, Jeff also worked as both a 911 dispatcher and an air ambulance dispatcher, experiences that gave him firsthand insight into emergency response operations and the importance of clear, timely, and accurate information during critical incidents. That background—combined with his technology expertise—has shaped his long-standing interest in how information flows during emergencies and how the public can access reliable updates when they matter most.

During the devastating 2017 Sonoma County wildfires, Jeff found himself in a unique position. With his technical background, familiarity with emergency communications, and strong local network, he began quickly gathering and sharing verified, factual updates with friends and family through social media. What started as a way to help those close to him stay informed soon became a trusted source of information for a much wider circle of community members seeking clarity during a rapidly evolving crisis.

Today, Jeff brings that same commitment to accuracy and community service to Watch Duty, where he volunteers as a Reporter. In this role, he helps monitor developing wildfire incidents, verify information from multiple sources, and share timely updates that help residents understand what is happening in their communities. His goal is to ensure that people have access to clear, reliable information so they can make informed decisions and stay safe during emergencies.

Jeff is passionate about supporting community resilience through technology and information sharing, and he believes tools like Watch Duty play an important role in helping communities stay connected, prepared, and informed during times of crisis.

An active Rotarian, Paula Reinhold earned the coveted Rotarian of the Year from her club in 2005, 2022 and 2025, serving as her club’s president in 2008-2009 and two terms as an assistant district governor from 2013-2015. To help celebrate her club’s 50^th Anniversary, she is her club’s president-elect for the 2026-2027 Rotary year.

In the 2016-2017 Rotary year, she served as Lieutenant Governor for her husband, who was Governor of Rotary District 5130.  In 2006, Paula and her husband were presented with the Sonoma County Spirit Award in recognition of their personal contributions and leadership qualities that inspire others.  That year, she was also honored as Volunteer of the Year for Service Groups/Non-Profits.

Paula cares about the future of her community.  A resident of Sonoma County since 1989, Paula believes that giving back is the responsibility of every successful businessperson.  She previously served on the board of the Education Foundation of Cotati and Rohner Park, where she held positions as treasurer and two terms as president.  Paula also served as PTA president at Rohnert Park’s Monte Vista Elementary School, Mountain Shadows Middle School, and Technology High School.

A true global citizen, Paula is a visible humanitarian and a committed example of benevolence.

Paula is so caring, compassionate and selfless that, in 2017, she donated a kidney to a fellow Rotarian.

Paula Reinhold has been married to her husband for nearly 40 years and has two grown sons.  In her spare time, she loves being with her family and friends, traveling, reading, and enjoying their Sonoma Mountain property.

At the April 3 Rotary meeting Paula will share her personal jourmey through kidney donation along with Debby, her kidney recipient.

Peter and his wife have lived in Sebastopol for 26 years. Here we raised one daughter who, with her husband, is now raising a 16-month-old granddaughter in Walnut Creek.

In my early days, I grew up in the suburbs of Chicago and eventually attended the University of Minnesota. At this school, I received a BS degree in wildlife biology. My first employment was at a small natural history museum in Chicago as a Naturalist/Staff Arist.

After a few years, I switched careers to corporate research, starting out as technician and gradually progressing to Senior Research Scientist. The areas of research included optical coatings, material science and plasma physics. In this second career I developed numerous new products and had 50 patents issued.

I retired about 10 years ago. As part of an effort to remain busy, I volunteered for 3 one-year terms as a Sonoma County Civil Grand Juror. For the last jury, I served as foreperson. Presently, I am a member of the Sonoma County Chapter of the California Grand Jury Association which is a helper group for the California Civil Grand Jury system.

Location may change for this Joint Board Meeting

Topic: What poetry is and why it still matters.

Dana Gioia is the former Poet Laureate of California. An internationally recognized poet and critic, he is the author of six collections of verse, including Interrogations at Noon (2001), which won the American Book Award, and 99 Poems: New & Selected (2016), which won the Poets’ Prize for the best new poetry volume of the year. His most recent collection is Meet Me at the Lighthouse (2023).

Gioia was born in Los Angeles in a working-class family of Italian and Mexican heritage. He was the first person in his family to attend college. He earned a BA and MBA from Stanford and an MA from Harvard. For fifteen years he worked in business in New York becoming a vice-president of Kraft-General Foods. He wrote at nights and on weekends. In 1992 he quit to become a full-time writer.