Our Team
Eileen Kawas, President
It was an easy decision for Eileen to join PierPride in restoring the Pier for future generations--it's our San Clemente Pier, the heart of our community. And with the 100th Anniversary upon us in 2028, it's important the Pier looks her best. Eileen served as President of the PierPride Foundation in 2018-2021, returning in 2023. During her tenure, she led the charge to improve the Pier Restroom and sister building, the Pier Snack Shack, earning her the Citizen of the Year Award in 2022. With a BS in Biology and an MBA in Finance, she worked in Project Management in various industries. Eileen treasures our PIer, and wants to make sure others have the opportunity to find as much pleasure as she does.
Amber Gregg, Vice President
The Pier has always been a backdrop for Amber’s happiest moments. From fishing with her dad as a child to the magical moment when her husband Sean proposed with the Pier in the background, it holds a special place in her heart. Amber spent 13 wonderful years as a City Planner for the City of San Clemente before founding her own planning and entitlement firm in 2018. Now, as the CEO and founder of Community Catalyst, a leading urban planning firm in Orange County, Amber is dedicated to giving back to the community she loves. Her friendly and collaborative spirit, along with her extensive professional experience, make her uniquely equipped to work with the City and community members to help PierPride achieve its goals and mission.
Lori Donchak, Secretary
Lori believes that anticipating needs of future generations is essential to ensuring San Clemente’s place as one of the best beach cities in California. She is a former San Clemente mayor and was named San Clemente Citizen of the Year in 2011. She served 12 years as a San Clemente city council member, and in that time led efforts for the Safety Quiet Zone along the coast’s railway and launched the popular summer trolley which links the Pier with other parts of town. She was named to the City Wall of Recognition in 2018. to A graduate from Northwestern University with a B.S. in Linguistics and Education, Lori received an MBA from Kellogg Graduate School of Management. She enjoyed a 20 year career as a business executive in the communications industry. Most recently, she has taught for a decade at St. Margaret’s Episcopal School. She is on the Board of the Armed Services YMCA. Dolphin-spotting with her family is definitely her favorite Pier activity.
Jim Nielsen, Treasurer
Jim is a retired federal law enforcement agent. Upon retiring, he ran a successful forensic accounting and investigations business. He has been declared an expert witness in both federal and state court relative to investigative accounting. More recently, he has devoted his life to his family and to his five grandchildren. He has been active for many years as Treasurer of Courtney’s SandCastle Charitable Foundation, the Friends of San Clemente Beaches Parks and Recreation Foundation, and the San Clemente Lifeguard and Junior Lifeguard Foundation. He has also been involved in the annual San Clemente Ocean Festival. Jim is a graduate of the San Clemente Leadership class and the Orange County Sheriff’s’ Citizens Academy. He received the 2013 Outstanding Lifetime Achievement Award from the Chamber of Commerce and the San Clemente Spirit Award by Senator Mark Wyland. In 2015, he was named to the San Clemente Wall of Recognition. The San Clemente Pier first came into Jim’s life when he visited and fished with his uncle when Jim was a young boy.
Rick Divel, Director
With seeds of one of San Clemente’s pioneering families, Rick DIvel is the youngest Patriarch of San Clemente. He starts each morning on the Pier having coffee with friends at the Fisherman and sometimes returning with his wife Reeca for the sunsets and for their favorite 'mudpie ice cream'. In addition to PierPride, Rick serves on the Golf Commission for the City. He is a board member on the San Clemente Chamber of Commerce and also serves on the CC&R committee for Presidential Heights 1 Association. Graduating from California State University at Los Angeles with a B.S. in Recreation Education, Rick was led into the world of professional golf, sporadically playing on the PGA Tour. That convinced him it was more economical to follow his father into the insurance industry. He currently owns Divel Insurance Agency here in town, recently being joined in the business by his son Ryan who creates a third generation of Divels taking care of client insurance needs. When not on the golf course or on the Pier, you can find Rick and Reeca delighting in the many ribbon cuttings throughout San Clemente, our “Pride of the Pacific”.
Erin Foote, Director Erin considers her children as her greatest accomplishment and feels both proud and privileged they were able to grow up in Capistrano Beach and San Clemente and attend the same local schools that her husband Todd and she did. The Foote family takes advantage of everything our great little town has to offer. From camping, surfing and the beach trail to wonderful restaurants, shopping and Pier. After spending 18 years in publishing here in San Clemente for local action sports magazines, Erin had the opportunity to join another long time San Clemente based company, Sonance. While working in action sports was oftentimes fun and exciting, the past 14 years with Sonance has provided a great opportunity to give back to the community through non-profit Sonance Foundation where Erin serves as the Secretary on the board, Through Sonance Foundation, she volunteers for the Boys & Girls Club of the South Coast, joins in beach clean ups for Surfrider and participates in FAM events. Erin believes we are lucky to have such a great community that cares for not only our resources, but also each other. She considers herself grateful to be able to have grown up and also raise a family here. Taking visiting family and friends to the Pier is always on the Foote’s list of things to do.
Shari Grace, Beaches Parks & Recreation Commission Liaison Shari Grace has been a San Clemente resident since 1985. Her childhood home, which is still in the family to this day, looks out at the ocean with the beautiful Pier in the background. Shari has a special place in her heart for it as so many memories have been created there. Favorite times include when she and her Dad spent 20+ years of Ocean Festivals displaying his Woody on the Pier for the show. It was an opportunity that only a few get, and Shari’s very grateful for those times with family and friends.
Shari works at a medical device company where she’s been employed for 41 years. She loves that the company’s products give the gift of eyesight to so many. Shari does volunteer work with the National League of Young Men, South Orange County Coastal Chapter and loves giving back to the community. She served on the San Clemente Human Affairs Committee and is a graduate of the San Clemente Leadership class. She currently serves as a commissioner for San Clemente Beaches, Parks, & Recreation.
Maxwell Helm, Director A proud San Clemente native, Maxwell Helm fondly recalls spending summer days at the pier during his time with the Junior Lifeguards. With a family background in architecture and design-build construction and a knack for digital instruments since the age of 13, Maxwell's progression into a career in graphic design and its interaction with the built environment seems, in hindsight, an obvious one. Starting as an intern, Maxwell practically grew up at global architectural design firm RSM Design, based in San Clemente. Now, as a Senior Designer at RSM, Maxwell has had the opportunity to contribute to numerous distinguished projects. In his free time, Maxwell enjoys reading about a variety of subjects, with a particular emphasis on history. He believes that by asking better questions and understanding one's journey, you gain insights into where you are and where to go next.
Donna Kalez, Director Donna Kalez is the daughter of Dana Wharf Sportfishing & Whale Watching Founder, Don Hansen. Dana Wharf Sportfishing has built a successful business through leadership on global responsible sportfishing as well as pioneering whale watching in 1961. They were the first business in Dana Point Harbor in 1971 and opened a second Whale Watching company, Oceanside Adventures, in Oceanside Harbor in 2015. Dana Wharf Sportfishing is well known for participation and support of local charitable causes. Donna continues this legacy and holds positions that include: Board of Director for Doheny State Beach Foundation, Board Chair for Festival of Whales Foundation, Advisor on Fish for Life, Member of San Clemente Dons, and former President of Dana Point Chamber of Commerce. She is an active member of Dana Point Chamber of Commerce, San Clemente Chamber of Commerce, Oceanside Visitors Bureau, the Wyland Foundation, Dana Point Historical Society, National Charity League and of course PierPride. She was named Dana Point 2018 Citizen of the Year and 2018 Woman of the Year for the CA Legislative Women's Caucus in her Senate District. She lives in San Clemente with husband, Mark and 2 daughters. Her favorite Pier story is the last time on the Pier with her Dad for San Clemente Day. Don walked out the Pier, and for an 85 year old man that is a long walk. He was a speaker for a kids fishing tournament. On that walk, he told Donna many fun stories of the Pier days when he was kid. Because as you know it all started for him once he visited San Clemente as a boy and saw that Pier.
Don Kindred, Director
Don is the Publisher of the San Clemente Journal, one of the most respected regional publications in Orange County. He is a 40-year resident of San Clemente. He began his typesetting, photography, and graphics agency in 1984, and has published the community quarterly San Clemente Journal for thirty years. Don writes about and photographs the residents, the history, and the current events that celebrate life in San Clemente. Don has served as President of the Chamber of Commerce, the San Clemente Kiwanis Club, and the venerable San Clemente Dons. He was a founding board member of the Friends of San Clemente Beaches Parks and Recreation Foundation, the Sports Hall of Fame selection committee, and The San Clemente Political Action Committee. He is also a member of the Downtown Business Association and the San Clemente Historical Society. Don’s many accomplishments in San Clemente were recognized when he and his wife Shelly received the 2023 Chamber of Commerce Lifetime Achievement award. Don believes the Pier is the centerpiece of our community and needs to be cared for.
Kenneth McFarland, Director San Clementean Kenn McFarland is Chief Executive at East Campus Medical Center at UC San Diego Health. He leads over 800 caregivers & 400 physicians who deliver world-class care to patients in the San Diego region and beyond. Kenn is an accomplished health care executive with over 26 years of health care leadership experience. Prior to his current role, Kenn served as Chief Executive Officer of the Fountain Valley Regional Hospital and Medical Center in Orange County, California. Earlier in his career, he held leadership roles with Mission Hospital in South Orange County, California, where he served as President and Chief Executive Officer for five years. Before working in the health care industry, Ken spent seven years with PepsiCo and PepsiCo International. He began his career with Ernst & Young.
Kenn has served on numerous healthcare advocacy boards, including First 5 Orange County – Children & Families Commission, the Hospital Association of Southern California, the Emergency Medical Care Committee, the Camino Health Center & Community Benefits Clinic (FQHC). He holds a MBA from the University of California Irvine (UCI) with a focus in finance and economics and a BS in accounting and finance from California Polytechnic University in Pomona (Cal Poly), California. He is a licensed CPA (inactive) in the states of California and Hawaii. Kenn has been married for over 28 years to Kristine Renae and they are blessed with two adult sons, Jacob & Sean.
Peter Prescott, Director Peter has been a long time supporter of San Clemente Pier and most recently was instrumental in making the dream of the refurbished Pier snack shack a reality. Peter has a long-standing, trusted reputation as a financial planner. His firm, Prescott Tax & Wealth Management is well-known in Orange County as offering tax, trust and estate planning for both individuals and businesses. Peter is a UC Berkeley graduate, a Certified Public Accountant and holds a Masters degree in Taxation and several other financial credentials. He and his wife Margie have deep roots in both San Juan Capistrano and San Clemente, and raised their three children with a lifestyle that included frequent visits to the Pier. Peter says his family especially loves the Pier because of it’s rich sense of history and because it is accessible to all —a great way to enjoy the water even if you are not a swimmer or surfer. The Prescott family looks forward to introducing their new grandchild to all the Pier has to offer.
Aaron Washington, Director
Aaron has been a resident of San Clemente since January 2006. A military brat, Aaron was born in Bremerton, WA, Kitsap county Naval Hospital. Just under a year old his family moved to San Diego, where he was raised until age 13. He moved to Denver CO at 13 and finished Jr High and High School. At 17 1/2 enlisted in the Navy, and the Navy brought Aaron and family (Ayako and Elijah) to San Clemente.
After 35 years of Naval Service, Aaron retired as a Full Commander and made San Clemente his home. Aaron has had a life of service and continues to serve his community and city in his retirement. It will forever be cemented in his memory all summer of 2011, trying to stand up on a long board he’d made at Stewards Surf shop. For weeks north of the Pier he’d catch waves and tumble, and he loved every minute of it. One young surfer in the last days of summer approached Aaron and said, “Dude you have the right idea but you wait too late to stand. The board is unstable because of the bubbles.”
Samantha Wylie, City of San Clemente Liaison
Samantha is Beaches, Parks & Recreation Director with the City of San Clemente. She is the city staff liaison to PierPride and also a San Clemente resident. Samantha oversees the extensive San Clemente Park System as well as the many recreational amenities offered: swimming lessons and skateboard parks, tennis and in-line-dancing and every fun activity in-between. With close to 20 years serving San Clemente, she has a deep appreciation for the unique challenges associated with city stewardship of a public pier. From routine maintenance to thoughtful preservation, keeping San Clemente Pier and surrounding beaches a safe, welcoming destination for the millions of annual visitors is a top priority for Samantha. Samantha’s favorite aspect of the Pier? The Menorah and Christmas Tree that signal hope from the end of the Pier each holiday season.