Meet the CLC Board
Glenn Oelker - President
Glenn Oelker grew up and completed his undergraduate (UC, Irvine) and medical education (UCLA) in Southern California. He practiced Comprehensive Ophthalmology for 32 years in San Luis Obispo County and northern Santa Barbara County, moving to Cayucos in 2014. Glenn was twice elected to the San Luis Coastal Unified Schools Board of Education, serving from 1998 to 2005. He also co-founded the T.E.A.C.H educational foundation, supporting students of that district. Glenn is married to Carol, a retired elementary and high school counselor. Several times a day, they can be found walking their Labrador Retriever, Pauli, up and down the beach and Hanglider Hill. Their two sons were raised in the area, one an architect and the other a laser/optics physicist on the faculty of the University of Glasgow.
Having been impressed with the accomplishments of the Cayucos Land Conservancy (CLC), in their efforts to establish a Cayucos greenbelt, Glenn joined their Board of Directors in 2015 and has been President since 2018. He is on the CLC Hillside Lot and Finance Committees, and is involved in interfacing with the Morro Bay Open Space Alliance and California State Parks. Interested in participating more in our community, Glenn also became a board member of the Cayucos Lions Club and the Cayucos Citizens Advisory Council. He was thrilled to be involved in CLC's preservation of “dog beach”, a major addition to the Cayucos greenbelt.
Malina Hills - Vice President
Malina Hills grew up in Walnut Creek near the foothills of Mt. Diablo. Science class field trips and the community effort to preserve the rolling hills inspired her to pursue a career in science and engineer ing.
She retired from The Aerospace Corporation in Los Angeles as Sr. VP of Space Systems Group. Since 2009, she and her partner, George, and their dog, Digger, have been avid beach, bluff and hillside walkers in Cayucos. In addition to the beautiful open spaces surrounding Cayucos, she appreciates the community spirit of its people, and hopes to contribute to the Conservancy’s community engagement
Tom Seville - Treasurer
Tom Seville grew up in a rural part of Southern California and has loved the outdoors since fishing with his father and camping with the Boy Scouts. In 1976 Tom graduated from San Diego State University with a degree in Zoology. After a time with the California Department of Food and Agriculture, Tom found his vocation as a Farm Manager, eventually leading to a MBA and 40 year career in the irrigation supply industry.
Tom and his wife Peggy first came to Cayucos in 1988 and were fortunate to move permanently to this lovely community in 2012. Both were struck with the beautiful ocean views, access to nature, and the ability to look away from the ocean and see rolling hills and open space. Tom soon realized the Cayucos Land Conservancy has been instrumental in preserving the land as Cayucos continues to offer its citizens, and visitors, a unique opportunity to experience the California Central Coast.
Tom is very pleased to volunteer, using his science background and business experience assisting the Cayucos Land Conservancy with its mission of preserving, and expanding, the greenbelt surrounding Cayucos for today’s, and future, generations.
Greg Bettencourt - Land Acquisition
Greg Bettencourt was born and raised in Cayucos. After attending college in Southern California, he moved back, as quickly as possible, to Cayucos with his wife, Mary, and two sons. He continued his teaching career at San Luis Obispo High School, where he taught English and served as a Guidance Counselor for 33 years.
During his career in education and in other volunteer undertakings, Greg developed and used skills in consensus building as well as organizational development and management. Greg became a founding member of the Cayucos Land Conservancy in 1999. While President from 2004 through 2012, he helped CLC transition from a fledgling land trust to an established organization with the capacity to meet its responsibilities into the distant future. He continues to serve as CLC’s Lands Committee Chairperson.
Aside from his family, Greg is attached to Cayucos beyond anything else. Its beautiful rural setting, people, history and lack of pretense are all a part of why he works to preserve Cayucos for his family and others. In addition to working to preserve Cayucos, Greg has spent much of the last 30 years advocating for public access (specifically trails) and land conservation throughout SLO County.
Lisa Bertrand - Title Consulting
Lisa Bertrand came to the Central Coast in 2004. A transplant from the Sacramento area, having worked in the title and industry for 40 years, she and her family wished to move back to this area of California for the sand, sea and surrounding hills/green spaces.
Lisa has been an invaluable volunteer, assisting first with the membership committee and now with the hillside parcel acquisitions.
Lisa first became interested in CLC when she worked with Roger Lyon on the Hearst Ranch conservation easement project. She credits her parents for her love of nature and the great out of doors and in conserving and protecting our natural resources.
Mary Bettencourt - Membership
Mary Bettencourt was born and raised in Southern California and has been a Cayucos resident since 1973. After receiving her Nursing Degree from Cuesta College, she worked at SLO General Hospital in the Medical-Surgical Department, managed the Outpatient Surgery Unit, went into the Quality Assurance/Risk Management Department until 2003, then worked as a visiting nurse until 2008.
In 2002, Mary began her involvement with the Cayucos Land Conservancy, working with membership services, and joined the CLC Board in 2003. She is the Membership Chair and is especially interested in communicating with CLC’s members, supporters and potential supporters. This year Mary has also been involved with the development of a new website for the organization.
Mary believes that the natural spaces around Cayucos cradle the spirit of our little town, giving residents and visitors room to breathe and the option of beauty anywhere they look.
Louisa Smith - Hillside Lots
Lou Smith is a fourth generation Californian, who was born and raised in Long Beach. In 1976, after attending City College, she moved to the Central Coast to attend Cal Poly. In 1978, she moved to Cayucos, finished her degree in Architecture in 1979, and started her professional career. By 1988, she had her own business, and in 1990 she was the only practicing female architect in SLO County. Lou raised her daughter in town and has been involved in a variety of community organizations through the years.
In 2005, Lou joined the CLC board. Her main focus is the purchase of the hillside lot parcels.
As an avid hiker, Lou believes in the importance of open space. And also as a practicing architect, she believes in growth, and that development can be accomplished successfully when good planning is implemented. Cayucos Land Conservancy is an organization much in line with Lou’s philosophy. She feels blessed to live in this special place.
Tim Ridout - Board Member
Tim Ridout grew up in McKinleyville, CA where he was immersed in nature from a very young age: utilizing the vast forest behind his childhood home, the Mad River on the south side of town, and the Pacific Ocean on the north. As a student coming to Cal Poly in 1990, Tim later explored and surfed the Central Coast extensively until he graduated in 1993. It was in this time he concluded Cayucos was his eventual destination, but “when” became the question. In 2002, he purchased his Cayucos home and was a “weekend warrior” until moving his family to Cayucos full time in 2009.
Tim and his wife Christine had their wedding reception at the Cayucos Veterans Ha ll, their two children who both started their educational journey at Cayucos Elementary, and now their third golden retriever Crosby calls the beautiful beaches of Cayucos his daily playground (just like the preceding two.) “Cayucos is truly a gem. Our fam ily loves the town with its true ‘community’ feel, and we are constantly out enjoying the beauty of its naturally endowed landscape. I am honored to serve in the preservation of the Cayucos greenbelt for current and future generations.”
Tim graduated from Cal Poly with a degree in Business Administration, concentrating in Finance and Accounting and moved to the Bay Area. He became a CPA with Price Waterhouse, and then worked the next two plus decades in executive financial management and administrative posi tions for a variety of high - growth technology companies. And since 2016, he has been giving back to his alma mater Cal Poly by teaching Accounting. Tim looks forward to utilizing his business knowledge and financial expertise to help in the stewardship of the Cayucos Land Conservancy and its important mission.
Amber Sandoval - Brand Management
Growing up on the Central Coast, Amber has an endless love for our clean beaches and the accessible open space that surrounds our coastal beach towns. Preserving this essence so that future generations can enjoy the upbringing she was so lucky to have, is a driving factor in her commitment to CLC's mission.
After attending the University of Hawaii, Amber returned home to the Central Coast to live in Cayucos. As a lifelong resident of the Estero Bay, she admires the Cayucos greenbelt daily from home and from her business, Mical Skincare, in downtown Cayucos. In her role with CLC, she hopes her contribution will grow awareness within the community and inspire the next generation to engage in land conservation.
