Who We Are - San Rafael Heritage
Cynthia and her late husband, Hugo, restored two old homes in the Gerstle Park
neighborhood of San Rafael. She has always been interested in the beauty and utility
of old buildings,and that has led her to advocate for historic preservation in her
community. She had previously served on the Board of Marin Heritage, the preservation
group that was begun when Falkirk was rescued. When San Rafael’s 1930 Mission
Revival train depot was threatened with demolition in 2015, she joined with her husband
and other like-minded people to form the new preservation group, San Rafael Heritage.
Leslie Simons, Treasurer
​​Leslie has been a resident of San Rafael for 55 years attending Davidson Middle and San Rafael High Schools.
After graduating from UC Berkeley, Department of Environmental Design, in 1976 she became active in the
historic preservation movement with Marin Heritage, often sitting on the board until its conclusion in 2000.
Leslie developed the brochures for the San Rafael walking tours and the county-wide Preservation Awards
Program. She has also been an active tour guide for the Marin History Museum developing the Dominican
neighborhood tour, brochure and procuring several of the open homes. Leslie is a California licensed
Landscape Architect participating as a member of the Grounds Committee for the Falkirk Grounds Conceptual
​“I firmly believe that without the historic fabric of our city we will become a homogenous ‘any town’ with
nothing to set us apart. Saving San Rafael’s history and what remains of its built environment is essential to
keeping the interesting historic character of our downtown; an area filled with 1880’s era structures and
important features such as our historic 1930’s train station. Every time a part of that fabric is lost we lose a part
of the heart of history, what made us and our town”
Gail David, Secretary
​Gail David was born in Minnesota but has lived in San Rafael for 45 years. A former board member of the Marin Ballet, she was educated at the Blake School and at Mills College, UC Berkeley, and UC Davis where she completed a Ph.D in English literature. She has taught literature and writing at UC Davis, St. Mary’s College, Dominican University, and community colleges up and down the freeways of northern California. During her teaching years, she published a number of articles and book reviews as well as a scholarly book, Female Heroism in the Pastoral, which now rests in moldy obscurity in a few stately libraries. Since retirement, she has been writing a biography of Charles Dickens’s sister-in- law, leading discussions for a local book club, and serving as a
mentor in the Big Brothers, Big Sisters organization. Gail’s awareness of the need for historic preservation was sparked a number of years ago when a beautiful Julia Morgan house near her home was destroyed by the owners so they could build something new.
Jim Draper, Web Admin
Jim and his wife have lived in San Rafael since 1989. Jim has served as president of the
Bret Harte Community Association and started the association's 1st website in 2005.
He has been a Steering Committee member of the Federation of San Rafael Neighborhoods
for over 15 years and administers the organization's website.
Jim works as a freelance video director on live event productions - many of which are for the
well-known Silicon Valley technology companies. Jim's work frequently takes him across the
country and occasionally abroad. He also produces, directs and edits corporate image films
and documentaries. Jim views his neighborhood work as a way to support what he believes in
​by sharing his skill in technology. You can see Jim's work at www.jimdraper.com
​Linzy Klumpp
Linzy has been a San Rafael resident since 1998 and loves her adopted town. Her interest in historical
preservation began when she worked as office manager of a century-old San Francisco sheet metal
contracting firm that had contributed, since the late 19th century, to the construction of many historical
structures in that city. She subsequently worked as an administrative assistant for a long-time general
contractor that built many of the skyscrapers that define the skyline of San Francisco.
She was born in Hawaii and traveled to the mainland where she earned a BA in anthropology at Arizona
State University. She ventured to San Francisco soon after with her family, where she raised her son.
She thoroughly enjoyed living in and exploring the many facets of that city. In retirement, she enjoys
museums, hiking, traveling, Hawaiian cultural studies and enthusiastically assisting in preserving San
Rafael’s historic heritage.
San Rafael Heritage is looking for a Steering Committee member who has experience in promoting SRH on social media platforms.
Add information and photos to our Facebook page - www.facebook.com/sanrafaelheritage
We'd also like to get an Instagram page started. Please contact us at the email link at the top of the page if you want to be a part of SRH!
​Amy Likover
A neighborhood leader in San Rafael, Amy works collaboratively with City officials on many issues. Her interest in historic structures
goes back to her childhood in the Chicago area, an architectural mecca. Both parents taught the value of preserving historic gems
from the Sullivan and Adler Auditorium building (Roosevelt University, where her father taught and mother attended) to modernistic
minimalism and Frank Lloyd Wright’s buildings. As a world language teacher, Amy has seen first hand and appreciates important
historic buildings of the Americas, Europe, Asia and Africa. San Rafael is a great little city with guiding principles for preservation but
​without a historical society. Because of this, Amy is committed to San Rafael Heritage's mission of saving local iconic historic structures.
“History is the foundation of our culture and needs to be preserved to better understand the distinguishing character of our community.”
Ray has lived in several San Rafael neighborhoods (Bret Harte Park, Sun Valley and Terra Linda) since his 1970 arrival in Marin County. Ray’s formal education includes a B. S. in finance from the University of Maryland and an M.B.A. from Golden Gate University. Upon his retirement from a career in high tech, he dedicated 10 years to researching the life of George Washington and subsequently published George Washington’s Providence.
As the president of the Mont Marin Homeowners Association, Ray led a six-year project to build a safe pedestrian and bicycle pathway along Lucas Valley Road. As a volunteer at the Marin History Museum since 2009, he scanned Ed Brady’s photographs of Marin County. To-date over 3,000 of his photographs have been scanned, documented and placed on-line. They can be viewed on the MHM web site marinhistory.org.
Ray’s background in researching and publishing George Washington’s history, collaborating with the San Rafael and Marin County planning departments and documenting Ed Brady’s photos of San Rafael has provided him with the experience needed to assist the San Rafael Heritage in their pursuit to preserve the history of San Rafael.
​Jeffrey Rhoades​
Jeffrey D. Rhoads is President of Argonaut Company a San Rafael, California based
consulting firm founded in 2001. Argonaut provides land planning, urban design,
historic preservation, architecture and real estate development project management
services for private clients and public agencies.
He has been an early proponent of historic preservation particularly as an urban design
tool for revitalization of downtowns and village centers. He co-wrote the City of
Redwood City, California’s first historic resources inventory, historic resource ordinance
and historic resource general plan element. The City’s building and safety staff actively
resisted preservation. In time it became a defining feature of the city and a place making
catalyst for the renaissance of Downtown Redwood City.
Some of his architectural preservation projects include the Black and Howell building in
Virginia City NV (1859/1875), 1409 Sutter Street in San Francisco (1881), and the
Deilman house (1886) relocation in Redwood City.
He is a member of the National Trust for Historic Preservation and is on the Board of San
Rafael Heritage. He serves on the Redwood City Historic Resources Advisory Committee.
Mr. Rhoads holds a BA in Architecture from University of California Berkeley, a Masters
of Architecture from Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and is licensed to practice
architecture in California (C 17200) and Nevada (4778). He is a US Green Building
Council LEED accredited professional.
Visit Argonaut Company at argonautcompany.com
​Liza Wozniak
​Liza Wozniak is a consultant in environmental science, planning and policy. Her work includes preparation of
Environmental Impact Reports under the California Environmental Quality Act. She studied ecology at UC Davis
and Yale University. She is a resident of San Rafael's West End committed to sustainability, community building
​and historic preservation
Who We Are - San Rafael Heritage
Cynthia and her late husband, Hugo, restored two old homes in the Gerstle Park
neighborhood of San Rafael. She has always been interested in the beauty and utility
of old buildings,and that has led her to advocate for historic preservation in her
community. She had previously served on the Board of Marin Heritage, the preservation
group that was begun when Falkirk was rescued. When San Rafael’s 1930 Mission
Revival train depot was threatened with demolition in 2015, she joined with her husband
and other like-minded people to form the new preservation group, San Rafael Heritage.
Leslie Simons, Treasurer
​​Leslie has been a resident of San Rafael for 55 years attending Davidson Middle and San Rafael High Schools.
After graduating from UC Berkeley, Department of Environmental Design, in 1976 she became active in the
historic preservation movement with Marin Heritage, often sitting on the board until its conclusion in 2000.
Leslie developed the brochures for the San Rafael walking tours and the county-wide Preservation Awards
Program. She has also been an active tour guide for the Marin History Museum developing the Dominican
neighborhood tour, brochure and procuring several of the open homes. Leslie is a California licensed
Landscape Architect participating as a member of the Grounds Committee for the Falkirk Grounds Conceptual
​“I firmly believe that without the historic fabric of our city we will become a homogenous ‘any town’ with
nothing to set us apart. Saving San Rafael’s history and what remains of its built environment is essential to
keeping the interesting historic character of our downtown; an area filled with 1880’s era structures and
important features such as our historic 1930’s train station. Every time a part of that fabric is lost we lose a part
of the heart of history, what made us and our town”
Gail David, Secretary
​Gail David was born in Minnesota but has lived in San Rafael for 45 years. A former board member of the Marin Ballet, she was educated at the Blake School and at Mills College, UC Berkeley, and UC Davis where she completed a Ph.D in English literature. She has taught literature and writing at UC Davis, St. Mary’s College, Dominican University, and community colleges up and down the freeways of northern California. During her teaching years, she published a number of articles and book reviews as well as a scholarly book, Female Heroism in the Pastoral, which now rests in moldy obscurity in a few stately libraries. Since retirement, she has been writing a biography of Charles Dickens’s sister-in- law, leading discussions for a local book club, and serving as a
mentor in the Big Brothers, Big Sisters organization. Gail’s awareness of the need for historic preservation was sparked a number of years ago when a beautiful Julia Morgan house near her home was destroyed by the owners so they could build something new.
Jim Draper, Web Admin
Jim and his wife have lived in San Rafael since 1989. Jim has served as president of the
Bret Harte Community Association and started the association's 1st website in 2005.
He has been a Steering Committee member of the Federation of San Rafael Neighborhoods
for over 15 years and administers the organization's website.
Jim works as a freelance video director on live event productions - many of which are for the
well-known Silicon Valley technology companies. Jim's work frequently takes him across the
country and occasionally abroad. He also produces, directs and edits corporate image films
and documentaries. Jim views his neighborhood work as a way to support what he believes in
​by sharing his skill in technology. You can see Jim's work at www.jimdraper.com
​Linzy Klumpp
Linzy has been a San Rafael resident since 1998 and loves her adopted town. Her interest in historical
preservation began when she worked as office manager of a century-old San Francisco sheet metal
contracting firm that had contributed, since the late 19th century, to the construction of many historical
structures in that city. She subsequently worked as an administrative assistant for a long-time general
contractor that built many of the skyscrapers that define the skyline of San Francisco.
She was born in Hawaii and traveled to the mainland where she earned a BA in anthropology at Arizona
State University. She ventured to San Francisco soon after with her family, where she raised her son.
She thoroughly enjoyed living in and exploring the many facets of that city. In retirement, she enjoys

museums, hiking, traveling, Hawaiian cultural studies and enthusiastically assisting in preserving San
Rafael’s historic heritage.
San Rafael Heritage is looking for a Steering Committee member who has experience in promoting SRH on social media platforms.
Add information and photos to our Facebook page - www.facebook.com/sanrafaelheritage
We'd also like to get an Instagram page started. Please contact us at the email link at the top of the page if you want to be a part of SRH!
​Amy Likover
A neighborhood leader in San Rafael, Amy works collaboratively with City officials on many issues. Her interest in historic structures
goes back to her childhood in the Chicago area, an architectural mecca. Both parents taught the value of preserving historic gems
from the Sullivan and Adler Auditorium building (Roosevelt University, where her father taught and mother attended) to modernistic
minimalism and Frank Lloyd Wright’s buildings. As a world language teacher, Amy has seen first hand and appreciates important
historic buildings of the Americas, Europe, Asia and Africa. San Rafael is a great little city with guiding principles for preservation but
​without a historical society. Because of this, Amy is committed to San Rafael Heritage's mission of saving local iconic historic structures.
“History is the foundation of our culture and needs to be preserved to better understand the distinguishing character of our community.”
Ray has lived in several San Rafael neighborhoods (Bret Harte Park, Sun Valley and Terra Linda) since his 1970 arrival in Marin County. Ray’s formal education includes a B. S. in finance from the University of Maryland and an M.B.A. from Golden Gate University. Upon his retirement from a career in high tech, he dedicated 10 years to researching the life of George Washington and subsequently published George Washington’s Providence.
As the president of the Mont Marin Homeowners Association, Ray led a six-year project to build a safe pedestrian and bicycle pathway along Lucas Valley Road. As a volunteer at the Marin History Museum since 2009, he scanned Ed Brady’s photographs of Marin County. To-date over 3,000 of his photographs have been scanned, documented and placed on-line. They can be viewed on the MHM web site marinhistory.org.
Ray’s background in researching and publishing George Washington’s history, collaborating with the San Rafael and Marin County planning departments and documenting Ed Brady’s photos of San Rafael has provided him with the experience needed to assist the San Rafael Heritage in their pursuit to preserve the history of San Rafael.
​Jeffrey Rhoades​
Jeffrey D. Rhoads is President of Argonaut Company a San Rafael, California based
consulting firm founded in 2001. Argonaut provides land planning, urban design,
historic preservation, architecture and real estate development project management
services for private clients and public agencies.
He has been an early proponent of historic preservation particularly as an urban design
tool for revitalization of downtowns and village centers. He co-wrote the City of
Redwood City, California’s first historic resources inventory, historic resource ordinance
and historic resource general plan element. The City’s building and safety staff actively
resisted preservation. In time it became a defining feature of the city and a place making
catalyst for the renaissance of Downtown Redwood City.
Some of his architectural preservation projects include the Black and Howell building in
Virginia City NV (1859/1875), 1409 Sutter Street in San Francisco (1881), and the
Deilman house (1886) relocation in Redwood City.
He is a member of the National Trust for Historic Preservation and is on the Board of San
Rafael Heritage. He serves on the Redwood City Historic Resources Advisory Committee.
Mr. Rhoads holds a BA in Architecture from University of California Berkeley, a Masters
of Architecture from Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and is licensed to practice
architecture in California (C 17200) and Nevada (4778). He is a US Green Building
Council LEED accredited professional.
Visit Argonaut Company at argonautcompany.com
​Liza Wozniak
​Liza Wozniak is a consultant in environmental science, planning and policy. Her work includes preparation of
Environmental Impact Reports under the California Environmental Quality Act. She studied ecology at UC Davis
and Yale University. She is a resident of San Rafael's West End committed to sustainability, community building
​and historic preservation