Board of Directors

Paul Mocker, Treasurer

Paul grew up in Goleta a block from the Stow House and spent his childhood roaming Lake Los Carneros and the Stow House grounds.  Paul and his wife Janet moved to Goleta from Bellevue, WA in 2013. They do not have children but have the privilege of being servants for their feline master, Sam.  Paul has a bachelor’s degree in History, a master’s degree in Education and an MBA. Paul is self-employed and runs his own tax preparation and consulting business. He holds a CPA license from the State of California and is a member of the California Society of CPAs. He was elected to the Board in 2021. In his free time, Paul likes to garden, attend City Council meetings, and hike the local trails. He often explores the “hidden” side of Lake Los Carneros, where lurks the clues to our rich past.

Erin Johnson, Secretary

Erin grew up in Goleta a block from the Stow House and spent her childhood roaming Lake Los Carneros and the Stow House grounds. She holds a bachelor’s degree in forest management from University of California, Berkeley, and a master’s degree in English literature from California State University, Chico. She is an acquisitions editor for Island Press, a nonprofit environmental publisher in Washington, DC, where she acquires and develops books for scientists and general readers that seek practical solutions to pressing environmental problems. She became a certified UC master gardener in northern California and was active for many years with the master gardener program in Shasta County. She also served as a docent and volunteer at Turtle Bay Exploration Park and the McConnell Arboretum and Botanical Gardens in Redding, the city where she raised her family and explored the wilderness areas of Mt. Shasta, Mt. Lassen, and the Trinity Alps out her back door. She returned to Santa Barbara in 2016, and was elected to the Board in 2021, where she hopes to lend her expertise to enhance and maintain the beautiful grounds and gardens of the Ranch for the enjoyment of its many visitors.

Stephanie Petlow, President