About the EDC of Mariposa County
The EDC is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization with a mission to promote sustainable economic growth throughout Mariposa County. In existence since 1990, the EDC’s objective is to enhance and diversify the local economy in a way that improves the economic prosperity of all Mariposans, both individually and collectively, while preserving our cherished quality of life. The EDC is governed by an all-volunteer Board of Directors and Advisory Council, and has established a public/private partnership with Mariposa County’s Economic Development Office to operate a Business Assistance Center that assists businesses with their plans for relocation, start-up or expansion. Please contact our Executive Director if you are in need of such assistance.
Board of Directors and Officers
Roger Biery – After vacationing in Mariposa for years, Roger
semi-retired here from a career in Silicon Valley to become a
self-employed consultant specializing in marketing communications
for the computer networking and SmartGrid industries.
Barry Brouillette – Barry Brouillette has lived in Mariposa since
1970, and has been involved in the local real estate market as a
broker for the past 35years and the tourist industry for 30 years as
both a developer and owner.
Gary Colliver – After residing in Mariposa part-time from
1962 to 1969 to work and climb in Yosemite, Gary and his wife became
full-time residents in 1977, and after working 23 years for the
National Park Service he retired to open a bookstore in Historic
Downtown Mariposa.
Matt Foraker (Treasurer) – Matt is Vice President and Branch Manager
with Yosemite Bank, A Division of Premier Valley Bank, where he
currently manages both the Mariposa and Merced Offices.
Carol Johnson (President) – Having vacationed in Mariposa for nearly
two decades, Carol began living here full-time as a telecommuter for
IBM, and is now retired as a photographer and Director for the EDC,
the Mariposa County Arts Council and the Mother Lode Workforce
Investment Board.
Marilyn Lidyoff – Marilyn serves as the Business Development
Coordinator for the County of Mariposa Economic Development Office,
and also as the Executive Director of the EDC.
Les Marsden – Two-term former EDC President, Les is a retired
(disabled) former New York/London-based actor, director, producer,
playwright whose vision of the arts as an economic force is
demonstrated by the Mariposa Symphony Orchestra, which he founded as
Music Director/Conductor in 2002.
Gwen Nitta – Gwen is a 28 year resident of Mariposa County,
having owned property here since 1976, and is currently the manager
of the Mariposa office of Mother Lode Job Training, a four county
consortium that operates employment-related programs funded under
the Workforce Investment Act, including a career resource
center (The Job Connection).
Candy O'Donel-Browne – Candy, now retired, served both as President
and as the Executive Director of the EDC after selling her travel
industry business, the Yosemite-Mariposa KOA Campground, which she
and her husband had previously operated for over a decade.
Brenda Ostrom – Brenda originally moved to Mariposa to be a project
manager for Yosemite National Park and now owns and operates a small
farm and community-supported agriculture service in addition to
serving on the Water Advisory Committee and the Resource
Conservation District.
Ken Pulvino (Second Vice President) – After a career in IT starting
out with IBM, Ken and his wife Teri followed friends from Silicon
Valley to Greeley Hill in 2003 to buy a ranch for an ecotourism
business, and he now also serves as Chief evangelist for John Muir
Highway and Co-Chairman of CSC for Broadband initiatives in the
Sierra Foothills.
Marilyn Saunders (Secretary) – Marilyn retired from the corporate
compliance unit of a large commercial insurance carrier and moved
from the Bay Area to her favorite foothill community in 2003.
John Stewart (First Vice President) – John, a 29 year resident of
Mariposa, has managed three local businesses before moving to the
Mariposa School District where he has been employed for the last
eighteen years and also serves on the Board of Directors for the
CSEA.
Advisory Council
Kevin Cann
Pat Dorato
Rich Inman
Dan Jensen
Jan Mennig
Gene Mickel
Jerry Progner
Fran Schlotthauer
Neil Stonum
Lyle Turpin
Lowell Young