Board of Directors

Beth Wyatt is a Financial Advisor with a love of the land and the food that grows on it. Beth has a deep commitment to creating opportunities for all people to connect with the land with the understanding that the connection is crucial to a healthy society. It was through her leadership with Slow Food Russian River that she was introduced to LandPaths and its education preserve, historic Rancho Mark West.

Tim is an outdoor enthusiast and active supporter of land conservation and educational programs. In the for-profit world, Tim has founded three successful companies in the Internet space and served on multiple boards. In the nonprofit world, Tim worked with his wife to start the Berkeley Playhouse, an acclaimed music theatre performance and educational organization, and save the historic Julia Morgan Center for the Arts in Berkeley, CA. He and his wife founded the Imagination Foundation, which supports arts, education and environmental programs. He also served on the Board for Park Day School in Oakland and was on the marketing advisory committee for Sonoma Land Trust. Mr. Choate holds a B.S.E degree from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.

A lawyer with a passion for fly fishing, Naomi Ramsden joined the LandPaths board in 2015. In her legal career she has worked in legal aid, as a family lawyer, as a housing and property lawyer, as a general practice lawyer, and as general counsel and chief compliance officer for several investment advisory firms. Naomi recently moved from the Bay Area to Healdsburg and at that time sought to make a connection with an organization she thought could make a positive difference in Sonoma County. LandPaths matched her goal perfectly. Naomi is delighted to be a member of the Board of Directors, despite the fact that she really doesn’t like to hike all that much.

Michael Ellis’ goal in life is to excite and educate people about the rhythms of the natural world and biological processes, thereby stimulating an active participation in the protection of the valuable resources of the planet. By acting as a communication bridge between academicians and interested but untrained individuals, he hopes to make the world of science less threatening but still wondrous. His B.S. in Botany and Masters in Marine Biology are the foundation for his lifelong process of gathering information from travels throughout the natural world. From 1977 to 1981 Michael Ellis served as Executive Director of the Frontier Arts Institute at Slide Ranch. Ellis has been a regular KQED Perspectives commentator since 1987, Bay Nature Magazine columnist since the magazine’s inception, and TV personality for Bay Nature on the Air. Michael Ellis leads trips around the world with Footloose Forays, a company he founded in 1983.

Susan Shaw, is the co-director of the North Bay Organizing Project. Founded in 2010, NBOP unites people to build leadership and grassroots power for social, economic, racial and environmental justice. Susan directed the Graton Day Labor Center (Centro Laboral de Graton) from 2003 – 2008, and served on the board from 2002 – 2016. She was the state director of Gamaliel of California from 2012-2018 with four affiliate member organizations across the state and is founding Executive Director of the North Bay Organizing Project. Susan is currently Board Chair of Meridian University. Raised in Singapore and Ohio, the mother of a son and daughter, Susan lives outside Graton, CA.

Richard Power is at tax attorney and a founding member of Carle, Mackie, Power & Ross LLP, where his practice focuses on financing of affordable housing. A graduate of LSR 16, he has served on numerous nonprofit boards in Sonoma County as well serving as president of the Rotary Club of Sebastopol. An outdoor enthusiast, biker, river runner and traveler by rail, Richard has lived for the past 25 years in Sebastopol with his wife, Trish whom he met on a river trip through the Grand Canyon. His children and grandchildren also live in West County where both children are organic farmers.

Craig Hazel is a Partner with B2B CFO®. Originally from Denver, Craig was drawn to LandPaths given its focus on both land and people. He was a founding member of Christmas in April – Atlanta, a non-profit which rebuilds homes for elderly, disabled and disadvantaged homeowners. Craig is a pilot and resides in Petaluma with his wife and two daughters.