Officers
George Hanson is a life-long resident of San Diego County. He received undergraduate and graduate degrees from San Diego State University and from the University of California, San Diego (UCSD). Since 1985 he has been the Director of Subject A/Basic Writing at UCSD. His involvement with the San Diego County Parks Society began in 1998, and he has served as president since 2001. George is proud to be married to Dr. Carmen Pajares, and is pleased with his two children, Marisa Luz Armida Hanson and Carmen Mercedes Pilar Hanson. He especially recommends Lake Morena County Park as a place of special beauty and opportunity.
Melva Phillips is a long-term resident of North County, and the current vice-president of the San Diego County Parks Society. She worked for more than 30 years with the Pacific Telephone Company, and, after retirement, opened a gift shop. She later became interested in the Rancho Buena Adobe and served a long term as a docent there. Later, after the Rancho Guajome Adobe was purchased by the county, she transferred her loyalty, skills, and experience to that site. Because of its beauty and rich history, Melva calls the Rancho Guajome Adobe her favorite park facility.
Edith Wyatt is a native of San Diego County, having been born in 1914. For 36 years she taught fourth-grade students while raising two sons. Edith has long had an interest in outdoor recreation, parks, and particularly Boy Scout and Eagle Scout programs, which she has been involved in for over 50 years. Edith first joined the San Diego County Parks Society in 1984, and during her tenure she has served as an officer in all of the board's positions. Edith particularly enjoys camping in the cabins at William Heise Park, and she recommends the Desert View Trail there to visitors. Read Edith's proclamation.
Grace Aspiras is a twenty-five year resident of San Diego County. She graduated from the University of California, Davis in Agricultural Economics. She was a Project Manager for an educational software company for eighteen years. A previous personal trainer, she now works in the Basic Writing Program at UCSD. Her involvement with the San Diego County Parks Society as General Manager began in 2008. She enjoys spending time with her family, and has a wonderful son. She especially recommends Los Penasquitos Open-Space Preserve because of the many trails the park offers.
Cheryl Wegner has lived in San Diego County 28 years. She was born is Western New York, moving to Anaheim, CA as a teenager. An equestrian all her life, she’s been involved with trails advocacy for many years. Cheryl has been the Volunteer Coordinator for County Parks & Recreation since 2005. She and her husband live in Ramona and have one grown daughter, a grandson and a son-in-law, who live back east. Since Cheryl is a trail lover, she recommends Santa Ysabel East, just one of the many wonderful open-space preserves managed by County Parks and Recreation.
Board Members
Elizabeth Springfield is a nine-year resident of San Diego County. She attended Northeastern University in Boston, Massachusetts. She retired in 2001 after serving as an Investor Relations Administrator for a computer software company in Minneapolis. She has been a board member with the San Diego County Parks since 2007. Elizabeth is the mother of two children and grandmother of five amazing teenagers. She especially recommends Rancho Guajome Adobe as a jewel in San Diego’s crown. She feels immersed in the 18th century, and appreciates the park’s rich and colorful Couts family history.
Ralph Strahm is a long-time resident of San Diego County. He served in the Peace Corps in Malaysia for four years. He has been on the faculty of the University of Michigan in the development of a family court system. His career has been mostly in the fundraising profession. This work has included the San Diego County Library System. During this time, five libraries were funded and built. He has also been responsible for raising millions of dollars for medical research, with emphasis on the problems of hearing. In addition to being a longtime member of the Parks Society Board, he and his wife are also enjoying serving as members of the San Diego Police Department's Retired Senior Volunteer Patrol. Ralph is the father of three children, three grandchildren, and fifteen great grandchildren. He especially recommends San Dieguito Park. There began the "Picnic In the Parks” program, where many major corporations in the county took their employees and families to the parks for a picnic.
Katie Westfall is a six-year resident of San Diego County. She graduated from the University of California, San Diego with a bachelor's degree in Political Science, International Relations. During her undergraduate work, she studied Spanish Literature at the University of Sevilla in southern Spain. After college, she began a career in the environmental field working to implement public education programs to build awareness and community support for the environment. She currently works for WiLDCOAST as the Otay River Conservation Program Manager and is working to conserve and restore the Otay River Valley in south San Diego County. She recommends the Otay Valley Regional Park, which is one of the last areas of open space in the region and offers beautiful trails for hiking, biking, and horseback riding.
Paula White has been a resident of San Diego County since 1979. She received her Registered Nurse Certification in 1977 after graduating from Rio Hondo College in Whittier, California. Paula is retired from nursing and is a docent at Rancho Guajome Adobe, an active Rotarian, a gardener who assists people in having their yards certified as Wildlife Habitats with the National Wildlife Federation, in addition to serving on the SDCPS Board of Directors. She is a mother to four sons and has multiple wonderful grandchildren. She recommends San Elijo Park as a great place to walk and to view plants and birdlife. The park also has a brand new, award-winning, “Green” Nature Center.
Cynthia Williams has been a forty-year, intermittent resident of San Diego County. She graduated from Cazenovia College for Women in Cazenovia, NY and attended American University in Washington, D.C. Her husband Jim is a retired Marine Colonel. They have four grown children and eight delightful grandchildren. During Jim’s military career they enjoyed many interesting tours of duty within the U.S. (especially CA) and abroad. They have permanently resided in North San Diego County since 1989. Cynthia worked as an elementary school librarian until her retirement in 2001. She has been a member of the San Diego County Parks Society board since 2002. She recommends the Wilderness Gardens Preserve and its peaceful trails, especially the Upper Meadow Trail which provides a wonderful view of the preserve and spectacular overview of the San Luis Rey valley corridor.
Bill Woolman traces his family's history in San Diego County back to 1886. The family has distinguished itself in the area, with several historic structures, notably the Long Waterman House on First Avenue and the Sherman Gilbert House, having been family homes. A family tradition has been philanthropy, with donations of land in the area of William Heise Park and of family heirlooms and household furnishings, many of which will be included in the renovation of the Sherman Gilbert House. Bill had a long and productive working life, and found time to raise two children, and now is helping to raise two grandchildren. Because of many family connections, and because of the park's alpine beauty, Bill singles out William Heise Park as most deserving of visitation.
