It was an easy decision for Eileen to join San Clemente Pier Conservancy in restoring the Pier for future generations--it's our San Clemente Pier, the heart of our community. And with the 100th Anniversary upon us in 2028, it's important the Pier looks her best. Eileen served as President of the San Clemente Pier Conservancy in 2018-2021, returning in 2023. During her tenure, she led the charge to improve the Pier Restroom and sister building, the Pier Snack Shack, earning her the Citizen of the Year Award in 2022. With a BS in Biology and an MBA in Finance, she worked in Project Management in various industries. Eileen treasures our Pier, and wants to make sure others have the opportunity to find as much pleasure as she does.
Jim is a retired federal law enforcement agent. Upon retiring, he ran a successful forensic accounting and investigations business. He has been declared an expert witness in both federal and state court relative to investigative accounting. More recently, he has devoted his life to his family and to his five grandchildren. He has been active for many years as Treasurer of Courtney’s SandCastle Charitable Foundation, the Friends of San Clemente Beaches Parks and Recreation Foundation, and the San Clemente Lifeguard and Junior Lifeguard Foundation. He has also been involved in the annual San Clemente Ocean Festival. Jim is a graduate of the San Clemente Leadership class and the Orange County Sheriff’s’ Citizens Academy. He received the 2013 Outstanding Lifetime Achievement Award from the Chamber of Commerce and the San Clemente Spirit Award by Senator Mark Wyland. In 2015, he was named to the San Clemente Wall of Recognition. The San Clemente Pier first came into Jim’s life when he visited and fished with his uncle when Jim was a young boy.
Elly and her husband have been blessed to call San Clemente home for 25 years. Raising two boys on the beach has been the heart of their life here—long days spent surfing, boogie boarding, paddleboarding, and spending time at the beach with friends. For more than 20 years, Elly and her mother have co-owned a small boutique real estate agency, Distinctive Coast Properties. Elly is grateful for the opportunity to help clients buy and sell their beautiful coastal homes and to contribute to the vitality of the town she loves. Elly has been actively engaged with local community organizations for over 20 years. She spent 17 years on various PTA boards and currently serves as a board member of the North Beach Community Association, where she advocates for neighborhood initiatives, events, and programs that strengthen our beach community. Her perfect day is a run on the beach trail to the end of the Pier, a swim in the ocean and watching the sunset in a beach chair on the sand. After watching both her boys jump off the Pier during junior lifeguards and then her husband jump off last year as part of a San Clemente Pier Conservancy fundraiser, the pressure is on to make it a family affair.
Don is the Publisher of the San Clemente Journal, one of the most respected regional publications in Orange County. He is a 40-year resident of San Clemente. He began his typesetting, photography, and graphics agency in 1984, and has published the community quarterly San Clemente Journal for thirty years. Don writes about and photographs the residents, the history, and the current events that celebrate life in San Clemente. Don has served as President of the Chamber of Commerce, the San Clemente Kiwanis Club, and the venerable San Clemente Dons. He was a founding board member of the Friends of San Clemente Beaches Parks and Recreation Foundation, the Sports Hall of Fame selection committee, and The San Clemente Political Action Committee. He is also a member of the Downtown Business Association and the San Clemente Historical Society. Don’s many accomplishments in San Clemente were recognized when he and his wife Shelly received the 2023 Chamber of Commerce Lifetime Achievement award. Don believes the Pier is the centerpiece of our community and needs to be cared for.
Samantha is Beaches, Parks & Recreation Director with the City of San Clemente. She is the city staff liaison to PierPride and also a San Clemente resident. Samantha oversees the extensive San Clemente Park System as well as the many recreational amenities offered: swimming lessons and skateboard parks, tennis and in-line-dancing and every fun activity in-between. With close to 20 years serving San Clemente, she has a deep appreciation for the unique challenges associated with city stewardship of a public pier. From routine maintenance to thoughtful preservation, keeping San Clemente Pier and surrounding beaches a safe, welcoming destination for the millions of annual visitors is a top priority for Samantha. Samantha’s favorite aspect of the Pier? The Menorah and Christmas Tree that signal hope from the end of the Pier each holiday season.
The Pier has always been a backdrop for Amber’s happiest moments. From fishing with her dad as a child to the magical moment when her husband Sean proposed with the Pier in the background, it holds a special place in her heart. Amber spent 13 wonderful years as a City Planner for the City of San Clemente before founding her own planning and entitlement firm in 2018. Now, as the CEO and founder of Community Catalyst, a leading urban planning firm in Orange County, Amber is dedicated to giving back to the community she loves. Her friendly and collaborative spirit, along with her extensive professional experience, make her uniquely equipped to work with the City and community members to help San Clemente Pier Conservancy achieve its goals and mission.
Erin considers her children as her greatest accomplishment and feels both proud and privileged they were able to grow up in Capistrano Beach and San Clemente and attend the same local schools that her husband Todd and she did. The Foote family takes advantage of everything our great little town has to offer. From camping, surfing and the beach trail to wonderful restaurants, shopping and Pier. After spending 18 years in publishing here in San Clemente for local action sports magazines, Erin had the opportunity to join another long time San Clemente based company, Sonance. While working in action sports was oftentimes fun and exciting, the past 14 years with Sonance has provided a great opportunity to give back to the community through non-profit Sonance Foundation where Erin serves as the Secretary on the board, Through Sonance Foundation, she volunteers for the Boys & Girls Club of the South Coast, joins in beach clean ups for Surfrider and participates in FAM events. Erin believes we are lucky to have such a great community that cares for not only our resources, but also each other. She considers herself grateful to be able to have grown up and also raise a family here. Taking visiting family and friends to the Pier is always on the Foote’s list of things to do.
A proud San Clemente native, Maxwell Helm fondly recalls spending summer days at the pier during his time with the Junior Lifeguards. With a family background in architecture and design-build construction and a knack for digital instruments since the age of 13, Maxwell's progression into a career in graphic design and its interaction with the built environment seems, in hindsight, an obvious one. Starting as an intern, Maxwell practically grew up at global architectural design firm RSM Design, based in San Clemente. Now, as a Senior Designer at RSM, Maxwell has had the opportunity to contribute to numerous distinguished projects. In his free time, Maxwell enjoys reading about a variety of subjects, with a particular emphasis on history. He believes that by asking better questions and understanding one's journey, you gain insights into where you are and where to go next.
San Clementean Kenn McFarland was Chief Executive at East Campus Medical Center at UC San Diego Health. He led over 800 caregivers & 400 physicians who deliver world-class care to patients in the San Diego region and beyond. Kenn is an accomplished health care executive with over 26 years of health care leadership experience. Prior to his current role, Kenn served as Chief Executive Officer of the Fountain Valley Regional Hospital and Medical Center in Orange County, California. Earlier in his career, he held leadership roles with Mission Hospital in South Orange County, California, where he served as President and Chief Executive Officer for five years. Before working in the health care industry, Ken spent seven years with PepsiCo and PepsiCo International. He began his career with Ernst & Young.
Kenn has served on numerous healthcare advocacy boards, including First 5 Orange County – Children & Families Commission, the Hospital Association of Southern California, the Emergency Medical Care Committee, the Camino Health Center & Community Benefits Clinic (FQHC). He holds a MBA from the University of California Irvine (UCI) with a focus in finance and economics and a BS in accounting and finance from California Polytechnic University in Pomona (Cal Poly), California. He is a licensed CPA (inactive) in the states of California and Hawaii. Kenn has been married for over 28 years to Kristine Renae and they are blessed with two adult sons, Jacob & Sean.
Vickie McMurchie has dedicated more than 20 years to strengthening nonprofit organizations and building vibrant coastal communities through leadership, strategic partnerships, fundraising, and community engagement. As President and CEO of the Dana Point Chamber of Commerce, she works closely with local businesses, residents, nonprofits, and public agencies to foster economic vitality while celebrating the unique character of South Orange County's coastal communities.
Although not a California native, Vickie's connection to the water began long before she arrived on the West Coast. Growing up, summers were spent at the Jersey Shore, where she developed a lifelong love of the ocean. A former water polo player and avid swimmer, she has always felt most at home near the water.
After college, Vickie moved to San Clemente, where she fell in love with everything the community has to offer - from its beaches and coastal trails to its vibrant downtown and, of course, the iconic pier. That connection only deepened while working for the Surfrider Foundation, where protecting the world's oceans, waves, and beaches became more than a mission - it became a guiding principle that continues to influence both her personal and professional life.
In addition to her role with the Chamber, Vickie serves on several nonprofit boards throughout South Orange County, working to strengthen organizations that enrich the region through community service, responsible tourism, and signature events. She believes that successful nonprofits thrive through collaboration and that healthy coastal communities depend on dedicated volunteers willing to invest in their future.
The San Clemente Pier represents everything Vickie loves about this community. It is more than a landmark - it is a gathering place where generations have created memories, where visitors discover the magic of San Clemente, and where residents reconnect with the ocean that defines the city's identity. She is honored to serve on the Board of the San Clemente Pier Conservancy and is committed to helping preserve and protect this treasured icon so it can continue inspiring future generations.
Lori believes anticipating needs of future generations is the key to preserving San Clemente Pier. She’s a former San Clemente mayor and was named Citizen of the Year in 2011. She served 12 years as a San Clemente city council member, and in that time led efforts for the quiet zone along the coast’s railway and launched the popular summer trolley which links the Pier with other south OC communities. Lori was named to the City Wall of Recognition in 2018. She graduated from Northwestern University with a B.S. in Linguistics and Education, and an MBA in Marketing. She enjoyed a 20 year career in the communications industry, taught for a decade at St. Margaret’s Episcopal School and now is active on the Board of the Armed Services YMCA and San Clemente Pier Conservancy. Dolphin-spotting with her family is definitely her favorite Pier activity.
With seeds of one of San Clemente’s pioneering families, Rick DIvel is the youngest Patriarch of San Clemente. He starts each morning on the Pier having coffee with friends at the Fisherman and sometimes returning with his wife Reeca for the sunsets and for their favorite 'mudpie ice cream'. In addition to San Clemente Pier Conservancy, Rick serves on the Golf Commission for the City. He is a board member on the San Clemente Chamber of Commerce and also serves on the CC&R committee for Presidential Heights 1 Association. Graduating from California State University at Los Angeles with a B.S. in Recreation Education, Rick was led into the world of professional golf, sporadically playing on the PGA Tour. That convinced him it was more economical to follow his father into the insurance industry. He currently owns Divel Insurance Agency here in town, recently being joined in the business by his son Ryan who creates a third generation of Divels taking care of client insurance needs. When not on the golf course or on the Pier, you can find Rick and Reeca delighting in the many ribbon cuttings throughout San Clemente, our “Pride of the Pacific”.
Shari Grace has been a San Clemente resident since 1985. Her childhood home, which is still in the family to this day, looks out at the ocean with the beautiful Pier in the background. Shari has a special place in her heart for it as so many memories have been created there. Favorite times include when she and her Dad spent 20+ years of Ocean Festivals displaying his Woody on the Pier for the show. It was an opportunity that only a few get, and Shari’s very grateful for those times with family and friends.
Shari works at a medical device company where she’s been employed for 41 years. She loves that the company’s products give the gift of eyesight to so many. Shari does volunteer work with the National League of Young Men, South Orange County Coastal Chapter and loves giving back to the community. She served on the San Clemente Human Affairs Committee and is a graduate of the San Clemente Leadership class. She currently serves as a commissioner for San Clemente Beaches, Parks, & Recreation.
Donna Kalez is the daughter of Dana Wharf Sportfishing & Whale Watching Founder, Don Hansen. Dana Wharf Sportfishing has built a successful business through leadership on global responsible sportfishing as well as pioneering whale watching in 1961. They were the first business in Dana Point Harbor in 1971 and opened a second Whale Watching company, Oceanside Adventures, in Oceanside Harbor in 2015. Dana Wharf Sportfishing is well known for participation and support of local charitable causes. Donna continues this legacy and holds positions that include: Board of Director for Doheny State Beach Foundation, Board Chair for Festival of Whales Foundation, Advisor on Fish for Life, Member of San Clemente Dons, and former President of Dana Point Chamber of Commerce. She is an active member of Dana Point Chamber of Commerce, San Clemente Chamber of Commerce, Oceanside Visitors Bureau, the Wyland Foundation, Dana Point Historical Society, National Charity League and of course PierPride. She was named Dana Point 2018 Citizen of the Year and 2018 Woman of the Year for the CA Legislative Women's Caucus in her Senate District. She lives in San Clemente with husband, Mark and 2 daughters. Her favorite Pier story is the last time on the Pier with her Dad for San Clemente Day. Don walked out the Pier, and for an 85 year old man that is a long walk. He was a speaker for a kids fishing tournament. On that walk, he told Donna many fun stories of the Pier days when he was kid. Because as you know it all started for him once he visited San Clemente as a boy and saw that Pier.
