Board of Directors
Tom LewisTom Lewis is the founder and president of Tom Lewis Restoration and Consulting, Inc. specializing in high quality restoration services through field and shop production, cost analysis, design and construction management throughout San Francisco and Northern California since 1973. Areas of expertise include restoring all masonry substrates, waterproofing, painting, woodwork, metals and other building materials that have commercial, civic and historic value. He has been a laser digital photographer and consultant on restoration projects with the French Mission at the tomb and mortuary temple of Rameses II, Luxor, Egypt. Other projects include Coit Tower, the San Francisco City Hall, Stanford University and UC Berkeley.
Tom is originally from New Hampshire and a graduate of Yale University (1973). He has been living in the Bay Area since graduation when he started his company. He has three wonderful daughters and seven beautiful grandchildren. |
MaryEllen WhittonMaryEllen Co-Founded RTS to help positively impact anyone seeking to break free from addiction and turn their lives around. One of the pivotal facets of recovery is reliable transportation. She has learned this first hand from her daughter, who goes in and out of recovery, how stressful simply getting to appointments is for her.
She is both an entrepreneur, founded and managed three companies, and also has a long career in sales and marketing. Currently, she is a Sales Executive for City Wide Facility Solutions. Additionally, a highly experienced yoga instructor (E-RYT) leading classes, workshops and retreats near and far, for over 21 years. She moved to Northern California in 1986 to attend San Francisco State University where she received her BS in Business Administration/Marketing and now lives in Sonoma County. |
Grayson JamesGrayson helps executives and their teams improve their collaborative business performance, provides collaborative leadership education, and facilitates change initiatives for companies worldwide through Grayson James Consultants, LLC. In the 1980s Grayson was CEO of a multi-campus private school system in the San Francisco Bay Area that was profiled as a model school for the future in Esquire Magazine. He has served on numerous non-profit boards, was founding Executive Director of a nonprofit focused on building a sustainable regional food system that received the Leadership in Sustainability Award and recognition by the California State Senate and Assembly. In the early 1990s he served as Executive Director of C.O.T.S., a regional homeless services agency that has gained national recognition for its innovative programs. Grayson holds a 6th Degree Black Belt in Aikido and teaches at Two Rock Aikido in Petaluma, California where he lives with his wife.
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John GeesmanJohn is an attorney with a lengthy background in energy/climate regulation, California government, and the financial markets. He was a member of the California Energy Commission from 2002 to 2008, and its Executive Director from 1979 to 1983. Between his two tours at the Commission, John spent 19 years as an investment banker focused on the US bond markets.
John has previously served as:
He is a graduate of Yale College and the UC Berkeley School of Law, and lives with his wife in Bodega Bay. |
Nicole GarzinoNicole Garzino has over fifteen years of experience in nonprofit leadership as an Executive Director, development professional, and strategic management consultant for nonprofits. She currently serves as Director of Membership for Battery Powered and the Battery Foundation, a San Francisco Bay Area nonprofit donor collective at The Battery, a private social club, which grants over $4.5 million each year in social impact investment. Nicole also manages her own nonprofit consultancy, Audiate Creative Consulting, with clients such as the Open Hearts Foundation. Nicole has also served in executive leadership positions at the Center for Photographic Art, the Monterey Museum of Art, Bard College at Simon's Rock, Barrington Stage Company, and the Dorchester Center for the Arts & County Arts Council. She has led many volunteer Boards and serves through Catchafire as a pro-bono nonprofit management consultant with organizations such as The Community Foundation of the U.S. Virgin Islands, the Atlanta Film Society & Festival, and the Chicago Maritime Museum.
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Samantha LutzSamantha first started working with Recovery Transportation Systems during her time at Lyft where she launched the partnership enabling RTS to dispatch Lyft rides on behalf of the patients at partner treatment centers. During her tenure, she founded Lyft’s employee interest group, UpLyft Change focused on addiction awareness, support, education, and policy reform. UpLyft Change was founded and has grown through the Lyft community’s passion from personal experience, seeing loved ones facing the many challenges of struggling with addiction, and recognizing the substantial need for change in the space. A key component of the group's mission is to leverage Lyft’s superpower of transportation to affect positive change in the addiction and recovery experience in society today which aligns closely with the mission here at RTS. Having spent nearly five years in the space she witnessed the power of transportation in serving communities most at risk.
Samantha is now a sales executive at a technology company called Cutover and she has joined the RTS board as she is passionate about removing barriers for people in treatment and recovery and believes that transportation is one of the leading indicators for recovery success. |
Ben PahlavanBen has served on the RTS Development Committee as well as Liaison for the community of professional development. Ben works closely with RTS as the Administrator for the Pilot Program that RTS launched with Pura Vida Recovery Services to engage and bridge the gap for local substance abuse resources.
Ben co-founded a local addiction treatment program, Pura Vida Recovery Services, in 2015 where folks in need can gain access to treatment and housing resources for substance abuse and mental health issues. Born, raised, and local to Sonoma County, Ben is a husband, dad of 2 young boys, hobby farmer, private pilot, and basketball enthusiast! |
Advisory Board
Coming soon