Meet Our Board of Directors
Maryanne Vancio, Chair
Maryanne has had a passion for trails for most of her life. As an adult she has been involved with all aspects of trail development and promotion, from trailblazing through the brush to delineate a new trail to providing design expertise to ensure that the cross tread is at just the right angle. She was responsible for the creation and approval of the County of San Diego Trails Master Plan as well as being a former member of the Lakeside Community Planning Group. She is an avid trail user as both a hiker and as an equestrian.
Christina Burnett, Vice Chair
Christina has always had a passion for nature, but her passion for the Conservancy began with her mother-in-law's love for Lakeside and its environment. She is passionate about educating community members of all ages about the importance of nature and why it should be protected. Christina was born and raised in San Diego. She earned a BS in Biology with an emphasis in Zoology in 2002, and an MS in Ecology in 2009 from SDSU. She has experience as a field biologist working under the MSCP plan completing small mammal, reptile, amphibian, and plant surveys. She currently is an adjunct Biology instructor in two local community college districts. In her spare time, she enjoys exploring San Diego’s natural wonders and hanging out with her fur babies.
Matt Dinsdale, Treasurer & CFO
Matt is a graduate of San Diego State University, and has been a public CPA since 2008. Working at Moss Adams, Matt has worked extensively with nonprofits, conservancies, land trusts and governments. Matt has significant experience conducting audits, publishing numerous articles and speaking at events and conferences on these topics. He lives in Rancho San Diego, enjoys the outdoors, and walks the trails of east San Diego County with his family.
Janis Shackelford, Secretary
Janis received her Master's in Biology from San Diego State University in 1975 and remained at the university for a 30-year career as a Biochemical Research Associate. Beginning in 1987, she was a member of the Lakeside Community Planning Group for 21 years, serving during the establishment of the River Park and chairing the LCPG Trails Subcommittee to plan Lakeside's multipurpose trail system. She also participated in the development of the Lakeside Design Guidelines for the community and served as chair of the Lakeside Design Review Board (LDRB). Currently, Janis is active with the Lakeside Historical Society, is secretary for the LDRB, and is involved with the restoration of Lindo Lake.
Scott Anders
Scott is the Director of the Energy Policy Initiatives Center (EPIC), an academic and research center of the University of San Diego (USD) School of Law that studies how energy policy issues affect the San Diego County region and California. EPIC integrates research and analysis, law school study, and public education, and provides legal and policy expertise and information about efficient and environmentally responsible solutions to our future energy needs. Scott lives in Lakeside with his wife and two children. He enjoys taking his kids to the River Park to hike and picnic.
Jon Green
Jon is a restoration ecologist with two decades of experience managing large-tract conservation lands and complex environmental projects. His areas of expertise include habitat restoration, invasive species removal, trail building and design, as well as business development and stakeholder engagement. Jon has served for many years as a volunteer and community leader, volunteering on the Board of Directors for the Greater Alpine Fire Safe Council, leading creek cleanups as a site captain with I Love A Clean San Diego, and organizing the annual Point-in-Time Count of unsheltered individuals in Alpine with the Regional Taskforce on Homelessness. He is a passionate advocate for environmental education and conservation, and enjoys spending as much time outdoors hiking, climbing, and exploring nature as possible.
Kevin Hale
With E&H General Contracting, Kevin is leading efforts to complete the San Diego River Science Field Station. Kevin has over 20 years of experience in construction, construction design and construction management. He has always been greatly involved in the Lakeside Community, serving as the chairperson for the Lakeside School District Oversight Committee, President of Lakeside Girls' Softball for many years as well as other local planning and fundraising groups. Kevin was instrumental in the revitalization of Cactus Park. He believes in the importance of parks, trails and education for our local children. He has three children of his own.
Carol Leighty
Carol is excited to rejoin the board after serving as a charter member when the Conservancy was just starting. Since then Carol has semi-retired after a forty year career in public education. She now teaches and serves as a director at Point Loma Nazarene University on a part-time basis. Dr. Leighty spends her spare time enjoying her three granchildren, traveling with her husband, gardening and becoming more involved in the Conservancy.
David Tupper
Dave has been an educator in East County for the last 13 years. As a Lakeside Union School District teacher since 2000 and the Project Director for a 3-district California Math Science Partnership (CaMSP) grant since 2010, he has worked to make meaningful, relevant science accessible for all kids. His time working with the River Park as a middle school science teacher instilled the importance of maximizing this resource for the community while still balancing the needs of conservation, recreation and education. Dave lives in Lakeside with his wife and children, and as a family they enjoy camping, hiking and other outdoor activities.
Ashlie Zinn
Ashlie, a passionate landscape designer, is a recent graduate from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and an active member of the San Diego Chapter of the American Society of Landscape Architects. She interned with the City of San Diego Parks & Recreation Department. She specializes in GIS (Geographic Informations Systems) and environmental communication, aiming to spread awareness and develop respectful relationships with water, land, and other environmental resources while developing spaces that support our region's biodiversity.