Board of Directors
The Encinitas Board of Directors has been selected by the board committee and each member serves 2-year terms. If you’re interested in joining the board or would like to get involved in the chamber committees, please contact Sherry Yardley.
David DaCosta
Chairman of the board
Executive Committee
A member of the San Diego real estate community, since 2001 and a Senior Real Estate Specialist, David DaCosta prides himself on being involved in the local community. He was the former owner of Jamroc 101, formerly a Caribbean Encinitas Restaurant. David is currently serving his second term on the board for the Encinitas Chamber and heads up the Nominating committee as well as being an Ambassador for 18 years.
Living and working in San Diego for over 35 years has given him a great network of connections throughout the county, which helps him put his clients in contact with just the right people, no matter what their need. His entire career of business development has been built around his three core concepts: service, connections, and trust. David does his utmost to get his clients results, while remaining service-oriented, ethical, and a person they can trust, over and over again.
“I joined the Chamber originally to promote my family restaurant, now let’s have a chat about joining us on the Board!”
DACOSTA PROPERTIES
760-846-0557
Email David
Andrew Utt
Vice chair
Government Relations & Advocacy Committee
Andrew Utt is the Executive Director of the Institute of Contemporary Art, San Diego and is a curator, arts administrator, and educator with a bachelor’s degree from the California College of Arts and Crafts and a master’s degree in Museum Studies from Harvard University. For the past 20 years, he has worked in the arts with museums and galleries based in California, Argentina, and Colombia. He has managed and developed art educational programs, exhibitions, fundraisers, marketing initiatives, and digital advances in different languages and cultures throughout North and South America, Europe, Africa, and New Zealand. Andrew is most excited about uniting arts and culture as a tool for economic impact and development in our region. He brings decades of non-profit experience to the Chamber's board.
The Institute of Contemporary Art
760-615-0988
Email Andrew
Melaini Peet
Treasurer
Membership Committee
After retiring from the banking industry after 26 years, Melaini chose to invest in herself by obtaining a Certificate in Fiduciary Management through Cal State Fullerton in hope that she could be able to support her family by also serving those in need of an advocate to help guide and support them in the area of financial services and medical care. She is able to serve in the area of Trust and Estate Administration, Conservatorships and Guardianships and hold financial and medical power of attorneys.
Melaini started with the Chamber back in 2007 with the hope of being able to support the business community that her bank branch was located in with the thought that it would introduce her to so many more people within the community. It has done more than that, it has introduced her to other members that have now become like family. In addition, being a part of the Chamber has allowed Melaini to provide community support for local businesses to help them succeed.
ENCINITAS LIONS CLUB
760-518-4901
Email Melaini
Jon Kochik
Secretary
Environmental sustainability Committee
Jon Kochik has been with San Diego Gas & Electric for 9 years working to advance various initiatives including clean energy, local government partnerships, operational efficiencies, safety culture and leadership development. Prior to that, Jon worked for AMN Healthcare in Del Mar leading sales operations and leadership development programs after earning degrees from Penn State and San Diego State in organizational psychology. Jon’s work life began with delivering newspapers on his bike and working in the warehouse of local department store and serving food at a retirement home. And, Jon had lots of interesting jobs in between. Jon has lived in Cardiff for 15 years, and in the broader SD area for a total of 22 years after growing up Pennsylvania as a kid through college. His first visit to friends in the SD area brought him to Encinitas and he moved out here three weeks later.
He had never felt more at home than he does in this town. Jon and his wife feel so fortunate to have raised both of their kids through the Cardiff Schools, frolicking on these amazing beaches, joining the Cardiff Mustangs, the San Dieguito Swim Team, Junior Guards, and now Oak Crest Middle School. It doesn’t take long to figure out that how much everyone here wants to make a positive contribution to the broader community. Jon learned about the great work the Chamber does and wanted to contribute to those endeavors – to support businesses here in Encinitas, create a community network, and partner with the City and others to grow in ways that maintain what is truly special about this town.
SDG&E
858-243-1534 (work)
Email Jon
Alex Meade
Board Member & Past chairman of the board
Education & Networking COmmittee
Alex Meade moved to Encinitas in 2009 and Co-Founded his marketing agency, Beacons Point, on the patio of Coffee Coffee. Today, Alex is the VP of Sales & Marketing at Beacons Point and he has spent his career finding unique ways to tell a story and grow tech & software brands. Alex is an avid sports fan, coffee drinker, and craft beer lover, so Encinitas is the perfect place.
Community is very important to me. Alex knew right away that he needed to join a community to help my business and myself grow. Alex found the Encinitas Chamber and connected right away with the commitment to helping businesses in their community. Today, we have expanded our ability to support and help the community come together and grow.
BEACONS POINT, INC. MARKETING
949-280-6482
Email Alex
Jim Benedetti
Board Member & Past Chairman of the Board
Government Relations & Advocacy committee
Jim originally joined the Encinitas Chamber of Commerce to build his company’s client base, but as he has discovered over time, it has become so much more.
Jim has found that being on the Chamber Board of Directors has taught him that his contribution is mainly about giving back to the community that he lives in and helping to develop and increase our local business community’s opportunities to grow and thrive.
JPBLA LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT
760-479-0644
Email Jim
Gabriel Rebelo
Board Member
Resource development committee
Gabriel and Marcia Rebelo arrived in the U.S. from Johannesburg, South Africa in 2012. Their American Dream came true when they purchased an established Minuteman Press location with growth potential in Encinitas, California. They launched a ‘Print Locally’ campaign in 2016 that has served them well these last several years. Graciously embraced by the business community as well as their customers, Gabriel always gives back. He has been an active Board Member for the Encinitas Chamber of Commerce for seven? years now. He and his wife have three? grown children and four? adorable grandchildren.
As for being his own boss, Gabriel says, “The most rewarding thing about owning your own business is that the buck stops with you. What you achieve is the result of what you put into your business. Although your responsibilities are great, and often you work much harder than any of you employees, you time and your schedule are yours.” Gabriel takes great pride in his work ethic and his product to his local Encinitas customers. He lives in an eternal state of gratitude for all that life has given him, and it shows every time you meet him.
MINUTEMAN PRESS ENCINITAS
760-634-5349
Email Gabriel
Rock Swanson
Board Member
Resource development committee
Rock Swanson is a Board Member on the Encinitas Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors. He has been a resident of Olivenhain since 1977. He founded and built his business, Rockwell Electric, Inc. starting in 1970 and sold it in 1999. REI was an electrical contractor for the Public Works entities throughout San Diego County and greater Southern California.
He specialized in process control and data management technologies for the Water/Wastewater facilities. Rock has been involved with his wife’s business, Business Blossoms, a floral enterprise, since its founding in 2004. Rock has also been a volunteer for the Chamber for many years, including the bartender at our Mix & Mingles. Rock joined the board last year to bring his business experience and passion to the wonderful City of Encinitas.
Cyndi Darlington
Board Member
Business & Economic Development COmmittee
Cyndi Darlington is an entrepreneur, marketer, and teacher, with particular expertise in the retail and restaurant industries. After 20+ years in corporate marketing for established brands like Amtrak, Prudential and Islands Restaurants, she founded Darlington Marketing Co. (DMC) 12 years ago, and the company has grown to be a leader in the Southern California marketing community. Based in Encinitas, DMC works with mostly small to mid-sized businesses, with a focus on helping them grow and succeed. Their grocery and restaurant partners are some of the most respected brands in the industry.
Cyndi is a frequent speaker on marketing trends and issues, combining an up-to-date understanding of media channels such as social media and digital marketing with her strong foundation in brand management and traditional marketing tools. An Adjunct Professor at Mira Costa College, she also works closely with SCORE and the SBDC to teach classes and workshops on marketing trends. A 16-year resident of Encinitas, Cyndi especially enjoys helping our local businesses thrive, which was her main motivation for getting involved with the Chamber. Cyndi earned her undergraduate degree in Journalism at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, and her MBA from the University of San Francisco. When she's not working, you can usually find her hiking with her husband, watching NFL football, writing the next great American novel, or attempting to get her two teenage kids to hang out with her!
Cyndi Darlington
760-473-6241
Email Cyndi
Roueida Hobeika Matin
Board Member
Business & Economic Development and membership COmmittee
Roueida has majored in Political and Administrative Sciences but her extensive business past of over 25 years managing at the highest levels the world’s top luxury brands has made her a business guru. She uses her experience as General Manager and CEO for brands such as LVMH (Louis Vuitton), Prada, Miu Miu, Armani & Gucci to teach and mentor young professionals. As such she has volunteered her time to teach at the renowned Istanbul Fashion Institute and is an active coach & mentor for Executive MBA students of one of the top universities in Turkey, Sabanci University.
Nowadays, Roueida has found a renewed way to continue her passion of helping people in her current community of Encinitas. She is a podiatric expert and the proud Owner of Foot Solutions Encinitas, a store that has been proudly serving North San Diego County since 2001. Foot Solutions is the world's largest and #1 Ranked Health & Wellness Franchise focusing on foot care, and Roueida enjoys working one on one with her customers of all ages to alleviate many of their body ailments that emanate from their feet and shoes, as well as guiding them to adapt the footwear to their style and comfort all the while wearing orthopedically well suited footwear.
Foot Solutions
760-634-1600
