About Us / Volunteers
Board of Directors
Director – Mary Ann Comes (President)
- Mary Ann has lived in San Clemente since 1986. She is retired from the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, a government agency, specializing in real estate sales and property management. She had her California Real Estate license since 1975 and worked in residential sales in Huntington Beach, Fountain Valley and San Clemente. At this time, she chooses to just volunteer her time in the city rather than sell real estate.
- Mary Ann has volunteered for the San Clemente Historical Society for
several years and now has been honored on being elected the
President. She created the Community Booth for the Village Arts Fair held on Del Mar the first Sunday of the month. The booth has become very popular with the public. Look for the red umbrellas.
- She is a docent for the Casa Romantica Cultural Center and Gardens and was a docent for the San Clemente Historical Society's museum which is temporarily closed. She sat on the Marblehead Master and Highland Light Village homeowner's association boards for several years. She was chairman for the Marblehead Master Association in conjunction with the City in overseeing the completion of the inland Marblehead park. She is secretary and treasurer for San Clemente Citizens for responsible Development. This organization was instrumental in seeing that the Marblehead Coastal development was downsized considerably. The canyons and wetlands were saved with SCCFRD's help.
- Mary Ann loves to travel with her husband George. She is interested in the history of the medieval towns and their architecture in Europe. Because of this interest, her passion for historical properties in San Clemente go hand and hand.
- Mary Ann has two grown sons and three grandchildren.
Director – Mike Cotter (Vice President)
- His professional background includes a photographic supply business, a career in financial consulting/investment banking, and over 25 years as a real estate broker.
- Mike’s volunteer and community work include directorships on the boards of chambers of commerce, downtown business associations, volunteer fire departments and family crisis shelters.
- He has taught real estate syndication, made presentations before municipal treasurers’ associations, societies of finance officers, various local government agencies and service clubs, and has published over 300 real estate and financial advice columns and industry articles.
- Mike holds a Bachelor of Science Finance degree from San Diego State University, graduating with High Honors in 1976. He is a member of the National, California, and Orange County Associations of Realtors®. He serves on the board of directors of the San Clemente Downtown Business Association.
- As President of the Historical Society, Mike was appointed in 2005 to a 10-member task force to develop a Historic Landmarks Preservation Ordinance for the City of San Clemente.
- Recently married to Michelle, Mike's hobbies include guitar, photography and collecting antique camera memorabilia.
Director – Georgette Korsen (Secretary)
- Georgette, her husband and their two children, moved to beautiful San Clemente thirty years ago. They have a lifetime of memories here, and consider this to be the finest place that anyone could live. Her husband, Alan, served on the San Clemente City Council. During that same time period, she worked with then Fire Chief Ron Coleman and two local veterinarians to get San Clemente's own animal shelter up and running, serving as its first Volunteer Coordinator. Having previously served on the Board of the Pet Responsibility Committee, a volunteer support group that staffed the Laguna Beach Animal Shelter, she was able to transfer their then innovative “pro-life” philosophy to our own budding program. It has been very gratifying for her to see the amazing “top notch” animal shelter that has evolved in San Clemente from such humble beginnings.
- Once their children were grown, Georgette joined her husband in working at their family owned executive search firm, Aaron Jensen Associates. And more recently, has served on the city's Watershed Task Force.
- The genesis of her affiliation with The Historical Society was the realization that San Clemente 's beautiful Spanish Colonial Revival buildings, which she had always assumed were secure gifts from our city's amazing founder, were in danger of being demolished. It had never occurred to her that they could simply disappear in favor of denser, more “developer profitable” structures. For her, it began with the planned demolition of the Miramar Theatre.
- Within the SCHS Board of Directors, she enthusiastically supports the Society's constant vigilance to preserve our city's rich history. She is a dedicated member of the Committee to Save the Miramar Theatre and involved with all affiliated projects.
Director – Chris McCormack
- Chris McCormack is a twenty-seven year old native son of San Clemente. He attended Ole Hanson Elementary School, Shorecliffs Junior High, and San Clemente High School. In 2005, Chris received his Bachelor of Arts degree in history from San Francisco State University.
- In addition to his B.A., Chris holds a Single Subject Teaching Credential in Social Science and is currently substitute teaching in Saddleback Unified School District. Chris's political experience includes a run for San Clemente city council in 2006 and he looks foreword to victory in 2008
Director – Raad Ghantous
- Raad is an interior designer who has recently lent his time and talents to help transform the Casa Romantica into a magnificent Cultural Center here in San Clemente , but his journey began half-way around the world. His life experience and travels have given the articulate man a broad perspective of the global village.
- Raad was born in Baghdad , Iraq , his mother was half Lebanese, a Catholic. His father, a Greek Orthodox Civil Engineer, had moved to Iraq from Haifa , Palestine with his father.
- In 1970, Raad attended a British system high school in Kuwait . He then went on to the American College of Switzerland in Leysin and earned an undergraduate degree in economics. Next, he went on to attend the gradate school at Claremont to work on his MBA.
- He took a job in the construction industry and uncovered a talent for the design aspect of construction, and subsequently decided to take a class in interior design. And it was three years later and he another undergraduate degree in interior design. His career took a leap when he landed a job for the number one design firm in the world for five-star hotels and resorts, the legendary, Whimberly Allison, Tong & Go, (WAT&G) who's impressive list of clients includes everyone from the Royal Hawaiian in Waikiki to the Ritz Carlton in Laguna Niguel. He formed Raad Ghantous & Associates (www.raadg.com) in order to pursue a wider variety of clientele.
- In the five years of living in San Clemente , Raad has been the interior designer of the Casa Romantica, serves on the Design Committee of the Downtown Business Association, serves on the Board of Directors the San Clemente Historical Society and represents them at city Design Review and Planning Committees.
Director - Don Prime (Picture to follow)
- Don was raised in Palo Alto, California and received my college education at the University of Santa Clara. He is now a physician specializing in Pediatric Nephrology (the diagnosis and care of children with kidney disease). Don graduated from Tulane University Medical School and obtained my postgraduate medical education at the University of Southern California and subsequently at Stanford University.
- Don moved to San Clemente in 1994 and was immediately enthralled by the historic architecture. He quickly realized that our historic buildings to a great degree define San Clemente and that our very visible connection to our past is not shared by many of the towns in Orange County. That connection he realized needed to be preserved.
- His community involvement began as a member of Derail the Rail, an organization that fought the Cal Trans plan to double- track our coastline. He has been a member of numerous organizations and citywide task forces, including the Downtown Visioning Task Force, the Noise Task Force and the Landmarks Task Force. He was a member of the City of San Clemente Planning Commission for two terms, ending in June of 2007, and served also as a member of the Coastal Advisory Committee during 2007.
Committee Chairs
Administration/Membership - Bill Bluett
Museum/Archives - Lois Divel
Preservation - Raad Ghantous
Casino Complex - Mike Cotter
The Miramar Theater - Raad Ghantous
Events - CHRIS McCORMACK
Oral History - GEORGETTE KORSeN
Community Booth - LARRY & jaine CULBERTSON
Beach Clean-up - LARRY CULBERTSON
Webmaster - JIM PROETT
All photos are the Copyright © 2009 San Clemente Historical Society, All rights reserved.
To order photos contact the Historical Society at P.O. Box 283
San Clemente, CA 92674
(949) 492-9684
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Historical photo history of San Clemente, CA
