Board of Directors

Alex has lived in District 1 since 1979, first joining the Authority as a member of the Citizens’ Advisory Committee. As a South County community member, he takes an interest in the area, serving as both Chair and Executive Director for the Morgan Hill Chamber of Commerce. His highest priorities for conservation include agriculture, working with farmers, and offering recreation and educational opportunities for the public. Alex is retired from the Army and Army National Guard where he was a helicopter pilot and artilleryman. He currently works as a commercial and residential realtor, spending his free time cycling, hiking, and with his four children and eight grandchildren.

A District 2 resident since 1986, Mike first joined the Authority as a member of the Citizen Advisory Committee in 2012 before being elected to the Board in 2014. Mike is an active community leader in the Berryessa area. He served three years as Chair for Berryessa Citizens Advisory Council and started the Berryessa Business Association. He has also served on the San Jose Parks Commission, the Santa Clara County Park & Recreation Volunteer Coordinating Committee, and the Bay Area Ridge Trail Council. Mike’s passions are parks, trails, open space, conservation, and preserving agriculture for all. Mike served in the Air Force and Air force Reserves for 15 years and worked for National Semiconductor for 20 years.

Helen has lived in District 3 for over 30 years. She has dedicated much of her public service to increasing awareness of the importance of access to open space, especially in underserved areas. She helped build a small park in her neighborhood. She served on the board of Green Foothills, chaired the San Jose Park and Recreation Commission, and was appointed to the Coyote Valley Task Force. She is interested in protecting Coyote Valley, connecting people to nature, outdoor education, and sustaining natural resources.

Dorsey has lived in District 4 since 1996 and served on the Open Space Authority Citizens’ Advisory Committee from 2005 to 2012. He was elected to the Board 2012 and has seen the organization impact grow dramatically during his tenure. Dorsey’s main priorities are the preservation of agricultural lands and creating a thriving agricultural economy, access of open space to the public through development of interconnected multi-use trail networks, and creating urban open space. The focus of his life’s work is to create sustainable communities for all while promoting environmental education, as well as social and environmental issues. Dorsey, along with his wife and two young daughters, enjoy time exploring parks and open spaces.

Shay was raised in San Jose and is the second woman and first Afro-Latina to serve on the Open Space Authority Board. Shay has been an active contributor and activist in passing legislation for environmental protection, women's rights, social justice reform, LGBTQ rights, and Domestic Violence survivors. Among her many committee and commission positions, Shay serves as the Chair of the Santa Clara County Commission on the Status of Women, Chair of the San Jose Evergreen College Citizens' Bond Oversight Committee, Co-Chair of the Silicon Valley Stonewall Democrats, and Corresponding Secretary for the African American Caucus. She is a mother and wife and is working to obtain her bachelor’s degree in public policy at Mills College.

Mike joined the Board of the Authority in 2003, serving for seven years and rejoining the Board in 2013 when the seat vacated. He has been re-elected twice since then to represent District 6 which includes part of downtown and most of East San Jose. Mike served as Board Chair for two years. A San Jose resident since age four, he remembers a time when there was far more natural beauty in our community. Mike served as a Legislative District Director for many years, has worked for a large tech company, and most recently for a local special district. He lives in the Naglee Park area of San Jose with his wife Cindy, their high school-aged son and their 10-year-old corgi.

Kalvin moved to District 7 with his family in 1987 and joined the Authority Board in 2007 with the strong belief that everyone should have access to open space, including our urban areas. He was born into a farming family and helped his parents in the field during his childhood. His environmental focus is to preserve agriculture and urban open space land. Currently, Kalvin works as the CEO of a software startup company and is the founder of Naturopathy Clinic. He serves many non-profit organizations in Santa Clara County.