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Leslie Garretson

Board President

Leslie retired in 2015 after 35 years in corporate management and sales and has since focused her boundless energy as a full-time community volunteer. In addition to RPC, she also serves as the president of her neighborhood association. Her passions include animal rescue and adoption and the certified wildlife habitat in her yard. She and her husband, Steve, share an extended family, complete with grandchildren and several rescue dogs.

 

Inspired by the successes of Frog Town and Taylor Yards, she believes the LA River can be much more than a flood control channel.

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Renee Lawler

Vice President: Legal

Renee is a Long Beach 4th district native, USC alumna, licensed realtor, and Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Business Entrepreneur. She has advocated for historic equestrian lifestyle, trails, and LA River open space preservation since 1997. She founded HETASC – Historic Equestrian Trail Assn. of Southern CA and successfully mediated the Wrigley equestrian easement with land use protections.

 

Renee is a founding board member of Citizens About Responsible Planning. She was the subject of documentary “The Last Long Beach Ranch” made by LBCC students.

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Keith Tyschper

Vice President: Administration

Keith (AIA, LEED AP, NCARB) is an architect and Principal in a national architecture firm with a passion for social and environmental justice. He relocated to Long Beach with his husband, Carlos, in 2014.

 

When Keith became aware of the proposed development on 3701 Pacific Place, he educated himself on the history of the site and the Riverlink Plan, attending community meetings and contacting officials with his concerns in pursuit of positive outcomes for western Long Beach. Keith is energized to work with other dedicated individuals and grateful for the foundation created by his predecessors.

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David  Pulitzer

Treasurer

David Pulitzer relocated with his family to Long Beach in 2016 from Northampton, England.

When he learned about the proposed development at 3701 Pacific Place, he began to research the history of the site and the environmental hazards which exist and the problem of green space inequity in western Long Beach.

Being a high school environmental science teacher, David is acutely aware of the importance green space has for our communities. He believes in proactively supporting environmental improvements for his community.

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Elena Tucci

Secretary

Elena is a lifelong environmentalist, advocate for social equity, and a Long Beach native. She graduated from UCLA with a BA in Political Science. Her partner, Andy De Young, introduced Elena to landscape architecture, and she earned a Master of Landscape Architecture from Cal Poly, Pomona.

 

Elena advocates for sustainable methods and practices in the built environment for all—particularly in formally “red-lined” and underinvested neighborhoods. She promotes thoughtfully planned communities and outdoor environments that center social equity and ecological value.

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Philip Marr

Investment Advisor

Philip was born and raised in and around Long Beach and is an alumnus of Polytechnic High School. He currently works for the City of Los Angeles in the Office of Finance as a Senior Portfolio Manager. Philip and his family have lived in Los Cerritos since 2013.

 

A life-long nature enthusiast and environmentalist, he is working to see more green space in our beautiful community, most especially in the western portion of Long Beach, which is particularly lacking in parks and recreational areas.

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Delilah Camacho

Board Member

Delilah is a Senior Designer and creative strategist with strong ties to Southern California. She has designed for fashion and lifestyle brands across Los Angeles, and continues to work actively in the design industry. As a proud westside homeowner and longtime Long Beach resident, she is deeply committed to advancing environmental justice and equitable access to green space in neighborhoods most impacted by industrial development. 

 

Delilah believes the LA Riverbed has the power to connect communities. Having seen firsthand how desperately the westside needs more green space, she’s passionate about expanding access to nature. She joined the Riverpark Coalition to help protect critical open space at 3701 Pacific Place and to use her design background to amplify local voices and imagine a healthier, more inclusive future for all Long Beach residents.

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Marisela Lopez

Board Member

Marisela Lopez is a Long Beach native, CSULB alumni and currently resides in North Long Beach. She is a long time environmental advocate and has primarily worked to promote water efficiency and sustainability. Marisela holds her MSc in Environment and Resource Management from the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam.

 

Since having children, Marisela has shifted her focus towards park equity, accessibility and safety. She joined the RPC with the goal of promoting access to green space for all Long Beach residents.

 

Marisela currently works as a water conservation and legislation advisor to California public utilities. She enjoys walking her 2 dogs around her local community.

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Kimberly Walters

Board Member

Kimberly Walters is a cultural anthropologist and Associate Professor of Global Studies at California State University, Long Beach. She researches gender and humanitarianism in South India. She lives with her family in the Los Cerritos neighborhood and can look out over 3701 Pacific Place and onwards to the traffic of the 405 from her front porch.

 

Kimberly is working towards achieving cleaner air in western Long Beach so that her son with asthma can breathe a little more easily. She believes that green space is more important to cities than ever before, given the challenges posed by global warming, and she is excited to see Long Beach rise to that challenge.

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LA River nature

Riverpark Coalition

More green space for western Long Beach.

OUR MISSION: Work with local neighborhoods, philanthropists, businesses, and government officials to expand access to green space, hiking and equestrian trails, native habitat, and wetlands in western Long Beach and the surrounding areas.

Board of Directors

Support Staff

Diana Martinez

Social Media Consultant

Diana has spent over six years working in the nonprofit sector. She earned her bachelor’s degree in Journalism and Public Relations from California State University, Long Beach, she is especially passionate about community-centered storytelling that uplifts local voices, advances mission-driven work, and supports social equity.

 

Diana's work is grounded in the belief that thoughtful, inclusive communication can strengthen connections, expand access to resources, and inspire meaningful change. 

CC Fawson

Graphic Designer

CC studied Graphic Design at the Academy of Art, in San Francisco, and has been a designer for over 20 years. For more than a decade, she has specialized in developing branding, messaging and design for progressive political candidates, local ballot initiatives, and non-profits focusing on social justice, health, and equity. Creatively collaborating with grassroots organizers and political activists is both her career focus and passion project. Currently living in Berlin, Germany— CC maintains a deep connection to her home state of California and is proud to work on campaigns that make it a better place .

Mira Plummer

Assistant to the Board

A photographer and film maker, Mira earned her bachelor’s degree in media arts studies from BYU before moving to Long Beach. Her childhood was spent in the mountains, lakes, and red rock deserts of rural Utah. Mira has seen first hand that access to green and wild spaces builds community and restores health to both body and mind. She is excited to explore the native terrain here in Long Beach, and is honored to apply her skills to assisting in its preservation.

Maia Kerner 

Intern

Maia is a 3rd year student at Long Beach State studying Global Studies and Political Science and has been a Long Beach resident for her whole life. She has a passion for helping the environment, and has found a way to merge her interests and studies as an intern for Riverpark Coalition, where she has been able to see first-hand the dedicated community members fighting hard and using their time to better the LA River and develop green space that is desperately needed in West Long Beach. She hopes to take the skills she has learned and apply them to a future career making an impact on the environment and people’s lives.

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