Meet the nominees
Boca
Joan Kramer (Joni) has been a resident of Santa Monica Canyon for 22 years. She and her husband Aaron reside on Mabery Road where they raised their two daughters, both of whom went to Canyon School, where she served both in the Booster Club and the Governing Board. She has been a Board member of BOCA, serving as the President for 10 years. She is also a board member for Chrysalis, an LA based non profit since 2010, serving as Board Chair from 2020 to 2023. She, along with her husband and dog Squid love calling the Canyon their home.
Wes Hough has been a Canyon resident for 29 years. He has served on the Boca Neighborhood Association board for 29 years, on the SMCCA board for 15 years and as Treasurer of SMCCA since last year. Wes is a financial consultant to state and local governments and their agencies and authorities, not-for-profits and other entities that secure funding in the capital markets.
Doug Suisman has lived in the Canyon for 32 years. He and his wife Moye raised their two children on Mabery Rd., and they attended Canyon School, Paul Revere, and Pali High. Doug has served on the Boca Neighborhood Association board for 32 years, and served as President for 10 years. He is an architect and urban designer, and has served as Interim President of SMCCA since February 2025.
Lower Rustic Canyon
David Jackson has had the great fortune of living on East Rustic Road for 35 years. Ten years ago he became a board member of SMCCA, and was also one four board members of Lower Rustic Canyon Homeowners, where he helped fund, through donations, a broad creekside vegetation cutting and removal of dead, fire-prone trees. He is a retired TV director/writer, a painter/artist, and the father of three adult sons. He is married to Katie Sparks. His house has a red door and two red chairs on the front porch, and he is happy to hear your thoughts on any Canyon subject or concern.
Brooke Fischer has lived in the Canyon for 17 years with her husband, Chad, their daughter, Violet, who attends Archer, and their two dogs, Cooper and Murphy. After many years in advertising, Brooke started her own freelance graphic design business. She is also a fine art painter and rediscovered her love of jewelry making at Rustic Canyon Rec Center. Brooke has volunteered throughout the Canyon community, starting with Rustic Canyon Co-op Nursery School and Canyon School, where she designed both school logos, yearbooks, sponsorship banners, and Fiesta signs. She believes there is no better place in LA to live than in the Canyon.
William "Max" Reynal is a marketing executive with over 20 years of experience in financial services, including leadership roles at Credit Suisse and UBS, where he led marketing, content strategy, and investor communications for the Americas. A four-year resident of Rustic Canyon, Max is married to Kristine Reynal who is a managing director at the Bank of America Private Bank, and the parent of three children and their beloved dog Coco. In addition to his professional career, he is a contemporary artist and writer whose work explores themes of consciousness, creativity, and human connection. He looks forward to contributing to the Canyon community by joining the Canyon Alliance Board.
Whitney Bedford
Upper SM Canyon
Jenny Li is a native Angeleno and has lived on Kingman for 13 years. She is married to Luis Li and they have a daughter in her third year of college at University of Chicago. Before moving to the Canyon, they lived in the Alphabet streets of Pacific Palisades for 15 years. Jenny is a retired lawyer and has volunteered with many organizations, including Pacific Palisades Community Council as Vice President, Area 7 representative and currently, as Treasurer. She also has been a board member of Santa Monica Canyon Civic Association.
Ron Staake
Allison Diftler has lived on Kingman Ave for twenty-one years. She is married to William Goldenberg, and they raised their two children, Nathan (26) and Erin (22), in the canyon. She was a professional dancer performing throughout the United States and Europe with Jennifer Muller/The Works. She has been a member of the Visual and Performing Arts Board at SMMUSD and a board member of Dance Camera West. She is a certified grief educator and facilitates grief groups for teens and adults.
Reese Relfe has lived in the canyon for 26 years - 8 in Rustic Canyon, and 18 in Upper Santa Monica Canyon on San Lorenzo St. She has worked in the arts field for forty years and is now recently retired from accessory design. Involved with many organizations, she has served on the board of Everychild Foundation, as well as on the board of directors of SMCCA for 15 years. She is continually inspired by the history and uniqueness of the Canyon.
Marilyn Wexler and her husband Cliff Merlo moved to Kingman Ave. in 1992. She is a native Angeleno and has a large interest in the city’s history. A few years after moving to Kingman she took a seat on the Santa Monica Canyon Civic Association’s board of directors, then became secretary and for the past six years has served as president. She retired from a forty year career in biomedical physics and is currently serving as chairman of the board for the Institute for Public Strategy, a nonprofit involved with public health issues surrounding underserved communities.