Corene Canaan - Co-Executive Director (2021) 

Corene was born and raised on California's Central Coast and is passionate about building communities where people can play, belong, bird, and age with joy. She holds a Master of Public Health from California State University, Northridge. She is a dedicated patient advocate for rare disease awareness—championing accessible, welcoming, and connected spaces for people of all ages. Outside of work, Corene enjoys birding along the Central Coast, exploring local walking trails with her dog, spending time with her fiancé, and savoring life's moments. She believes in slowing down, noticing the beauty around us, and sharing those experiences with others.

Nicki Edwards - Board President (2025)  

Retired Director of Nursing Nicki has lived in SLO for over 20 years, after being transferred here by Tenet Health in 2001 to work as the Chief Nursing Officer at Sierra Vista Regional Medical Center. She has been involved with several SLO not-for-profits including the Community Foundation, Cuesta College Nursing Community Advisory Board,  Vocal Arts Ensemble Board, SLO Master Chorale, SLO Workforce Development Board, and Canzona Women's Ensemble. She grew up in Southern California, and received her BA from Pomona College, BSN and MSN from Cal State Long Beach, and a PhD in nursing from UC San Francisco. She has 2 daughters, 5 grandchildren and enjoys spending time with them. Nicki also serves as a dedicated volunteer for SLO Village with her board member duties. 

Will Tripplett - Board Treasurer (2025)

Will is a 41-year resident of San Luis Obispo. After growing up in Southern California and graduating from USC with a degree in Mechanical Engineering and an MBA with a finance emphasis, he spent 10 years in manufacturing as an engineer and eventually evolved into managing warehouses and logistics facilities. He also spent two years as a consultant with an international accounting firm.Seeking a less complicated life and better environment in which to raise his two sons, he and his family moved to San Luis Obispo where for 30 years he ran his own mechanical service, design, and installation business. He is currently retired and serves on the board of his HOA. He loves to be outdoors and enjoys listening to his collection of jazz-based vinyl records. 

Jan Cordone - Board Secretary (2025)

Jan has always considered San Luis Obispo her home. Though she grew up in Santa Barbara, she spent much of her childhood in the area visiting grandparents in both San Luis Obispo and Atascadero. Later, she returned to attend Cal Poly, where she majored in Liberal Studies.Throughout her career, Jan has explored a variety of professional paths, including roles as a Preschool Director and Medical Transcriptionist. For the past 12 years, she has built her expertise as an Executive Assistant, with the last seven years dedicated to supporting the CEO and CFO at Trust Automation.

Deeply committed to giving back to her community, Jan is an active member of the SLO Chamber of Commerce, where she serves as Ambassador Chair and continues to contribute as an Ambassador. She is also a proud graduate of Leadership SLO, Class 31

Dave Kuykendall - Board Member (2016)

Dave brought a wealth of experience from Hewlett-Packard—where he worked as a hardware designer, program manager, and business planner—into his community work. A founding member of SLO Village, Dave served as Board President for its first five years and has spent the last nine years actively growing the organization. His broader service includes serving on the Village Movement California Board, as an Elder for First Presbyterian Church, and as Moderator of the United Church of Christ (Congregational). Today, he continues to support SLO Village as a key volunteer focusing on its IT infrastructure.

Sally Kruger - Board Member (2016)

Sally spent most of her adult life doing medical research in immunology at Harbor UCLA. During the last 15 years, she ran a clinical trial unit that performed drug trials for HIV/AIDS patients. She retired in 2000, moved to SLO and opened a bed and breakfast, meeting interesting people and drinking good wine.  Since closing the B&B in 2013, she has been an active volunteer and is a founding member of SLO Village. She loves to walk, read, and go out to dinner. Sally is a volunteer and coordinates activities for the SLO Village community. 
 

Sue Roberts - Board Member (2025)

Sue has been a SLO resident since 1991, moving here to attend Cal Poly SLO. She graduated with a major in Nutrition and a minor in Gerontology, and soon after received her Registered Dietitian license to work locally. She has been an active participant in the community working in the healthcare field for 25 years as a Pharmaceutical Sales professional and a Physician Relationship Manager for Tenet Health Care. She now acts as the Community Engagement Manager for SESLOC Credit Union on the Central Coast. She is a single mom of two adult daughters (18 and 20) and has the pleasure of her 85-year-young mom living with her. She has a very happy and full life with her wonderful family. She is a graduate of Leadership San Luis Obispo Class 22, a SLO Chamber Ambassador of 14 years, a past board member of both the SLO United Way and Alliance for Pharmaceutical Access and currently acts as the incoming Board President for The San Luis Obispo Children’s Museum for 2025. In her free time, she loves spending time with her friends, family, her sweet and patient boyfriend. She loves to hike, cook and be social!

Ray Riordan - Board Member (2026)

Ray retired in May 2024 after a long career in multimedia sales and marketing. Most recently, he worked for McClatchy Media, overseeing key client relationships and major advertising agencies across the Central Coast and Valley.

Prior to McClatchy, Ray was EVP at Gannett/Nurse.com and Nurse Week Magazine, where he led national and local B2B sales teams, marketing and events, and new business development. Over the course of his career, he managed large teams, built strong client relationships, and helped grow organizations through strategic leadership and revenue development.

Ray is active in the local community and currently serves as a Senior Ambassador for the San Luis Obispo Chamber. He is the former Board Chairman of the Morro Bay Chamber of Commerce, a graduate of Leadership SLO Class 28, and a former board member and communications director for 40 Prado Homeless Services Center. In his free time, you’ll find ‘Cigar Box Ray’ performing at local venues throughout the area singing and strumming his signature, custom-built guitars from handcrafted cigar boxes.  

Maggie Cox - Public Relations

Maggie's 40+ year career produced many different work assignments, but with a common focus: communications. Working at television stations in San Francisco, Sacramento and Salinas post-college helped Maggie refine her communications skills, and a five-year post with the San Luis Obispo Chamber of Commerce enabled her to get to know the people and businesses of the county. A Bay Area native and graduate of UC Davis, Maggie has always been happiest when engaging with people. She has served on many local boards, including United Way of SLO County, the Central Coast Economic Forecast, the Sierra Vista Regional Medical Center Community Board, and was a founding board member of the SLO Children’s Museum. She has been honored as Citizen of the Year by the SLO Chamber of Commerce, a Cuesta College Woman of Distinction, and as a Pacific Coast Business Times Woman-Owned Business honoree.