ALISON WIELECHOWSKI, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Cardiff resident

Alison Wielechowski and her family moved to Cardiff-by-the-Sea in the summer of 2016. A seasoned non-profit executive with over 20 years of experience in community building, Alison has been deeply engaged in local life since relocating from the East Coast. She and her family enjoy spending time outdoors—hiking throughout San Diego County, gardening, and relaxing at the beach. Alison has also generously given her time to the community, serving as an assistant baseball coach with Encinitas Little League, a den leader with Cardiff Cub Scout Pack 797, and a board member of the Ada Harris Wild Cats Band Boosters. She currently serves on the board of the San Dieguito Academy Foundation. When she’s not working or volunteering, you can often find Alison and her husband George cheering on their sons at local sporting events.

JOY SHEPPARD, PRESIDENT

CARDIFF RESIDENT

Joy has been blessed to call Cardiff home for more than 20 years with her wonderful husband and two teenage daughters. Joy departed from her career in biotech to focus on her family and has spent 15 years volunteering in the Cardiff community with her daughters’ schools and school bands, Girl Scouts, Cake4Kids, and other charity organizations. She loves and supports our exceptional community!

In her free time, you can find Joy walking on our beautiful Cardiff beaches and San Elijo Lagoon trails, baking sourdough bread, reading, traveling, and cycling up the coast.

RICHARD RISNER, VICE PRESIDENT

PLA, ASLA, PRINCIPAL LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT

Rich Risner is a landscape architect with 30 years of experience who has led numerous project teams which include architects, engineers, archaeologists, historians, and biologists.  Rich has assisted his clients with all aspects of development including project management, project scoping, site analysis, public meetings, input & data collection, environmental design, urban planning, environmental documentation support (NEPA/CEQA), design & construction documentation, permitting and project construction observation.  As owner and Principal Landscape Architect, Rich envisions every project design to shape expressive places that people “interact and connect with”. Rich’s career has been filled with challenging and varied design assignments such as city & community recreational and/or passive parks, urban parks, coastal lagoons & ecological reserves, state parks, state beaches, state historic parks, state natural reserves, commercial, retail, private residential, master planned communities, and industrial/business parks.

RAHUL DESHPANDE, TREASURER

cardiff resident & Chair, Cardiff Town Council

Rahul has lived in Cardiff by the Sea since 1986 and has been civically engaged with the Cardiff-by-the-Sea Town Council since 1993.  He has participated in various City of Encinitas working groups (WG), including the Cardiff Specific Plan WG and Coastal Mobility and Livability WG.  Rahul strongly encourages Cardiff residents to actively participate in the decisions that affect their quality of life. Rahul appreciates the walkability of our community.  Whether he is enjoying some natural relaxation walking the San Elijo Lagoon trails, the Coastal Rail Trail or the beach…or walking into Cardiff or Encinitas downtowns for a drink and a meal, he values the ability to walk to all these locations as a major community benefit. When not working as an Engineering Executive in the Wireless Communications industry, you will likely see Rahul walking around town, wearing his weighted “ruck” getting in shape for backpacking and travels around the world.  

RENEE ZAU, SECRETARY

CARDIFF RESIDENT & Co-founder, Donationmatch.com

Renee Zau and her husband, Darryl Rettig, moved to Cardiff in October, 2021, from Carmel Valley where their kids were raised. It had been a hope of theirs to find their “forever home” in Cardiff, and they couldn’t be any happier.

Renee’s entrepreneurial spirit led her from biotech to opening 5 local franchises in the fitness and early childhood education industries, then launching DonationMatch.com, a web-based in-kind donation platform she founded with Darryl in 2010 to streamline how companies donate products and services to charitable events. The platform is a solution that Renee needed as both a business owner and fundraising leader of 70+ volunteer event committees. Her belief in community-based partnerships as the key to business success is a large reason she supports the work of Cardiff 101 Main Street.   

DEBBI LEVIS

Cardiff Resident & Real Estate Agent, Coldwell Banker

Debbi lives, works, and plays in Cardiff-by-the-Sea. She began her connection to this beach community by camping at the San Elijo campground every Spring Break with her two children. These camping adventures are some of her family's favorite vacation memories. Once Debbi became an empty-nester, her Cardiff campsite became a Cardiff home. Now, she vacations every day in the community that she knows and loves with her husband, Russ, and her dog, Bella. Debbi has been a full-time, full-service Realtor® since 2003 and is consistently ranked in the top 5% nationally. She specializes in luxury properties, relocation, and working with seniors, baby-boomers, and millennials. Debbi is dedicated to providing the best service to her clients for their Real Estate needs.

GREG LANG

Principal, Pasco Laret Suiter & Associates

Greg is a licensed civil engineer with over twenty years of professional experience. He is a partner with San Diego-based firm PLSA who have an office in downtown Cardiff. The firm specializes in a wide variety of land development projects throughout Southern California. Greg has been a North County resident for over twenty-five years and has volunteered his time in the past on the City of Carlsbad Beach Preservation Committee and on the St. Patrick’s Catholic School Building Committee. In his free time, Greg is an avid runner, mediocre surfer, and struggling golfer. He especially enjoys spending time with his wife, son, and daughter at home, along North County beaches, traveling, and on the running track and soccer pitch.