the foundation

My greatest accomplishment is raising twins who are now in their 3rd year of college, one at USD and the other back east at Lehigh. I am a sales/marketing exec and have worked for consumer products companies both Fortune 500 and start-ups throughout my career all over the country and I had a 2-year stint in Toronto as well. My partner and I designed and brought to market a children’s bathtub table, so I have personal experience as an entrepreneur. My journey to Carlsbad was through my parents who moved here from the midwest when I was in college. When my children went off to college and with my parents both passed away, I moved from our house north of LA into my Mom’s condo about 2 years ago and will (hopefully) continue to work full-time until I have some grandchildren! Besides raising children, my other passion is tennis, which I play regularly in the area. And my favorite walk - which was my mother’s daily walk - is along the sidewalk above the beach from Tamarack to the Harbor Fish House

Frank retired after 25 years in financial services with American Express. The majority of those years were spent leading sales teams. He thrives in a strong team environment. Frank values giving back to the community. In the past, Frank has been a volunteer soccer coach for AYSO and was a volunteer member in San Diego Mountain Rescue. He thought it was fantastic to experience all the great work this organization does with kids and our local lagoon community. Frank has enjoyed working at the DC and supporting volunteer initiatives throughout the past year. As a long-time Carlsbad resident, ensuring our coastline and the lagoon are maintained and available is important to me.

Vinit, a lifelong San Diegan, and his family have lived in Carlsbad since 2008. After a highly successful career as a United States Marine, Vinit has been an Executive in the Telecommunications and Healthcare Technology industry for the last two decades. He was a member of the Rotary Club of Carlsbad, where he was Club President and Assistant District Governor, among several other leadership roles. Vinit has also served in leadership roles in several local youth sports and philanthropic organizations.   As a proud Alum, Vinit is actively engaged in several endeavors associated with San Diego State University.  After actively supporting Agua Hedionda Lagoon over the past decade, Vinit is excited to help contribute to its preservation and legacy.  

Steve is a recent Carlsbad resident having just retired and moved from the San Francisco Bay area to be closer to his three grandchildren. Steve has 40 years of senior financial experience with public companies, including AT&T, Lucent, Peoplesoft, Oracle and Geoworks and private companies, including Bright Pattern, Mercator MedSystems, Telcordia Technologies, FrontRange Solutions and Roamware. Steve has served on a number of boards, including Geoworks, Affinity Federal Credit Union, Valley Children’s Museum, Pleasanton Chamber of Commerce and the Rotary Club of Pleasanton. Steve also was appointed by the mayor and served 8 years on the City of Pleasanton Economic Vitality Committee. 

Starting as a sales engineer at big companies like Texas Instruments and Motorola, Rocco found that he could have an even bigger impact working at start-up companies. His first start up crashed and burned, but from then on he was able to help companies grow and be acquired. His travels allowed him to meet people from around the world and hear about the universal concerns of a changing climate. Active in the “Keep Tahoe Blue” organization, he realized that change was possible with an organized effort. After a friend developed early onset Parkinson’s disease, Rocco formed an organization to raise funds for non-profits by planning challenges. He has organized and run fund raisers such as mountain climbing, white water rafting, and a Stand-Up Paddleboard marathon which brought him to the Lagoon in 2014. He moved from Rocklin to  Carlsbad in 2016 to follow his three children who had already decided Carlsbad was where they wanted to live. Rocco is active in a number of local non-profits. 

Mario Cuneo is a retired successful businessman with over 40 years of experience in the construction industry, including over 25 years of managing a business consultancy with an emphasis on best practices. Mario's superpower is improving efficiency, profitability, and streaming operations. He created several construction software products currently in the Apple Apps Store. Mario began his career as a Civil Engineer working for a large National Construction company and over the years, owned several construction companies. On the softer side, Mario is an avid runner, skier, and sailor and he LOVES the outdoors. He also enjoys spending time with family and friends and being an active member of the community. 

Michael Doran is a San Diego native who developed his love for the outdoors while obtaining his degree in Environmental Studies at CSU San Marcos. He currently works for Republic Services as a Sustainability Advisor in the City of Carlsbad. In his role he provides educational outreach to businesses and residents regarding organic waste, recycling, and solid waste through community events and trainings. In his free time, he likes to spend his time outdoors whether it’s hiking, skiing, or going for a run. 

Linda Hammond has a Ph.D. in Nutritional Biochemistry from University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, a M.A. in Molecular and Cell Biology from UC Berkeley, and a B.S in Chemistry from San Diego State University (SDSU). Linda is passionate about STEM education and the environment. She has over 30 years of experience working with non-profit community service organizations.  

Ian McDaniel is a dedicated legal advisor specializing in corporate formation, governance, financing, and mergers for emerging and mid-sized businesses. With deep ties to the North County community, he serves as outside general counsel to many of Carlsbad’s most recognized small businesses, particularly professional partnerships across various industries. Beyond his legal work, Ian is a committed community leader, serving as a Director and past Chairman of the Agua Hedionda Lagoon Foundation, a Director of the Carlsbad Educational Foundation, and a founder of North County Board Meeting. His local involvement extends to the San Diego Bar Association, Rotary Club of Carlsbad Hi-Noon, and other professional networks. A Carlsbad native, Ian values connecting clients with key industry professionals while sharing his passion for surfing, music, and the local food scene.

Michelle Peters is the Director of Operations for Poseidon Resources Channelside LP dba ChannelsideWater Resources and leads the technical operations team for the owners of the Carlsbad Desalination Plant, the largest desalination plant in North America. Ms. Peters works closely with the Plant’s operating company, public partner and water purchaser, regulatory agencies and various interested stakeholders to ensure successful operations of the Plant. Additionally, Ms. Peters oversees new technology and research partnerships associated with improvements in desalination and technology and pilot studies at the plant. Ms. Peters serves as Board Secretary for Channelside Water Resources, as well as a member of the Palomar College Water Technical Advisory Board, Agua Hedionda Lagoon Foundation Board, and CalDesal Executive and Regulatory Committees. Ms. Peters holds a B.A. degree in Chemistry from the University of San Diego and received her M.S. in Environmental Engineering from San Diego State University. 

Blanca Rincon is the CEO and founder of APEX 365 Workforce Solutions and is a successful business entrepreneur with over twenty-five years of experience.

At a very young age, Blanca was already serving as human resources liaison for multiple restaurant locations. By the age of 20, she managed safety and operations for 15 locations for a popular Fortune 500 company. These early, transformative experiences opened her eyes to all the moving parts that contribute to the success or failure of a business. She built on her human resources and operations expertise with intensive experience in the pharmaceutical and dietary supplement industries. For the past ten years, she has specialized in helping businesses keep compliant and proactive with respect to industry laws and regulations. Blanca holds a Master of Business Administration, while also achieving a bachelor’s degree in Business Management and Business Administration as an undergraduate.

Blanca brings a wide range of hard and soft skills to her work. She is deeply familiar with environments ranging from small businesses to large manufacturing concerns. She works with businesses in all phases, from start-up, to maturity, through sale. Diverse, adaptable, and culturally competent, Blanca has the wisdom and experience to meet businesses where they are at and help them move to where they want to be.

Raised in Orange County, Taylor has spent much of his life exploring the natural wonders within Southern California. One of those special places is the Upper Newport Bay Ecological Reserve where he has been volunteering since 2012 and where he previously served as a Board Member. He holds a B.A. Environmental Science from UC Irvine and M.S. in Environmental Science from Cal State Fullerton. He is currently employed by San Diego Gas & Electric and advises on infrastructure projects throughout South Orange County and San Diego County.

Bio coming soon!