Our Board

Donna Lind, President. Retired Sergeant from the Scotts Valley Police Department with 38 years of service with the City of Scotts Valley. Donna began her career as an Emergency Dispatcher, Dispatch Supervisor and later became a sworn peace officer. She worked various assignments including Patrol, Juvenile, Investigations and became a Sergeant with assignments in Patrol and Investigations. Donna continues to volunteer for the Scotts Valley Police Department as a Reserve Officer and in November 2008 was elected to the Scotts Valley City Council. She has served on the Board of Directors for the Fallen Officer Foundation since 2006.

Mike “Mac” McMillan, Vice President. Mac began his career in law enforcement in 1973 with the Mountain View Police Department. During his career, he worked with Los Altos Police, Watsonville Police, Santa Clara DA’s Office and retired in 2005 after 26 years with the Santa Cruz Sheriff’s Office. Mac’s tenure included working assignments such as Patrol, Investigations, Narcotics and Training. He is currently working part time for Marina Police Department and South Bay Academy as an instructor. Mac is a founding member of the Fallen Officer Foundation due to the loss of great friends and instructors, Robert Jones and Herb Ross, whom he misses daily. Mac currently serves as the Vice President of the Fallen Officer Foundation.

Liz Flores, Treasurer. Liz is a CPA, and an Accredited Personal Financial Specialist by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA). She also is a Registered Investment Advisor with the State of California. Her investment advisory practice is located in Scotts Valley, California. She is a board member of the AICPA Personal Financial Planning Executive Committee. Many of the members of her immediate and extended family currently serve or have retired from law enforcement. She has been a member of the Board of the Fallen Officer Foundation since 2005 and serves as the Treasurer.

Sharron Mouras. Sharron retired as a Criminal Investigator from the Santa Clara District Attorney’s Office after eight years of service and thirty-one years of total law enforcement service. Prior to the DA’s Office, Sharron was a Sergeant at UCSC PD for seven years; having promoted after working six years as an Investigator/Patrol Officer with UC Davis Police Department. Sharron began her career in law enforcement as a matron at the Santa Cruz Sheriff’s Department in 1971, and became one of the Department’s first female deputies in 1974. She patrolled San Lorenzo Valley prior to her employment with UC Davis PD in 1981. Sharron is our newest Board member and has recently volunteered her service at Santa Cruz Sheriff’s Department, Investigations Bureau; working cold homicide cases.

Colleen McMahon. Lieutenant Colleen McMahon has been with the Santa Cruz Police Department since 1989. She has served in Patrol, Investigations, Street Crimes as an undercover officer and unit supervisor, School Resource Officer, Patrol Sergeant, and Administrative Sergeant. Colleen was the first School Resource Officer in the county and served on many committees to address juvenile issues. Colleen is active in her community and has been a board member of the Fallen Officer Foundation in Santa Cruz County since its first year. She also teaches motorcycle safety courses at the local community college for the California Motorcycle Safety Program and the Motorcycle Safety Foundation. When she’s not working, you can find Colleen riding motorcycles across town and across the country. Colleen is also the proud mother of Justine Hamer, a Marina Police Department Officer.

Barbara Rizzieri Lansdowne. Santa Cruz County Deputy District Attorney. Barbara Rizzieri Lansdowne has been a prosecutor for over twenty years. The last eighteen years she has been with the Santa Cruz County District Attorney’s Office. She feels honored to be on the board of the Fallen Officer Foundation, not only because her husband is a lieutenant with the Santa Cruz Sheriff’s Office but also to support the many officers and deputies with whom she has worked with in the past.

James (Jim) Almeida. Jim Almeida is a founding member of the Fallen Officer Foundation who has helped to shape both the organization and its mission. Jim is a Santa Cruz County Attorney, whose practice area is civil litigation. In addition to board membership of the Fallen Officer Foundation, Jim is a Board Member and Past President of the Santa Cruz County Trial Lawyer Association. He has also been awarded the Pro Bono Award by the Santa Cruz County Bar Association for his work providing legal services to disadvantaged Santa Cruz County residents. Jim moved to Santa Cruz to attend UCSC and stayed to raise three sons as a single parent. Jim enjoys his work on this Board because the dedication and the spirit of the first responders of Santa Cruz County exemplify the spirit of community that convinced Jim to make Santa Cruz his home.

Lawrence (Larry) M. Brenner, Attorney. Larry received his B.A. degree from the University of Pennsylvania, his M.A. degree from the University of Maryland. Formerly a professor of sociology at the University of Kansas, Larry received his J.D. from Columbus School of Law, Catholic University of America and was admitted to the Bar in Maryland, the District of Columbia, and California in following years. He moved to Santa Cruz in 1989 and became a partner at the firm Comstock, Thompson, Kontz and Brenner, where he specializes in Estate Planning, Probate and Trust Administration and general business law, including Corporations, LLC’s, Partnerships and Real Property Law. Larry is a Past President of the Santa Cruz Bar Association and of the Santa Cruz Bar Lawyer Referral Service. Larry is currently a member of the California Bar Business Section and the Santa Cruz Estate Planning Council. His community affiliations include the Santa Cruz Boys & Girls Club (board member and Past President), Santa Cruz Rotary (board member). and Fallen Officer Foundation (board member).

Martha Victoria Vega.Police Service Specialist Martha Victoria Vega has been with the Watsonville Police Department since 2003. She has served in Patrol, Property & Evidence Section, Investigation Bureau, and is currently part of the CSI Team. Martha previously worked as a Legal Secretary for Monterey County District Attorney Office, both Child Support Division and Criminal Division and began her career as a Deputy Court Clerk for Monterey County Superior Court in the Criminal, Traffic, and Civil Divisions. Martha has worked in several areas of the law enforcement community since 1994. Martha enjoys helping people and making a difference in her community. Martha became a board member of the Fallen Officer Foundation shortly after attending the 6th Annual F.O.F. Ball in February 2011. On a more personal side of Martha, she enjoys photography, traveling in the United States and abroad, spending time with her family, friend, cooking, and pursuing her education.

James Ross, Sergeant, Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office.

Kenny Simon. Kenny started his professional career in 1998 as an EMT in Santa Clara County. He then became a paramedic in 1999, working in Santa Cruz County. In 2001, he started his fire service career as a Firefighter Paramedic with the City of Watsonville. In 2008, he transferred to the City of Gilroy and finally found his way home with the City of Santa Cruz Fire Department in 2009. He graduated from Cabrillo College with a degree in Liberal Studies and recently has been teaching with the County Office of Education, Regional Occupation Program in Fire Technology. We welcome Kenny as our newest board member with the resignation of Josh Birnbaum in October 2011.

In Memoriam:

John Tripodi lost his valiant battle with cancer on February 23, 2011, just 12 days after attending the 6th Annual F.O.F. Ball with his beautiful wife, Jackie, many family members and friends. A memorial service was held at Twin Lake Church on Saturday, March 5th to honor and remember John. The F.O.F. board will never forget his willingness to always be there and for his support to the first responders of Santa Cruz County.

John started his firefighting career in 1990 with Central Fire of Santa Cruz County. During his career, he was involved with the wellness/fitness program, rescue committee, and the hiring of new recruits. John also competed in several Firefighter Olympics in the fitness events and the World’s Toughest Firefighter Challenge. His career came to an unexpected end in 2005 when he was diagnosed with kidney and lung cancer, two separate, primary cancers. John retired from the fire service in 2006 with work-related cancer. He was a recipient of the help from the Fallen Officer Foundation and wanted to give back so he became a board member of the Fallen Officer Foundation.