Lake County Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors 2024
MATTHEW METCALF
PRESIDENT (2020 - 2025)
I have lived in Lake County for four years now after twenty years living and working in San Francisco. You may know me as the former Food & Beverage Director and Events Director for Hidden Valley Lake Association. I currently sit on the Middletown Area Merchants Association (MAMA) and Lake County Winery Association (LCWA) Boards of Directors. I recently became a Certified Tourism Ambassador (CTA) for Lake County as well. I try to involve myself in our local community as much as possible through volunteer and charity work. I have participated in every Lake County School Career Day I can find and always find somewhere and someone to cook for when we have had local wildfires. I went to Chico after the Paradise fire and worked at the World Central Kitchen operation. Another project, I personally made 150 jars of jam and donated all of the proceeds to a local organization, Totes for Teens.I feel that Lake County has extreme potential, unmatched beauty and wonderful people. Ultimately, my goal is to do my part to accentuate those things, especially by using my unique skill set in the hospitality industry. I am always proud to serve my community and being a Lake County Chamber Director allows me to expand on that service.
MARK LIPPS - Ripe Choice Farm & Catering
BOARD OF DIRECTORS (2022 - 2024)
I was a career executive in the TV industry proficient in developing strategies for a vision and then getting things done. In one of the projects I was involved in during my 16 years with the Fox Broadcasting Network, we implemented strategies that netted the company almost $93 million annually. After taking early retirement from Fox, I became the CEO of the Manhattan Beach, CA, Chamber of Commerce. I managed the organization out of a river of red ink into the black. We achieved double-digit growth in 18-months, increased B2B membership by 40%, and significantly increased sponsorships and fundraising. By increasing the Chamber’s public profile with major influencers and developing successful special events, I put the Chamber back on the map. I have also spent my time volunteering (taking textbooks to Guatemalan schools, working with special ed kids, developed an environmental expo to educate our South Bay community, involved in Manhattan Beach city commissions and city council, substitute teaching); knocked off a few bucket list items (traveled extensively, 135-mile kayak race on a Louisiana bayou, skydiving with my sons, etc.). My salad days were surviving with bartending and waiting tables. I helped open the Sheraton Premiere Hotel in Los Angeles as a 5-star trained bartender. I grew up mainly in the Midwest. I have lived in NY, LA, Chicago, Dallas, Milwaukee, Springfield, MO and now Lakeport CA. I have experience managing relationships as a news director, pitching TV shows for MTM and Rysher Entertainment, managing the culture of the Fox Network with all of our affiliated TV stations regarding sales and marketing and the Manhattan Beach Chamber of Commerce. Now I am involved helping my wife expand her catering business at THE RIPE CHOICE FARM & CATERING here in Lakeport. I have taken leadership training through the Ziglar Company in Dallas; Leadership Manhattan Beach and Rotary Leadership Program. I believe my leadership and creative skills combined with my passion for building up local business feels like a great fit at the Lake County Chamber of Commerce.
ALEX NUÑEZ - NALAS CLEANING EXPERTISE
BOARD OF DIRECTORS (2023 - 2025)
Alex Nuñez moved to Lake County in April of 2021. She previously worked as an at-home medical interpreter, then moved north and started Nala's Cleaning Expertise in Santa Rosa. Alex took a job in Lakeport and decided to move her headquarters to Lake County. She's met incredible people and has felt welcomed in the community since day one.
Alex's goals for the future include growing her company, and eventually being able to hire a full staff. She and her company are currently sponsoring a young woman near and dear to her heart to go to university. Alex hopes to continue this legacy in the future for other low income children with good grades that want to better their lives.
She is currently on the Board of Directors for the Lake County Chamber of Commerce as well as a member of the Rotary Club of Lakeport.
DON SMITH - ADVENTIST HEALTH CLEAR LAKE
BOARD OF DIRECTORS (2024 - 2026)
DIANE PLANTE - TOMKINS TAX CONSULTANTS
BOARD OF DIRECTORS (2024 - 2026)
PAMELA HESTON-BECHTOL - MENDOCINO COMMUNITY COLLEGE
BOARD OF DIRECTORS (2024 - 2026)
Pamela Heston-Bechtol is the Director of Employer Partnership for the North Far North Regional Consortium, serving Mendocino College. She holds a Master's in Leadership and is a part-time faculty member in Administration of Justice. As a representative of higher education at Mendocino College on the Lake County Chamber Board, Pamela is a strong advocate for DEIA initiatives and promotes apprenticeships. As a lifelong learner and public servant, she is deeply committed to fostering community and inclusion.
KENDALL FULTS - FULTS FAMILY VINEYARDS
DIRECTOR - ONE-YEAR PRESIDENT'S APPOINTMENT (2024)
Kendall Fults is a retired RN healthcare executive who was born in Norton, KS on April 28, 1953 and grew up on the homesteaded family farm and cattle ranch. He attended K-8 District #2 McCarty School, a one room school his father and grandparents attended and received his high school education from Platte Valley Academy, Shelton, Nebraska, graduating in 1971. Kendall obtained his RN diploma from Bryan School of Nursing in Lincoln, Nebraska in 1981 after taking college work at Kearney State College, University of Nebraska and Union College.
Kendall began work at St Elizabeth Hospital Burn Center in 1981-1985 and through training became a burn trauma flight nurse until 1986 when he began working for Adventist Health in Hanford, CA. As an Emergency Room nurse. Starting an administrative career in 1988 by developing an Occupational Health program (Jobcare) for Hanford Community Hospital and holding many positions including, Marketing Director, start up of Charitable Foundation, executive of Kings Heath Medical Group and hospital ancillaries, development of Rural Health Clinic network, which is now second largest in America, COO of Central Valley General Hospital which was acquired by Hanford Community Medical Center in 1998. Kendall was asked to interview for the CEO of Adventist Health’s Redbud Community Hospital after filling in as interim CEO in 2001 and served in this role until 2005 when he was asked to return to Hanford to assist the executive team to build a new hospital there. The new hospital was finished in 2010 and Kendall retired from Adventist Health in 2017 after overseeing the outpatient services as Sr. VP of the four network hospitals, Adventist Health -Selma, Adventist Health -Reedley, Adventist Health -Hanford and Central Valley General Hospital.
Kendall received the prestigious Willard Bridwell in 2016 awarded for humanitarian service.Kendall and his wife Allison are now retired in Lake County where they are enjoying time with grand children Lola , Kenlee and Cru and helping his son Dustin with the development of Fults Family Vineyards.
For fun Kendall enjoys serving at Rotary as a board member and past Rotary President of Hanford Rotary Club, Rotary member since 1990, past board member for Lake County Fire Protection District, board member of Lake County Wine Association and member of Adventist Health-Clearlake community board. Kendall enjoys designing and fabricating custom stained glass windows and instructing students in the art.
KRISTEN CALLAHAN - MAGIC MEADOWS
DIRECTOR - ONE-YEAR PRESIDENT'S APPOINTMENT (2024)
Kristen grew up in Baltimore, learning early how to grow plants and raise animals . Her family owned a small gardening business called The Potting Shed. After losing her land in the Valley Fire, Kristen assumed management of the 229-acre Magic Meadow Farms, deemed by regulators as a Model Farm. Kristen has won numerous awards for products she has created and for her innate understanding of the ecosystem; making it work in harmony via regenerative farming techniques.
GREG FOLSOM
INTERIM ADMINISTRATOR AND SECRETARY OF THE BOARD
I have been a Lake County resident since 2015 and held the job of City Manager for the City of Clearlake from 2015 to 2019. From 2019 to 2024 I was the City Manager of Suisun City in Solano County, but maintained my home here in Lake County with the intention of retiring here some day. "Some day" came in 2023 and my wife and I sold our home in Solano County in 2024 and returned to Lake County to live our best lives in retirement. Full retirement only lasted a couple of months, and I am currently the Interim Administrator while the Board reviews the needs of the organization, both now and in the future, so that they will have a clear understanding of the type of structure to best move forward with and what type of individual would be best to lead the Chamber to even greater heights. I have nearly 30 years of experience in government, including 20 years in Economic Development roles with a large city and a large county. I hold a Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration from San Jose State and a Master’s degree in Business Administration from USC.