Rudy Flores
Rudy Flores has called San Jose home for the last 45 years. Throughout his time in the city, he has been actively involved in a wide range of roles, working to improve and enrich the lives of local residents.
As a founding member of the D-9 Leadership Group, he played a pivotal role in fostering collaboration and positive change within the community. He also serves as president of the Dartmouth Neighborhood Association, a position in which has helped to strengthen ties between neighbors and advocate for the area’s need with city council.
With a strong commitment to civic service, he has also served as a PRNS commissioner for 10 years, including five years as chairman. During this time, he worked to ensure that local policies and initiatives align with the values and needs of the people they serve.
Through all of these efforts, Rudy has proven to be a tireless advocate for San Jose, always putting the community’s well-being at the forefront of his endeavors.
Bob Levy
Bob Levy served as the founding president of the Santa Clara League of Conservation Voters. Bob is a life-long environmentalist. He earned a bachelor’s degree in Environmental Studies from UCSB and a Masters in Urban Planning from SJSU. Bob has a long history of community engagement. He currently serves as a member of the Santa Clara County Planning Commission, the Water District’s Water and Resources Advisory Committee. Previously he served on and chaired the San Jose Planning Commission, Santa Clara County Park and Recreation Commission, and San Jose Parks Commission. Professionally, Bob is a PMP certified project manager and senior business analyst utilizing his IT and parks experience as a project manager for the Santa Clara County’s Parks Department.
Helen’s Chapman
is a 35-year resident of San Jose. Helen served on the City of San Jose Parks Commission, Board of Green Foothills and is currently elected to the Santa Clara Valley Open Space Board of Directors. Helen has dedicated much of her public service to increasing awareness of open space, urban parks and outdoor activity and has successfully advocated for three parks in her neighborhood.
Larry’s Ames
“Mad Scientist” (retired): PhD physicist with a 30-year career in aerospace designing satellites to measure the stars and look for habitable planets.
• “Professional Citizen,” including:
– Past Chair of Willow Glen Neighborhood Assoc. and manager of WGNA’s Los Gatos Creek Urban Stream Restoration Project
– Founder/moderator of the WG Backfence eList (a 2,000-member community list-serve)
– Co-founder/past Chair of Citizens for a Livable San Jose
– Treasurer for several campaigns, including County’s Park Charter Fund and SJ’s “No on B/Yes on C” (to fight urban sprawl)
– Member of various studies and taskforces, including the Lincoln Avenue Study; Los Gatos Creek Trail Master Plan; Coyote Creek Long-range Land Utilization; Kelley Park Master Plan; Willow Glen Spur Trail; County’s “Historic Heritage” Cmte; Valley Water’s Environmental Advisory Cmte; and San José’s Parks Greenprint (the original and both of the updates).
o Past Chair of Santa Clara County Parks & Rec Commission
o Past Chair of San José Neighborhoods Commission
Lao Chair of Dist. 6 Neighborhood Leaders Groupo Vice-Chair of the SJ Parks & Rec Commission.
Daphna Woolfe
Daphna Woolfe has been involved in San Jose Parks for the past nine years. As an 8 year member of the Parks and Recreation Commission, and chairman for four years, she has been advocating for maintenance and much needed upgrades for our 200+ parks. She is currently working on giving park update presentations to neighborhood groups. The District 1 Leadership Group welcomed Daphna on April, 16, 2025. The next presentation will be on May 12, 2025.
Deb Kramer
Deb started Keep Coyote Creek Beautiful in 2015 as a community-based organization that focuses on connecting people to nature through Coyote Creek. This small, but mighty organization, put Coyote Creek on the map and engaged hundreds of people each month to take part in creek clean ups, park beautification events, nature walks, naturalist trainings, and many other fun activities to enjoy.
Jean Dresden
Jean is a life-long lover of parks and natural settings. After multiple large budget cuts to parks in 12 years, Jean said “enough” and created San Jose Park Advocates in order to help neighbors find their voice for their parks.
Serving as a Yes on SJ Parks board member and interim executive director, Jean is honored to bring her life-long advocacy experience to San Jose’s many neighborhoods and communities.
Jean collaborates with community-based organizations to provide research and background for their advocacy, helps emerging community advocates to find their narratives and motivating metaphors, and joins mission-based community-focused advocacy teams. For many years, she served as the coordinator for San Jose Parks Advocates, where her passion for parks and their impact on community cohesiveness and public health intersect with her professional interests in how movement and meditation in natural spaces transform the brain and learning. She received the Santa Clara Valley League of Conservation Voters Lifetime Achievement award in 2020 and a 2018 commendation from Citizens for Fiscal Responsibility for her budget instruction to community members.