Board of Directors
The members of the Conservancy’s Board of Directors are drawn from a broad cross-section of Santa Monica and Westside residents. Working through its committee structure, and with limited contract administrative support, the Board and a cadre of dedicated volunteers are responsible for conceiving and executing all Conservancy programs.
Mario Fonda-Bonardi, AIA – President
Principal of Fonda-Bonardi & Hohman Architects, specializing in residential design. Member and former chair of the Santa Monica Planning Commission. Former member of the Third Street Historic District Community Participation Committee.
Nina Fresco* – Vice President
Member and former chair of the Santa Monica Planning Commission. Former chair of the Civic Working Group, formed to advise Council on options for the future of the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium. Previously served three terms on the Landmarks Commission.
Judith Meister – Treasurer
Former Beach and Pier manager for the City of Santa Monica and current member of the Los Angeles County Beach Commission and a consultant to the City for the 2028 Olympics. Active in local schools and chair of the Santa Monica-Malibu School District Advisory Board.
Morgan Sykes Jaybush – Secretary
Director of Hospitality at Omgivning, a Los Angeles-based architectural firm focused on adaptive reuse. Advocate for architectural preservation and adaptive reuse throughout Los Angeles County.
Catherine Conkle
Project Designer at Sheridan Group, a premier commercial furniture dealer based in Los Angeles. Chair of the Preservation Next and Preservation Resource Center committees. Master of Interior Architecture degree, Cal Poly Pomona, 2020.
Carolyne Edwards
Director of the Quinn Research Center, an educational resource promoting the study and research of Black Family History and Culture in the Santa Monica Bay Area. Retired teacher, Santa Monica Unified School District.
Albin Gielicz
Marketing specialist with focus on strategic partnerships, strong communications, and product performance. Civic minded community leader and small business supporter with broad network of relationships throughout many sectors in Santa Monica.
David Kaplan
Principal of Kaplan, Chen, Kaplan Architects. Specialist in historic preservation. Member of the Conservancy’s Advocacy Committee. Former Chair, Santa Monica Airports Commission.
Ruthann Lehrer*
Architectural historian. Co-chair of the Conservancy’s Advocacy Committee. Served three terms on the Santa Monica Landmarks Commissioner. First Executive Director of the Los Angeles Conservancy. Former President, California Preservation Foundation.
Carol Lemlein
Co-chair of the Conservancy’s Advocacy Committee and past President. Chair, Steering Committee of the 2011 California Preservation Foundation Annual Conference in Santa Monica. Co-developer of the Conservancy’s Downtown Walking Tour. Retired marketing and product development manager at Teradyne, Inc.
Sharon Reyes
Descendant of the Marquez family of the 1839 Mexican land grant. Historian and preservationist for the archival materials of Rancho Boca de Santa Monica and her family history. Preserved the Marquez Family Cemetery in Santa Monica Canyon.
Ken Breisch* – Board Member Emeritus
Former City of Santa Monica Landmarks Commissioner, architectural historian, writer and Associate Professor Emeritus in USC’s School of Architecture. Founder and Director of the USC Graduate Programs in Historic Preservation.
Doris Sosin* – Co-Founder, 2002-2022
Doris passed away in January of 2022. She was a Co-founder of the Conservancy and served continuously on the Board from 2002-2022. Founder and past chair of the North of Montana Association. Former Curator of Textiles at the Skirball Museum. Former Santa Monica Recreation and Parks Commissioner.
Tom Cleys* – Founding President 2002 – 2009, 2019 – 2024
Founding President of the Conservancy. Former Treasurer of the Conservancy. Member, Santa Monica Urban Forest Task Force, Former board member, Friends of Sunset Park. Retired Vice President, Asset Management at Mesa West Capital.
* Founders