Shasta Historical society
Board of Directors
Officers 2023-2024
Jason Salter
Chair
Jason was raised in Palo Cedro, attended Junction Middle School, and enjoyed all the benefits of a rural upbringing – 4-H, running around unsupervised, and mucking out a lot of barn stalls. After graduating from Enterprise High School he left for Boston to attend the Massachusettes Institute of Technology (MIT). His passion for computers was derailed there and lead to a 10 year diversion into molecular biology and a Ph.D. from the University of California San Francisco (UCSF). Jason’s true success was assured in graduate school after meeting his future wife Irene there. Together, they have lived in San Francisco, Berkely, Chico, and finally returning to Palo Cedro to raise their two nearly perfect children. Realizing that science and academia is hard work – Jason returned to playing with computers and runs a boutique full-service technology company specializing in government, nonprofit, and transit related internet services. A firm believer in active participation within the community you live, Jason contributes his time and leadership, in addition to the Shasta Historical Society, to his children’s schools, hosting innumerable social events, the Palo Cedro Chamber of Commerce, the Rotary Club of Redding, his fraternity Chi Phi, and almost any other nonprofit that asks for help despite his wife’s admonishments about overcommitting.
Blake Fisher
Vice Chair
Blake Fisher is a Program Coordinator for Viva Downtown, an officially designated Main Street America organization. Fisher is a native Northern California resident who attended Redding schools and graduated from Enterprise High School and Shasta College. Fisher enjoys performing and has been lucky enough to share his talents with the community through Shasta College, Cascade Theatre and the Shasta Historical Society. Fisher is on the Shasta Historical Education Committee he looks forward to our developing Downtown Redding and participating in Shasta Historical Society’s mission. His favorite inspirational quote: “Leadership and Learning are indispensable to each other.” – John F Kennedy
Tristen Aitken
Treasurer
Tristen Aitkin is a wife and mother that works full time as a Branch Manager for U.S. Bank. She loves her town and community and is involved in several community organizations because she feels the world only gets better when we get to work doing the things that matter: taking care of each other and our world. Tristen also started a Youtube channel to teach the world that Do-It-Yourself ways could help us replace some of the harmful products we use in our homes. Her Youtube channel Tristen’s DIY Life is all about her journey to create a healthier life for herself and her family.
Bonnie Hyatt
Secretary
Bonnie was born and raised in Redding and has never resided anywhere else. She serves on the Enterprise Elementary School Board as well as the NorCal OUTreach Project Board. Bonnie has been on site councils, parent clubs and bond committees throughout her adult life. She holds degrees in psychology, sociology and behavioral science and began the Bachelor of Social Work Program at Chico State in 2021. She is married to an incredible chef and has one daughter. They are roommates with 3 moody cats and 1 hyper puppy and her hobbies include traveling, reading and baking.
Directors 2022-2023
Gail Leonard
Director
Gail graduated from the University of Oregon with a major in English and a minor in History. She taught in the English department and then in the Social Science department at Shasta College for seven years. Gail has been actively involved with the Shasta Land Trust.
Bob Brennan
Director
Bob was born and raised in Redding, California and married his wife Janice over 40 years ago. Together they have two adult children, Tristen and Kaysen. Recently Tristan blessed them with their second grandchild. Bob earned his Bachelor of Science in Business from Chico State University. Prior to beginning his career as a financial advisor, Bob played professional tennis in the 1970s. He has excelled and prospered in his role as a financial advisor in his hometown of Redding for the past 30 years. Giving back to this community is very important to Bob. He sat on the Community Service Advisory Committee for the City of Redding for two terms, and on the North Valley Catholic Social Services and Shasta Library Investment Committees. He coached Redding Youth Baseball for over 20 years, was Past President, and served two terms on the Board of directors for Riverview Country Club.
David A. Kehoe
Director
David is a life-long resident of Redding, having graduated from St. Joseph’s Elementary School and Shasta High School. He graduated from the University of San Francisco with a degree in Public Administration and Political Science. He has served as a Management Analyst and Program Director with the United States Forest Service. David has a long history of community involvement and has served on many local and regional agencies and boards; highlighted with the honor of being selected as Redding’s Citizen of the Year. David was elected to the Shasta County Board of Supervisors in 1998, where he represented District 1 for twenty years. He is a former Mayor and City Councilman for the City of Redding.
Mike Moynahan
Director
Mike moved to Shasta County, as a high school junior, in 1962 and graduated from Enterprise High School in 1964. He graduated from Chico State University, majoring in History, and was hired by Charles Denny in 1970 to teach American Problems at Enterprise High School. Mike was the head track and field coach, as well as head cross country coach for many years, served as the Student Activities Director for 5 years, and later was the lead negotiator for the teachers union in the Shasta Union High District for nine years. Mike taught at Enterprise for 32 years before finishing his teaching career as an instructor in the College Connection Program at Shasta College for seven years before retiring in 2009. Mike’s daughter Kelsey, is presently a counselor in the Upward Bound/Trio program, working with high school students from the local area. In retirement, Mike has worked as a volunteer with the American Red Cross, Retired Coaches Association, the Euphrates Institute and has been a Shasta Historical Society board member since 2012, recently serving as the board’s chair for 2 years.
Michelle Maupin-Cornelius
Director
Leaving Redding in 1970 Michelle spent most of her professional career residing in Nevada and southern Oregon. Following 35 years in public education that included administration and community/school-based triage crisis counseling, Michelle has returned to Redding to enjoy retirement in a recreational area and community of friends and family that she loves.
Jack Potter
Director
Jack Potter, Jr. is involved in many boards representing Indian country tribally, locally, statewide, and nationally. He has been on the Redding Rancheria Tribal Council for 18 years, most recently as their Chairman and Cultural Resource Manager. He also serves on California Rural Indian Health Board, the Northern California Tribal Chairman Association as the Vice-Chairman, Medicine Lake Committee for the Pit River Tribe, Redding Rancheria Community Fund Board, Redding Rancheria Enrollment Committee, PowWow Committee, California Tribal Families Coalition, and Indigenous Peoples Day Committee for Shasta County. Jack has also served on the Shasta County Sherriff’s Cultural Awareness Council for 21 years. Recently he was elected to the National Congress of American Indians as Vice President of the Pacific Region. Jack became involved in many aspects of Indian country at an early age, and he even sat under the tables during land claims meetings in the 1970s listening to the elders.
Jack is the son of Jack Potter, Sr., and Kathy Wilson, the grandson of Edith Geto Stevens and Lloyd Stevens, Stevie Wilson, Mildred and Willard Rhoades, Gordon Potter, Jack Winnemem and Nor-el-muk Wintu on his father’s side, and Kosoimunonu and Kanusu Mi-Wuk on his mother’s side – with a little bit of Navajo and Pit River influence from both grandfathers, Lloyd, and Willard.
His greatest achievement to date is his 30-year marriage to a wonderful and loving wife, Myrna, along with their two children, Christine Ceja and Martin Potter, Sr., one granddaughter, five grandsons, and five great-granddaughters. If Jack was not busy enough already, two years ago he started raising his grandson, Martin Potter, Jr., to whom he is teaching his native language while travelling to powwows and other native gatherings. Martin Jr. was recently crowned for his second term as Stillwater Powow Little Brave, which makes his grandpa very proud.
Christina Prosperi
Board Member
Born and raised in Redding, Christina graduated from Shasta High School, the same as her dad. She boomeranged back to her hometown after spending most of her 20s in the Bay Area as an MRI Technologist. While her love for Redding’s history comes from her father’s side, his parents moved here in 1945 living on Court and Rosaline, her love and priority for education come from her mother’s side of the family and she is the third generation to gain a master’s degree. After spending a decade in the medical field, she paused her career, spending five years at home growing and raising tiny humans. Concurrently, she returned to school, earning her BA in Public Administration from National University. During her first year with Caltrans, she attended San Jose State University, earning her MS in Transportation Management, and is currently working toward obtaining an AS in GIS from Shasta College. She enjoys non-fiction literature, and her favorite subjects include social science, civics, and history. She is a mother to Payton (13), Chase (8), and Porter (6), wife to Eric, sister to Lauren, daughter of Rob and Nancy Huey, and a proud public servant, supporting Caltrans District 2 as the GIS Manager in the Office of Complete Streets, focusing on asset management, public engagement, and transportation equity. Christina currently exercises her passion for community support and engagement by serving on the Leadership Redding Steering Committee and SRTA’s Social Service Transportation Advisory Committee.
Patrick W. Carr
Board Member
A resident of Cottonwood, Pat served Shasta Historical Society for several years as a Director, including a term as Vice President. Mr. Carr is an advocate for community colleges and higher education, having earned his Bachelor of Arts degree from Santa Clara University and his Master of Economics degree from Washington State University. Pat retired from the California Department of Transportation (“Caltrans”) in 2009, having served in technical and managerial capacities in Sacramento, Oakland, and Shasta County. Before Caltrans, Mr. Carr held management positions with three Fortune 500 companies (Sea-Land/RJ Reynolds, Honeywell Aerospace & Defense, and American President Companies), as well as leadership positions with various charitable and non-profit organizations including: Shasta-Tehama-Trinity Joint Community College District – Area B, Lassen Park Foundation, Santa Clara University Alumni Board, Friends of Whiskeytown National Recreation Area, Anderson Historical Society, San Francisco National Maritime Historic Park, Redding Elks Lodge, Junior Achievement of Greater Puget Sound Annual Fund Drive.
Pat and his wife Kathie reside in Cottonwood, and are the proud parents of Erin Carr Miller, residing in Colorado, and Megan Carr Williams, residing in Alaska.
Julia Pennington Cronin
Board Member
Julia Cronin holds a Masters Degree in Anthropology with a concentration in Museum Studies from California State University, Chico. She has been with Turtle Bay since March 31, 1997, when she came onboard to help open and run Paul Bunyan’s Forest Camp. In 2008, Julia took over the Collections and Exhibits Department. She is responsible for all aspects of Turtle Bay’s dynamic exhibitions program, including curating original content for both the permanent and temporary galleries and caring for Turtle Bay’s 40,000-piece collection of art and artifacts. Her department also creates exhibitry and fabricates signage for other Turtle Bay Departments and outside clients.
In addition to managing the collection and curating temporary exhibitions throughout the Park, she manages permanent exhibit capital projects and has managed collaborative projects with outside organizations, such as the interpretation portion of the Proposition 50 trail enhancement project with the City of Redding and the Diestelhorst Auto Camp interpretation with Redding Rotary. Julia is a member of the American Alliance of Museums, the Western Museums Association, and the California Museums Association. From 2013-2017 she sat on the CAM Steering Committee for the California Networks for Collaboration project.
Ryan McCloskey
Board Member
Ryan was born and raised in Redding, CA and is a longtime Shasta County resident. He is an Odd Fellow and a Free Mason, among other things. He has been employed at McDonald’s Chapel and Redding Memorial Park for the past 12 years, is married and has 3 children. The prosperity of the county, city and Historical Society are a priority for him, and he hopes to accomplish many great things by being a board member. Ryan has a passion for history and conducts historical cemetery tours, which allow him the opportunity to share many great and interesting facts about Redding and surrounding areas.
Danielle Arendt
Board Member
Danielle is a sixth generation Shasta County native, born and raised in Redding, attending Foothill High School as the last graduating class from the historical education building on Eureka Way. She followed her mother who attended Nova as well as Shasta High School like her Grandmother and Great Grandmother all on the same campus. Danielle then went to Shasta Community College, earning her A.A. and transferred to Cal Poly Pomona, graduating with a B.S. in Landscape Architecture. Also attending Art School in Castiglion Florentino, Italy, learning classical design and techniques. Danielle’s sense of community and giving back started with volunteering at People of Progress in her youth, continuing to give back, by working at the Cal Poly Pomona Downtown Community Center while in Los Angeles County. After returning to Redding, Danielle has had a diverse variety of professions that have always been driven by a deep desire to impact the community. Danielle has been a volunteer at Turtle Bay since 2019 and often helps her community collaborators on their projects. Currently, she has relaunched her landscape design company, designs.of.thought and is bringing the opportunity for her clients to get out and enjoy their outdoor spaces. With a wealth of knowledge and an approach to solution focused problem solving, Danielle is proud of her heritage in Shasta County and the Historical Society’s role in preserving our region’s rich history. Danielle’s favorite things: Living in downtown Redding in the oldest established neighborhood / subdivision Wildwood Park, gardening in her beautiful yards, tending her extensive indoor tropical plant collection and taking on a variety of DIY home projects.
Mary Rickert
Board Member Advisory
In 2016 Mary ran for and was elected to represent District 3 on the Shasta County Board of Supervisors. As a resident of Shasta County for over 40 years and with a deep dedication to the North State’s heritage, she is committed to improving the County services Shasta County residents receive to ensure a better future for our kids and grandkids. Mary has served on numerous mental health committees and boards advocating to improve and increase mental health services in our community. She has served on the Shasta Community Foundation, has mentored teens through Plus One Mentors and is a founding member of the Women’s Fund. Mary Rickert is co-owner of Western Agricultural Services, along with her husband Jim. Additionally, they are majority owners of Prather Ranch, recognized for its sustainable and ethic practices and its premium dry-aged natural beef program. With her deep love of history, her activism, and her family’s long history in Shasta County, Mary will be an excellent addition to the Shasta Historical Society Board of Directors.
DeAnne Parker
Board Member Advisory
Denny Mills
Director Emeritus
Born in Redding, Denny attended local schools before graduating from UC Berkeley in 1974. She later earned her teaching and administrative credentials, working as a teacher and administrator for over 30 years. The last five years of her career Denny was the Executive Director for Student Support Services for the Shasta County Office of Education. Since retirement, she enjoys spending time with her grandchildren and being involved in the community, particularly as it relates to local history. In addition to the Shasta Historical Society Board, Denny serves on the Shasta County Board of Education and is a Governor of the Eaton Gift. In the past she served on the Youth Violence Prevention Council, GRIP – Gang Reduction and Intervention Program and the California League of Middle Schools.
Dave Scott
Director Emeritus
Dave Scott is the descendant of pioneer families in the Redding area and the historic Diestelhorst Bridge was named after his great, great grandfather, Gottlieb Diestelhorst. Dave is a graduate of Redding area schools and holds a B.S. in Business Administration from the University of Nevada at Reno. Dave currently works as a partner at D.H. Scott & Company and has worked for other prominent firms in Redding, Reno, San Francisco and Oakland. Dave has been very active in helping and serving his community as a member or board member of organizations such as: Shasta Historical Society, Shasta Business Council, Shasta Builders’ Exchange, Associated General Contractors of California, Redding Bank of Commerce, Youth Violence Prevention Council and many more. He has received many awards with the most recent being in 2009 where he was recognized as Citizen of the Year by the Redding Record Searchlight.
Dave is an avid outdoorsman with particular interests in hunting, fishing and photography.
Charley Williams
Director Emeritus
R. Russ Peterson
Director Emeritus
Gary Lewis
Director Emeritus
Graduate of Enterprise High School; Arizona State University, Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees in Business Administration. NCAA All-American, track and field. Shasta College, Business Instructor and Head Track and Field/Cross Country Coach; Athletic Director; Dean of Public Safety, Sports and Fitness; Vice President of Academic Affairs; and then, Superintendent/President of Shasta until retirement. Member, Pacheco Union School District Board of Trustees, President for 5 years. Active community volunteer. Family has been in Shasta County since 1852.
