Former California Coastal Conservancy official joins
Sonoma Land Trust board
SANTA ROSA, CALIF., January 13, 2011
Neal Fishman, a native of Sonoma County and recently retired from his post as chief deputy executive officer of the California State Coastal Conservancy (scc.ca.gov), has joined the board of directors of the Sonoma Land Trust (sonomalandtrust.org). Fishman worked at the Coastal Conservancy for more than 30 years, serving as a project analyst and legislative affairs director and, for the past five years, as both the deputy director of the Conservancy and program supervisor for the California Ocean Protection Council. He also served as chief consultant to the California Senate Committee on Natural Resources.
"Neal's political acumen and knowledge of the larger world outside Sonoma County will be invaluable in helping us access additional resources to protect our scenic landscapes during these challenging times," said Ralph Benson, executive director, Sonoma Land Trust. "He's been swimming in a big pond and has run an organization with a stellar reputation for innovative conservation."
Fishman's accomplishments include working with the Bay Area Open Space Council to develop the Conservancy's San Francisco Bay Area Conservancy Program, which has enabled the Conservancy to fund several Sonoma County projects — including the Jenner Headlands, Tolay Creek Ranch, Sonoma Mountain Ranch, the Estero Americano Preserve, and several large parcels in the Sonoma Baylands. Fishman was also instrumental in writing legislation to create the California Ocean Protection Council and in crafting several statewide park bond measures. He is married to Maxene Spellman who, until her recent retirement, served as the Coastal Conservancy's Sonoma County Coordinator.
Having grown up in Penngrove on his family's chicken ranch, Fishman returned "home" last year to settle with his wife in Petaluma. "Since I was a kid rambling around our ranch and neighboring properties, I have wanted Sonoma County's beauty to be preserved for all time. These hopes have grown stronger as I've watched other parts of California develop too quickly without foresight," said Fishman. "I have long admired the work of the Sonoma Land Trust and look forward to using my state agency experience in any way I can to help in the organization's continued success."
