New Board of Director Officers Announced for 2020

The East Bay Regional Park District Board of Directors has inducted new leaders for 2020. Ellen Corbett of San Leandro will serve as president; Dee Rosario of Oakland will serve as vice president; Colin Coffey of Hercules will serve as treasurer; and Beverly Lane of Danville will serve as secretary. The additional Board members are Dennis Waespi of Castro Valley, Ayn Wieskamp of Livermore, and Elizabeth Echols of Berkeley. Leadership positions rotate annually.

Ellen Corbett was elected to the Board in 2016. As Board President, she will serve as chair of the Board’s executive committee. Corbett was the majority leader of the California State Senate, representing the 10th District, 2006-2013. Previously she was a member of the California State Assembly, a San Leandro city council member, and mayor of San Leandro. Director Corbett’s term expires in 2020.

Dee Rosario was elected to the Board in 2016. He will serve as chair of the Board’s operations committee. Rosario had served on the Alameda County Parks, Recreation and Historical Commission; the Board of Directors for the Friends of Sausal Creek; the Regional Parks Association Board of Directors; the Oakland Fire-Safe Council Board; and co-convened the California Alliance of Retired Americans. He was the Park Supervisor at Reinhardt Redwood Regional Park prior to his retirement in 2013. Director Rosario’s term expires in 2020.

Colin Coffey was elected to the Board in 2018 after being appointed in 2017 to fill the vacancy of Diane Burgis, who was elected to the Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors. He will serve as chair of the Finance committee. Coffey is a long-time Regional Parks Ambassador along with his wife, Mila. He served on the Park District’s Park Advisory Committee twice, first 2001-2009 and second 2012-2017. Director Coffey’s term expires in 2022.

Beverly Lane was elected to the Board in 1994. She will serve as chair of the natural/cultural resources committee. A former Danville mayor and councilmember, Lane had led efforts to establish the Iron Horse Regional Trail, the Calaveras Ridge Trail, and Sycamore Valley Open Space Park. In 2008-9, she served on the Community Advisory Committee reviewing land use plans for the Concord Naval Weapons Station where a 2,500-acre regional park is planned. Lane is a published author, columnist, and curator of the Museum of the San Ramon Valley. She was the founding president of the Museum of the San Ramon Valley and is a past president of the Contra Costa County Historical Society. Director Lane’s term expires in 2022.

Dennis Waespi was elected to the Board in 2014. He will serve as chair of the legislative committee. He was a park supervisor at the Park District for 36 years before retiring in 2016. Waespi has also served on the boards of the Castro Valley Sanitary District and Hayward Area Recreation and Park District. Director Waespi’s term expires in 2022.

Ayn Wieskamp was elected to the Board in 1999. She served as Board president in 2019. Wieskamp previously served on the Livermore Area Recreation and Park District Board, the Livermore City Council, the Alameda County Recycling Board, and the Alameda County Congestion Management Agency. Director Wieskamp’s term expires in 2022.

Elizabeth Echols was appointed to the Board in January 2020 to fill the vacancy left by Whitney Dotson, who retired in December 2019. She has extensive experience in public service, with over 20 years in public policy roles. Echols’ recent policy work focused on environmental protection, climate change, and wildfire prevention and mitigation. Most recently, she was appointed by former Governor Jerry Brown to serve as the Director of the independent Public Advocates Office at the California Public Utilities Commission. Director Echols’ term expires in 2020.

The board meets on the 1st and 3rd Tuesdays of every month. Members are elected to four-year terms and are elected by ward to represent different geographic areas of the East Bay.

The East Bay Regional Park District is the largest regional park system in the nation, comprising 73 parks, 55 miles of shoreline, and over 1,300 miles of trails for hiking, biking, horseback riding, and environmental education. The Park District receives more than 25 million visits annually throughout Alameda and Contra Costa counties in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Dave Mason, Public Information Supervisor
(925) 482-7078
dmason@ebparks.org