The Board of Directors is elected annually for a two year term. Any resident of Ocean Park may be nominated and run during the annual at-large election. Ballots are submitted and tabulated at the Annual Winter meeting, typically held the second Saturday of December. If you intend to run for the Board of Directors, please send an email to contact@opa-sm.org by November 1 to be included on the ballot. This years slate of Board Members are:
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Jan Ludwinski: President
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Jan Ludwinski was elected to the Board in 2005 and has served as Secretary, Vice President, and Membership Secretary. Jan graduated from Michigan State University in 1980 with a BS in Astrophysics and moved to Ocean Park in 1981. He is currently employed at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, where he has worked on several successful space missions including Galileo, the Mars Exploration Rovers, and Kepler.
Jan first became involved in community issues in the late 80's and early 90's as vagrancy became a major problem in Santa Monica. He was elected to the OPCO board in the mid-90s and served two years as Secretary. In addition to public safety, he is a strong advocate for the City to improve the bicycle infrastructure to make it safer for people to get out of their cars and bike more.
The best feature of Santa Monica, according to Jan, is the climate. He can often be found on a weekend afternoon playing chess at Chess Park and also enjoys watching the throngs of people walking by who also love this city.
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Mary Marlow
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Mary Marlow joined the board in 2007 and quickly joined the Fourth of July Parade Committee where she found local sponsors to help defray costs and join the fun. She grew up in Michigan and attended schools in both Michigan and California receiving an MBA from USC while working for AT&T in Fortune 500 Business Marketing and Sales. She serves occasionally as a mentor for current USC MBA students. In addition, Mary is an advisor to Santa Monica Coalition for a Livable City, a member of the Neighborhood Council and a docent at the Getty Villa.
Her favorite Ocean Park activity is roller blading, biking or just strolling on the beach with her husband, Mark. She is most interested in protecting neighborhood character and quality of life. Mary is chair of the General Plan Committee and is contributing to the city's Land Use and Circulation Element (LUCE) by attending meetings and providing feedback.
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Lori Nafshun: VP/Special Events
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Lori Nafshun is one of the founding members of OPA, and the Tzarina of the Santa Monica 4th of July Parade which OPA Produces. She is a Cali native and has lived in Santa Monica since 1981 when she attended UCLA Film School. She has, and continues working, for preserving the small town feel of Ocean Park, transportation solutions, and more open space. She serves on the Recreation and Parks Commission, and on the Board of the SMASH PTSA where her two children walk to school. She is also a member of Heal the Bay and Vidiots.
She's loves Ocean Park because of the diverse and creative people, the ocean, and because she can walk almost anywhere.
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Roger Swanson
Roger Swanson graduated from UC Berkeley with a BS in Business Administration and he earned his MBA from UCLA. Roger worked for Unocal and Xerox prior to forming his own management-consulting firm, which specialized in strategic planning, quality management and benchmarking. He has also served as an instructor and advisor for the UCLA Extension Business and Management Program. Roger retired in 2008.
In recent years Roger has actively supported Santa Monica’s Land Use and Circulation Element (LUCE) with his attendance in workshops, letters to the Planning Department, as well as feedback to the City Council. Roger has been an active Ocean Park resident since 1998. He enjoys the community’s friendly people and beach climate, and appreciates the neighborhood’s proximity to Santa Monica’s cultural attractions such as cuisine, art, and entertainment. In his spare time Roger enjoys bicycling, rollerblading, hiking, woodworking, cooking, photography, and travel.
Dana Ehrlich
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Dana Ehrlich has been a member of OPA almost since its inception. What drives Dana is her passion for the Ocean Park community. She has a strong sense of community, and values the special vibe of Ocean Park. She refers to Ocean Park as the “Soul of Santa Monica”. Having lived in Santa Monica since 1981, Dana has witnessed the massive changes, and feels it’s important to be an active member of the neighborhood group to stay in tuned with decisions the City is making that effect livability in Santa Monica.
Dana’s business background includes 23+ years sales/marketing in real estate, high-technology and small business. She is a residential Realtor with Keller Williams Realty Santa Monica and specializes in working with first-time home buyers and distressed homeowners.
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Pauline Bohannon
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Pauline Bohannon has enjoyed being a board member for the past six years. She is a member of the events, website, disaster preparedness and election committees. Born in Cleveland, Ohio and moved to California in 1950. A long time Santa Monica resident (34 years)- raising two daughter's who attended Santa Monica schools. Pauline was instrumental in creating the dog parks in Santa Monica and has heart-felt interest in Ocean Park Community. Although she retired after 25 years in aerospace industry, she is presently a contractor working on Boeing Satellites. Her favorite activities in Ocean Park are walking her dog (Bobo), strolling to the Farmers Market and dining on Main Street. She aspires to make our streets more pedestrian friendly, to beautify the neighborhood beginning with the Ocean Park Boulevard Green Plan, calm traffic, and also clean up our streets and alleys.
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Susan Lewis: Communications Chair
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As a founding mother of OPA, I'm thrilled to see our organization gaining momentum and a place in the Ocean Park Community. My main interest is that Ocean Park's voice is heard within the City of Santa Monica. For far too long our neighborhood was left to fall between the cracks. I'm interested in working to improve Ocean Park Blvd. from Lincoln to Main Street and making our streets and alleyways safe, clean, attractive, and graffiti-free. I am also interested in creating synergy between OPA, the Main Street merchants, and our neighborhood schools to foster the warmth, friendliness and security of a close-knit hometown community.
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David Auch: Co-Vice President
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David has lived in Ocean Park since 1988. He loves it here and looks forward to helping preserve and improve our neighborhood. David became involved with OPA in 2007 because of his interest in Ocean Park Boulevard. He feels we have a great opportunity to improve the beauty and functionality of this key roadway, and show our neighborhood as a leader in green development. As a biker and walker, and living across the street from SMASH, David also sees daily the need to make Ocean Park Boulevard more bike and pedestrian friendly. Born and raised in Michigan, for the past 15 years David has worked in the fields of marketing and advertising in the Automotive industry. Prior to that he was a banker. Until he came to his senses!
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Nina Fresco
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Nina Fresco was elected to the OPA board in 2009. She grew up in New York City and attended Bennington College and Parsons School of Design. Nina has served on the City of Santa Monica Landmarks Commission since 2001, and is a founding board member of the Santa Monica Conservancy. She works with the John Muir School PTA, intermittently serving as a board member and is the Landmark Commission Liaison to the Third Street Neighborhood Historic District Citizen Participation Committee.
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Ross Furukawa
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Ross Furukawa was elected to the Board in 2009. He grew up in Poway, CA and attended Arizona State University. Ross is the Publisher of the Santa Monica Daily Press and smdp.com website. In addition to OPA, he sits as the Board President of the Co-Opportunity Consumers Cooperative, Council Member of the the Boys & Girls Clubs of Santa Monica, and board member of the Santa Monica YMCA.
His favorite thing about Ocean Park is being able to walk to the beach in the morning to go surfing. If there was one thing he would like to see change it would be to lower petty crime in the neighborhood.
He has been a Santa Monica resident since 2001, and is married to Nina with two daughters, Maya and Jade who attend SMASH.
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Patricia Godon-Tann: Treasurer
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Patricia Godon-Tann is a recent member of OPA but a long time resident of Ocean Park living in the southern Borderline Neighborhood for over 35 years. For the past decade Patricia has worked diligently with the Borderline Neighborhood Group (BNG) to facilitate positive change and promote shared responsibilities of that remarkable area. She is currently the co-chair of that group and feels that while the BNG has been highly successful in its endeavors, more can be accomplished working with and within OPA.
Patricia was born and raised on the Westside and gravitated to the Ocean Park area in the late '60s.. A public school graduate, she attended UCLA and CSULA earning Masters Degrees in the "Teaching of Reading with credential" and "School Administration with credential". She was employed by the Los Angeles United School District for nearly 35 years and recently retired as an Elementary School Principal. She is a strong proponent of quality public education and has worked on many committees within the district to enhance curriculum and teacher training.
Living within the area for over three decades has given Patricia the insight of change and the capacity to work at the grass-roots level. She is very excited about serving on the OPA board as she feels that Ocean Park encompasses the best Santa Monica has to offer. Her goal is to help maintain and build upon the unique blend of city sophistication and small town cohesion that is our Ocean Park.
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Sadat Huq: VP/Membership
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Sadat moved to Santa Monica in 2008 and immediately fell in love with the vibrant community of Ocean Park, with its beautiful scenery, casual attitude, and eclectic people. He particularly enjoys the close proximity to the beaches, Santa Monica Pier, 3rd Street Promenade, Downtown Main Street, and neighboring Abbot Kinney. In his spare time Sadat can be found walking, biking, and running through our cozy community.
As an OPA Board Member, Sadat plans to leverage his zest and zeal for Ocean Park and direct his energy and efforts at promoting, preserving, and protecting the community which he considers home. In the upcoming year Sadat hopes to extend his involvement in OPA by recruiting new members, volunteering at our local events, and simply supporting the OPA cause.
Sadat holds a Quantitative Economics degree from Stanford University, and his most recent professional experience includes his work with NOVICA, a start-up internet company headquartered in Santa Monica.
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Jeff Jarow: VP/Outreach
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Jeffrey Jarow is one of the founding members of the Ocean Park Association (OPA), and the Co-Chair of the Ocean Park Boulevard Beautification Project. In addition, I am also responsible for dealing with issues regarding Main St. and the Farmers Market (initiated the valet bike racks and free parking at the beach on Sunday mornings) and worked on the committees that brought you the very successful Bar-B-Q at the Victorian, the Pancake Breakfast at the Firehouse #2 and the Main St. 4th of July Parade and OPA Float. !
I have lived in our community over 30 years, married to Faye and have a son, Morgan. I am PTSA Co-Vice President of SMASH and Treasurer of the CDS-PTA (Child Development Services), and member of the DAC (Development Advisory Committee on early childhood development). I Chair the SMMUSD Prop 39 Facilities Bond (BB) Oversight Committee. I have been an active member of the Chamber of Commerce for 20 years and currently serving on its Board, as well as the City appointed four-year position as the Executive Board Treasurer of the Convention and Visitors Bureau. I also sit on the Board of the Santa Monica Family YMCA. I like pina coladas and getting caught in the rain.
It is extremely important for ALL of us, as the OCEAN PARK community, to use this OPA platform to voice OUR opinions, share OUR views, and most importantly, implement OUR ideas, regarding overdevelopment on Main St., traffic circulation throughout, and pedestrian and community safety, to name just a few.
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Bob Taylor
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Bob Taylor is a founding member of the Ocean Park Association, current Board member, and chairman of the Ocean Park Blvd. Improvement Committee. A graduate of U.C. Berkeley, he is an Architect, and has been in practice in Santa Monica since 1975. He is a member of the AIA, NCARB, National Trust, and L.A. Conservancy. He has been recognized with awards from the LA/AIA, the L.A. Conservancy, the Institute of Store Planners, and W.L.A. Chamber of Commerce Beautification Program. He was involved in the redesign of Main Street in 1979-80, and was design architect for the addition to the historic Ocean Park Branch Library. He remains committed to environmental improvements to our community.
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Michele Perrone
Michele is a Northern California native and has lived in Ocean Park since 1997. She was elected to OPA in 2010 and is an enthusiastic new member. She is inspired and impressed by all the great work OPA does on behalf of Ocean Park and enjoys volunteering on the committees, such as the Fourth of July parade. Michele brings extreme energy to everything she engages in, as evidenced when she won the prize for the individual who raised the most money for the “Super Bowl-a-Thon” in 2011.
Michele is Chair of the Airport Committee and is working hand in hand with other neighborhood groups to find solutions to the traffic coming from Santa Monica Airport. She believes finding a solution to the issues with the SMO is imperative in order to preserve and protect our quality of life here in Ocean Park.
In her spare time Michele enjoys biking, roller blading, listening to music at Casa del Mar, and all the other physical and cultural activities we are so fortunate to have within walking distance. (And all the friends and neighbors she runs into along the way!)
Marcy Winograd: Secretary
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Marcy Winograd moved to Ocean Park a year ago and quickly became involved in the community, volunteering for the farmers markets selection committee, serving as newly-elected Secretary to the Ocean Park Association, participating on the OPA Airport and Emergency Preparedness committees, and joining Santa Monica Greens. A former congressional peace candidate, Marcy enlisted local officials to sign a Ban the Jets pledge – promising not to fly jets into or out of Santa Monica Airport - and envisioning airport alternatives: an urban garden; expanded park; retirement community. As an English teacher for the Los Angeles Unified School District, Marcy has launched conflict-resolution programs and published writing books and lesson plans. Formerly a radio news broadcaster, Marcy can sometimes be heard on KPFK (90.7 FM), Los Angeles, guest-hosting on “Connect the Dots,” a show about world, state, and local politics. Married to Ira “Buddy” Gottlieb, a union-side labor lawyer, Marcy is thrilled to live in Ocean Park, where she can often be seen walking her daughter’s bear-dog at Hotchkiss Park.
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David Tann
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David became a Santa Monica resident in 1967 and a homeowner in Ocean Park in 1978. He has been a member of the Borderline Neighborhood Group for over 10 years where he has addressed local issues from trees and sidewalks, safety, traffic, crime and other concerns through committees and meetings. He is still active in his neighborhood.
Dave was a rough and finish carpenter working locally from the Malibu Colony to Amalfi Drive for many years. He appreciates local aesthetics combined with quality design and build, including sustainable materials.
As a surfer since the 1960s, David spent countless hours in the waters of Santa Monica Bay and has always had concerns for clean, healthy and thriving waters, including minimizing run off and toxins. David still pursues music through songwriting, recording and, occasionally, performing. As an OPA Board Member, David will weigh in with his experience, expertise and historical background to make Ocean Park a more livable community.
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Jim Lawson: Co-Vice President
Jim has been a Los Angeles resident since his graduation from Brown University in 1979 where he majored in Economics and Political Science. Jim has two grown children and he has been a resident of Ocean Park since 2009.
Jim enjoys the spirit of Ocean Park and he feels very fortunate to live in an area where people travel from around the world to visit. He is an avid cyclist and he is thrilled about the steps that Santa Monica is taking to enhance that activity.
Jim is a new member of the OPA Board (2011) and he is very excited to be involved in ways that make visitors and new residents feel as welcome to Ocean Park as he does.
Jim is an independent insurance broker who specializes in working with small businesses. His office has been in Beverly Hills (Wilshire and La Cienega) since 1983.
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