Board of Directors

Executive Staff

Juli Vieira, CEO

The Sausalito Chamber of Commerce is proud to announce Juli Vieira as the new CEO and President of the organization. Ms.Vieira took the helm at the Chamber June 1, moving to the Bay Area from Hollister where she served for 4 years as the CEO of the San Benito County Chamber of Commerce. Under her leadership there, membership increased 84%, event revenue increased 47%, and successful county tourism marketing campaigns were launched. She has extensive expertise in social media and built two websites for the Chamber that dramatically enhanced traffic on both sites. She previously worked in the banking and insurance industries and has been an active volunteer in the San Benito County community where she was named “Woman of the Year” in 2013.

“We are delighted to welcome Juli to Sausalito and look forward to working with her” said Chairman of the Chamber Board Jeff Scharosch. “She is an experienced professional who will bring new energy and enthusiasm to our organization, as we look to take it to the next level.”

2019 Executive Board of Directors

Jeff Scharosch, Chairman

Jeff Scharosch is General Manager of the Spinnaker Restaurant in Sausalito, and  is an extremely active community member. He is a member of the Sausalito Hospitality Committee, on the Marin Economic Forum Board of Directors, served on the Sausalito Business Advisory Committee, and chaired the Sausalito Stage of the Amgen Tour of California bike race for four years, orchestrating the first professional bike race to ever cross the Golden Gate Bridge. He currently serves as  Vice-President of the Sausalito-On-The-Waterfront Foundation.

In additional to Jeff’s work in Sausalito, he is an adjunct professor at the University of San Francisco’s Hospitality Industry Management Program, currently on the program’s executive board and is dedicated to mentoring youth and individuals within the hospitality industry, including an ongoing internship program at the Spinnaker Restaurant in Sausalito.

He has twice served as chairman of the Sausalito Chamber of Commerce and is pleased to be able to serve as Chairman in 2018.
 

Marjorie Thomas, Treasurer

Marjorie chose to come and live in Sausalito in May 2011, having found her perfect place to live, when she cycled across the Golden Gate Bridge in 2009. She has over 25 years of international board level experience in the finance industry (Gibraltar, Switzerland, Cayman Islands, Britain). Originating from Jersey, Channel Islands, she left the world of scientific research after attaining her Master’s Degree in South Africa. Upon joining the financial services industry in Jersey, she studied for her Trustee Diploma and has continued over the years to increase her broad knowledge base. While working in Jersey for Chase she served as President of the Institute of Bankers. Then while in Grand Cayman setting up a new company for an international service provider, she became involved in Rotary and was appointed to their board. Her current memberships include: STEP, IFS, BABC and BBS.

Coming to Sausalito was in part a decision to achieve a change of pace from the high pressure and long hours she had been used to. She is co-owner and CFO of Agile Marine LLC, looking after the financial aspects and regulatory side of the business. She also provides non-executive director, consulting and management development services to Bay Area organizations. An avid cyclist, you’ll often see her on Bridgeway, heading to or from coffee.

Marjorie joined the Sausalito Chamber Board of Directors in 2014.
 

Christanne Gallagher, Secretary

Chris has been at the Bay Model since 1986 and has served in the capacity of Manager since 2001. In that time she overseen a $16.5 million renovation to the facility and increased partnerships within the community. She is proud to be working with fellow Chamber members: Sea Trek and Call of the Sea who operate the vessels Seaward & Matthew Turner which was launched in 2017.

Chris served on the Chamber Board from 2009-14 serving as President in 2010 and Secretary and member-at-large in subsequent years. After an obligatory one year hiatus she returned to the Board to serve as Secretary. In addition to those duties she serves on the executive, nominating & mixer committees. In addition to her Chamber role she is also involved in the community serving on the Business Advisory Committee, General Plan Committee and is a member of the VIPS (Volunteers in Public Safety) and the Rotary Club of Sausalito.
 

Christopher Holbrook, Member at Large

Christopher was born and raised in Sausalito. He owns Studio 333, located on Caledonia Street, the Bay Area’s largest fine art and event gallery, Studio 333 Downtown and most recently has opened a new location in Boulder Colorado.  Christopher is very involved in the community. He currently serves on the Sausalito Business Advisory Committee, hosts many fundraisers, art shows and coaches both baseball and football at Tamalpais High School in Mill Valley. Christopher enjoys camping, snowboarding, going to flea markets and spending time with his son, Devin.

Christopher joined the Sausalito Board of Directors in 2014.
 

2019 Board of Directors

Native of Marin, DJ Ansari has spent his life in customer service and community building. He is currently serving as the General Manager to the family-owned Firehouse Coffee & Tea in downtown Sausalito, CA. DJ loves interacting with people and providing rich experiences. He’s the type of person that will remember your name, give you a warm smile, and radiate a positive attitude without expecting anything in return. Chamber of Commerce members frequently get their coffee at Firehouse Coffee & Tea, so when they were looking for more members to their Board of Directors, DJ jumped at the opportunity to better serve his community. His responsibilities for the Chamber include Community Engagement and he is dedicated to bringing growth and vibrancy to the city of Sausalito.

James Gabbert, Director

Jim has lived in Sausalito since the early 1960′s, lived on a boat until the early 1990′s. He has been the Grand Marshall of the Sausalito Lighted Boat Parade for 20 of the 22 years first with his 85 ft Stephens Marine “Defiance” and also the 164 foot yacht Invader. Jim is known for his 50′s Dance Party on KOFY-TV20, which he owned up until 1998. He has been on San Francisco radio and TV for over 53 years. Among his many accomplishments, Jim is past president of the Sausalito Art Festival, was president and chief lobbyist for the National Radio Broadcasters Association from 1970 to 1980, was President and Chief lobbyist for the California Broadcasters Association, was inducted into the Broadcast Hall of Fame, received an award from President John Kennedy for having been the first successful stereo FM radio station in the country. He is the Chairman of the California State Emergency Communications Committee handling all of the State Amber Alerts and is a fill in talk show host on San Francisco’s KGO am 810 Radio. Jim is a founding member and Vice President of the Sausalito On The Waterfront Foundation.

Jim joined the Sausalito Board of Directors in 2019.
 

Chris Grimm, Director

Chris Grimm is the owner of Essential Kitchen Design (EKD), a kitchen and bath design and remodeling company know for creative problem solving.  Chris began EKD in 1997 and has helped home owners, Architects and Contractors with hundreds of successful projects.  He has been featured on HGTV, San Jose Magazine and Houzz.  Since moving to Sausalito in 2013, Chris has participated in Sailing, The Sausalito Art Festival, Chamber of Commerce, Bocce Ball.

Chris joined the Sausalito Board of Directors in 2018.
 

Jeanie Schwarz, Director

Jeanie Schwarz is the Founder and co-owner of Lumina Financial Consultants, LLC, an independent wealth management firm located on Bridgeway, across from City Hall.  Jeanie established Lumina Financial Consultants in Virginia before moving to Sausalito in 2014. In addition to her work as an investment advisor and personal financial planner, she has volunteered her time serving as Chair for the Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards Council on Examinations, Member of the Board of Directors for the Financial Planning Association chapter in Washington, DC, and as an adjunct faculty member at the University of Virginia. 

In her free time, Jeanie enjoys hiking the hills of Marin with her husband, Ken, playing in the Sausalito Bocce League, and taking  walks along the Sausalito waterfront.

Jeanie joined the Sausalito Board of Directors in 2019.

Katya Wittenstein, Director

Raised along the stunning Pacific coastal environs of Santa Barbara and has lived and traveled widely abroad, studying many forms of artistic expression and design including painting, sculpture, and glass before ultimately concentrating on glass jewelry. The daughter of physicians and artists, her heritage and interest in poetry, history, ancient and modern style evolution is visible in her work today, from the shape of the sculpted metallic settings to the curve, arc, and glisten of the glass that is always the center of her work. Each piece she creates is one part Katya, and one part the natural spontaneity that take place as the glass, the metal, and the inspiration of the idea meld together in kiln and studio. Her elegant cutter-rigged sailboat, which is docked within walking distance of her studio, is where she spends the rest of her time, and on which she has traveled far and wide.

Katya joined the Sausalito Chamber Board of Directors in 2015.