About Us

Kim is an outdoor enthusiast and loves to spend time hiking, camping, and exploring in our public lands. She loves working with SAMO Fund to support the wide-range of programs that introduce people to the SMMNRA.

Prior to retiring, Kim served as the Executive Director of Federal Relations at UCLA. In this capacity, she oversaw the university’s interactions in Washington, D.C., with Congress, executive branch agencies, the White House, and higher education associations.

Elaine is a Nature enthusiast passionate about preserving wildlife and native plants. Her first hike in Los Angeles was in Westridge Canyon 10 years ago. Since then, she has hiked every week with her dog in some area of the Santa Monica mountains. The mental and physical benefits of having this outdoor space preserved and accessible for all to enjoy in addition to raising preservation awareness are her paramount goals.

Elaine is proud to be a part of the SAMO Fund board as the Santa Monica mountains holds a special place in her heart.

In addition to her volunteer work with the SAMO Fund, Elaine works as a director and engineer for Amgen. She enjoys being able to give back to the Ventura county community through both organizations.

A Los Angeles native, Tom has been living near and recreating in the Santa Monica Mountains his entire life. He’d like to see future generations have the same opportunity.

Darrin Hurwitz has spent his career providing legal counsel to national non-profit organizations, helping them advance their advocacy efforts and navigate federal and state regulations.

Originally from Calabasas, Darrin grew up exploring the Santa Monica Mountains. After two decades in Washington, D.C., Darrin returned to Los Angeles with his family and cherishes time spent hiking and running the trails of this unique area.

Dennis Washburn has been an elected office holder in California for almost 40 years. He is heavily involved in the Resource Conservation District of the Santa Monica Mountains. He also helped launch the Malibu Creek Watershed Natural Resources Restoration Plan. In 2012, Dennis won the Calabasas Citizen of the Year award.

Gretchen is a seasoned finance professional with a passion for environmental conservation. As the Senior Director of Budgeting, Reporting & Analysis in the Finance Department at the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), Gretchen leads a dynamic team responsible for developing and managing the organization’s financial strategies and ensuring fiscal responsibility. With over 25 years at WWF, she has honed her expertise in financial planning, budgeting, strategic analysis, and financial reporting in the non-profit sector.

In addition to her role at WWF, Gretchen is excited to serve on the Board of the Santa Monica Mountains Fund. Her extensive experience in financial management and strategic planning will be instrumental in supporting the Fund’s mission to protect and preserve the natural and cultural resources of the Santa Monica Mountains.

For 44 years Fox has fought and won against big insurance companies, manufacturers , negligent doctors and hmo’s, bringing personal and compassionate representation of victims of personal injury and wrongful death.

He holds a Law Degree from UC Hastings COL and currently practices as a partner at Fox & Fox Law Corporation.

Andy has spent a decade helping environmental NGOs in California’s State and National Parks and is excited to serve the Santa Monica mountains he hikes in. He also loves hiking in the Redwoods, the Alps … wherever the trail beckons.

Before helping Parks, Andy led computer chip start-ups in California, Germany, England and Israel which delivered semiconductor solutions for broadband internet access including DSL and Fiber.

Tess Blankenship is a strategic sourcing and procurement leader with deep expertise in optimizing external spend across diverse industries. A dedicated nonprofit volunteer, Tess has spent years supporting organizations with strategic planning and operational efficiency solutions. Her commitment to community engagement aligns with her love of the outdoors. An avid backpacker, naturalist, and student of herbal remedies and wild plant foods. The Santa Monica Mountains hold a special place in her heart serving as the backdrop for family celebrations, hikes and as part of the first SAMO Fund California Naturalist cohort. On weekends, you’ll often find Tess exploring local trails, leading pop-up outdoor yoga sessions, or guiding forest meditation walks to help others connect with nature.

Deanna Armbruster joined Santa Monica Mountains Fund in September 2019. Prior to this, she served as Executive Director, Development Director and Board Member for various non-profit organizations.

Her background is in organizational management, governance, grant management, public relations, conflict resolution and fund development.

Nicole Cortell joined the Santa Monica Mountains Fund in August 2020. She brings with her more than 20 years of accounting and finance experience working with public companies, startups, nonprofits and small businesses. When she’s not spending time with her family, she enjoys walking, cooking and gardening.

Angie Heald became the Fund’s Executive Assistant in May, 2019. Previously she worked as a Production Coordinator in the motion picture industry. She is a volunteer with the Ojai Valley Land Conservancy and the Museum of Ventura County. She loves hiking, being in nature and protecting the wild open spaces.

Jacsen graduated with her B.S. in Biology in May of 2024 from California Lutheran University and is a proud member of SAMO Youth’s 25th cohort, class of 2024. Following an internship with SAMO Fund in the Fall of 2023, Jacsen knew that SAMO Fund was an organization she wanted to work for because of the organization’s purpose and passion for preserving the environment.

With her background in biology, she hopes to bring a new understanding of nature to the SAMO Fund community and is excited to explore the dynamics of her new role.

Emma created this website, which she now maintains. Originally a Biochemist, Emma’s post-research career has focussed on Science Communications. More recently she has been working for non-profit organisations with conservational focus, where her passion lies. Emma is also a volunteer docent for the Sea Life Center in Santa Barbara and a member of the District Advisory Board for CVUSD.

Emma loves being outdoors, especially scuba diving, skiing, kayacking, tennis and taking photos whenever she can!

Heather is the Fund’s graphics and social media manager. She’s been tangentially involved with SAMO Fund since 2019 and has taken a larger role as time goes on. She is responsible for some of the beautiful mailings, flyers, and digital content you might have seen about. Her passion for making a difference has led her to lending whatever talents she has to non-profit organizations that support conservation of nature, animal rescue, and change for the good of this world.

Outside of the office, Heather loves dancing, acting, music, and spending time outside.

Darlyn is an environmental scientist with a B.S. from CSU Channel Islands, specializing in marine and coastal systems, and is currently pursuing a graduate degree in Environmental Health and Toxicology at CSU Northridge. She brings over three years of experience working with NPS through SAMO Fund, where her work has included preventative search and rescue, wildlife research, and outdoor science education.

As an Outreach & Communications Associate at the SAMO Fund, Darlyn is passionate about bridging the gap between people and nature by connecting communities to their local public lands. Through public programming and nature-based education, she strives to foster meaningful relationships between people and the environments that surround them.

Maya oversees school partnerships, educational programs, volunteer engagement, and public interpretation efforts, develops curriculum, coordinates youth programs and manages volunteers across restoration and community events. Strengthens SAMO Fund’s role in public engagement and environmental education.