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About the board of directors

President 

Joe Dana

Santa Maria, CA  93455
jdana@orcutt-schools.net

Joseph Dana, the great-great-grandson of Captain and Mrs. William Goodwin Dana, has been involved with the Dana Adobe Nipomo Amigos since 1999.  An elementary school principal with the Orcutt Union School District, he has a longstanding interest in California history and in sharing it with young people.  In 2007, he wrote a biography of Captain Dana that was published by the South County Historical Society.  He resides in Orcutt with his wife and two children.

 

 

Treasurer 

Stephanie Franks

Nipomo, CA  93444

jbtax@best1.net

 

My name is Stephanie Franks. In 1979 I moved to Nipomo from Laguna Beach, CA. Living on Air Force bases and in very populated cities I felt quite at home with the open spaces, rolling hills, oak trees and wildlife. In 1983 I began working at J&B Business and Tax Service in Nipomo. In 1986 I bought the business and established a firm home base. I was fortunate to buy land in the Suey Creek area, to support my “hobby” of animal rescue and to enjoy country living, complete with wild animals and open space.

I have been a board member of the South County Advisory Council since 2003. In 2006 I was asked to join the board of the Dana Adobe, and was elected as Treasurer. Being a part of this great organization has been a wonderful experience. I hope to continue to assist a great team in our goal to create a living history park as well as an accredited research library and museum for California’s early rancho era.

 

 

Helen Daurio

Nipomo, CA  93444

ahdaurio@sbcglobal.net

 

Helen fell in love with the Ranch Nipomo Dana Adobe the first time she visited it in 2003. Its historic importance resonated with her family's roots and she felt she had come home. Since then Helen has been involved as a docent and as lead docent since 2005. She enjoys working with other docents on a number of projects including starting the Nature Walk Program for fourth grade which was launched in the summer of '08. Helen is particularly interested in sharing the Rancho's rich history and the natural beauty of the surrounding land with visitors for the purpose of preserving them for future generations.  As a retired high school teacher, Helen is thrilled to continue her involvement with young people and education.

 

Al Daurio

Nipomo, CA  93444
ahdaurio@sbcglobal.net

 

Born in 1947 in New Haven, CT.  Received the M.S. in Aeronautics and Astronautics from M.I.T. in 1971; M.S. in Public Administration, Cal State Long Beach in 1978. 

 

Interned at the Fair Housing Council of West L.A. and in the Long Beach City Planning Dept. while attending Long Beach State.  Worked as an aerospace engineer since 1970.  Retired as a Senior Project Engineer in 2005 from the Aerospace Corp, was responsible for performance analysis on the Titan, Atlas V and Delta IV launch vehicle programs since 1980. 

 

Volunteered 10 years as a religious education teacher, 12 years in a church choir and 15 years as a docent at Rancho Los Alamitos, in Long Beach. 

 

Has been the DANA Board Vice President since Jan 2006.  Also serving as docent, and has done concert and strategic planning, bylaws revision, speaking engagements and liaison to community groups.

 

 

David Dana

Santa Maria, CA  93454

sddana@msn.com

 

David Dana, the great-grandson of Captain and Mrs. William Goodwin Dana, is the Dana Adobe Nipomo Amigos’ longest-serving board member.  The Orcutt resident retired from the shoe industry in 2000 and joined the DANA board shortly thereafter.  Since, he has devoted many days at the Adobe to helping as a Wednesday volunteer, teaching schoolchildren how to make adobe bricks, and participating in board meetings.  He and his late wife Susan have three children and eight grandchildren.  Their oldest son, Joe, also serves on the DANA board.

 

Nona Nickelsen (Nicky)

Nipomo, CA  93444

nnickels@calpoly.edu

Nona joined the DANA board of directors in August 2009 after serving as a docent and assisting with the promotional materials for Heritage Day and the DANA concert series.  

Nona is looking forward to raising awareness about and developing support for the DANA’s long-term vision of creating a living historic park. She is energized by the opportunities and challenges that are converging for the DANA organization, including the development of a comprehensive master plan.   

Nona first become interested in historic preservation during a Mother’s Day historic home tour in Monrovia she attended as a teenager. Years later, after taking some courses in planning and preservation, attending a National Trust conference in Pittsburg and a speakers series at the Casa de la Guerra, she was inspired to find ways to help contribute to the preservation of local historic resources.   

Her expertise is in communications, event planning, volunteer leadership and organizational development. She works in Student Affairs at Cal Poly, coordinating programs for parents and addressing matters involving college student success. Her professional background also includes work with United Way of Kern County. Nona resides in Nipomo with her fiancé, George.

Fun Fact
Nipomo derives from the Chumash word “Nepomah” meaning “the foot of the hills.” Nipomo was founded in 1882 from land grants to William Goodwin Dana from Mexico.  Learn more

Over 900 students visited the Dana Adobe this year.  Travel scholarships available Learn more

Thank you for supporting the Dana Adobe.  DANA is a nonprofit 501c3 charitable organization.  Your donations are tax deductable.