First Partner of California, Jennifer Siebel Newsom 

Legacy Award Recipient 

Jennifer Siebel Newsom is a filmmaker, thought leader, and the First Partner of California. For more than a decade, Jennifer has been at the forefront of changing our society’s limiting gender norms and stereotypes. She wrote, directed, and produced three critically acclaimed and widely seen documentaries on the subject, Miss Representation, The Mask You Live In, and The Great American Lie and founded The Representation Project, a nonprofit that uses film and media to catalyze cultural transformation. 

Jennifer’s films have been seen by over 28 million people worldwide, and The Representation Project’s social action hashtag campaigns have reached more than 650 million people.The Representation Project is responsible for single-handedly shifting the norm of sexist Super Bowl ads with the #NotBuyingIt campaign. Similarly, their #AskHerMore campaign transformed sexist reporting on the red carpet, and empowered women in Hollywood to address inequalities in the industry, giving early momentum to the #MeToo and #TimesUp movements. Since becoming First Partner of California, Jennifer has championed various issues related to gender equity and raising healthy, whole children including the launch of her first initiative, #EqualPayCA. 

 

Rue Mapp, California State Parks Commission Chair & Outdoor Afro 

Rue Mapp is founder and chief executive officer of Outdoor Afro, a national not-for-profit that celebrates and inspires Black connections in nature. In 2010, Mapp was invited to the Obama White House to participate in the America’s Great Outdoors Conference, and subsequently to take part in a think-tank to inform the launch of the First Lady’s “Let’s Move” initiative. She was appointed program officer for the Stewardship Council’s Foundation for Youth Investment to oversee its grant-making program from 2010-2012. Rue’s work has also been recognized with numerous awards and distinctions, including: The Root 100 as one of the most influential African Americans in the country, the Outdoor Industry Inspiration Award, and the National Wildlife Federation Communication award (received alongside President Bill Clinton.) She is proud to serve on the Outdoor Industry Association and The Wilderness Society boards. In 2019, Rue was named a National Geographic fellow and received the 24th Heinz Award in the Environment category. A graduate of UC Berkeley (with a Degree in Art History), Rue’s skills and background make her a unique voice via the leadership and programs she has instituted through her career, enlightening a diverse community to the wonders and benefits of the outdoors. She is the mother of three nature-loving young adults, and enjoys exploring. 

Rue was appointed to the California State Parks and Recreation Commission by Governor Jerry Brown in 2014, has since served as Vice Chair of the Commission, and currently serves as Chair of the Commission. 

 

Director Armando Quintero, California Department of Parks and Recreation   

Armando Quintero was named director for the California Department of Parks and Recreation on Aug. 18, 2020. An experienced parks professional with expertise in park operations, outdoor education, equity and access, and diversity and inclusion in hiring and retention, Quintero is an environmental scientist by training. Since 2015, he has been executive director of the Sierra Nevada Research Institute at the University of California, Merced, where he was also director of development from 2008 to 2014. He has also served as a member of the California Water Commission since 2014. 

Quintero held multiple positions at the National Park Service from 1976 to 1998, including chief of the Special Park Uses Group and district ranger at the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, personnel staffing specialist for the National Park Service, park ranger and supervisory park ranger at the Point Reyes National Seashore and park ranger at the Sequoia National Park and at the John Muir National Historic Site. 

Following his career at the National Park Service, he was an independent environmental educator for a decade, from 1998 to 2008. He has also served as member of the Marin Municipal Water District Board of Directors since 2009. 

 

Senator Monique Limón 

Senator Monique Limón was elected to the Senate in November 2020 and represents the 19th Senate district that includes all of Santa Barbara County and over half of Ventura County. Born and raised in the 19th district, Monique has worked continuously to serve her community as an educator, leader, and an advocate for causes advancing the quality of life in her community. Before the State Senate, Monique served as the Assemblymember for District 37th. Serving four years in the State Assembly, Monique Chaired the Banking and Finance Committee and was the Vice-Chair of the Legislative Women’s Caucus. 

For Monique, education has always been a priority. A UC Berkeley graduate with a Masters degree from Columbia University, Monique served two terms on the Santa Barbara Unified School Board and as Assistant Director for the McNair Scholars Program at the University of California, Santa Barbara prior to serving in the Senate. Monique has worked with countless local students at Santa Barbara City College and UCSB as an advisor and mentor to help them achieve their professional and academic goals through higher education. 

Women’s issues are also a priority for Monique. As former Commissioner on the Santa Barbara County Commission for Women she helped connect private and public resources with women in the community. Monique has a passion for bringing community groups together and building strong coalitions among local nonprofit organizations and civic groups. 

Monique’s roots go deep in the 19th district. Her extended network of family and friends include a range of small business owners and important leaders in the community. Her husband, Michael Medel works at Santa Barbara City College as Director of Admissions and Records and serves as President of the 19th District Agricultural Association. Monique and Michael were both raised in the area and currently live in Goleta. 

 

Assemblymember Tasha Boerner Horvath  

Grass Roots Award Recipient 

Tasha Boerner Horvath was elected to the California State Assembly in November 2018 and re-elected in November of 2020. She represents the 76th District, which encompasses Camp Pendleton, Oceanside, Vista, Carlsbad, and Encinitas. 

Tasha is part of the leadership team in the Assembly, serving as the newly appointed Assistant Majority Leader for Policy & Research. She serves on the Joint Legislative Audit Committee and the following policy committees: Jobs, Economic Development, & The Economy, Communications & Conveyance, Local Government, Aging & Long-Term Care, and Veterans Affairs. 

Before serving in the State Assembly, Tasha served as a local City Councilmember, businesswoman, and former PTA leader. A third-generation North County resident, she served as a member of the city’s planning commission prior to her election to the Encinitas City Council in 2016. Professionally, Tasha has worked for global Fortune 500 companies, non-profits, and higher-education institutions. In response to her daughter’s struggle with sensory processing disorder, Tasha started a business designing sensory-friendly clothing for little girls. 

Tasha earned an M.A. in International Studies from Claremont Graduate University Institute of Politics and Policy. She received her B.A. in Political Science from the University of California, Berkeley. Tasha and her husband are the proud parents of two children. 

 

John Mott 

John’s professional California State Park career with began in the early 70s and spanned more than 40 years, both as field ranger and a headquarters program manager.  He has a lifelong interest and fascination with natural history and related topics. 

John started his professional career as a seasonal Park Aid at Malakoff Diggins State Historic Park in Nevada County.  For the next 18 years he has worked as a ranger and supervising ranger in Ca State Parks in the regions of Lake Tahoe and Oroville, along the coastlines of San Diego, Santa Barbara, and Santa Cruz, in Anza Borrego Desert, and in the redwood parks of Santa Cruz County.  

He left the field in 1994 to be a Program Manager at headquarters where he oversaw the Volunteers in Parks Program and later Cooperating Associations Program.  In this position he managed a network of 90 nonprofits, donating more than $15 million annually, enhancing experiences of hundreds of thousands of visitors, and keeping State Parks functioning.  He later worked in the Concession Division of State Parks, before finally retiring in 2016. 

John has been involved with the California State Parks Foundation for decades in one way or another – member, grassroots advocate, Park Advocacy Day participant, webinar participant, and benefactor member. His father, William Penn Mott, Jr. was instrumental in founding the Ca State Parks Foundation over 50 years ago, while serving as Director of the CA State Parks under then Governor Ronald Regan. 

John has two grown children, and a 6-year-old grandson.  

His hobbies include, long distance bicycling, hiking, and camping and organic gardening.  He also volunteers as a reading helper in a first-grade classroom at a local school and involves himself with local park and recreational issues around his local Monterey County residence. 

 

Lesford Duncan, Outdoor Outreach 

Lesford spent his career developing partnerships and improving systems that enhance the health, mental health and resilience of children, families, and communities throughout Southern California. Prior to joining Outdoor Outreach, he served as the Cultural Competency Officer and Child Abuse Prevention Coordinator for the County of San Bernardino. There, he educated communities on the effects of childhood adversity, and developed trauma-informed strategies for building resilient families and communities. He has worked with and consulted for nonprofit and government agencies for the past 7 years, and it has been his joy to see these organizations increase in their capacity to serve at-risk and system-involved youth. As the Senior Director of Programs, he provides leadership to the development, implementation and evaluation of Outdoor Outreach programs and initiatives with emphasis on measurable outcomes and impact. He works with staff to maintain a culture of learning and humility, as well as action and advocacy, in the work that we do. What he loves most about Outdoor Outreach is their deep commitment to the local community and the team's excitement in introducing youth of diverse backgrounds to the transformative power of outdoors. The organization is an excellent model of outdoor recreation building self-confidence, initiative, well-being, and overall positive youth development. He loves seeing the sense of pride a kid gets when they do something they never thought they could do. 

 

Connie Lurie   

Golden Poppy Award Recipient 

 

Mike Krukow, San Francisco Giants 

Mike Krukow enters his 31st season in the television booth, and his 27th full season on the radio side. A 13-time Emmy award winner, Krukow is the broadcast team’s color analyst on NBC Sports Bay Area and NBC Bay Area telecasts, and on KNBR Radio broadcasts. Krukow was one of eight finalists for the 2017 Ford C. Frick Award for baseball broadcasting excellence. He was named California’s 2015 and 2017 Sportscaster of the Year, as selected by the National Sports Media Association. The former big league pitcher has received 13 local Emmy awards: On-Camera talent (7); Sports Live Broadcast (2); Sporting Event/Game-Live (2); Arts/Entertainment-Program/Special (1); and Executive Producer Baseball Ballet (1). Krukow’s playing career in the Major Leagues spanned 14 years and three teams:  the Chicago Cubs (1976-81), Philadelphia Phillies (1982) and San Francisco Giants (1983-89), where his enthusiasm both on and off the field made him a fan favorite. “Kruk”, named as the starting right-handed pitcher to the 1980’s Giants All-Decade Team in a vote by Bay Area media in 1999, is noted for his deep knowledge of the game and tremendous sense of humor. A 20-game winner for the Giants in 1986, Krukow retired after the 1989 season with a 124-117 career record and a 3.90 ERA. In 2008, Kruk was honored as a member of the inaugural class of Giants alumni with a plaque in the Giants Wall of Fame which lines the wall outside of Oracle Park. Krukow’s scorecard from Tim Lincecum’s no hitter in 2014 is displayed at the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown. Krukow supports Canine Guardians (www.canineguardians.org), a non-profit organization that provides trained service dogs to assist and enrich the daily lives of wounded veterans with PTSD, diabetics, children with cancer and others with disabilities. Krukow resides in Reno, NV with his wife, Jennifer. The couple has five children, Jarek, Baker (married to Celina Roberge), Tessa, Chase (married to Alix Roe) and Weston, one grandson, Coen, and two granddaughters, Reagan and Sailor Lucille. 

 

Keena Turner, San Francisco 49ers 

A native of Chicago, Keena Turner began his football career at Chicago Vocational High School, home of football legend, Dick Butkus. He attended Purdue University and while there, Keena was a two-time All-Big Ten, All-American and Boilermakers’ MVP.  In 2006, his alma mater inducted him into the University’s Intercollegiate Athletic Hall of Fame. 

In 1980, Keena was drafted in the second round by the San Francisco 49ers and played outside linebacker with the “Team of the Decade” until his retirement in 1990. His eleven-year contribution to the team resulted in four Super Bowl wins and a trip to the Pro Bowl. He championed the 49ers to victory as Captain of the 1984 team and was subsequently chosen by his teammates as the “Len Eshmont Award” recipient for his courageous and inspirational play. 

After the NFL, Keena continued his association with the 49ers, working in Player and Community Relations. In 1992, he joined his former coach and mentor, Bill Walsh, at Stanford University, where he served as an assistant coach until 1995. Upon leaving Stanford, Keena launched his radio and television career. Keena worked for 15 seasons as the color analyst for 49ers’ preseason games on KPIX Channel 5, as well as his role as co-host of the 49ers Preview Show.  In 2010, Keena completed his 15th year as the radio/TV color analyst for the Arena Bowl Champion (’02, ’04, ’07) San Jose SaberCats alongside famed Bay Area commentator, Bob Fitzgerald. You might just hear him this preseason as he is scheduled to cover the 49ers! Don’t be surprised if you hear Keena on-air or radio, as he’s often the co-hosting a 49ers pregame online and most recently the voice of “Faithful to the Bay”, the team’s 2020 Campaign. 

In July of 1998, Keena returned to the San Francisco 49ers, and has held various supporting roles during his tenure.  Keena played an integral role in the creation of the 49ers Museum.  In his current role, Keena is Vice President and Senior Advisor to the General Manager as he concentrates his efforts full time for the team. In 2012, Keena was given the Mensch Award as he was inducted into the Jewish Sports Hall of Fame. Added to this list of honors, Keena was inducted into the Bay Area Sports Hall of Fame with the Class of 2019. 

And for all you movie fans, you need to rent “The Game” starring Michael Douglas and Sean Penn. Keena has a small part about 30 minutes into the film, but don’t blink – you may miss him! 

Keena’s dedication to excellence is not limited to the playing field. He has been a constant supporter of The Koret Family House in San Francisco for the past 30 years. For ten years, Keena created, implemented, and judged a student essay contest for the Tracy Middle School system emphasizing the importance of academics.  In its 25th successful year, The Keena Turner Boys and Girls Clubs Golf Tournament bringing the total raised to well over $5million. 

Keena is married and has three children - Sheena, Ella, and Miles – and he and wife, Linda, make Tracy their home.