Westminster Woods 2023 Board of Directors
JANINE VALINE (SHE/HER)
Board President
Janine grew up in the Bay Area and currently lives with her husband and two children in Santa Clara County. She holds multiple degrees including her Masters as a Family Nurse Practitioner.
Janine first came to Westminster Woods as a camper in Sherwood Forest and quickly fell in love with the magical atmosphere provided by the Woods. She spent 6 summers as a summer staffer, first as a counselor and later as the first aid coordinator. Hiking to the cross has always been one of her favorite things to do while at the Woods. The Cross has always been a “thin space” for her and is a place she feels closest to God.
Janine is thrilled to be in a position to give back to a place that has given so much to her over the years.
CORINNE DEDINI (SHE/HER)
Board Secretary
Corinne grew up on a farm in Napa and now lives in Mariposa County between the San Joaquin Valley and Yosemite National Park. She holds degrees in biology and Christian education, and works as a school administrator. Initially introduced to Westminster Woods when her elementary school came for an outdoor education program, Corinne fell in love with the joyful ministry of The Woods; she went on to spend the better part of 10 summers as a volunteer counselor and summer staffer. Sunday was always Corinne’s favorite day, as she worshipped God under the redwoods with her dearest friends and then welcomed each new tentful of intrepid campers. She is honored to have the opportunity to give back to the place that built her.
REV JEFF CHAPMAN
Jeff first attended Westminster Woods as a Railroad Camp camper the summer of 1979. This is so long ago that the packing list the Woods provided back then included a fishing pole so that you could pull fish out of the creek! Jeff spent a good portion of the next 10 summers at camp, ultimately serving on summer staff from 1984-1989. After a stint on the East Coast for seminary and a time serving a congregation in Nebraska, Jeff moved back to California in 2004 to serve as Pastor of Faith Presbyterian Church in Sacramento, the congregation he continues to serve. Since then, he has served several terms on the Woods board, and served as speaker for many summers at all levels of summer camp. Jeff is married to Esther and they have four grown children, all who grew up going to camp.
SARAH HARLING (SHE/HER)
Sarah originally attended Adventure Camp in 1989, and despite a serious case of homesickness, knew immediately that Westminster Woods was a special place. In the following years, the joy of camp helped her overcome homesickness, and she returned for many more summers as a camper, volunteer counselor, staffer, and resource person. She lives in San Francisco with her husband and their toddler, and works as a cartographer. Some of Sarah’s dearest friends are camp friends, and she’s happy to know that others will have similar opportunities to meet new people among the redwoods.
REV JEFF RICHARDS, M.DIV (HE/THEY)
Jeff Richards is from Sacramento, CA. He has a Master of Divinity (San Francisco Theology Seminary) and BA Psychology (Sonoma State). He is a member of North Central California Presbytery as a chaplain and pastor.
Jeff first arrived at The Woods for church family camp in the late 70s as a little kid. Throughout the years he’s been a camper, counselor, resource person, and Ropes Course/EE participant and supporter. At The Woods, he feels deeply at home and a deep sense of connection. He is glad and honored to support the continued work of The Woods as a board member. Jeff is married, a recent Leeds United soccer (football) fan, and interested in liberation and peace.
KRISTA SEIDEN (SHE/HER)
Krista grew up in Vacaville, California and now resides with her husband and two kids in Orinda, California. She holds B.A.s in Economics and Political Science from the University of California, Berkeley and has worked in tech marketing and analytics for the past 15 years. Krista first came to Westminster Woods in the summer of 1994 as an Adventure Camp camper and continued on through Sherwood Forest, Railroad, Step, volunteer counseling, serving on summer staff and as a resource person over the following years. The Woods has always been a sanctuary for Krista where she feels at home in community and closest to Christ, and she is honored to now serve on the Board of Directors to continue the Woods mission of providing a sanctuary to draw closer to Christ for others, including her own children in the summers to come.
NICK SORANI
Nick grew up just a stones throw away in Santa Rosa California. Despite living so close to the Woods, Nick did not attend as a camper until his last years of high school. Although late to the party, Nick found camp to be a place that encouraged and challenged his faith in Jesus Christ, and served on summer staff for 6 summers (84-89). It was these summers that he experienced God’s grace and calling to a life sharing Christ with others, working in youth ministry, pastoral ministry, and currently as a marriage and life coach up in Rogue River, Oregon.
AMANDA WALLACE (SHE/HER)
Amanda grew up in Sacramento, California where she now resides with her husband and two children. She holds a B.A. in history from Sonoma State University and a master’s degree in Urban and Regional Planning (MURP) from San Jose State University. Amanda’s career includes working as a project planner and economic development professional for numerous cities throughout the Bay Area, as well as an economic and real estate development consultant at a private consulting firm. Amanda currently works as a Development Project Manager for the City of Sacramento, where she primarily manages public/private/non-profit partnership projects and oversees a variety of federal, state, and local grant funded programs that invest in Sacramento’s historically underserved communities. Amanda fell in love with The Woods as a young Adventure Camp camper and continued to come back with her her church every summer, eventually volunteering as counselor and serving on summer staff. Westminster Woods provided a spiritually nurturing environment where Amanda made lifelong friendships, developed her service and leadership skills, and built a foundation for her relationship with Christ that influences her personal and professional life today.
NOT PICTURED
Rev Monte McClain- Vice President
Jeff Fletcher
Rev Kelsey Ingalls
Steve Nelson