Our water infrastructure, regulations and conservation efforts

Chris Cook came to California American Water in 2015 as Assistant Engineering Manager and was promoted to Engineering Manager the following year. Since 2018, Chris has served in his current roles as Director of Operations, guiding the Central Division’s operations, $30 million operating budget, union relations and safety culture. Chris also continues to work with engineering on the Monterey Peninsula Water Supply Project.

Before joining California American Water, Chris held engineering positions as an R&D engineer and engineering consultant. He also served a two-year stint with the Peace Corps in Guinea, West Africa.

Chris went to All Saints in Carmel Valley and then Stevenson High School in Pebble Beach. He has a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from The University of California, San Diego and a Masters of Business Administration from Santa Clara University.

Chris brings a hometown pride, collaborative management style and an engaging enthusiasm to his work, as well as more than 15 years of experience in engineering, project and workforce management.

Our December speaker will be Major General William M. Matz, Jr., US Army (Ret.), the Secretary of the American Battle Monuments Commission.  ABMC administers, operates and maintains 26 permanent American military cemeteries and 32 federal memorials, monuments and markers, most of which commemorate the service and sacrifice of Americans who served in World War I and World War II.  They are among the most beautiful and meticulously maintained shrines in the world. 

Katrina Maestri spent 15 years in an international corporate career with General Motors and has a wide range of Marketing, Strategy, and New Business Development experience. While at GM, she specialized in working with start-up operations, including entering new geographic markets as well as launching new technology ventures. Since leaving the corporate world, Katrina has enjoyed applying her experience to non-profits in both the U.S. and abroad. Katrina and her family moved to the U.S. in 2010 so that her daughter could receive the specialized support she needs to thrive with her dyslexia. Katrina is passionate about fostering educational opportunities for students with learning differences and raising awareness regarding the high potential of this creative, dynamic population. She has served on the Chartwell Board since 2014 and is currently the President.

Stillwater Club Members and Guests — Gather around your Zoom-Contraptions next Thursday, the 18th, at 1:00 for a Presentation and Visit with Susie Brusa, CEO of Rancho Cielo.

Rancho Cielo is the 100-acre campus in East Salinas providing education, vocational training, and enrichment for underserved and at-risk youth in Monterey County. It has been a great success story and Susie will tell us all about, surely to leave us inspired. Special thanks are due to our fellow, Dr. Spence Myers for introducing The Stillwater Club to Ms. Brusa.

This will be a ZOOM Program Meeting. So, just log on.

For ZOOM instructions and support, contact Jeff Froke at 831-224-8595 (phone or message) , or email at jbf@birdrockpress.com.

ALAN SHIPNUCK, SENIOR GOLF WRITER / SPORTS ILLUSTRATED, TO SPEAK TO THE STILLWATER CLUB (RAIN-CHECKED AND NOW LIVE on ZOOM),

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 29TH @ 1:00 PM

The PGA Championship is complete… The Masters approaches. The August fires in the Valley have been squashed and Alan Shipnuck and his family have repatriated to their home and he is again rarin’ to address the members of The Stillwater Club. Hey, that’s us!

Alan Shipnuck — a local (Carmel) prodigy -- wrote his first Sports Illustrated cover story in 1994, as a 21-year-old intern. Upon graduating from UCLA in 1996, he became one of the youngest staff writers in the magazine's history. Now a senior writer, Shipnuck writes regularly on golf. He is the author, with Christina Kim, of Swinging from My Heels: Confessions of an LPGA Star, as well as The Battle for Augusta National and Bud, Sweat & Tees, a national best-seller.

Because we hope for and anticipate a goodly “turn out,” you now - or later if you choose - have the opportunity to submit questions for Alan in advance; and we may have time on the fly, as well. These will be gathered and asked of Mr. Shipnuck by your program chair and nowadays zoom host who you’ll just have to trust to get it right. More to the point, Alan is a wonderfully engaging, make that riveting speaker on the game — and the players — of professional golf. You will be glad you “attended,” however virtually. There is no charge for lunch, in fact none is provided — so bring your own if you wish, even crunchy chips —> Your host controls the mute button.

Your fellow member Jeff Froke is inviting you to a previously rain-checked and rescheduled Zoom meeting that still promises to be a lot of fun. Send an RSVP and your questions for Alan, plus any procedural questions for Jeff to him at —- jbfroke@mac.com, or call 831-224-8595.

Having recently celebrated his 21st anniversary as President/CEO of Montage Health, Dr. Packer will share his review of 2019 with an eye towards the key challenges that lay ahead for 2020. Dr. Packer will discuss several initiatives underway including efforts to bring additional medical expertise to our community through the recruitment of new physicians and expanding the hospital’s role in addressing broader aspects of health within our community.

Dr. Steven Packer was appointed as President/Chief Executive Officer of Montage Health and its related corporations in January 1999. Previously, he served as Chief of Staff at Community Hospital of the Monterey Peninsula (1997-1999) and was Medical Director of Community Hospital's intensive care unit for 11 years. A graduate of UCSF School of Medicine, he completed internal medicine training there, as well. Next, he took a pulmonary and critical care fellowship at UC Irvine, and later he enrolled in the executive program at Stanford's Graduate School of Business. In 2009, Dr. Packer was awarded a Walker-Sullivan Fellowship by the California Health Foundation and Trust, funding his study of mass casualty incident response in Israel. In 2012 Dr. Packer served on “Let’s Get Healthy California Task Force,” a group convened by California’s Secretary of Health and Human Services.

Dr. Packer stays active in community and industry affairs and serves on the boards of the California Hospital Association (past chair), Vizient, Norcal Mutual Insurance Company, CSUMB Foundation, and Stevenson School.

Tom Gray, Founding Principal of Preserve Communities, Inc., will introduce the history and evolution of Rancho San Carlos as it became the Santa Lucia Preserve.

The story of the Santa Lucia Preserve begins in the 6th Century and continued into the Spanish Mission era of 1770-1821; Mexican Californios 1822-1848; Homesteading1849-1870; Cattle Barons1870 -1920; Gatsby era1920-39; the Oppenheimer estate1940-1990; and finally the Santa Lucia Preserve from 1990 to the wild-land beauty today.

In terms of wildlife vitality, there is a strong argument that the Preserve represents the best of coastal California, and that the plan for the Preserve provides the most realistic long-range opportunity to protect those values. The development and conservation projects are both complete with $500 million in proceeds and $25 million in endowment funds to the Conservancy, respectively.

Tom and his wife Alayna, the first residents of the Preserve, recently published “History of Rancho San Carlos [1834-1990].” The book commemorates the lives of those pioneers who preceded the development partners — and of the homesite purchasers who are today’s community members.

Tom is a graduate of Stanford University (bachelor’s in Economics) and UCLA (master’s in finance and computer sciences). He has a long association with the advancement of CSUMB and is past chairman of the Boys and Girls Clubs of Monterey County.

Our “Holiday Luncheon” will feature speaker General Michael Adams, M.D. (USAF, ret.) And his topic… “Ansel Adams: A Son’s Perspective”

Michael's introduction to his father's life will resonate with all interested in photography, music, California of yesterday - including San Francisco and Yosemite, environmental conservation, and the subject of human achievement. Michael’s talk will be illustrated with Ansel’s images from the family scrapbook and more.

Michael was born in Yosemite in 1933. He met his wife, Jeanne, while skiing at Badger Pass and they married in Yosemite’s Old Village Chapel in 1962. While attending Stanford University, Michael took a midstream leap into the US Air Force as an aviation cadet in 1954. From there, he advanced well over the course of 42 years, as a fighter pilot.

After earning his medical degree at Washington University School of Medicine in 1967, Michael merged his passions for military flight and medicine becoming a flight-surgeon and pilot-physician. He advanced to be appointed the USAF Chief of Flight Medicine and Chief of Aerospace Medicine. He was promoted to Major General allowing him to complete his service as USAF Deputy Surgeon General, retiring in 1993.

While still active in their family’s interests in Yosemite, Michael and Jeanne make Carmel their home.

Join us when Mayor Dave Potter introduces the most pressing issues facing Carmel.

Dave Potter was elected for a two-year term as Mayor of Carmel, receiving 60% of the vote, in 2018. Dave's career includes a variety of positions in public service. He served as the 5th District representative and chairman of the Monterey County Board of Supervisors, board member and chairman of the Fort Ord Reuse Authority, and board member and chairman of the Monterey Peninsula Water Management District board. For twenty years he served on the Natividad Medical Center Board of Trustees, represented the Central Coast on the California Coastal Commission, and served on the Monterey City Council and the Monterey City Planning Commission. A resident of Monterey County since 1970, Dave has also led numerous public initiatives.

Dave is married and lives with his wife, Janine in Carmel-by-the-Sea, California. He has two adult children, Sarah and Tyler.

Scott Delucchi, Executive Director & CEO of the Monterey County SPCA, will speak to us on the achievements and future plans of the SPCA.

Scott has led the SPCA, made up of 75 paid employees and 400 volunteers, since 2016.  Prior to joining the SPCA, he was a senior vice president with the Peninsula Humane Society in San Mateo County for 17 years guiding the organization through a period of sizable growth.

Before embarking on his career in the animal welfare field, Scott was a high school teacher and administrator and worked briefly as a senior level director with the YMCA.  

Scott is a San Francisco Bay Area native and graduated with a degree in communications from Stanford University.  While at Stanford, he played on two national champion baseball teams.  Scott shares his home with his wife, two children and two rescue dogs, one of which he adopted from the SPCA this past July.