Member Login

Meet the Staff

Office

Name

Eric Jacobsen

Title

General Manager/Chief Operating Officer

Eric has spent the last 40 years in hospitality, with 25 of those years working in golf. He spent the early part of his career in the free-standing restaurant business with private owners. He also worked with California Pizza Kitchen, where he opened stores and served in the capacity of General Manager, Kitchen Manager, and Training Manager. He most recently held the title of General Manager at The Citrus Club at PGAWEST; a private, signature Pete Dye designed course in La Quinta, California. Eric is from the Peninsula and currently resides in Pleasanton with his wife Maureen, daughter Taylor, and son Luke. He would be remiss if he did not mention the rest of the clan, Mickey Mittens and Otter Pops, their two cats.

Name

Christina French-Hokafonu

Title

Assistant General Manager

Christina French-Hokafonu was born and raised in Lamorinda. She also has grown up as a member at Moraga Country Club since 1994. She received her Bachelor’s degree in General Business Management at the Cal State University, East Bay. She currently resides in Concord with her Husband. She began working at Moraga Country Club in 2006 as a hostess in the restaurant and has progressed in her career through concierge, accounting and membership positions into her current role as our Assistant General Manager. Christina is also Certified Community Association Manager with a specialization in large scale communities within the CACM while working on her MCAM Certification. Christina also holds a CMCA designation with CAI as well as a CAFM designation with CACM. Christina serves on the Board of Directors for the California Association Community Managers (CACM). Christina is also a Notary Public.

Name

Teresa Belfanti

Title

Director of Finance

Teresa started as a lifeguard at MCC and has since built a distinguished career in finance. She works with the Board of Directors to ensure the financial sustainability and future of the Club. She is excited to return to Moraga after years up north in Minnesota.

Name

Leah Mollat

Title

Human Resource Manager

Leah started her position as the Sr. Human Resource Generalist at Moraga Country Club in March 2019. She is responsible for a wide range of Human Resource tasks including the administration of policies, procedures, benefits, compensation, training, recruiting and on-boarding. She has 20 years of Human Resource, part of that in manufacturing and spending the last decade working the international side of Human Resources with a major defense contractor. She believes in developing strong relationships with managers and employees as a foundation for having a great team. Leah spent her childhood overseas and speaks three languages. Outside of work, she enjoys reading and going on road trips with her family. She lives with her husband Nathan and daughter Natalie in Livermore.

Name

Imelda Kaypaghian

Title

Staff Accountant

Imelda has a background in the hospitality and real estate industries. After having lived in several countries and raising four daughters she is delighted to be back in California and resides in Moraga with her husband. In her free time she enjoys sports, cooking, artwork and traveling to new destinations with her family.

Name

Malina Wahl

Title

Communications & Marketing Coordinator

Malina Wahl supports Member needs and requests as our Marketing Coordinator. A North Bay native, Malina is a recent graduate from St. Mary's College where she got a BS in Mathematics and aspires to be a High School Calculus Teacher. She will further her education in the next year getting teaching credentials. Malina supports MCC by taking photos of events, making all event advertisements, and being a friendly face around the club!

Name

Crystal

Title

Concierge

Crystal graduated from the University of California, Berkeley (Go Bears!). She earned her Bachelor’s degree in media studies. She spends most of her free time with her family, online shopping, or watching a good comedy. Her passions include health, fitness, beauty, fashion, and caring for animals. She believes kindness is a strength.

Name

Theresa Ashley

Title

Member Activities Coordinator

Theresa is experienced with coordinating Bocce at both Ruby Hill and Castlewood Country Club. Before she started working in the country club environment, she worked in account management for a direct sales company. She will continue to bring new and exciting activities to the club while continuing to celebrate all of your traditional favorite events.

Homeowners Association

Name

Steven Richard

Title

Director of Facilities

Steven Richárd joined Moraga Country Club with a rich background in facilities management and historical preservation. Before becoming a part of the MCC family, Steven managed extensive projects at the Winchester Mystery House, where he honed his skills in project management, budget planning, and team leadership. His attention to detail and dedication to maintaining high standards make him an invaluable addition to our team. Steve is passionate about creating and maintaining beautiful, functional spaces that enhance the experience for all club members. His approach combines a deep understanding of historical elements with modern maintenance techniques, ensuring that Moraga Country Club remains a top-tier facility. In his personal life, Steven enjoys a fulfilling time with his beautiful girlfriend, Misty, and his lovely daughter, Rian. They share their home with two dogs and two cats, embracing a lively and loving household.

Name

Stephanie Sena

Title

Assistant HOA Manager

Stephanie Sena was born and raised in the East Bay. She received her Bachelor’s degree in Health Care Administration at Western Career College. She currently resides in Martinez with her family. She began working at Moraga Country Club as a Concierge and has progressed into her current role of HOA Assistant. She has previous experience in construction which is an asset to her role at Moraga Country Club. Stephanie enjoys spending time with her family, which includes her three children and her puppies! She is happy to be apart of our team at Moraga Country Club.

Name

Juvencio Santos

Title

Community Safety Supervisor

Juvencio was born in Mexico and has been in Security and Loss Prevention since 2001. He has worked with our MCC Community Safety staff since 2016 and became the Supervisor in 2023. He loves helping people and is happy to be serving the MCC community!

Name

Faiz Ali

Title

Community Safety

Faiz Ali and his wife came to us from the Fijian Islands. He has four children, his daughter currently lives in New Zealand and three son's with he and his wife. In his spare time, he enjoys fishing and swimming as well as enjoying time with his family. Faiz enjoys working with the community safety team and has been working within the security/safety industry since 1998.

Name

Jon Plotnick

Title

Landscape Manager

Jon has spent the last 25+years in the Landscape Industry. He has held multiple positions from irrigation, enhancement, account manager to Branch manager. Jon currently holds multiple certifications such as Irrigation Auditor and Qualified Water Efficient Landscaper. He transplanted from New York to California in his early teens. He enjoys spending time with my family, hiking, biking and playing disc golf.

Golf

Name

Jason Woodworth

Title

Director of Golf

Jason Woodworth was born and raised in the Bay Area. Growing up in Pleasant Hill, he attended College Park High School. After High School he went on to Chico State where he earned his Bachelor’s degree in Physical Education and met his wife, Tina. After receiving his Athletic Training certification he moved to North Carolina where he was a faculty member at Chowan College teaching sports medicine and developing a sports medicine curriculum. North Carolina is where his true passion for golf came to life. Prior to Moraga, Jason had been at Diablo Country Club from 1999 to 2007. He has two sons, Zach and Ben.

Name

Michael Merritt

Title

Director of Instruction

Michael Merritt is a PGA Professional who has spent over 9 years focused on player development. He is a passionate professional who loves helping people enjoy the game of golf. He has been the Director of Instruction at Talisker Club in Park City, UT, a Teaching Professional at Stonebriar Country Club in Frisco, TX, and the Director of Instruction at Berkeley Country Club in El Cerrito, CA. Michael’s welcoming demeanor and simple approach has allowed countless golfers to enjoy the game more and play better golf. He has helped players of all abilities enjoy and play better golf from navigating beginners for the first time on the course, helping single digit players become scratch, junior players earning college scholarships, elite amateurs, and professionals.

Name

Randall Clark

Title

Head Golf Professional

Randall grew up in Michigan and Indiana, where his father owned a golf course. He worked for him on the golf course and in the golf shop and started playing golf at the age of 6. He began playing competitive junior golf throughout high school. He graduated from Indiana University and moved to California in 1998. He began at Moraga Country Club in 2008 and has really enjoyed working here. He has a fantastic wife, Karen, and two great stepchildren Ross and Maddie. He is the proud father of two children, Shelby (2009) and Eli age 5.

Name

Ross Anderson

Title

Assistant Golf Professional

Ross helps golf operations run smoothly. An Orinda native, Ross attended Miramonte High School, and played football at UC Berkeley as a Wide Receiver. He started in Outside Services five years ago and fell in love with golf, which he shares with Members wanting to improve their game everyday.

Name

Sasha Gray

Title

Assistant Golf Professional

Sasha supports the operations of the Pro Shop as Assistant Golf Professional. Born in Russia, Sasha moved to the United States at the age of 12 and attended College Park High School in Pleasant Hill. An avid bowler, Sasha is one of the handful of people who have bowled a perfect series, 3 300 games in a row, he came to MCC after 8 years in the bowling industry. He is currently working towards his PGA Certification.

Name

Luis Ballesteros

Title

Director of Agronomy

Luis Ballesteros was born in Guanajuato, Mexico. Luis started working for Moraga Country Club in March of 1996 as a section man; mowing greens & tees, maintaining bunkers, and helping in small renovation projects. In 1999, he became the irrigation technician; he was in charge of supervising a temporary watering staff and monitoring the irrigation system. In 2001 he worked as the Second Assistant Superintendent assisting the Assistant Superintendent with the daily operations of the golf course. In 2002 he started as Assistant Superintendent and in February of 2004 he accepted the position as Golf Course Superintendent. He also is a member of the GCSAA, NCGA, and USGA. Luis is pursuing certification as a Certified Golf Course Superintendent.

Name

Juan Mendoza

Title

Assistant Golf Course Superintendent

Juan began working for Moraga Country Club in 1998 for our Landscape Crew. He quickly climbed up the ladder in the Country Club’s work environment. Juan is the Assistant Superintendent and his past experience was working on a similar golf course in Florida for several years prior to moving to California. Born and raised in Acapulco Guerrero Mexico, Juan currently resides in Oakland, CA with his wife and four children. His passion is having the opportunity to work outside as well as a day of golfing to relax.

Racquet Sports

Name

Thomas McGee

Title

Director of Tennis & Racquet Sports

As a Moraga native, Thomas McGee, has been a part of Moraga Country Club for most of his life. He trained here alongside Head Pro Mark Orwig while competing on the national junior tennis circuit. He played tennis at UC Davis before finishing his degree in Broadcasting and Digital Media at the University of Idaho. He taught as an Associate Teaching Professional at Blackhawk Country Club to expand his tennis and pickleball career. Thomas is certified by many organizations such as USPTA, Cardio Tennis and is working on adding his pickleball coaching certification. Thomas is looking forward to assisting the members at MCC to learn the sport of a lifetime.

Name

Louis Marin

Title

Tennis Coordinator

Louis helps Members with all things Racquets! Originally from South Lake Tahoe, Louis recently graduated from St. Mary's and now gets to share his passion for Racquet Sports with Members.

Name

Mark Orwig

Title

Head Pro

Mark Orwig grew up in Orinda and attended Campolindo High School and California State University Long Beach. Keeping up with his passion for playing and teaching the game of tennis he came back to the Bay Area and took the job as Assistant Pro at Moraga Country Club in 1983. In 1986 he took over as the Tennis Director and obtained his P-1 certification for the USPTA and was one of the first coaches to receive the High Performance Coaching certification from the USTA. Over the years although Mark has coached players on the Professional Tour and many top Collegiate players, he enjoys teaching any player striving to reach their potential in the game of Tennis. He currently lives in Moraga with his wife Karen and daughter Emily.

Name

Anna Marie Gamboa

Title

Tennis Professional

Anna Marie Gamboa grew up in Orinda and was a NorCal ranked junior player. She played varsity tennis at Miramonte High School and continued on to play for Westmont College in Santa Barbara where she was a NAIA division champion in doubles. Anna Marie’s first tennis job was working summers at MCC, and she is thrilled to return and bring her solid tennis fundamentals to the membership. Anna Marie holds USPTA and TRX Cardio certification. Anna Marie lives in Orinda with her husband René and two children, Sofia and Luca. Being a parent and also the first coach to her own children, Anna Marie understands the developmental process from pee-wee to advanced junior. She provides structure and encouragement on the court, and she knows that fun is the key ingredient to a lifetime of tennis!

Name

Ronan Reberac

Title

Tennis Coach

Ronan grew up in Nice, France. He stepped on a tennis court at a very young age and attended the Daniel Contet tennis Academy before getting his bachelor’s degree in South Carolina where he took part in the tennis team. Passionate with tennis, he became a full-time tennis coach in Connecticut back in 2016. Now back in the United States after a few years spent in France, he decided to drop his suitcases on the west coast and is determined to continue sharing his knowledge and passion for the sport to all players of the country club.

Name

Annie Tichenor

Title

Pickleball Professional

Annie Tichenor was a nationally ranked junior tennis player, and has over 15 years of racket/paddle experience. She was recruited to play Division 1 college tennis at Saint Mary’s College by Hall of Fame inductee and Moraga Country Club member Lisa Alipaz. During her time as an SMC Gael she was rewarded Most Valuable Player as a Freshman, Most Inspirational Player as a Junior, and finished her collegiate tennis career as the #1 singles player in 2002. Annie is now a competitive pickleball player who loves sharing her enthusiasm and joy for the game. She specializes in identifying and fostering the unique strengths that each individual player can bring to the game, and is thrilled to work with the members of Moraga Country Club!

Name

Manny DeGuzman

Title

Pickleball Professional

Manny DeGuzman was born in Manila Philippines and moved to the US at a very young age where his family settled in San Francisco, later moving to Daly City. Manny played on the Boy’s tennis team Junior & Senior year and joined the US ARMY after graduation and served 4 years active duty as an Airborne Infantryman assigned to 82nd Airborne Division, 2nd Infantry Division (South Korea), 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), achieving the rank of Sergeant (Non-Commissioned Officer). He attended CSU Hayward and earned BS in Criminal Justice Administration. Like so many, Manny discovered Pickleball at the onset of the Pandemic and fell in love with the sport as it incorporated many aspects of sports he enjoyed playing and quickly started coaching as his love of teaching was a perfect transition into a sport experiencing amazing growth.

Aquatics

Name

Rachael Marieiro

Title

Pool Manager

Rachael Marieiro has hit the ground running starting in her role and will be the point person for all pool-related matters as well as coordinating with our food and beverage team for any of your favorite poolside parties. Rachael has a background in Aquatics and Recreation and has done so for 14 years. When Rachael is not working at the pool she is out adventuring with her 3 kids and dog.

Name

Kristen Cunnane

Title

Head Coach

Kristen Cunnane competed at MCC as a youth swimmer and went on to be an All American, Olympic Trials Semi-Finalist and Team Captain at UCLA. She coached at CAL from 2005-2015 where the program won 4 Pac-12 and 4 NCAA Championships and she was named NCAA Assistant Coach of the Year. Kristen earned a Masters Degree in Education with an emphasis in Achievement in Athletics from CAL. Let's go WAVES!

Name

Cathy Durden

Title

Assistant Coach

Cathy returned to coaching in 2018 after taking 10 years off to raise her two children, Jack and Mia, both of whom swim for MCC. She spent 2017-2019 at Scottsdale swim team in Walnut Creek, helping guide the team to a 5th place team finish at the county meet. She has coached many different levels including learn-to-swim, summer league and D1 collegiate swimming. Cathy grew up in Ohio and was recruited to swim at Auburn University where she was a 3 time All-American. After her collegiate career she joined the coaching staff at Auburn from 2003-2005 during which the Auburn men won three NCAA team titles and the women won two. Cathy enjoys working with each swimmer to unlock their personal potential in the sport and is very excited to be coaching at MCC this summer! Let's Go WAVES!

Food and Beverage

Name

Brice Giannotti

Title

Director of Food & Beverage

Brice brings over 20 years of hospitality professional experience to Moraga Country Club! The last decade of which has been dedicated to leadership positions in fine dining establishments in the greater Bay Area and Sonoma valley. Focusing on developing teams of likeminded professionals to provide some of the best possible food, drink and experiences available. Brice is a husband and father of three children to which he dedicates the majority of his free time to. He also enjoys camping, coaching, cooking, volunteering, and supporting. He is a huge admirer of the culinary and beverage arts. Always seeking out new flavors and experiences.

Name

Greg Roemer

Title

Executive Chef

Greg Roemer began following his dream to become a Chef at the age of nine. He first learned how to cook in his grandmother's kitchen while watching the Food Network. He was completely self-taught until he decided to pursue a career in cooking and attended the Contra Costa Culinary School of Arts. Once he graduated in 2010, he was quickly recruited by Diablo Country Club. After two years at Diablo, he decided to advance his career by working under the newly hired kitchen staff at Moraga Country Club. In two short years, Greg was promoted to Sous Chef. After the departure of the Executive Chef, Greg participated in a competitive tasting where he was unanimously selected as the Executive Chef. Greg has demonstrated immense success over the past two years in his position.

Name

Madison Leonard

Title

Catering and Events Manager

Madison grew up in the East Bay and continues to live in the East Bay with her partner. She has been in the restaurant/hospitality industry for over 11 years with management experience since 2019. Madison recently came from Puesto in Concord where she was the Catering / Events / Dining Manager. She enjoys every aspect of event planning and looks forward to providing exceptional service to our members! She is excited to be a part of our team as well as elevating the dining and event experience at the Club!

Name

Seth Stephenson

Title

Food & Beverage Manager

Seth Stephenson grew up in Walnut Creek where he graduated from Berean Christian. He went to college in Nebraska on a baseball scholarship where he graduated with a business degree. He has spent 25 years in hospitality with his first position as a host at the original California Pizza Kitchen location in Walnut Creek. Seth has had Management experience at many locations including California Pizza Kitchen, Yard House, and Lazy Dog. He also has fine dining experience with LB Steak. Seth enjoys spending time with his beautiful family wife Lisa and 6-year-old daughter princess Skylar.

Name

Frank Veliz

Title

Dining Room Manager

Frank ensures the Members have a top level dining experience every time they visit the dining room. Frank brings decades of experience to MCC and ensures the annual Wine Faires have the top vintages available to Membership.

Fitness

Name

Carmen Solla

Title

Director of Fitness

Carmen was born and raised in Los Angeles, graduating from Cal Poly Pomona with a degree in Kinesiology with an emphasis in Sports Medicine, and from Baumen College where she studied Holistic Nutrition. She has worked in the fitness field for 30 years with the privilege of working at several private clubs. Most recently, Carmen was the fitness manager at the Olympic Club in San Francisco for 24 years. She has a passion for helping others live more vibrant and healthy lives. Carmen is a mother of two amazing boys, Carlos and Christian. Carmen was the scoutmaster of their troop. She enjoys the outdoors especially learning about foraging and sustainability as well as lifting heavy weights, cooking, and travel.

Name

Danny Faina

Title

Personal Trainer

His passion for fitness led him into the field of personal training over 10 years ago. He has been dedicated to his own fitness journey for over 20 years. Danny pursued his dreams and graduated from Sacramento State University with a degree in Exercise Science with an emphasis in Strength and Conditioning. He has experience training clients of all levels from collegiate and former professional athletes to your average weekend warrior. He loves helping people achieve their goals, no matter their fitness level, and as Bill Bowerman once said “If you have a body, you’re an athlete.” When he’s not getting a pump at the gym, Danny is probably eating all the food, spending time with friends and family, his fur baby, or playing video games.

Name

Rob Kievning

Title

Personal Trainer

Rob Kievning has been a personal trainer, strength and conditioning coach, and physical rehabilitation specialist for 25 years. In that time, he worked with people of all ages and abilities to improve the quality of their lives. Helping people with all aspects of health is what Rob loves to do. Guiding clients in their quest to get stronger, faster, and more agile in their daily lives, as well as working on nutrition & recovery is key to that. He specializes in working with current and former athletes, particularly those who have current or previous injuries that need special attention. Outside of his work in fitness, he loves spending time on the golf course, at the beach (surfing & paddleboarding), and in the mountains (skiing) with his wife and kids.

Name

Pamela Ferrufino

Title

Front Desk

Originally from the Bay Area, Pamela is currently pursuing her Bachelor's degree in kinesiology at Saint Mary’s College. She became interested in kinesiology due to her long list of sprains and fractures from playing sports. Inspired by her love of travel, her career goal is to work with athletic teams and visit different places around the world. In her free time, she likes to read, hang out with friends, shop, go to the movies and attend amusement parks.

Name

Justin Madfes

Title

Zumba Instructor/Front Desk

Justin has been dancing his whole life. He started off in a competition show choir group, then participating in community theater all over the bay area from Pinole to Walnut Creek. Later moving to L.A. and working as a tour guide at Universal Studios. Besides working at M.C.C. Justin is a Dance/Zumba instructor at Joy In Motion, works at Los Perales Elementary in their enrichment program, and is a youth theatre teacher. In his free time Justin stays active with fitness and dance, and loves unwinding by playing video games, listening to music, and spending time with loved ones and friends.

Name

Yasmine Cruz

Title

Front Desk

Yasmine was born in Oakland, raised in Peru, and is currently attending Saint Mary’s with hopes of earning a bachelors degree in kinesiology, planning to attend physical therapy school after. Hobbies include dancing for the Saint Mary’s College ballet folklorico Guadulapeno group, going on walks with her dog, spending time with family and attending concerts.

Name

Kayla Muñoz

Title

Front Desk

Originally from the Bay Area, Kayla is a third year Health Science major at Saint Mary's College. After graduation, she plans to pursue a career in the health field. Her hobbies include reading and taking long walks while listening to music. She fills her free time with her love of creation, attempting to master crocheting, knitting, painting, and baking!

Name

Karly Welch

Title

Front Desk

Originally from Fairfield, CA, Karly is a senior at Saint Mary's College pursuing a career in physical therapy. She values time spent with family and friends, prioritizes fitness, and enjoys exploring new food places. Karly also has a passion for sports and appreciates the tranquility of nature. Her favorite place to unwind is at a nearby waterfront or beach, where she takes in the stunning ocean views.  

Name

Noor Haddad

Title

Front Desk

Noor is currently a senior at Saint Mary's College of California, studying to get her Bachelor's in Kinesiology Sports Management with a Minor in Business Administration and planning to work with athletics after graduating. She has always lived in the Bay Area and loves to cook and travel. She has been involved with competitive swimming and dance since she was little. 

Name

Atreyu Stonewolf Archer

Title

Boxing Instructor

Atreyu grew up training Kung Fu with his father, and started fighting with a Muay Thai team in 2017. While he still competes in the ring, he began coaching in 2021 while enthusiastically honing his craft ever since. Combat sports and martial arts are his day to day living; teaching classes, training, providing 1 on 1 instruction, and leading his team to victory.

Name

Chris "Coach" Walsh

Title

Yoga Instructor

Meet Coach Walsh, Inspiring Healer. Coach is a 500 E-RYT trained by Master teachers Mynx Inatsugu and Melanie Salvatore-August. He has 700 Hours of Professional Teacher Training through YogaWorks. Coach has over 5,000 hours of teaching Yoga. In 2014 he started the Yoga program at Campolindo High School (Moraga) where he has taught for 29 years. The program began with one class of 45 students and has grown to 5 classes of 45-50 students. Coach also holds a Teen Yoga Teacher Training Certificate. Coach draws on his educational background (Un. Of Oregon M.S. Anatomy & Physiology) incorporating aspects of anatomical and biomechanical skills into his teaching of skilled alignment in Asana.

Name

Dina Ricksen

Title

Pilates Instructor

Dina has nearly 20 years of experience teaching Pilates and has been a student of the practice for much longer. Dina has always been a health and fitness enthusiast and has played sports throughout her life. She discovered Pilates in high school as a valuable complement to her athletics and fell in love with the mind-body focus. The results she achieved were unlike anything she had experienced before. After studying education at UC Berkeley, followed by a few years in the corporate world, her heart brought her back to Pilates and she decided to get certified as an instructor through Body Arts and Sciences International. Dina went on to teach at several popular studios in San Francisco before moving to Moraga to start a family and open her private practice. She’s a mom of two, a soccer coach, a lover of dance and is beyond grateful to have found MCC and for the opportunity to introduce and teach Pilates mat to this incredible community! 

Name

Tatiana Ryzhova

Title

Yoga Instructor

Tatiana Ryzhova has been passionate about different kinds of movements and fitness all of her life. She loves to share this passion with others. She discovered yoga over 20 years ago and has been a devoted practitioner ever since. Tatiana has over 200 hours of yoga teacher training, 100 hours of aerial yoga teacher training, anti-gravity yoga certification, is TRX certified, and has 1000+ teaching hours. Over the last 8 years of teaching, she has helped adults and kids to reach their goals while focusing on injury prevention and rehabilitation. Her classes are known to be both challenging and nurturing, leaving students feeling energized and renewed and helping them to gain mobility, strength, agility, and endurance. Outside of teaching classes, Tatiana loves to cook and spend time in nature.