Board of Directors

Impact100 Sonoma is governed by an all-volunteer Board of Directors, each of whom is responsible for a particular aspect and function of operation. Board members also chair the committees of volunteers who keep the organization running.  If you are interested in participating on our Board, please contact our Governance Chair, Debbe Noto at governance@impact100sonoma.org.

Download a board application form

Lynne Lancaster, Co-President

Lynne is a co-founder of Lancaster Consulting Group.  She is a nationally recognized generational expert, a keynote speaker, and the author of two books:  When Generations Collide and The M-Factor: How the Millennial Generation Is Rocking the Workplace. Lynne and her husband moved to Sonoma in 2000 and immediately became involved with local nonprofits. She is a grandmother of two, a hiker and dog lover, and competes on her horse in show jumping. Lynne is a founding member of Impact100.

Claudia Sims, Co-President

In 2002, Claudia and her husband bought what was then a second home in Sonoma. As remodeling was completed and work-lives were wound down, it became their full-time residence. Claudia has a 35+ career in welfare casework and employee benefits. As a benefits consultant many of those years, she became quite experienced at preparing or analyzing benefit plan proposals. Little did she know that experience would be useful at Impact 100 Sonoma.

Debbe Noto, Governance

Debbe spent her 30+ year career in the banking industry with experience in operations, relationship management, sales, marketing and communications. In 2009 she and her husband bought a second home in Sonoma and fell in love with the community. In 2016, Debbe retired and they moved into their newly built home in a neighborhood where several Impact100 members live. Debbe joined Impact100 in 2017 and knows this is where she wants to dedicate her time and energy. In her free time, Debbe loves to read, travel with her husband and is slowly learning to speak Spanish. 

Margaret Grandy, Secretary

After more than 40 years living in the Middle East, South East Asia, Australia, and England, Margaret returned to the US and settled in Sonoma in 2014. Her portable career abroad included editing, writing, and teaching, and, for the last twenty years, she worked at the American School in London as Director of Admissions and Associate Head of School. A native Californian who received an MA and MLS from UC Berkeley, she is happy to be back in California and loves the vitality and warmth of Sonoma life.

Marney Malik, Treasurer

After retiring from a 30+ year financial career, most recently as an Executive Officer for a NYSE listed company in Oregon, Marney and her husband Shah moved to Sonoma in 2015 to be closer to their family. She joined Impact100 in 2016 to enjoy the company of like-minded women interested in encouraging the development and support of a vibrant and effective nonprofit community in Sonoma Valley. Her previous nonprofit experience includes 13 years on the board of Easter Seals Oregon, as Treasurer, and as a mentor for college bound students through Marathon Education Partners in Portland, Oregon.

Gera Vaz, Co-Membership

For more than 25 years, Gera led results-oriented human resources teams in delivering best-in-class services throughout the United States, Europe, and Asia. As Chief HR Officer for two global law firms, she directed implementation of best practices that resulted in both firms being named to Fortune Magazine's "Top 100 Companies to Work For." Gera and her husband took up permanent residence in Sonoma Valley in 2015, where she continues to consult while enjoying the views of the vineyards during long conference calls.

Sarah Carroll, Co-Membership

Sarah joined Impact100 in 2017 as a NextGen member and happily said yes to all the new opportunities that came her way.  Inspired by her mother’s commitment to community and social causes, Sarah has found her tribe within Impact100 Sonoma.  With a background in travel and hospitality, she spent many years traveling and meeting new people through work, and is now learning the wine industry from within the marketing team at a family-owned wine company in Sonoma.  Sarah and her husband have lived in Sonoma for over ten years.  When she isn’t working or volunteering, Sarah is trying to slow down time while raising a young daughter.

Sandee Crisp, Member Engagement

Sandee joined Impact100 in 2016 after she and her husband bought a second home in Sonoma.  Falling in love with Sonoma, they gave up their Hawaii Island home of 17 years and moved to Sonoma full time in 2018.  After 25 years away from the Bay Area, Sandee especially enjoys living close to her childen and grandchildren and is happy to be making wonderful new friends through her involvement with Newcomers and Transcendence Theater Company as well as Impact100.

Vianette Contreras, Diversity & Sponsorship

Vianette was born and raised in Sonoma, moved away for college, then decided to return to her family and roots. She joined Impact100 in 2017 as a member of the NextGen Program’s third cohort. Vianette is Vice President of Operations at Puente-Internacional, a local spirits company, and volunteers as a mentor through the Sonoma Valley Mentoring Aliance. When Vianette isn’t working, volunteering or helping out family and friends, she enjoys reading and spending time with her recently-wed husband.

Chelsie Runnings, Co-Communications

Chelsie moved to Sonoma in 2008 and immediately fell in love with Sonoma Valley. After some years working in the legal field, she found her passion for Real Estate after losing her childhood home to the Valley Fire in late 2015. Shortly after the Valley Fire, Chelsie felt a need to put roots down in her community in Sonoma Valley, and joined Impact100 in 2016 as a member of the first cohort of the NextGen program. In her time spent between working and volunteering you can typically find her with her two dogs and her boyfriend and family, enjoying the ocean or in the kitchen trying some new recipes. 

Nancy Wever, Co-Communications

An Indiana native, Nancy lived in the East Bay and worked in San Francisco as a federal agency attorney and administrative judge for 30 years before happily retiring and moving to Sonoma with her husband in 2014. She has served on the Board of the Sonoma Valley Newcomers, and currently volunteers for La Luz (as a citizenship tutor), Jack London State Historic Park, and Transcendence Theatre Company, in addition to working part-time in Guest Services at Benziger Family Winery. In her free time, she loves to hike and go on long walks with her 4-year old Sheltie.  

Dana Simpson-Stokes, Grants Oversight

Robin Layton, Co-Grants Chair

Robin and her husband moved to Sonoma in 2013 after retiring from the U.S. Department of Commerce, where Robin worked principally as a trade negotiator.  They live in the Diamond A community on Sonoma Mountain, and Robin is active in the community’s neighborhood association.  Moving to Sonoma allowed her husband David to indulge his passion for wine with a small hobby vineyard for which Robin often serves as vineyard worker.  She enjoys cooking, flower gardening and travel.  

Kathleen Block, Co-Grants Chair

Kathy is retired from the practice of law. She served as the General Counsel of a technology company in San Jose and previously was a partner at the law firm of Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati in Palo Alto. Since retiring in 2013, Kathy has enjoyed a number of volunteer activities.  In addition to serving on the Board of Impact 100, she has served as Chair of the Stanford Law School Board of Visitors, she is currently on the Boards of Girl Scouts of Northern California and Teen Services Sonoma, and she is a docent at Sonoma’s historic State Park.