Imperial Valley
Greg Smith, Board Chair and PCCA Land Specialist
Managing Partner, Smith-Kandal Real Estate/Insurance
Greg has served as the Board Chair of The PCCA since its inception, part of his long history of involvement with community support, especially from the non-profit point of view. Greg’s love of the Imperial Valley was evident when in 1988 he returned to the Valley and became a partner of his family’s insurance firm after achieving a Bachelors of Science from Stanford University and a Masters of Business from Clairemont Graduate School. He is a past president of the Brawley Chamber of Commerce, Imperial County Association of Realtors, Brawley Economic Development Commission, and Brawley Rotary. From 2007 through 2010, Greg served as the Chairman of the Imperial Valley Community Foundation (IVCF), the Imperial Valley’s leading philanthropic organization and its primary facilitator of charitable giving and philanthropic responder to community needs. Under Greg’s direction, the IVCF proudly worked with philanthropists to develop creative solutions to meet critical community needs.
San Diego County
Korey Klutz, San Diego Area Program Coordinator & Preserve Manager
Korey is a native of southern California and has been exploring the natural landscapes of California for more than 30 years. Since 1997, Korey has been working as a professional biologist focusing especially on the local flora of San Diego County. Korey’s primary interest and focus have been in the field of Conservation Biology. He has served as adjunct staff for the County of San Diego in support of its North County Multiple Species Conservation Program. Korey has also worked with the Tejon Ranch Conservancy, County of San Diego Department of Parks and Recreation, the San Diego County Water Authority, and San Diego Gas & Electric providing land management and biological survey support.
Korey’s expertise also includes experience as a supervisor, project manager, and field biologist. Korey has accumulated more than 16 years of experience managing and conducting biological services in southern California, Arizona, and Nevada. His expertise spans a broad range of topics including conservation biology, CEQA, NEPA, ESA, BEGEPA, vegetation communities mapping, invasive plant identification and control, vegetation management plans, resource management plans, baseline biological inventories, rare plant surveys, sensitive wildlife surveys, and habitat restoration planning.
Read Korey’s Résumé
Central Coast Region
William Haas, Executive Director & Scientific Program Coordinator
Bill’s professional focus has been the development of assessment and monitoring (A&M) programs for federally protected species. He has had the responsibility of implementing and supervising A&M programs for major studies supported by the United Sates Navy; United States Marines; United States Corps of Army Engineers; California Department of Fish and Wildlife; and California Department of Parks and Recreation. He is an authority on the biology and ecology of several federally threatened/endangered species including the southwestern willow flycatcher (Empidonax traillii extimus), the California gnatcatcher (Polioptila californica), the least Bell’s vireo (Vireo bellii pusillus), and the arroyo toad (Anaxyrus californicus). Haas served as a peer reviewer for United States Fish and Wildlife Service’s critical habitat determinations for the willow flycatcher and the arroyo toad and has served as an expert witness on these species for the United States Department of Justice.
Bill has a richly varied background focusing especially in the areas of general vertebrate biology and natural history as well as the physiological adaptations of small vertebrates. He is proficient in a broad range of field methods-including pitfall trapping (for reptiles, amphibians, and small mammals); mist netting (for birds & bats); ultrasound and radar-based surveys for bats; and small mammal live-trapping. Bill is now responsible for the design and planning of long-term management and population monitoring programs for numerous conservation properties, perpetual management areas, and wildlife preserves. His expertise in the design process includes the preparation of baseline assessments and development of long-term management and monitoring plans. Because of this expertise, Mr. Haas has extensive experience evaluating the effects of large scale infrastructure endeavors including solar generation, electrical transmission, water storage, and water transfer projects as well as the critical analysis of the documentation prepared to support them.