BOARD OF DIRECTORS
David Hogan, President / Director
David Hogan has worked as a professional environmental advocate for over thirty years. Prior to founding The Chaparral Lands Conservancy in January 2009, David worked for the Center for Biological Diversity for sixteen years to preserve forests, deserts, and chaparral wildlife, plants and wild lands in California, Arizona, and New Mexico. At the Center, David specialized in advocacy to protect imperiled shrublands on southern California National Forests, to protect dwindling vernal pool wetlands, and in improving regional habitat conservation plans such as the San Diego Multiple Species Conservation Plan. Before joining the Center, David filed listing petitions for over two dozen species, including the original petition to list the California gnatcatcher, a species whose subsequent listing set in motion several southern California regional habitat conservation plans. David also helped design a vernal pool restoration project and conducted scientific surveys for the endangered San Diego fairy shrimp. David was a founding member of the boards for the Southern California Steelhead Coalition and the Coalition for Sonoran Desert Protection, and also served on the board of the San Diego League of Conservation Voters. David is currently an active leader of the San Diego Chapter of the Sierra Club.
Andrew Wiese, Secretary
Andrew Wiese is a historian, teacher and community activist, whose work explores urban and suburban development, planning and environmental politics. As a professor of history at SDSU, he writes and teaches about grassroots social and political movements in the U.S. His current research traces a history of environmental politics in San Diego since the 1960s. His professional perspectives inform – and are informed by – his experience in environmental advocacy and community planning. As a member of the University Community Planning Group (2012-21), chair of the University Community Plan Update subcommittee (2019-), and a Friend of Rose Canyon (2007-), he has worked for open space and MSCP protection, biodiversity sensitive design, better bike infrastructure, removal of the destructive Regents Road Bridge plan, and more sustainable development in San Diego’s Golden Triangle overall. As a member of the San Diego Biodiversity Working Group (2020-) and the Parks and Rec Coalition (PARC, 2020-), he contributed to improved environmental and community protections in the City of San Diego’s new equity-oriented Parks Master Plan (2021). He is a dad, dog owner, and lifelong birdwatcher.
Niki McGinnis, Treasurer
Niki McGinnis is the Natural Resources Manager for the City of San Diego Public Utilities Department. She studied history and journalism at UCSD but a summer school class in field archaeology at the University of Arizona took her down the road to her current profession. After college she served as the Field Director of excavations at the San Diego Presidio and then made a move into the private sector, getting paid to dig holes in the ground and find cool artifacts. From there she made the jump to the City of San Diego to conduct environmental review for the Capital Improvement Program for water infrastructure. Altogether, she has 23 years of experience managing and protecting natural and cultural resources. She currently manages over 10,400 acres of watershed open space and coordinates environmental compliance for groundwater basins and surface waters.
John Heatherington, Board Member
John was born and raised in San Diego and so witnessed the destruction of San Diego’s special local habitats, vernal pools, riparian forests, coastal sage scrub, and salt marsh estuaries that will never be replaced. Now retired, John worked for years in the fishing and mining industries, construction trades, and on restoration of old houses. John also worked for SDG&E for eighteen years in gas operations, street repair, and pipeline operations. John worked in the musical instrument manufacturing industry for Ernie Ball/Music Man and for National Resophonic Guitars in San Luis Obispo for the last twenty years of his career. John has volunteered as a docent leading hikes for the City of San Luis Obispo, conducted beach cleanups with Surfrider Foundation, and worked with San Diego Zoo Global on habitat restoration for the endangered cactus wren. John continues to volunteer for the Environmental Center of San Diego and regularly lobbies state and local boards, councils and commissions advocating for public access and the protection and enhancement of our natural environment.