Board of Directors

Cherie was born and raised on the Monterey Peninsula. She attended college in Belmont, CA before moving to Seattle, WA to work for the Seattle School District. Cherie has a Master of Arts degree in Organizational Management and over 40 years’ experience in international and domestic human resource management. She was a longtime volunteer with the American Red Cross, serving twice on the Seattle region’s board of directors as well as holding numerous other leadership positions. Other volunteer activities included board president of a children’s institute, community goals volunteer for United Way, guild member at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, and board member of the Carmel Valley Village Improvement Committee (CVVIC). Cherie was presented with the Carmel Valley Community Good Egg Award in 2022. Her interests include traveling, reading fiction, and working on an endless list of home renovation projects. Cherie joined the board in March 2014 and currently chairs the Society’s Exhibit Committee. She also coordinates the docent program and writes a monthly newsletter for docents.

Jeff was born and raised in Rhinelander, Wisconsin. In 1966 he graduated from the University of Minnesota with a Bachelor of Science in Aeronautical Engineering. He then worked in Boeing’s Commercial Airplane Flight Deck Design and Flight Crew Operations departments until retiring in 2004.

Jeff first volunteered for the Historical Society in 2012 and is currently serving a third term on the Board. As a CVHS Historian, he has authored over a dozen diverse histories on Carmel Valley. He has also curated several exhibits, serves as docent, and is responsible for the Society’s website and History Center’s facility and maintenance work. Jeff is a regular contributor to the Society’s Historian newsletter and regularly gives talks to the Community on the history of Carmel Valley. In 2022, he was awarded the Community’s Good Egg award.

Jeff and his wife Cherie now live in Carmel Valley Village where he is the family historian and enjoys woodworking, photography, and maintaining and showing his 1960s classic cars.

Dave grew up in Chicago, Illinois and in 1972 graduated BA in Economics from Northwestern University. A Carmel Valley resident since 1991, he has extensive experience in management marketing, and sales in diverse organizations. His past volunteer activities include President of Business Networking International Monterey, President of Platinum Networking Organization, and President of the Monterey Chapter of Porsche Club of America. He also has authored automotive books and videos. Dave currently is an executive advisor of the Monterey Bay Region Porsche Club of America and is an active real estate Broker Associate with David Lyng Real Estate as well as owner of a product and interior design company. In March 2014, Dave became Treasurer of Carmel Valley Historical Society.

Born in Ohio, Robin attended Miami University and UC Berkeley majoring in Russian literature and language. After working for the nonprofit Santa Cruz Community Counseling Center in Santa Cruz, she moved to Carmel and then to Carmel Valley Village 23 years ago. She has served as a docent at Garland Ranch Regional Park and also at Point Lobos State Natural Reserve and also served on the Board of Directors of the Carmel Valley Association and Carmel Valley Art Association. Her hobbies include hiking, birding, dogs, gardening, reading, and spending time with her children and grandchildren. Robin became a CVHS docent in 2021 and joined the CVHS Board in April 2022.

Ellsworth was an early member and past CVHS President from 1992-2007. He also chaired the California Cowboy Show fundraiser from 1994-2008, raising over $100,000 to help build the History Center. Ellsworth also arranged for the History Center’s long term property lease from the Carmel Valley Recreation and Park District. In 2004, the Carmel Valley Chamber of Commerce awarded Ellsworth its Good Egg award. He and his wife Trudi Hart were active museum docents until 2014. A U.S. Army WWII veteran, he has been the Peninsula’s premier piano tuner since 1989. He and Trudi are longtime residents of Carmel Valley.

A fourth generation Californian from a pioneer Gilroy family, Elizabeth is a regional writer whose columns and feature articles on Central Coast history have appeared in local newspapers and magazines since 1979. She graduated summa cum laude from Ripon College, Wisconsin with a BA in Spanish and earned a MA in Spanish Literature from George Mason University, Virginia. She has published three books, including Images of America: Carmel Valley. She has held offices in the local chapters of the Daughters of the American Revolution, the National Society, Colonial Dames of America in California, and also serves on the Monterey County Historical Advisory Commission. She and her husband Deck are both founding members of the Historical Society where she was Chair of the Collections Committee, Board Member and Recording Secretary, and was an active docent for many years. At home, she enjoys cooking, gardening, rescuing cats and following the San Francisco Giants. After living in Carmel Valley for 38 years, they are now retired and live in Monterey.