Board of Directors
Una J. M. Glass
President
Ms. Glass joined Coastwalk California as Executive Director in 2008 until her retirement in August of 2017. Una is now serving the Coastwalk mission as its newest Board Member. In her tenure as Executive Director, Una nurtured Coastwalk’s expansion to that of a Statewide organization with the establishment of the California Coastal Trail Association. She is a long term supporter of the coast and a dedicated conservation advocate. She brought thirty plus years of management experience to Coastwalk having served in executive positions in both non-profit and for profit organizations. She has been a principal in several software and high tech businesses, and served as the CFO for a public broadcasting station for seven years. Ms. Glass is also experienced in public policy and issue advocacy having worked as a consultant in that arena and as staff to an elected official. She has served on the boards of several environmental as well as business organizations. She served as Mayor of Sebastopol, California, is currently a Sebastopol City Council member and also services on the Advisory Board of the Robert Redford Conservancy for Southern California Sustainability. She lives in Sonoma County.
Mike Minky
Board Treasurer
Mike Minky resides in Los Angeles County and is a retired CPA and has been a member, volunteer and Walk Leader of Coastwalk’s multi-day guided hikes since 2003. Mike’s first Coastwalk was joining the 2003 Border to Border Walk for 3 weeks on the San Simeon to Carpinteria leg. As land acquisitions have opened up new trails on the Central Coast, Mike has been leading Coastwalks and introducing and educating people about the California Coastal Trail and the importance of completing this iconic coastal trail in every county. Mike has camped on beaches all around the world. He is currently serves on the Board of ACE – the Association for Cultural Equity.
Jack Leutza
Board Member
Jack Leutza has been a Coastwalk volunteer and member since 1990. A volunteer with the San Francisco County Walks team, Jack has coordinated more than 10 summer walks, been a day hike leader, wrangled campers gear and cooked meals for walkers. Jack and his wife Marsha have enjoyed eight other Coastwalk county walks. Jack is a fourth generation coastal Californian, a UC Davis Political Science/Economics graduate, and retired from a 40 public service career. For more than 30 years, Jack was an analyst, policy advisory and manager at the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) where he advised Commissioners on energy and and telecommunications regulatory issues. He represented the CPUC and the state before Federal Agencies and Congress advocating policies and consumer practices in California’s public interest. Jack is also committed to community and environmental issues. He was a Proposition 20 volunteer in the early 1970s and strongly advocated Coastal preservation policies. He has served as a board member for the Haight Ashbury Free Clinic’s Women’s Needs Center and been Board President of an affordable child care center for San Francisco government workers. In retirement, Jack became a UC Master Gardner and is actively supports community education that promotes sustainable and low toxic garden practices. After many years residence in the central Bay Area, Jack has lived in Petaluma since 2004.
Karen Ferlito
Board Member
Karen Ferlito joins the Coastwalk Board of Directors as the representative for the City of Carmel by the Sea. Karen and her husband, Hugo, have live in Carmel for over 30 years. Karen served on the City of Carmel’s Forest and Beach Commission for 16 years. She also served on the Board of the Big Sur Land Trust for 9 years, including 2 as Board President. Karen is the President of Friends of Mission Trail Nature Preserve. She is a founding member of Friends of Carmel Forest and LandWatch Monterey County. She has also been a volunteer event board member of the Big Sur International Marathon. Karen was elected to a 4 year term on the City Council of Carmel by the Sea in November 2020.
Cea Higgins
Board Coastal Advisor
Cea Higgins served as the Executive Director of Coastwalk/ California Coastal Trail Association until 2020 and now serves as the organization’s Advocacy Coordinator. Her career includes serving as the Policy and Volunteer Coordinator for Sonoma Coast Surfrider Foundation, where she has coordinated beach clean-ups and conducted youth and community marine debris education programs for the last 20 years. Cea was also selected by NOAA to serve on the Greater Farallones National Marine Sanctuary Advisory Council and chaired the Sediment Management Working Group working with governmental agencies and County planning departments to develop climate-smart adaptation policies to more effectively deal with coastal erosion and sea level rise. She is the coastal representative on the Sonoma County Water Coalition, which focuses on improving water quality. In addition, she is a founding member of the Bodega Bay Collaborative, which sponsors town halls, community forums, and provides a voice to unincorporated coastal areas. Cea also helped establish the Sonoma County Marine Protected Areas Collaborative, where she works with scientific institutions, environmental NGOs, and tribal governments to raise awareness of the value of marine protected areas amongst coastal residents and visitors. Cea earned a BS in Education from the University of Virginia and a Masters in Science in Curriculum Design & Atypical Learning from the University of Wisconsin. To improve her ability to advocate for coastal preservation, she earned a Juris Doctorate with honors from Concord Law School. An avid surfer, hiker, and trained in marine mammal and sea bird rescue, Cea believes in giving back to the ocean and coast that she is blessed to enjoy and work to protect.
Dr. Charles Lester
Board Secretary
Dr. Charles Lester is the director of the Ocean and Coastal Policy Center in the Marine Science Institute at UC Santa Barbara, where he researches, writes, and consults about sea level rise, coastal resilience, and other aspects of California coastal law and policy. Charles previously worked for the California Coastal Commission for twenty years, including serving as the agency’s fourth executive director from 2011 to 2016. Previously, Charles was an assistant professor of political science at the University of Colorado, Boulder, where he taught environmental law and policy, with a focus on public lands governance and coastal zone management. He received his Ph.D. and J.D. from UC Berkeley, and a B.A. in Geochemistry from Columbia University.
Greg Cox
Board Member
Greg Cox represents the First District on the San Diego County Board of Supervisors. Supervisor Cox has served on the California Coastal Commission and was sworn in as President of the National Association of Counties in July, 2018. Supervisor Cox has a long and distinguished history of public service. Prior to joining the San Diego County Board of Supervisors in 1995, Supervisor Cox served on the Chula Vista City Council and as the city’s Mayor. He also served in the Governor’s office of Planning and Research and was an educator and public school administrator. He has served as the President of both the California League of Cities and the California State Association of Counties. Greg Cox has been a dedicated advocate for trails, parks, and outdoor recreation. He has had a critical role in the creation of the Bayshore Bikeway, a 24-mile loop that circles San Diego Bay and has been recognized as one of the best bike paths in the nation. He is also working to complete the San Diego portion of the California Coastal Trail.