Kristine
Thalman
President/Chair
Kristine Thalman – President/Chair
With over 30 years of experience in building industry, government relations, and public affairs, Kristine Thalman is now the President and owner of K.E. Thalman & Associates. She works directly with government agencies, housing developers, non-profit organizations, and small businesses in developing strategic plans, and economic & business developments. A cum laude graduate in Public Administration, Kris has received recognition/awards as the “Most Influential People in Orange County” (Red County Magazine), “raising the Roof-4 Women Leaders pave the way” (OC Metro), “Visionary of the Year” (Coastline Community College), and more. Kris is currently a member of the Jamboree Housing Advisory Board and the Muzeo Museum & Cultural Center in Anaheim. Her past Board activities include serving on the Laguna Beach Design Review Board, Laguna Beach Senior Housing Task Force, South Coast Medical Foundation, OC Council of Governments, and Southern California Association of Governments.
Jeffery
Randolph
Vice President
Jeffery Randolph - Vice President
In addition to the Laguna Beach Community Land Trust Mr. Randolph serves on the Board of Hope Builders, a Santa Ana, CA, based non-profit dedicated to moving young men and woman out of poverty through life and job skills training. He is a co-founder of the Building Blocks Foundation Fund an organization of commercial real estate professionals dedicated to supporting Orange County disadvantaged youth.
After earning his Bachelor of Science in Finance from California State University Long Beach he began his professional career working as a corporate banker with a NYSE listed bank. Eventually leaving the banking industry he became the CFO of a West Coast based real estate investment firm that specialized in the acquisition and management of commercial retail properties located in the western United States. Upon sale of the firm, he founded Avalon Financial Group, Inc. which specialized in the restructuring and placement of commercial real estate financing. During this time frame he also co-founded AIA Inc. a SEC registered investment advisory firm that managed equity portfolios for both retail and institutional clients. As AIA expanded, he took on the responsibilities of both CFO and CCO and led the negotiations of its sale to Morgan Stanley Investment Management Global Equities Group where he became a Managing Director. At Morgan Stanley his team managed two publicly traded mutual funds along with domestic and international institutional separate accounts.
Currently, given his life-long love of music, and drumming, he is the co-owner of Aquarian Drum Heads which manufactures and distributes top quality drum heads to musicians world-wide. He is also a managing partner of Kortum Ranch LLC, an entity developing a residential neighborhood in Northern California.
Mr. Randolph’s career included serving on the board as an independent director of a private real estate investment trust (REIT) and a publicly traded REIT where he also chaired the audit committee. He is a licensed Broker with the State of California and earned a CFA Level I and is a CFA Level II candidate.
Jeff and his lovely Diane have been residents of Laguna Beach for over 36 years and enjoy living in their restored 1926 Spanish Mediterranean Revival home which has been placed on Laguna Beach’s historic register.
Harpal
Sadhal
Secretary
Harpal Sadhal – Secretary
Harpal is an Orange County native and has lived in Laguna Beach with his family for over a decade. Community involvement was and always has been important for him, leading to trustee and board member roles with SchoolPower and The Laguna Beach Education Endowment and spearheading initiatives for the Top of the World Elementary PTA. Harpal believes housing affordability is central to preserving Laguna Beach’s diversity, vitality and character, making his role on the Community Land Trust Board a strong fit. His professional background in the real estate development field equips him with the perspective and expertise to help the CLT realize its vision. Harpal holds both a Bachelors and MBA from The University of Southern California as well as professional certifications in Construction Management and Real Estate Finance from UCLA.
Kathryn
Burton Gray
Treasurer
Kathryn Burton Gray – Treasurer
Kathryn Burton-Gray is a senior real estate finance executive and board leader with over 40 years of experience structuring debt and equity solutions across the seniors housing, healthcare, and long-term care real estate sectors. She is the Founding Partner of Seniors Capital, LLC, where she advises owners, operators, developers, and investors on capital strategy, underwriting, portfolio optimization, and complex transactions across the full continuum of care. Her prior leadership roles include Senior Managing Director and Head of Healthcare and Seniors Housing at Hunt Mortgage Group, Senior Managing Director and Head of Healthcare at RED Capital Group, Managing Director and Head of Healthcare Real Estate at CIT, and earlier roles at GE Healthcare Financial Services and Wells Fargo Bank. Kathryn currently serves as Chairman of the Urban Land Institute (ULI) Seniors Housing Council, is a Trustee and Treasurer of Laguna College of Art + Design, a Trustee and Investment Committee Chairman of the Laguna Art Museum, and has served for over 16 years as a Trustee of Providence Hospital Mission Viejo and Laguna Beach, bringing disciplined capital markets expertise to mission-driven organizations across healthcare, housing, education, and the arts.
Cody
Engle
Director
Cody Engle – Director
Cody Engle began his career as an attorney before moving into the turnaround business. During his decades-long tenure in this field, he acquired, managed, and marketed all types of real estate, cruise lines, nursing homes, and other businesses.
After retiring from that profession, he joined Open Door Advisors, consulting with nonprofits across a range of organizational challenges. He has extensive volunteer experience as an activist board member and philanthropist with numerous nonprofit organizations, including the Chicago Humanities Festival, Chicago Psychoanalytic Institute, Victory Gardens Theater, the Laguna Playhouse, Susi Q and Laguna Beach Live! Most recently, Cody served on the Housing and Human Services Committee He holds both Economics and Juris Doctor degrees from the University of Michigan.
Ed
Sauls
Director
Ed Sauls - Director
Ed Sauls has been a resident of Laguna Beach since 1980. He is President of Development and Conservation Management, Inc. (DBA The Sauls Company) and CEO of The California Land Conservancy, both based in Laguna Beach. Since 1979 his land use, strategic planning, development and environmental expertise has resulted in over one hundred financially successful, community-supported, development projects and more than 89,000 acres of wildlife conservation in Southern California.
Deeply committed to community service, Ed co-founded the Laguna Covid Relief Fund and founded the Laguna Fire Relief Coalition. For over thirteen years, he served as President of Laguna Relief, managing its transition from disaster support to operating the Resource Center for the homeless and the Laguna Food Bank. Ed and his wife Lisa were awarded Laguna Beach Citizens of the Year in 2010.
Cindy
Shopoff
Director
Cindy Shopoff - Director
Cindy Shopoff is Principal and Co-Owner of Shopoff Realty Investments (SRI), a value-add real estate investment company. SRI has more than 35 years of success in the development, construction, and repositioning of properties across the United States, with an emphasis on the Western U.S. region.
Cindy retired in January 2024 from her full-time role overseeing operations, information technology, and human resources at SRI. Since then, she has embarked on a new path focused on creating and supporting the development of low-income and workforce housing in high-barrier-to-entry markets.
Although Cindy has served on various boards and committees in the past, she is especially excited to be part of the Laguna Beach Community Land Trust and to help create a long-term solution to local housing challenges.
Cindy began her career in sales at an early age and has always had a passion for learning, though she did not pursue a traditional degree. She has completed extensive communication and professional development training and firmly believes that with the right systems and resources, many of today’s housing challenges can be solved.
Outside of her professional and community work, Cindy enjoys traveling, golfing, scuba diving, and cooking fabulous dinners. She and her husband share a passion for wine and have traveled to many of the world’s premier wine regions in pursuit of that interest.
