Patty Brissenden

Patty Brissenden, Board Chair, lives in the incredibly beautiful Hope Valley, home to Sorensen's Resort, which she has co-owned with her husband John for 20 years. Patty is credited with having landed a $25 million grant for Hope Valley watershed management. She was a key speaker at the "Sierra Now" conference held in Sacramento 1992. She is a founder and current Board member of the Sierra Nevada Alliance, and is of the Friends of Hope Valley.

Before moving to the Sierra, she and John lived in Santa Cruz County, where Patty served as the Chief of Staff to then Assembly member Sam Farr (now a Congressman). She also worked on Leon Panetta's staff during the 1970's. During that time she helped to found the Santa Cruz Community Foundation.