Tri-Valley Conservancy Announces New Board Members in 2025
As Tri-Valley Conservancy (TVC) rings in 2025, the organization reflects on a year of significant achievements under the leadership of outgoing Board Chair Mark Triska and looks ahead to continued progress under the guidance of incoming Board Chair Scott Akin.
Under Mark’s leadership, TVC made meaningful strides in advancing its mission to preserve the Tri-Valley’s open spaces, agricultural lands, and natural resources. Key accomplishments included finalizing the Zeiss Springtown Conservation Easement, a 40-acre property that protects rare alkali sink lands, burrowing owl habitats, and sensitive vegetation like the Livermore Tar Plant.
Additional achievements during Mark’s tenure included securing flat water rates for untreated water users in Zone 7, recruiting and hiring TVC’s new Executive Director, and launching the Sponsored Replanting Pilot Program. This initiative will provide limited low-interest loans to qualified TVC easement holders to replant their vineyards, supporting the long-term sustainability of the region’s viticulture.
Mark’s vision and dedication were instrumental in these accomplishments, and while he steps down as Board Chair, he will continue to serve on the board through the end of 2025.
As TVC celebrates these achievements, the organization is excited to announce Scott Akin as the new Board Chair for 2025. Scott joined the TVC board in 2019 and brings a wealth of expertise from his 35-year career in local government and resource management. He worked for 31 years at the Santa Clara Valley Water District as an Environmental Services Manager and Senior Project Manager, where he led fisheries and aquatic habitat restoration projects and worked to protect endangered species habitats in the Mount Hamilton and Santa Cruz Mountain ranges. Scott holds a Master of Science in Environmental Studies from San José State University.
“Preserving land through conservation easements is almost always better than trying to restore it after degradation. I’m incredibly proud of the work TVC has done to preserve agriculture and open spaces in the Tri-Valley, and I’m excited to continue building on this important work as Board Chair.” - Scott Akin.
Scott’s passion for conservation extends beyond his professional career. As an avid hiker, kayaker, and gardener, he is deeply connected to the natural beauty of the region he now helps protect.
Tri-Valley Conservancy also welcomes two new Board Members this year, Charles Marker and Harrison Wood.
Charles graduated from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology with a degree in Electrical Engineering, and moved to Livermore to join the Special Projects group at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. After a few years at LLNL Charles worked at a number of technology companies in Silicon Valley.
Charles was born and raised in rural West Virginia and fondly recalls spending summers on his grandparents farms. He is an avid cyclist and enjoys riding on the country roads in Livermore. If you see a cyclist on Patterson Pass or Tesla Roads, and they wave at you as they pass by, it is probably him!
Charles loves the rural character of the Livermore Valley, where he lives with his wife Tina, and is very interested in enabling and encouraging economically sustainable agriculture so that future generations are also able to enjoy it.
Harrison graduated from the University of Redlands with a degree in Political Science and joined Darcie Kent Vineyards in 2013, where he began his career in the wine industry as a Cellar Hand during the harvest season.
Following the harvest season, Harrison served as Tasting Room Manager and Director of Sales, overseeing distribution across 30 U.S. states. In 2016, Harrison transitioned to his family’s winery, Wood Family Vineyards, where he now leads all on-site operations, wholesale sales, deliveries, special events, and promotional programs.
Having moved to Livermore in 1998 after his family purchased an 18-acre vineyard property, Harrison has deep roots in the local community. He is passionate about wine tasting, traveling (having visited 48 countries), and improving the town he calls home.
His dedication to Livermore extends beyond business, as he actively works to make the area a better place for future generations. Harrison serves as the ambassador connecting the Livermore Valley Winegrowers Association to the Tri-Valley Conservancy.
With these planned leadership transitions, TVC looks forward to another year of growth, community engagement, and conservation success. The organization remains deeply committed to protecting the natural beauty and agricultural heritage of the Tri-Valley.