Nominee Bios by neighborhood
Boca
Ben Birdsong has lived on West Channel for 22 years commencing his time in the canyon in an apartment behind Cafe Delfini and later purchasing a house down the street with his wife Monica. His daughter Nada was previously at Canyon Elementary and is now a 6th grader at Sycamore Community School. Ben is currently serving as President of the BOCA Neighborhood Association. He has held various positions in the MedTech industry over the past 20 years.
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
Jade Chatham has lived in the canyon for 7 years. Jade, Chris and their three children Reeves, Harper and Maile started in the Canyon on Latimer and now live on East Rustic Road. Jade served on the board of Canyon Elementary School for two years where both Reeves and Harper were students. She is the co-founder of the Abundance Collective. Having grown up in Hawaii she loves being back in a such a wonderful community by the ocean and beautiful outdoor spaces.
Alex Hoerner has been a Canyon resident for 16 years. He and his partner Sara have a 15 year old son who is the 5th generation of the family to live on Mesa Rd. Currently he is an alternate for Area 7 on the Pacific Palisades Community Council.. Alex works in real estate, and previously worked in commercial photography.
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.
Julie Silliman and her family have lived in the Lower Rustic, Upper Santa Monica and Riviera neighborhoods for 15 yrs. She has served on the Rustic Park Advisory and SMCCA Boards, and Canyon School Governing Council for many years. Julie spent decades managing infrastructure and art projects for LA County, LA City, LA Metro, LA Redevelopment, and the City of SM.
Lower SM Canyon
Miriam Bookey has lived in the Canyon for 25 years. She and her husband, Justin, live on Amalfi Drive, directly across from Canyon Elementary School, where they wave hello to the teachers every morning. Their two sons attended Canyon, Paul Revere, and Pali High, and now live and work in the Bay Area. Many neighbors know Miriam from her daily dog walks with her dignified husky mix Otto (RIP) and her playful shepherd mix Niko. She has been active in the Kehillat Israel community and serves on its executive board. She runs a boutique marketing agency focused on audience research, strategy, and content, and is passionate about understanding what communities need and how to best serve and engage them.
Elizabeth Daniels has lived in The Canyon for 15 years. She is an architectural photographer and has been on the board of SMCCA since 2018.
Emil Schneeman has lived in Santa Monica Canyon for 26 years. His first home was on Entrada Drive next to the Argyle house. In 2005 he and his wife Brit purchased and restored their current home on lower Amalfi Drive. They have 3 sons who all attended Canyon Elementary. Their oldest son Luke just finished his freshman year at Georgetown University and is also volunteering for the Canyon Alliance. Emil is a local real estate agent for Berkshire Hathaway and an avid mountain biker.
Chantal Wunderlich moved in 2023 to the magical Santa Monica Canyon, where she finds the perfect balance between nature and city life. Originally from Switzerland and raised bilingually, she has been a practicing psychotherapist in Southern California for over 15 years.
Upper Rustic Canyon
Eric Balfour is a third generation Angeleno. His family has diverse roots across Los Angeles starting in Boyle Heights, where his Great Grandparents started. Now, he lives in Rustic Canyon with his wife and two children. Eric is the current President of The Rustic Canyon Park Advisory Board and dedicated to creating a strong and thriving community.
Robyn Buecker has lived in the Canyon for 6 years. She lives with her husband Brad and 3 kids: Beau (16), Jane (13) and Sammy (6). All three kids are currently attending Crossroads. They also have two Australian Cattle Dogs; Blue and Ollie and a cat named Jazzy. Robyn spent most of her career working for large internet media companies and software startups as a product manager. Robyn currently works for denim brand called The Only Jane. Robyn is the President of the board for Uplifters [an LLC for the private segments of Latimer and Haldeman].
Nada Kirkpatrick has lived in the Palisades for 30 years, the last 22 of those in the Canyon on Brooktree Road. She and her husband Karey raised their three children Sami, Maia, and Finn here in the Canyon. All of their kids attended Crossroads School where Nada served on the Board of Trustees for eleven years, including two years as Board Chair.
Marla Mayer moved to Hilltree Road from Tribeca/NYC in 2013 with husband Chris Ahearn and kids (Aidan now 25 in Dallas and Helena now 23 in NYC) and dog Shashi (now 14). The kids attended New Roads School, and Marla served on the board for 6 years. Marla is a finance and human capital professional and worked for Goldman Sachs for 18 years – she has served significant interim and consulting roles since. She’s served on 4 nonprofit boards and 2 councils in NY and LA, and continues to consult and invest.
Tamyka Smith has been a Canyon resident for 10 years, spending her first 5 years on East Channel Road and the last 5 years in Upper Rustic Canyon on Latimer Road. She has three daughters, her youngest currently attending Canyon Charter Elementary as well as two proud Canyon Charter alumni currently attending Paul Revere and Malibu High. Tamyka’s professional background is in film and media and has enjoyed applying those skills to her philanthropic efforts having served as a board member for Edible Schoolyard NYC, The Last Girl, a partnership with award winning activist Ruchira Gupta as well as serving as an advisor to Planned Parenthood. In her free time she enjoys poetry, nature and baking as much as possible.
Upper SM Canyon
Kerry Dolan has lived on Kingman for 12 years, beginning as a renter with Marylyn and Cliff before purchasing her home a few years later. She’s a dedicated mom of three—her identical twin daughters are entering their senior year at SMU in Dallas, and her son will be a senior at Palisades High School this fall. All three children attended Canyon, Paul Revere, and Pali. Kerry is an entrepreneur and recently wrote her first book.
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.
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.