Your guide to the best and brightest locals behind the scenes
Every community is shaped by its people — the ones who show up early, stay late, and pour themselves into the work of making a place feel like home. In Santa Cruz, those people are everywhere. They’re behind the counter at your favorite café, leading the charge on local policy, coaching Little League on Saturday mornings, and quietly organizing the food drives that keep families fed through the winter. “Faces of Santa Cruz” is our celebration of them.
Santa Cruz has always been a place that defies easy description — part beach town, part tech corridor, part artist colony, part college community — and the people who call it home are just as wonderfully hard to pin down. What they share, though, is a commitment to this place and to each other that runs deeper than any single identity.
You’ve seen their work, but most likely don’t know the faces and stories behind the trendsetters, entrepreneurs and networkers who created and maintain some of the finest things in our beloved area.
Who is it that brings the new rides to the Boardwalk? Who are the best doctors, lawyers, real estate agents? Who is the
former punk rocker who runs one of the area’s largest church congregations? Who is the woman bringing attention to such things as the Symphony, politicians, the Food Bank and drug rehab?
Who is the hustling entrepreneur bringing big-name rock stars to perform with our locals backing them up? And of course, who made that Screaming Hand that has brought our imagery around the world?
Who and what makes Santa Cruz so special? By talking to these influencers who have done so much for the community, we peel back some of the layers for all of us to share.
Some of the faces in these pages you’ll recognize immediately. Others you may be meeting for the first time. That’s part of the point. For every well-known figure in Santa Cruz, there are dozens of people doing transformative work without much fanfare.
You’ll get plenty of these stories in our magazine, as well as introductions to people and places you might not know about. Consider it an encyclopedia of Cruz, a textbook of people, places and things you wouldn’t know about otherwise, all in one shiny, happy place.
–Brad Kava,
Editor
The Most Famous
Artist No One Knew
MAN BEHIND THE HAND
Jim Phillips work is all over the world, but few have seen the man behind the art.
Santa Cruz artist Jim Phillips’ career has more twists and turns than a backyard half-pipe, a journey that transcends genre and spans decades.
Phillips achieved global success while working for NHS/Santa Cruz Skateboards, as the creator of the iconic Screaming Hand, Santa Cruz Red Dot logo and wild cartoons for decks, wheel graphics, grip tapes and comics. Phillips’ art has also appeared on surfboards, motorcycles, cars and legendary concert posters (Buffalo Springfield, Jerry Garcia Band, Neil Young).
These days, Phillips, 81, can be found quietly working from his home in Prospect Heights, just below DeLaveaga. His legacy marches on under the leadership of his son Jimbo Phillips and grandson Colby James.
First fueled by a passion for 1950s hot rod culture, Phillips’ art evolved to not only influence but to define modern surf and skateboard culture. Art critics describe Phillips’ cartoons as a fusion of Hieronymus Bosch meets M.C. Echer. His trademark psychedelic menageries are inhabited by protruding eyeballs, volcanoes, cavemen with surfboards and monsters ripping railslides off signposts and skiploaders. There are wiggly lines, skeletons popped out of bodies, surf jalopies loaded down with stuff, and more, so much more. It’s the kind of art that makes you stop and wonder: How? Why? What the hell is happening here? No other artist has dominated the youth skate scene more.
His career got a humble start when he was 15, attending Branciforte Jr. High. Bill “Jelly-Roll” Parodi, a Santa Cruz High School senior, asked him to paint a monster on the dashboard of his black ‘55 Oldsmobile.
He continued his education at California College of Arts & Crafts, and started working for NHS, a collection of sports equipment brands including Santa Cruz Skateboards. “For Santa Cruz Skateboards, I mostly did logo art, ads and product illustrations,” Phillips says.
Although skateboarding gained popularity in the 1970s, it wasn’t until the 80s that Phillips’ monster art found its niche. The ‘80s ushered in a new kind of skater.
“Valley kids and city skateboarders who were a lot edgier and wanted the wilder stuff,” Phillips said. “In my line of work, there was not much call for monster-type stuff until this generation came along and embraced it … I was finally able to cut loose with themes of my earliest work, like with the Screaming Hand and Roskopp series. It just flowed out.”
Phillips says that throughout his career, the art of classical cartooning was always inherent. “Michelangelo, Da Vinci, Reubens, Rembrandt… They all made cartoons and called them that,” Phillips said. “I love the look and feel of graphic pen and ink line art.” Expert line art techniques, he added, “easily separate the men from boys.”
Phillips imparts wise words of encouragement for any young people out there thinking of pursuing an arts career. “Jump in with both feet or forget about it,” he says. “Wishy washy isn’t going to cut it. Without a solid commitment, art will only beat you up. It’s for the brave and bold because you must expose your inner self with enough strength to garner attention.”
“With discretion,” he added, “Art can be useful as a business tool, like my artist son Jimbo, who sells well internationally.”
BY Kristen McLaughlin
“He said he wanted a monster like the ‘Big Daddy’ Ed Roth character Rat Fink,” Phillips said. “I didn’t have a picture of Rat Fink but I subscribed to Famous Monsters magazine and knew enough to make up my own creature, snake eyes, lots of teeth with a forked tongue hanging out.” Another friend saw the painting on the Olds and asked Phillips to paint a monster on his new balsawood MAKO surfboard.
Jimbo Phillips’ artwork is available locally at his store Artrageous Brand Collective in Capitola Mall with surf/ skate T-shirts, prints, caps and Santa Cruz clothing brands Lemontree, Made Fresh Crew, Outlaws and more.
Strongly recommended viewing for anyone who lives, used to live or wishes they lived in Santa Cruz: “Art & Life: The Story of Jim Phillips” directed by John Makens, now available on streaming services including Amazon Prime, Xumo Play, Apple TV and YouTube.
Jim Phillips, pioneer of surf/skateboard art
JOHN MAKENS
The Man
Behind the Boardwalk
Omid Aminifard is top guy at
BY Kristen McLaughlin
Santa Cruz’s Seaside Company
THRILL RIDES Omid Aminifard and family pose at their favorite place, the Santa Cruz Boardwalk.
Celebrating his 26th year with the Boardwalk, Omid Aminifard is the chief operating officer of Santa Cruz Seaside Company, one of the oldest and largest employers in Santa Cruz County. SCSC owns and operates the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk, Boardwalk Bowl, several lodging operations and the Chardonnay sailing charters.
Aminifard, 56, lives in Aptos with his wife Tricia and their three sons Aiden, Gavin and Oliver. Keeping it in the family, they have all worked at the Boardwalk.
For Aminifard, who grew up in San Diego, it all started with Sea World. He came to Santa Cruz after amusement park positions in San Diego and Las Vegas, starting with a summer job at Sea World San Diego. He also worked as a teenage ride operator at Belmont Park in San Diego, site of The Giant Dipper’s sister coaster. “I kind of grew up in the industry,” Aminifard said.
He first learned about the Seaside Company while working at Belmont Park, the location of the sister coaster to our historic 1924 Giant Dipper. “So I knew about the Boardwalk because it was always on my mind,” he said. Now in its 119th year of business, the privatelyowned Boardwalk is primarily owned by the Canfield and Rice families along with “about 100” ownership entities in total, Aminifard said.
But first, Vegas came calling. Leaving Mission Beach at age 23, he subsequently joined the opening team for the Luxor, Stratosphere and Venetian hotels in Las Vegas. In March of 2000, “By coincidence, I was at a dinner in Las Vegas with some folks from Seaside Co. I wasn’t looking for a job… They offered me a position as Director of Arcades and Attractions.”
Aminifard worked his way through the ranks internally and was named Chief Operating Officer in 2021.
In this broad-ranged position, Aminifard oversees all Boardwalk operations, including maintenance/ development, security, safety, food and beverage, information technology/ entertainment, retail and multiple concessionaire operators. “Under the Seaside Company umbrella, I oversee all of
The biggest revenue engine for the Seaside Company is the Beach Boardwalk with 40 rides, more than 300 arcade games, food and beverage, and live entertainment. Aminifard said the Boardwalk employs about 320 full-time employees year-round, largely in its maintenance department.
those,” Aminifard said. “Each one of those areas has a director, so I have a lot of help. They report to me through the directors.”
The biggest revenue engine for the Seaside Company is the Beach Boardwalk with 40 rides, more than 300 arcade games, food and beverage, and live entertainment. Aminifard said the Boardwalk employs about 320 fulltime employees year-round, largely in its maintenance department. In the summer that number climbs with about 1200 additional seasonal employees. “We’re pretty much open on a year-round basis,” Aminifard said. The recent heatwave in March kicked off the summer tourist season a little early this year with temperatures in the high 80s to low 90s and crowds already flocking the beach and attractions.
One of several distinctive aspects of the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk, it is an open-gate, admission-free, amusement park, keeping it affordable for families or those not obtaining all-day rides. “It’s very unique to have an open gate amusement park,” Aminifard said. “It’s actually a requirement because we can’t block access to the ocean.
“Instead of fighting it, we decided to embrace it. We have learned how to adapt with it. It kind of adds a character and uniqueness.”
NEW IN 2026
Set to open this spring, Vertigo 360 will be the Boardwalk’s newest and 40th ride, an open-air circular thrill ride with 16 seats for guests who sit facing outwards.” It goes upside down, all the way around and back again,” Aminifard said. If that sounds too wild, the 1911 Looff Carousel is beautifully restored and ready for riders to saddle up.
For the first time, the Boardwalk has hired an executive chef working in the park. Among new menu items are fresh clam chowder “made fresh in our kitchen,” roasted garlic fries, artichoke hearts and 80/20 Angus Beef Smashburgers. “We have really upgraded our food and beverage options,” Aminifard said. “We have a really nice smoker, so we smoke all of our meats, including brisket.”
Also new this year, the park is now serving Marianne’s local ice cream and milkshakes, part of an ongoing push to offer local products. Aminifard recommends deli sandwiches, pasta salads and the 100-percent Dungeness crab sandwich served on Sumano’s bread. “We really stepped up our game this year with the executive chef we’ve hired,” he said.
Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk, 400 Beach St. Open every day, 11 a.m. to 10 pm.Weekends 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. Hours may vary.
EVERYWHERE ALL THE TIME
You’d be
to attend an
From Justice Hope to
Angela Chesnut’s journey from the FBI to Santa Cruz nonprofits
BY Joan Hammel
Even after looking directly into the eyes of real-life monsters, Angela Chesnut didn’t become jaded. She chose hope.
Not out of naivete, but from an upbringing grounded in faith – a foundation that would be deepened and tested over decades of work in some of the world’s toughest places, from law enforcement to politics to the demanding work of nonprofit service.
Chesnut is currently Chief Development Officer for Janus of Santa Cruz, a leading provider of substance use disorder treatment. She was raised in Utica, New York in a tight-knit Italian Catholic family, where service wasn’t optional — it was expected, and giving back was simply part of life. Drawn to justice early on, she set her sights on a career in law enforcement, hoping to make a difference firsthand.
hard-pressed
event where Angela Chesnut wasn’t. She is a whirlwind of networking and connecting people.
That path led her to Washington, D.C., and into federal law enforcement, where she worked as a Supervisory Special Agent for the U.S. Department of Justice on cases involving organized crime and human trafficking. She played a key role in dismantling a Chinese crime syndicate responsible for human trafficking, and worked on other smuggling cases involving people from Asia and Central America. It was intense, often dangerous work — but what stayed with her most wasn’t the cases. It was the people.
Many of those she encountered weren’t hardened criminals, but people who had been exploited or coerced into a system they couldn’t escape. Some later became witnesses in the very cases she was building. For Chesnut, those moments — encountering people whose lives had been shaped by forces far beyond their control — left the deepest mark. “These people were someone’s mother, daughter, father, brother…” she says. “I could still see the good in them.”
After leaving federal law enforcement, Chesnut moved to the Bay Area for a role at eBay, where she helped build one of the first fraud investigation units, tackling cybercrime in what was then the “Wild West” of online commerce.
But living in Silicon Valley didn’t stick. Within weeks, she ventured over the hill — and everything shifted.
“One Sunday, while my husband was golfing, I came to Santa Cruz on my own and just thought, wow…” she says. The
After leaving federal law enforcement, Chesnut moved to the Bay Area for a role at eBay, where she helped build one of the first fraud investigation units, tackling cybercrime in what was then the “Wild West” of online commerce.
But living in Silicon Valley didn’t stick. Within weeks, she ventured over the hill and everything shifted.
coastal landscape felt instantly familiar, reminding her of the East Coast and summers spent in places like Cape Cod, but with a distinctly bohemian edge.
It didn’t take long to make the decision. Chesnut and her husband agreed to make the commute and settled in Santa Cruz with their two children.
It was here that Chesnut put down roots — raising her children and building a life grounded in community. “I was raised in a big Italian extended family — grandmothers in the house, everyone together,” she said. “And now, Santa Cruz has become my extended family.”
That sense of connection would shape her next chapter. Drawn into politics during the Obama era, she worked behind the scenes on local campaigns and national conventions, organizing events for leaders including President Obama, Hillary Clinton and President Biden, before serving as District Director for State Senator John Laird.
After returning from the 2016 Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia, she went to work for Santa Cruz County Supervisor John Leopold, and later served as District Director for State Senator John Laird.
Beyond her work in government, Chesnut has quietly played a significant role in the local nonprofit community — helping raise $6 million for the Tannery Performing Arts Center capital campaign and leading the Save Our Shores California Challenge campaign, which
raised $300,000 for Monterey Peninsula beach cleanups.
She also serves on the boards of the Santa Cruz Symphony, Santa Cruz Film Festival, Dignity Foundation, Monarch Services, Partnership for Children, and Housing Santa Cruz County.
When asked how she finds the time to be everywhere at once, she laughs it off. “I hate talking about myself,” she says, before quickly shifting the focus. “But the symphony really is a jewel in this community. And don’t even get me started on the Film Festival.”
Today, Chesnut brings that same passionate belief in people and in second chances — along with a deep, enduring sense of hope — to her role at Janus of Santa Cruz, where she leads fundraising and community engagement.
It’s work that, in many ways, brings her career full circle. Early on, she came to see addiction as a public health crisis — an understanding that now shapes her work at Janus, where the focus is on treatment, support and recovery.
“I’m a hope monger,” she says, borrowing a phrase from Barack Obama’s 2008 campaign. “I believe in the best in people. I really do. I’m not giving up on humanity.”
Even after everything she’s seen, that belief has never wavered. If anything, it has only deepened — shaped by experience, grounded in faith, and reinforced by the community she’s helped build here in Santa Cruz.
Passion and
Perseverance
Dan Kimball went from punk to pastor
BY DNA
BACK IN THE DAY Dan Kimball defies what you think of as a pastor. This was from his punk musician days with the Elephant Boys, Tom and Mark.
Dan Kimball is the founder of the impressive Vintage Faith Church in Santa Cruz. The spiky-yellow-haired Kimball opened the wooden doors of Vintage Faith in 2004, which is located in a stylish 1938 building on Mission Street, near downtown. The human dynamo Kimball then launched the church-adjacent cool student hangout and venue, The Abbey Coffeehouse, in 2008.
Kimball’s blood, sweat and tears of raising up a space to congregate was born out of compassion, and a burning desire to build bridges between people who have lost the concept of commonality. But the main reason, the celebrated author/ speaker and spiritual leader never stops moving is because he is on a mission to bring souls to Jesus.
HUMBLE PIE
Almost 30 percent of the world’s population adheres to a version of Christianity. In America the number rises to almost seventy percent, making the United States, the #1 country with the largest Christian population. Within the rank and file of Christianity there are a growing number of denominations, with 50,000 at last count, and each differing from the others. Sometimes the differences are sublime qualifiers, while other times the differences parallel radical extremity.
According to the respected Public Religion Research Institute, the numbers in believers, and those attending church is dropping, and has been since the 1990s. Within the big chunk of the christian religion pie chart, the legions of white skinned Christians is declining (with 40 million leaving the church in the last 40 years), while the percentage of Christians of color has risen to 25 percent of America’s total.
Religiously speaking, American Christianity is in the midst of a bellwether moment, and perhaps even, a moral revolution. There is dire need for an honest discussion about Jesus’ true message about community, unity, compassion and service to others. The international conversation being discussed is about the way that Christianity is being employed and
played out today in homes, churches, the government and the streets.
Kimball is trying to steer the conversation, through books, classes and seminars, that we need to engage in honest reflection upon the scriptures. And in the process, Kimball wants all voices to be heard clearly, not just the loudest ones.
PLAY THAT FUNKY MUSIC
Dan Kimball grew up in Northern New Jersey. Born in the early 1960s he was too young to really understand the cultural and social upheaval happening around the country, and not quite old enough to grasp the gravitas of President Nixon resigning. But there was something feisty brewing inside the blonde haired youth, who was sinking in suburbia and suffocating in the school system. Luckily Kimball found hard rock, and then punk rock as his way out.
“I did not relate to the athletes in high school,” says Kimball.
Currently, Kimball has stepped back from the main leadership role at Vintage Faith to a niche role in the church, focusing on theology classes. He is also involved with training young leaders in seminary. All the while, he seeks out as many diverse conferences as he can attend, eagerly gathering new information about everything from AI to the way music affects the brain.
“I hung out with the Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd crowd in high school. I was very drawn to music. And that became my passion. It was fortunate that my brother was a guitarist and we played together all the time (Kimball plays drums).
And then having New York City so close, I would go over and see Zeppelin and Bowie and Queen. Those are some of the bands that I was fortunate enough to see back then. Music’s powerful. And you can get very emotional at shows with music, as you can with Christian music as well. I’m actually writing about this right now, about the power of music.
I went to a lecture by Stewart Copeland (The Police) and This Is Your Brain on Music author Daniel Levitin. Part of the power of music in your brain is that it releases serotonin and dopamine, and those things create an ecstatic experience. And that happens whether you’re listening to the Stray Cats (he
had just bought tickets that morning) or Christian music,” Kimball said.
Kimball has excellent taste in music. His Christian Spotify song list leans retro with pre-1960 gospel blues, including Sister Rosetta Tharpe, Sam Cooke and the Soul Stirrers, Reverend Gary Davis, Mahalia Jackson and Blind Willie Johnson.
“I’m always trying to discern how much of the power of music shapes us in religious experiences. Can someone have a religious experience listening to a secular band as well? I’m very fascinated by that recently, but I’m off track,” Kimball says.
Kimball is always off track, but on point. Maybe it’s a New Jersey thing, but he is constantly seeking god in the unlikeliest of places. There is literally no stone that Kimball wouldn’t turn over to find something interesting to consider and something new to ponder.
FIRST LOOK
“I was at Colorado State University when I first started reading the Bible. I had some friends who were talking about me when I got home. And I could tell they were talking about me. And I’m like, ‘What’s going on?’ And they said they were concerned about me because I had a Bible. I wasn’t going to any church or anything, and one of them said, ‘Christianity is a cult’. And I remember hearing that and thinking ‘how do people that are in cults not realize they’re in cults,’” says Kimball.
This thought caused Kimball to dive deeper into Bible origins and Christian history.
Kimball goes into lucid depth about his journey (where he applies scientific reasoning to clear the path to faith) in his book How (Not) to Read the Bible: Making Sense of the Anti-Women, Anti-Science, ProViolence, Pro-Slavery and Other Crazy-Sounding Parts of Scripture.
THE PROMISED LAND
Being in a punk rock band with his brother, and another friend, called Elephant Boys (spoofed from the David Lynch movie), was a way to travel, gig to gig, throughout the tri-state area of the Northeast. When college ended, the
Elephant Boys opted for bigger horizons and headed to Europe.
There’s a part in Kimball’s autobiography Adventures in Churchland: Finding Jesus in the Mess of Organized Religion where Kimball stumbles into a small church meeting in London that changes his life. It’s subtle, but he finds kindness in a community of strangers. Kimball has carried that meeting in his heart for several decades.
After trying to make a go with his band in Europe for a year, the other two members headed back stateside, while Kimball pursued a journey that would take him further than punk rock could.
“(After the band went separate ways) I decided to go to Israel, and I lived there for almost four months on a kibbutz,” says Kimball.
“And that was very shaping. At the kibbutz I worked from 5 in the morning till noon, and then I had the rest of the day off. I took little adventures, while reading through the Bible. I took a couple weeks to go down in Jerusalem and stay in a hostel in the old city. I took a bus from Jerusalem to Egypt. Then I went from Egypt to Greece. I was going to some of the biblical cities in Greece and some of the islands. I’m in Greece reading about Paul the Apostle in Athens and what he was doing. And I had a little handbook that was like Bible sites to check out,” says Kimball.
Kimball wasn’t an enthusiast doing a pilgrim’s journey to the Holy Land; he was a young man being drawn into something bigger than himself.
NO SPECTATORS
So often people go through life, just doing things. Being here and there. Having no discernible sense of purpose or direction. And Kimball is no different. He traveled the world as a young man, met as many diverse folks as he could, and asked as many questions as possible.
And like a smithy forging a sword, Kimball merged critical thought and faith, finding a workable hybrid.
Kimball shuns the term ‘pastor’, because so many people in churches have pastoral gifts, and it’s odd to him that only the ones on stage on Sundays get the title. But it’s obvious when talking with him why so
many come to hear him speak. Peppering every soliloquy and sermon with openended questions, Kimball makes you feel like you’re listening to a dialogue.
“And was Jesus who he said he was,” Kimball begins. “And did he really come back from the dead? Or is that a copy of other dying-and-rising fables from the Egyptian god Osiris or the Greco Roman god Attis or the Greek god Dionysus? Is there credible reason to believe in these things? And I will say, I tend to be very humble about the things that I don’t know. But then focus on the things from the Bible that are clear and we can know. One of my biggest clashes with contemporary Christianity, is that there’s a lot of inward fighting about things that we shouldn’t fight about. Approach God’s communication through the Bible with humility regarding any differing opinions. During pre-COVID, close to one quarter of the church consisted of young adults and college-age young adults. And they’re
asking questions. And we should be never afraid of questions.”
FIND MY WAY HOME
Pinned to the wall, Kimball identifies as ‘conservative’ in his faith. But like all good things, this too needs a broader focus. From the 1990’s into the current day, there is, what is known as the Emerging Church Movement. It’s happening world wide, with the core idea being that we need to talk with each other. Which is why Kimball values conversation above all else.
The Emerging Church Movement welcomes everyone into the conversation. It is an honest attempt to parse the trending disillusionment with the organized and institutional church. Some will cry heresy, but for many it’s a welcome mutation to a rigid institution
It’s important to note that Kimball has since moved out of the Emerging Church circles, due to bickering over scripture not being God-inspired. Kimball is firmly in
HIGHER CHORDS Music and spirituality connect in the church fronted by Pastor Dan Kimball.
the God-inspired camp. “The Emerging Church movement was a time when questions about Christianity and the faith were encouraged and a humble approach to studying the Scriptures. That carries with me through to this day in all I do,” Kimball admits.
Kimball lives for the conversation and is committed to dialogue. If deconstructing outdated, ineffective means of worship can open up new opportunities for those who have experienced disillusionment, it seems like one of the only viable ways to keep the faithful numbers from shrinking.
“I had a couple of friends who all moved to the Bay Area. And I didn’t like San Jose as much as Santa Cruz. So my brother and his wife and myself moved. We lived in Santa Cruz, while I was working for an architect office over in San Jose. By reading through the New Testament and my positive experience in that local church in England, I then wanted to find a local church here. I found a church where I began volunteering, drumming in the band, and singing in the choir. The Santa Cruz Bible Church,” says Kimball.
At the time, the Santa Cruz Bible Church had a small congregation of 400 people. During Kimball’s tenure, it grew to 3,500 people. “My role at the church started in youth ministry and then, I was leading the young adult ministry that we called Graceland, and it was for college students and those in their 20s. And that grew to about 1,000 college-age and young adults. We’d have buses going up to UCSC, bringing down students. And from that experience, we decided to start Vintage Faith Church,” says Kimball.
POSTSCRIPT
Kimball’s story didn’t end or begin with Vintage Faith Church. For Kimball, life is a constant exploration of ideas and conversations dedicated to the belief that you can’t lift yourself up, without lifting up others.
AUTHORS NOTES:
In 2019 when local comic, Caroline Hawkins invited me to her wedding to Chris Ochoa, I accepted. When she told me that the person officiating the wedding was Vintage Church founder, Dan Kimball, I had no opinion. When Caroline told me that Dan and I should be friends, it seemed completely unlikely. I’m an old Jew and I already have a couple of friends. “I’m good,” I told her.
Last year I looked for new comedy venues and contacted Kimball. I waited in The Abbey Coffeehouse, which was full of students studying and getting jacked on caffeine. It was obvious that a lot of care and attention was being paid to ensure everything ran smoothly.
I found myself getting the tour of Kimball’s church which led to his mancave inner sanctum, where the walls are littered with rock and roll memorabilia. If there was an MTV show about Pastor’s Cribs, Kimball is a contender.
Turns out we are around the same age, and grew up not far from each other in New Jersey. We even attended the same Led Zeppelin concert at Madison Square Garden in 1977. And, this is where it got weird.
Kimball is really good at asking
questions and my ADHD brain was trying to keep up.
I told Kimball that I used to print ‘zines in the ‘90s that were focused on interviews with interesting people. He asked, “Who would you interview?” Now, I’ve interviewed a thousand people. Famous musicians, actors, LSD chemists, a trippy billionaire, an astronaut and a world leader. But one name popped into my head. “Mark Frauenfelder,” I said. “He put out a zine called Boing Boing that somehow survived into the digital age.”
I told Kimball that I booked bands and produced community events. “What bands,” he asked. I could have named an easy thousand bands names, but I came up with the time Jimmy Eat World played the downtown plaza in Chico. “I think they had just graduated high school,” I added.
As I was leaving, Kimball gave me a copy of his autobiography, Adventures in Churchland. He said, “Turn it over.”
And on the back, I kid you not, were endorsement quotes from both Mark Frauenfelder and the drummer of Jimmy Eat World. It turned out Mark was the bass player in Dan’s band and they are still friends.
If you are celebrating, or observing, Passover, Easter, or Ramadan, or even if you are fastidiously not celebrating anything, take a moment to enjoy the unknowable mystery that keeps us in each other’s lives.
Vintage Faith Church in Santa Cruz, 350 Mission Street, Santa Cruz is hosting Easter 2026 on Sunday, April 5th at 8:30am. 10am, and 11:30am. For more info, go to dankimball.com
FULL HOUSE Dan Kimball’s church services bring so many people they spill over to the Santa Cruz Civic Auditorium.
Master
of Events
How Matthew Swinnerton brings major talent to town BY MAT WEIR
Matthew Swinnerton has been at the forefront of showcasing the brands, people and events that make Santa Cruz great.
When it comes to the names that make our city cool, nobody does it quite like Event Santa Cruz. For 13 years the entertainment and production company has been at the forefront of showcasing the brands, people and musicians that make Santa Cruz more than just a place but a community.
Whether it’s the yearly Nexties celebrating the best in upcoming art and entrepreneurship, the Midtown Summer Block Parties or the new Live & Legends series connecting local musicians with legendary acts, Event Santa Cruz (ESC) shines a spotlight on what makes us the Mecca of Cool.
And behind Event Santa Cruz is one man with a big personality: Matthew Swinnerton.
“There’s so much creativity in our community and I just want to hear these stories,” he says. “That’s why I started Event Santa Cruz. Early on I had these speaker series and I would get inspired.”
It all started in 2013 at TechRaising, a week-and-a-half-a-thon co-founded by Swinnerton that highlighted all of the new up-and-coming technology created right here. He remembers walking around at 2 am, passing out Red Bulls to participants when inspiration struck.
“I kept thinking, ‘Okay, I love
entrepreneurs, especially when they are super passionate about their business,’” he recalls. “Around that time, I felt like there was some negativity about Santa Cruz but I wanted to tell our stories because there are so many good ones.”
Enter Event Santa Cruz.
Originally the company started as a monthly event showcasing local entrepreneurs in a TedTalk style. Their first function was a 220 person, sold out show at the Nickelodeon in Downtown Santa Cruz. From there it bounced around town finding whatever location they could from Verve Roasting Company to the Santa Cruz Museum of Art and History’s (MAH) rooftop sculpture garden. However, one thing remained consistent: every show had at least one musician, a theme that Swinnerton would expand upon as Event Santa Cruz continued to grow.
In 2014 ESC took the reins of the NEXTies–which at that point was in its fourth year–changing the award show into the Oscars of Santa Cruz doers.
“Originally it was called Santa Cruz Next and was to get young people more civically minded,” says Swinnerton. “But I wanted to showcase people from every facet.”
With that goal, Swinnerton did make sure there was one non-negotiable prerequisite: winners had to be involved in the community.
“An entrepreneur could make a million dollars but can also be a jerk and they won’t win,” he explains. “It’s only if they did something for the community [that they’ll win]. That’s more important than the money.”
Now in its 16th year and in collaboration with Santa Cruz Vibes, the NEXTies continue to highlight local movers and shakers from musicians and entrepreneurs to writers, nonprofits,foodies, athletes, content creators, mentors and more. Yet, the award show did take a pause in 2020 and 2021 during the Covid shutdowns which allowed Swinnerton to work on a new project: the Midtown Fridays Summer Block Parties.
ESC collaborated with the City of Santa Cruz to create a way to promote the businesses and restaurants of Midtown Santa Cruz. The result is a weekly summer block party with local food, crafts and
music that represent the heart of the city. Its inaugural year was 2021 right when the world was slowly reopening and people were itching to enjoy life after a year of no dining out and Zoom concerts.
“We didn’t even have money to pay the bands at that time,” he says. “But it was so supported by the community that the tips were ridiculous. So the bands were applying because they made money and the crowds just absolutely loved it.”
This year Midtown Friday Summer Block Party kicks off its sixth year and brings hundreds to thousands of people out each week in a celebration of joy.
Armed with Swinnerton’s love for music, Event Santa Cruz also hosts an online, New Music January series. Each year the company calls for local artists to submit brand new, never before seen music videos to be featured on ESC’s YouTube. This year 36 videos were submitted garnering 1.4 million views.
As Swinnerton puts it, “We want to become the MTV of Santa Cruz music.”
Which brings us to last year when Event Santa Cruz presented the very first Legends: Live & Local show. In partnership with author Jennifer Otter Bickerdike, the series connects local musicians and audiences with legends in the recording industry. Famous musicians mentor local artists earlier in the week and then perform as the guest’s backing band following a Q&A. The inaugural event was held at the MAH and featured Jane Wiedlin, guitaristr for 80’s punk and new wave sensation, The Go-Go’s.
In 2026 Legends is geared up with not one, but eight different shows happening on the Westside at the new Hwy 17 Studios. It kicks off on Friday, February 27th featuring guests Lol Tolhurst (drummer for The Cure) and David J (bassist for Bauhaus and Love & Rockets).
It’s just another way for Swinnerton and Event Santa Cruz to keep a spotlight on what makes our little surf town in the Bay so unique.
“I always ask people ‘Does every city have this much talent and entrepreneurial spirit? Or are we special?”” he says. “And over time, I think we are. I don’t know if it’s the proximity to the beach and mountains but we have so much creativity iit makes my job super easy.”
Embracing the Wobbles
Santa Cruz Yoga teacher has a huge following
BY Richard Stockton
Imeet Laurie Broderick-Burr as she rides her bicycle to our table at 11th Hour Coffee. I had chosen a quiet table for the interview; yoga instructors are a reserved, soft-spoken lot, right? I had imagined we would whisper about the fears people my age have of falling.
No.
Broderick-Burr does not whisper, nor does she describe body/mind issues with negative words. Rather than focus on seniors’ fear of falling, the Santa Cruz geriatric exercise educator reframes “embracing the wobbles” with a story about the absence of fear she saw in a
20-something who was balancing on the edge of a fence. Broderick-Burr looks around, “It was a fence just like this brick flower box here.”
She jumps up from our table, lifts her right foot to the top of the flower box, and pushes down with her leg until she is standing on one foot, above me, on the edge of the brick wall.
As she balances on the toes of her right foot, she looks down and says, “Embracing the wobbles means learning to accept that losing balance can be a learning opportunity.” She leans back and drops to the ground.
“The more ways we can find to move,
STRETCHING BODY AND MIND
Laurie Broderick-Burr does not whisper, nor does she describe body/ mind issues with negative words.
the more access we have to continue moving,” she says as she sits down.
Broderick-Burr has been a one-woman movement revolution her entire life.
“I was lucky enough to fall into dancing as a teenager,” she says. “I felt equanimity in my entire system when I was moving. Dancing required my mind to focus, to consider and remember what came next, to remember patterns, to use all parts of my physical and mental being.”
She stands, turns to a chair, and lifts her foot onto the seat. “My passion deepened for strength training, and I began training people to use whatever they have in their lives,” she says,
constantly moving up and down with her foot on the chair.
Broderick-Burr is a dancer, dance teacher, yogi, aerobics teacher, weight trainer, hiker, swimmer, skier, bicyclist and triathlon competitor with a master’s in kinesiology. I’ve never met anyone who has studied more modalities of movement.
“I’ve always been concerned that I was not only teaching yoga and dance, but also teaching aerobics, strength training, fitness. I worried that I didn’t fit into the dance world because I taught yoga. Then I felt I couldn’t be a yogi because I taught aerobics. I wasn’t a purist. But since I turned 60, I no longer feel like an imposter. I do what I do. What I’m doing is good and valuable. I’ve been doing it long enough.”
She looks down and smiles, her eyes twinkling. “In my 40s, I took up backpacking,” she says. “My husband Jim is on a High Sierra Mountain tour now; I’m preparing to join him for seven days. We’ve done the John Muir Trail many times, the Himalayas; we’re high mountain hikers. Nothing more we like than climbing a 13,000-foot peak!” She slaps her leg and laughs.
Broderick-Burr says that in her 50s, her work cohered with her master’s degree in kinesiology. “With an emphasis in geriatric exercise science and orthopedics rehabilitation, I can scientifically assess movement. I can see what’s happening and what needs to be built up.”
I start thinking, “This woman analyzes congealed slabs of protoplasm like me. Maybe she can help me.” I tell Laurie about my humiliating encounter with a basketball hoop the day before. I’d been walking the dog with my wife, Julie. We came to a basketball hoop hanging over the sidewalk. It was a low hoop, maybe 9-and-a-half feet high. The old desire to soar high burned in my belly, and I wondered how far over the rim my hand could go. I gathered my body, bent down and leapt upwards, throwing my arms up towards the rim.
Nothing happened. My feet were buckets of cement. Straining towards the rim, my arms flailed overhead like an advertising air-tube dancer.
“Whatever you’re doing, stop it,” my wife said.
“I’m jumping to touch the rim,” I told her.
“Your feet did not leave the ground.” She was right. A credit card would not have fit under my shoes. I used to catch air, now I catch sick burns from my wife.
JUMP START
Broderick-Burr has ideas about why I can’t jump. She calls my hiking boots “coffin shoes.” Then she reminds me of her class in the morning and rides away on her bicycle. Full disclosure: when I took this assignment, I did it for the money. Now, I can’t wait for her class.
At 9:45am the next morning, I’m at Swift Street Fitness. Broderick-Burr is high energy, having a ball; the class vibe is relaxed and playful. Some of the participants have been practicing with her for 30 years.
I’ve taken enough yoga classes to know not to make noises, either voluntary or involuntary. The class is not so hard, and I manage to control the grunting. I’m strong enough to at least attempt Broderick-Burr’s poses. It’s a good class, but it is not helping me with my whitemen-can’t-jump complex.
Then, Broderick-Burr works her magic. She starts talking about jumping. She has us put the balls of one foot on a block and lift the heel. I see everyone else rise on their toes. I do not rise. I can stand flat-footed but have no lift. Zero. I’m shocked—my plantar fascia (bottom of the foot), ankles and calves cannot lift my heel one inch. Laurie suggests it is because of the big hiking boots I wear all the time. For 20 years, I let my foot bones fuse in my hiking boots while sitting in front of my computer, only taking breaks to drive long distances. They live in toe tombs.
Broderick-Burr’s assessment got me to own my feet. What’s weird is that I hike— not only is it the best exercise, but when you’re done, you’re somewhere else. But she tells me I hike without my toes.
“You have atrophied ankle muscles and plantar fascia,” she says. No wonder I’m so slow on the trail. And now here I am, not only unable to jump but incapable of pushing my heel off the floor to stand on my toes.
With military urgency, Broderick-Burr tells me to get on my toes. “Dorsiflexion
of the big toe, plantarflexion of the ankle!” She tells me to go barefoot, get up on the balls of my feet and work my calves every day.
I’m on my toes now, lifting my heel as high as possible. My calves feel like lost spirits, annoyed to be summoned after all these years. My ankles and plantar fascia are trying to remember their purpose. I have dementia of the feet.
My failed attempt to jump showed me that something was wrong. BroderickBurr figured out what it was and showed me what I might do about it. She warns me it will take a while to get my ankle and calf muscles back. I buy lightweight, thin-soled running shoes and like them so much I buy a second identical pair. Throughout the day, I put the balls of my feet on a 4 x 4 block and struggled to push up onto my toes. Now my heel rises an inch, more or less. OK, less.
One of her longtime students tells me, “Laurie’s approach to yoga combines classical teachings with contemporary science in a way that makes asana practice meaningful in the modern world. With sensitivity and a good sense of humor, she blends her deep knowledge of the mechanics of the human body with the traditions of Hatha yoga to provide practices that extend beyond the yoga studio into daily life.”
It’s working for me; I’m part of the movement revolution now. Free the feet! Broderick-Burr has a vast knowledge of movement and is passionate about helping her clients find new shapes. She insists she is not a physical therapist but says, “You can teach an old dog new tricks because neuroplasticity is possible in an aging body. You can bend the aging curve, but it takes embracing the wobbles and working with them to elicit change.”
By the time you read this, BroderickBurr will be with her husband Jim in the High Sierras, dreaming of their next 13,000-foot mountain peak. I’ll be doing my prescribed heel lifts, dreaming of jumping over a credit card. She will bend her aging curve; I will bend my toes. She inspires people to move and is moving up that mountain right now.
Contact Laurie Broderick-Burr at mewithlauriebb.com, laurie-bb-s-school. teachable.com or on Instagram @yogaburr.
Community Building
Through Music
One man’s mission to heal through the arts
BY Lucille Tepperman
‘Everyone has brilliant ideas, but it’s the people who can really connect with other people to grow and to develop those ideas that build things,” says Thomas Sage Pedersen, co-founder with Julia Greenspan of Ignite Nexus.
Pedersen and Greenspan share a belief in transparency and the power of creating trust in leadership to bring about meaningful change, he says. “Building community works when we help one another. It’s an ecosystem you create. What happens if we just all come together and start to build and create together, you know? That’s emergence.”
He moved to Santa Cruz, he says, because “I want to be with all my weirdos. I lived in the woods in a tent.I came here with the idea of this place being somewhere I could fit in. It’s kind of the inspiration.”
Far from a traditional CEO, Pedersen, at 34 years old, is dedicated to racial justice and equity and uses Ignite Nexus’ innovative coaching and consulting services to help guide leaders, founders, and changemakers in connecting and creating meaningful impact during life or career pivots.
This company grew from Pedersen’s original love for music and the founding of Everyone’s Music School, and solidified his vision to create a greater impact in the community. Driven by an obsession with music, a background in mental health, and a belief that music education should be inclusive and personalized. He started by
MUSIC LEADS
Thomas Pedersen, co-founder of Ignite Nexus paves the way to enlightened leadership.
LUCILLE TEPPERMAN
giving individual lessons, then creating a pilot school in Pleasure Point and then to the Tannery Arts Center.
He won a Santa Cruz Titan Award in 2025, sponsored by Santa Cruz Works. They said: ‘Through Ignite Nexus, he provides crisis management and DEI coaching, while his podcast, *Speak for Change*, amplifies marginalized voices. Thomas’s leadership extends to key boards, shaping the cultural and educational fabric of the region. His unwavering dedication to equity, compassion, and innovation makes him a true Titan deserving of recognition.”
He has since found a collaborator in vocal coach and multi-instrumentalist Genoa Brown, whose philosophies naturally overlapped with his, and who now runs the school’s day-to-day operations as both creative director and music instructor. She gives vocal lessons and individualized coaching, as well as instruction in saxophone, woodwinds, flute, clarinet, and more.
Both share a background in mental health and a commitment to understanding diverse learning needs, framing their collaboration as intentional, values-driven, and missionfocused. They aim to make a difference in each student’s skills.
“Developmentally, as far as humanity is concerned, music is our birthright, our biological or genetic right, whatever you want to call it. It belongs to us,” says Brown. “A Westernized style of music learning and categorization makes music into a highly specialized field, which can emphasize that only certain types of people should enjoy or do music.”
Today, Pedersen works with a variety of organizations and leaders, coaching and counseling others on how they can broaden their mission of helping people on the fringes, building more compassionate and empathetic leaders, and learning how to be more human.
Everyone’s Music School helps students explore their own relationship with music while developing confidence, creativity, and individualized learning strategies.
Pedersen’s early experiences shaped his teaching approach: by studying music at Cabrillo Community College, giving lessons, busking downtown, and exploring
Developmentally, as far as humanity is concerned, music is our birthright, our biological or genetic right, whatever you want to call it. It belongs to us...A Westernized style of music learning and categorization makes music into a highly specialized field, which can emphasize that only certain types of people should enjoy or do music.
diverse instruments. Everyone’s Music School focuses on holistic, personalized learning to help students connect to music in ways that suit them.
Mentored by local musicians like Ray Brown, he coaches others to broaden their impact and develop empathetic leadership skills.
Working in non-profits and diverse educational spaces, Pedersen says he “can hang out with people who don’t agree with each other and make space for courageous discussion.”
His forthcoming book, Enter The Arena: 6 Courageous Practices to Change Your Life and Heal a Fractured World, is Pedersen’s first. It’s an exploration of how we can transform ourselves and our communities through courageous practice. He also serves on the Board and the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee for the Cabrillo Festival of Contemporary Music.
“I see myself as a connector, like a bridge,” Pedersen says. He finds ways to bring people who may disagree into spaces for creative conversations and emergence. People tend to focus on small differences, he notes. “Through Ignite Nexus, I step in to help other leaders make an impact on the community. I want to find collaborations and connections where we can make Santa Cruz really cool. This place has so much potential.”
For the future, Pedersen emphasizes the need for new ways of connecting communities amid political unrest. “People feel very powerless,” he says. “Giving people autonomy in communal spaces so that things start to germinate and bloom is a way to build stronger community ties.
Leaning into vulnerability to experience what others are experiencing is key for something bigger.”
He has book recommendations for people who want to follow in his footsteps: Community Building: Braving the Wilderness by Brené Brown–“Showing up in community to build trust within a messy environment.’’
The 4-Hour Work Week by Timothy Ferriss ‘’Is a good one to help shape your mind to create systems so you can have more time to do things. For me, it’s so I can add more things in.’’
The E-Myth by Michael E. Gerber ‘’I wish I had read that book when I started my business. One of the questions was, ‘What role do you want to have long-term in your company?’”
Empathy is central to Pedersen’s model of teaching. In this approach, a person’s individual experience and needs are integrated into how they are best taught.
Through his work at Everyone’s Music School and Ignite Nexus, Pedersen blends music, learning, and leadership to create opportunities for growth and connection.
For him, the work isn’t about agreement—it’s about connection. It’s about staying in the room, listening, and building across difference.
“In a world defined by division, I believe something new can emerge when people choose to show up for each other,” he says. “That’s how community grows. That’s how we unlock potential. That’s how we make Santa Cruz really cool.”
Check out his work and services here: ignitenexus.com
The Face of Wills, Trusts and Estate Planning
Roxanne Olson and Brenna Darcey understand that estate planning is not only about protecting assets, but also about safeguarding the people and values behind them. At Fine Point Law, they approach estate planning as an act of care, helping families and small business owners create clear, supportive plans that carry their legacies forward. “What we do isn’t just about finances,” Roxanne said. “It’s about preserving family harmony and giving people confidence to live fully in the present.” Through a preventative, relationship-based approach, Roxanne and Brenna stay connected with clients as their families grow, ensuring plans remain current and effective. Their work provides peace of mind today and for generations to come.
The Face of Regenerative Medicine
Harbor Health Center Medical Spa offers almost 60 services including weight management, pain relief and aesthetic rejuvenation. Patients working with Dr. John Grady can expect care grounded in the latest developments in Regenerative Medicine, a rapidly evolving field focused on repairing or restoring damaged tissues and improving overall wellness. Our clinic emphasizes innovation and collaboration. Many of these treatments are part of a newer wave of medical technologies where even small refinements—guided by ongoing research and shared expertise with clinics nationwide—can significantly improve outcomes. HARBOR
The Face of Real Estate in Capitola
Jessyka Sommers, Broker Associate with David Lyng Real Estate, believes navigating the Santa Cruz County market—whether buying or selling—should feel clear, strategic, and achievable. A true local and passionate advocate for the community, Jessyka brings deep market knowledge and an intuitive understanding of Santa Cruz’s unique neighborhoods. “It’s really about listening and knowing the market,” she says. “I was born and raised here—I know every pocket of this town and how to connect people to the places that fit them best.”
Voted Good Times Best Real Estate Agent for 2026 and a David Lyng President’s Club Elite award winner for over a decade, Jessyka is known for her strategy, local expertise, and commitment to the people she serves.
The Face of Accounting
Rooted in a lifelong exposure to entrepreneurship, Candace Ebert built her firm on care, trust and a deep respect for small business owners. She launched Candace Ebert & Co. in 2004 as a home-based practice. The practice grew by prioritizing education, transparency and follow-through; and an expanding network of referrals from family, friends and clients. “Opening your finances to someone makes people feel vulnerable,” she said. “Trust matters.” Today, Candace combines modern, technology-forward systems with human insight to help clients understand their numbers and make confident decisions. Her work gives business owners back their time, restores their joy and allows them to focus on what they do best.
The Face of Podiatry
In Santa Cruz County, movement is an integral part of everyday life. That means caring for your equipment and tools is essential—including your most-used gear: your feet. “From surfing and trail running to hiking and pickleball, healthy feet allow people to stay connected to the activities they love,” says Dr. Tea Nguyen of Pacific Point Podiatry. “At our practice, we care for the full spectrum of foot aches and pain using regenerative therapies designed to support the body’s natural healing process. By addressing root causes rather than just symptoms, we help patients recover more effectively and continue enjoying an active outdoor lifestyle, even when pain has become chronic.”
The Face of Quality Tool and Equipment Rental
When you’ve been around machinery as long as Rob Pedersen of A Tool Shed Equipment Rentals has, you develop a keen eye for problem solving. Even for professionals like landscapers or construction workers, identifying the right tool for the job can be difficult, let alone budgeting for it, maintaining it and finding a place to store it. That’s where tool rental comes in handy, Pedersen explained. “When you rent equipment, several people can make use of a single item several times over its lifespan, which reduces the environmental impact of manufacturing, maintenance, and disposal.”
The Face of Wealth Management
For Alison McClure, Wealth Management begins with Ohana, the Hawaiian idea of family that extends to friends and community. Alison has built a practice centered on personal connection, clarity and lifelong partnership. “I want every client to feel like they’re part of my family,” she said. “My job is to guide, educate and look out for their future.” With 25 years of experience, Alison prioritizes simple explanations, team-based planning and deep trust, to help clients gain confidence in retirement, investing and looking out for loved ones.
Financial Advisor offering securities through Cetera Wealth Services, LLC (doing insurance business in CA as CFGAN Insurance Agency LLC, CA Insurance Lic #0644976), member FINRA/SIPC. Advisory Services offered through Cetera Investment Advisers LLC, a registered investment adviser. Cetera is under separate ownership from any other named entity. CA Insurance License #0C76436
The Face of Real Estate in Aptos
Santa Cruz County is one of California’s most coveted and competitive real estate markets. Limited inventory, fierce demand and neighborhoods so distinct they require a local expert to navigate. Amber Grewer brings the necessary market knowledge and creative vision. Working across price points and client profiles, she finds the right fit where the stakes are high and details matter. “While it is wonderful to sell beautiful, turn-key homes, I love the challenge of selling a home that can be drastically improved with a little imagination—whether making a listing shine or helping a buyer visualize aesthetic changes and fixes for functional challenges to make a property work for their needs.”
The Face of Luxury Real Estate
A home is not a transaction. It is deeply personal and rarely simple. That is what Christine Schneider understands. “My job is to protect what matters most to you,” she says. With 26 years in Santa Cruz real estate, her work has evolved into a focus on higher-value properties, where precision, timing and discretion matter most. She listens before she acts, earning the trust of rock star musicians, tech leaders, medical professionals, university professors and global brand principals. In partnership with her son Daniel Lesser, Creative Director, all marketing is conceived and controlled in-house, shaped by his background in photography, painting, music and design.
There’s a rugged, rustic Texas roadhouse-barbecue vibe at the storied Back Nine Grill & Bar. Back Nine combines a nostalgic, Western aesthetic with fresh California ingredients for award-winning Tex-a-Cali cuisine at its best. Ben Kralj, the longtime executive chef and general manager, says consistency and quality define the recipes and dishes that keep fans returning to his restaurant. The food gets plated up in an inviting and relaxing space, complete with cozy fireplace and indoor and outdoor dining. For those who prefer a casual local gem over glam beach hustle and bustle, this stylish local favorite just one minute out of Santa Cruz is for you.
The Face of Credit Union Banking
Bay Federal will soon welcome its 100,000th member. No matter what that person needs, one of the credit union’s signature auto loans, a checking account, or help with homebuying, they’ll receive the same supportive service as Bay Federal’s very first customer, said David Torres, assistant VP of home loan sales. “Bay Federal is member-owned, so there are no shareholders to answer to,” he said. “The people we serve are the organization. That shows up in real ways: competitive loan rates, lower fees, and staff who actually have time to talk with you. We’re also local in a way that matters; the money our members bring in gets reinvested right back into those communities.”
The Face of California Cuisine
Nostalgic California comfort food made from fresh, local ingredients is the focus at Cafe Cruz, a longtime area favorite where co-owners Rachel Hall and Ken McCown have logged a shared four decades of service. What makes their food even better is the festive and casual atmosphere, which features a welcoming open space, cozy nooks, full bar and a beautiful outdoor patio. A major focal point is the open kitchen, where Cafe Cruz diners can witness firsthand the long-tenured kitchen team working its magic to present consistently high-quality fare, featuring signature dishes like fresh seafood, seasonal pastas and classic comfort favorites that keep locals and visitors coming back year after year.
CAFE CRUZ 2621 41ST AVE., SOQUEL, CA, 95073 831-476-3801, CAFECRUZ.COM
The Face of Commercial and Residential Construction
Development and construction trends are on a rollercoaster, as California reckons with inflation and a housing crisis. But at Testorff Construction, they’re all just waves on the ocean. Founder Peter Testorff has worked on everything from simple renovations to Platinum LEEDcertified homes, commercial kitchens to doctor’s offices, clean rooms to wet labs. His dream project? A high-end recording studio. “My goal, being this far into my career, is to work with nice people that are artistic and inspired,” he said. “We have some very interesting projects coming down the pike, with cool people, and that’s my goal right now, rather than expansion.”
The Face of Financial Planning
When Cheryl Rebottaro discusses financial planning, she approaches clients with thoughtful guidance. She slows the process down because clients deserve a careful, considered response. After all, her job is helping them plan for a safe financial future by offering solutions for life events and goals. Eventually, she will have to know their budget—to educate them about the cause and effect of spending and saving. “I feel honored to do this work,” she said. “I feel grateful, but there isn’t a day that goes by that I don’t feel the gravity. It really is my honor to do this.”
The Face of Real Estate in the City of Santa Cruz
Dave and Dorene Dawson bring a deeply personal, people-first approach to real estate in Santa Cruz. Raised locally, Dorene’s experience is shaped by her family’s long history in the amusement park industry, construction, and small business ownership. Dave built his career around service, trust and long-standing community relationships. For the Dawsons, real estate isn’t about transactions; it’s about helping people feel confident, supported and at home. That’s why you’ll often find them at kitchen tables across Santa Cruz, guiding clients with patience, transparency and care. DAVE & DORENE DAWSON, REALTORS® BAILEY PROPERTIES INC.
OCEAN ST., SANTA CRUZ, 831-901-2856
DRE: 01491117 & 02140632
The Face of Butchery
Not many businesses today specialize in processing whole animals, and even fewer remain family-operated. Freedom Meat Lockers has been part of the Walker family since 1962, with ownership carried forward through generations since 1969. Today, the team continues the tradition of true butchery, blending time-honored methods with modern techniques. With four generations behind the counter, they take pride in educating customers and providing high-quality products, from marinated meats to house-smoked specialties and premium cuts. The secret behind this hometown staple is simple: treat every customer like family.
The Face of Antiques and Art
Dana Wherity’s clients trust her sensitive protection and care for deceased loved ones’ belongings because she sees beyond their face value. Wherity’s talents lie in her ability to explore and share stories, family lore and history from ephemera, art and cherished items. She selects meaningful pieces for the shop and moves others through estate sales. Tumbleweed Found resembles a museum curated with intention; the peaceful, quiet space invites passersby to linger, to recall their ancestors and to share memories. “It’s an honor to go into situations where people are facing mortality, or have just been around death,” Dana said. “My store reflects that very delicate, beautiful space that I love experiencing.”
The Face of Spa and Wellness in Santa Cruz
Jennalee Dahlen founded Yōso Wellness to create something deeper than a spa, an intentional space where people can reconnect with themselves. Drawing on Japanese care traditions and science-informed skin therapy, Yōso focuses on calming inflammation, supporting the nervous system and restoring balance through thoughtful, sensory-based treatments. “Our goal is to help people return home to themselves,” Dahlen said. Rather than chasing quick-fix wellness trends, she emphasizes proven therapies and a holistic approach that considers lifestyle, stress and overall well being. When clients leave, she hopes the experience extends beyond the treatment room. “I believe in a ripple effect. When someone reconnects with themselves, that energy and happiness spreads to everyone around them.” YOSO
The Face of Compounding Medicines
At OneSource Compounding Pharmacy, Sesylia Astor believes healthcare works best when it’s personal. As part of an independent, community-based pharmacy, she focuses on building strong relationships that allow patients to feel seen, supported and cared for. “When you truly know your patients, you can tailor care to their specific needs,” she said. Through customized medications, shorter wait times and flexible service, Sesylia helps deliver accurate, individualized solutions that larger chains often can’t provide. For her, the most meaningful part of the work is being a trusted resource supporting patients and families throughout their healthcare journey.
The Face of Landscape Design/Build
Founded in 1988, Terra Nova Ecological Landscaping, LLC designs, builds and maintains landscapes that function as living systems; beautiful, resilient and deeply connected to place. Terra Nova prioritizes native and drought-tolerant plants, healthy soils and watershed-friendly solutions. “We’re not just designing landscapes,” says co-founder Ken Foster.
“We’re co-creating with nature, our clients and the watershed, mending and tending what’s been damaged.”
Co-owner Jillian Steinberger-Foster adds, “Our way is naturally aesthetic. Our methods keep the lands and waters clean and safe – while also being stunning to friends, family and neighbors.”
The Face of Acupuncture
Traditional Chinese medicine begins with patterns in nature: seasons, cycles and relationships that influence health. For acupuncturist Spring Smith, this perspective guides her care. “My work is about recognizing the body’s patterns and supporting its natural capacity for healing,” she said. Born into a family of healers, Spring spent her early years off-grid in the Sierra foothills where life followed rhythms of the seasons, an experience that made Chinese medicine naturally intuitive. The founder of Santa Cruz Family Acupuncture, Spring has practiced locally for over 15 years. In her Seabright clinic, Spring treats patients of all ages with care gentle enough for babies yet effective enough for athletes. SANTA
The Faces of Winemaking
Silver Mountain Vineyards is part of an old guard of SCM winemakers, one of the first to plant vines in the AVA. “It feels terrific to be a part of history,” said founder/proprietor Jerold O’Brien. “We are a leader in organic and sustainable practices, Certified Organic since 1980.” With expertise from 20-year lead winemaker Tony Craig, it will continue. “You just listen to the vines, to what the fermentation is doing, and you respond appropriately and honestly, with the information you have on hand,” Craig said. “But the quality is the most important thing to focus on. That quality comes from the vineyard, by planting the right varietal in the right place.”
The Face of Real Estate in Scotts Valley
Robert Aldana knows a home is more than a place; it’s the cornerstone of security and a legacy for the future. Growing up modestly, he came to see homeownership as a foundation for family and opportunity. “Home doesn’t have to be a mansion,” he says. “It represents stability and something you pass on to your children.” A REALTOR® since 1986, Robert brings four decades of experience, earning recognition as the #1 choice in Scotts Valley and the top agent in all of Santa Cruz County. His success isn’t luck but the result of a customer-first approach that drives results, inspires referrals and builds lasting relationships all while contributing to the fabric of the Scotts Valley community.
ROBERT ALDANA REALTOR®
The Face of Gastropubs
Laughing Monk Gastropub in Scotts Valley offers something for everyone, and general manager Matt Laughlin fully embraces a “food + community” philosophy. Whether you’re stopping in for a quick bite or settling in for a relaxed meal on the patio, it’s clear this spot serves as both a culinary destination and a social hub. “I want to be a staple of the community,” Laughlin says. With special events, sports watch parties, and live music on its award-winning patio; Laughing Monk captures a true small-town feel. “After about three years here, I’m not just serving guests, I’m taking care of friends.”
The Face of Pizza
Artists are often called to their craft at a young age. Matt Driscoll of The Pizza Series started tossing pizza dough at age 18 in Aptos, and he has never looked back. Recurring motifs in Driscoll’s work include Detroit- and New York-style pies, but he’s loving more experimental forms lately, like the Maple Special. “The pizza scene in Santa Cruz County is great and thriving!” Driscoll said. “We frequent a lot of local pizzerias, and a lot of chefs are elevating and crafting some delicious and creative pizza. There’s nothing I would change about the progress of the great pizzaiolos and pizziolas loving the craft of pizzamaking in the 831.”
The Faces of Tutoring
Over the course of 22 years, husband-and-wife duo Pat and Randy Klein have seen it all at the Tutoring Club of Scotts Valley. Young students who struggle in school; firefighters and tradespeople practicing chemistry and math for their license; adults resuming long-shelved passions for languages; generations of learners who keep coming back. It’s a calling for the Kleins, they said. “Every student’s an individual,” Randy said. “We try to meet the student where they are in capability, and find out their path as best we can in a way where the student feels supported, and not intimidated.” Added Pat: “I tell them all—we love questions! Please don’t be shy.”
TUTORING CLUB OF SCOTTS VALLEY
221-D MT HERMON RD., SCOTTS VALLEY 831-439-8886, TUTORINGCLUB.COM/SCOTTSVALLEYCA
The Face of Fireplaces
A warm, inviting space to gather and make memories is at the heart of every home. Since 1982, Woodstove & Sun has helped homeowners create that sense of comfort by offering premium-quality fireplaces, stoves and inserts. Manager Julie Lima says many customers are surprised by the breadth of products available. In addition to indoor heating solutions, Woodstove & Sun has expanded to offer a robust line of outdoor living products, including POLYWOOD outdoor furniture, fire pits, custom outdoor kitchens, grills, pizza ovens and more. “Creating an outdoor space that truly feels like an extension of your home can make a meaningful difference in how your home functions and how it’s enjoyed,” said Outdoor Kitchen Designer Miranda Lima.
WOODSTOVE & SUN
The Face of Food as Medicine
If you want to feel and look good, it is said, exercise and eat a balanced diet. But Yeyen Gunawan of La Vie Wellness says choosing the right foods, particularly raw ingredients and probiotics, can have far-reaching impacts on your health, aging and medical recovery.
“We always stay committed to the ingredients that heal people. We stick to the integrity of the food; this is the kind of food that is supposed to be made locally and sold locally. With living foods, the energy of the food you eat becomes your energy. The more life — the more cultures, the more enzymes, the more probiotics — the better it is for you.”
OUTDOOR LIVING
We have curated our outdoor patio product lineup so we can offer the most durable, highest quality, lowest maintenance options available, with styles for every taste and unmatched quality to last through every season.
FIREPLACES & STOVES
Whether you need a wood stove, gas stove, pellet stove, or electric fireplace, we specialize in stunning fireplaces that will be the heart of your home.
Our staff is always happy to help you design your perfect space!
