President

Joyce Strand moved to Ramona in 2006 and experienced the Witch Creek Fire soon after arriving. Prior to retirement, she led corporate communications at multiple biotechnology and high-tech companies in California’s Silicon Valley for more than 25 years. She is also the author of published mystery novels.

Joyce values Ramona’s scenic hillsides and farmland and believes the community can be a leader in creating a land-friendly environment that supports a viable local economy. She holds a B.A. in Political Science from Dickinson College and a Ph.D. in International Politics from George Washington University.

Donna Barnes and her husband moved to Ramona in 1978 for the love of the land and raised two sons there. She spent her career in nursing and is now retired.

Her admiration for Ramona’s oaks, manzanitas, sages, wildlife, and beautiful sunrises and sunsets led her to Sustainable Ramona, where she hopes to help support, sustain, and serve the local environment.

Larry (Barney) Barnes moved to Ramona in 1978 for the love of the land. He and his wife Donna raised two sons in the community. Larry worked in computer-related fields before retiring.

Like his wife, Larry’s appreciation for Ramona’s natural landscape and wildlife drew him to Sustainable Ramona, where he supports efforts to sustain and protect the local environment.

Treasurer

Molly Begent and her husband David moved to Ramona in 2008 after retiring from a successful San Diego–based biotech construction company. They settled on the historic Old Owen Ranch along Highland Valley Road, overlooking the Ramona Grasslands County Preserve.

They transformed the ranch into a large art space while taking meaningful steps to reduce their carbon footprint, including installing a large rooftop solar array. Molly owns 2Create Gallery, a nonprofit art space in historic downtown Ramona that also houses The Art Center. The ranch hosts numerous community events, including the Ramona Earth Day Festival.

Robert E. Krysak is a practicing attorney with extensive civic leadership experience in Ramona. He served as President of the Ramona Chamber of Commerce from 2015 to 2018 and currently serves as Treasurer. He is a former member and Chairman of the Ramona Municipal Water District Board of Directors and represented Ramona on the San Diego County Water Authority Board.

Robert has also served on the Ramona Town Hall Board, founded and chaired the Committee for a Better Ramona, and currently serves on multiple local boards, including the Ramona Food & Clothes Closet and the Ramona Leadership Council. In 2023, he became President of the Ramona Bar Association.

Rob Lewallen is an architectural designer and California building contractor who has specialized in energy-efficient design and construction since the mid-1970s. Over the past 45 years, he has designed and built more than 300 homes and numerous remodels in the Ramona area.

Rob has held leadership roles on the Ramona Community Planning Group, Ramona Design Review Board, Ramona Village Design Committee, and the Ramona H.E.A.R.T. Mural Project. He is also a performing musician and was the 2022 recipient of the Ramona Chamber of Commerce Lifetime Achievement Award.

Belinda Long devoted 35 years to teaching after studying Early Childhood Development. Born in Mobile, Alabama during the Civil Rights Movement, her early exposure to social justice shaped her worldview. Extensive travel throughout Europe and living in Japan further broadened her perspective.

As a teacher, Belinda emphasized nature-based learning, introducing children to planting, composting, silkworms, and tadpole development to demonstrate natural sustainability processes. She moved to Ramona in 1997 so her two sons could grow up in a small rural community and is honored to support Sustainable Ramona’s work.

Megan Otto is a Water Resources Engineer specializing in watershed and stormwater quality planning, green infrastructure design, and climate hazard analysis. She grew up in Ramona and returned in 2018 with her husband and two children.

Megan enjoys hiking, biking with her kids, and birdwatching, and is passionate about supporting sustainability-driven efforts in her hometown. She also serves on the Ramona–Barona Climate Adaptation and Action Plan Community Advisory Committee.

Secretary

Michelle Sund has lived in Ramona since 2013 and has long been an advocate for “Reduce, Reuse, Recycle.” She was bringing reusable containers to restaurants decades before it was common practice.

Michelle’s career began in the defense industry, followed by five years at the Ramona Chamber of Commerce before retiring in 2023. She currently supports the Ramona H.E.A.R.T. Mural Project and Friends of the Ramona Library and enjoys Ramona’s slower pace of life with her husband and two dogs.