About the Alexander Valley Association (also known as the AVA)
Our mission is to preserve for posterity the natural, rural and agricultural values of the hills, plains and river which so richly endow the Alexander Valley.
Since 1972, the Alexander Valley Association has represented families, farmers, and businesses in Alexander Valley of Sonoma County. The AVA was created by local founding families to preserve the natural beauty that endows the valley and to strengthen the spirit of community among us.
Our continuing efforts include monitoring progress of the Sonoma County General Plan update, being active in the many processes of the City of Santa Rosa and Sonoma County Wastewater plans, general oversight of Casino activities, alongside other county and regional issues.
“The foresight of those who came before us, of those who knew the importance of preserving our beautiful valley, is an inspiration to all of us who live here in Alexander Valley. I have been honored to be a member of the AVA for decades, and serving on the board was part of my educational journey in board service for non-profit organizations. The work this board does is essential to preserving the way of life we all enjoy here in this wonderland of exceptional agriculture and natural beauty.”
-Katie Wetzel Murphy, past president of the Alexander Valley Association
Our Board of Directors
We are continually seeking enthusiastic individuals interested in joining our very dynamic board. If you are interested in a board position, please email us.
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Karin Warnelius-Miller was born in Linköping, Sweden, and immigrated to the United States in the 1970s with her family, who landed in the Alexander Valley in 1976, where she has been growing grapes and making wine ever since. Today, Karin alongside her husband, Justin Warnelius-Miller, manage and operate their family 100-acre estate vineyards and winery at Garden Creek Ranch. Karin has a Bachelor of Science degree in International Business Marketing and Management. She has worked in many aspects of the wine industry from her family vineyards and winery and international companies, including in production and winemaking, marketing and international sales of wine. Her heart and soul have always remained in Alexander Valley, where she resides, raising her family and making age-worthy fine wines with her husband and children Elsa and Leif.
Today she is board member of the California Association of Winegrape Growers advocating for winegrowers in District 1 and the entire state. She is also a leader of COPE Eastern Alexander Valley.
She and her husband are active members of the Alexander Valley Winegrowers, Sonoma County Vintners, Sonoma County Winegrowers, Russian River Property Owners Association and CAWG (California Association of Winegrape Growers).
She believes strongly in community, advocating and being involved because ‘there is no place like Alexander Valley in Sonoma County and the incredible individuals who live here.’
Her personal passions and hobbies include traveling the world, kite surfing, snow skiing, hiking, mountain biking, cooking, reading all about wine, seeking a pilot’s license and raising her family alongside her husband.
To contact the President directly, president@avassociation.org
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Bio Coming Soon
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Roger Urban and his wife Dyan bought their home in Alexander Valley in 2018 and moved back to California from Boston to live here full-time in 2019.
After graduating from Dartmouth and Stanford Business School, Roger worked for General Foods and then Clorox in new products marketing. In 1980, he started a marketing strategy consulting firm that eventually served 240 companies including Citibank, Nabisco, FedEx, JP Morgan, M&M Mars, Melon Bank, Nestle, Gillette, Del Monte, Pac Tel, Volvo, and Xerox. He also worked for 8 wineries and 10 agricultural co-ops located in Europe and California.
Roger’s wife, Dyan, is a graduate of Cal Berkeley and Harvard Business School. They work together.
Dyan’s mother lives in Berkeley and their youngest daughter lives in Mountain View. She was married here in 2022 with a reception at their Alexander Vally home. Their two older children are married and live in NYC.
Roger and Dyan have very much enjoyed getting to know their neighbors in Alexander Valley. Dyan is a COPE community leader and a member of the COPE Board. Roger coordinates fire-prevention vegetation management projects for COPE.
Roger spends many hours each week reading science periodicals and multiple newspapers. In addition, he enjoys taking courses offered by Coursera. His favorite activities are swimming, skiing, walking and photography.
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Clay Green moved to the Alexander Valley as a teenager in 1971 with his family from southern California. He has been full time ever since. From 1985 – 1995, Clay was a volunteer on the Geyserville Fire Department. He is a graduate of UC Davis with an Agricultural and Economic degree. He started his company CATS4U, a grading contractor in 1982. Clay enjoys history and visiting old mining towns all over the United States.
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Greg Alexander and his wife Kim live on Chalk Hill Road. They have lived at that location off and on since 1999 and permanently since 2014.
Greg is a retired law professor at Cornell University, where he taught for over 30 years, and more recently at the University of California, Berkeley Law School. His hobbies include watercolor painting and reading. He joined the AVA board because he wanted to help protect this beautiful community.
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Bio Coming Soon
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As a proud local, Karen Passalacqua’s roots in this community run deep, spanning five generations that have called this place home. She is passionately committed to preserving the traditions and simple way of living that define our region, and honoring the legacy of those who came before her. Enjoying the early morning of the Alexander Valley is one of her favorite things.
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Rick Safford has Lived in the Healdsburg area for 30 years and married to his wife Kathi and have two grown children Geoff and Gina. He has owned and operated a vineyard in the Dry Creek Valley for 20 years where has been a board member of the Dry Creek Winegrowers for twelve years and worked on the Dry Creek Winegrowers Marketing Committee. Rick headed the board committee that planned an event for restaurants, wine critics, and wine buyers. We brought them into the valley for vineyard tours, winery lunches, and a grand tasting. The event would attract 150 to 2000 national press and local buyers. Rick and Kathi moved to Alexander Valley in 2017 after selling their home and vineyard in Dry Creek. Today he is a member of the Alexander Valley Winegrowers.