Melissa Kelley, Executive Director of the Sonoma County Parks Foundation!
Our Speaker for May 27, 2021, was Melissa Kelley, Executive Director of the Sonoma County Parks Foundation. Melissa has been the Executive Director since 2011. During that time, the Foundation has quadrupled annual grants to the Regional Parks! Melissa holds a B.A. from Duke University and an MBA from the Haas School of Business at U.C. Berkeley.
The Parks Foundation is a nonprofit corporation dedicated to supporting the 58+ parks, trails, and beaches currently part of the Sonoma County Regional Park system. The Regional Parks provide the public with over 140 miles of trails! The parks have been especially important to Sonoma Count residents during the Covid-19 pandemic; people have flocked to the parks as one of the only ways to get out and stay active. Regional Park visits have increased by 40% during the pandemic.
The Foundation is not part of County government. The Foundation supports the Regional Parks by raising funds, fostering partnerships, and advocating on behalf of the parks. The Foundation funds critical park programs and improvements, including educational programs, Regional Parks staff training, the preservation of natural resources, JEDI (justice, equity, diversity & inclusion) workshops and programs, staff equipment and tools, “camperships” that support kids going to summer camp and field trips, trail building and maintenance, grazing control, climate change efforts (such as electric tools), restoration projects, water patrol, climate adaptive fire recovery, park amenities, and park acquisition, among others.
The Regional Parks are in the midst of massive expansion and restoration. Hood Mountain fire recovery efforts are underway, thanks in part to a major grant from Kenwood Winery. Maxwell Farms has a new master plan and is now working with Phase I bids. Larson Park is being renovated with a variety of sports fields and a community garden. Sonoma Valley is undergoing habitat improvement, with new trails, parking lots and a trailhead. Mark West Creek Park and Preserve Regional Park, located on Porter Creek Road near Safari West, is brand new and can be toured with advance arrangements. Taylor Mountain (a Sunrise favorite!) is adding trails! Other new parks in development Carrington Ranch Preserve, Wright Ranch Open Space Preserve, and Calabasas Creek. Many of these new projects were made possible through efforts from the Sonoma County Agricultural and Foundation, which acquires property and sometimes grants it to the County as a Regional Park or Preserve.
Many Sunrise thanks to Melissa for the wonderful and thoughtful presentation, and for all of your work helping the Sonoma County Regional Park system! The Regional Parks are a treasure for all Sonoma County residents. Don’t forget to BUY A PASS!
Click HERE to view Melissa's presentation. It will be available for the next week or so.
