Commission Roster

LAFCO of Napa County is comprised of five regular and three alternate members.  Three distinct member representations are on LAFCO and divided between (a) cities, (b) county, and (c) general public.  All terms are four years and begin on the first Monday in May, unless filling an unexpired term.  There are no term limits.  The appointment process is described below.

• The County of Napa Board of Supervisors appoints two regular and one alternate member from among its ranks.
• The City Selection Committee, which consists of locally elected mayors, appoints two regular and one alternate members from the councils of the five cities in Napa County.
• The Commission's city and county members appoint one regular and one alternate public member.

Margie Mohler, Chair

Margie was originally appointed as a regular city member in 2017. Margie's current term is 2021-2025. In November 2008, she was elected to the Yountville Town Council and appointed Vice Mayor July 19, 2016 to fill an unexpired term. She received her Bachelor of Arts degree in microbiology from the University of Kansas. Margie has been the Managing Partner of Ciencia Group in Yountville, a scientific consulting firm since 2001 and has lived in Yountville for 20 years.

Anne Cottrell, Vice Chair

Anne was appointed as a regular county member in 2022 to complete an unexpired term. Anne's current term is 2020-2024. More details and photo forthcoming.

Beth Painter, Alternate Commissioner    

Beth was appointed as an alternate city member in 2020 to fill an unexpired term and was reappointed as a regular city member in 2023. Beth's current term is 2023-2027. Beth is a City of Napa Councilmember, District 2. Beth was born in Massachusetts and attended Tufts University and U.C. Santa Cruz where she earned Bachelors’ and Masters’ Degrees in the Earth Sciences. She moved to California in 1980 and began her career with the U.S. Geological Survey but transitioned to Land Use and Planning in 1984. She has worked in both County Government and in the private sector as a Planner. She continues to run her own small consulting business. Beth and her husband Brooks moved to Napa in 1995 and raised their two children here. She has served on many boards, commissions and committees, including the Napa City Planning Commission, Napa Resource Conservation District Board, Napa County General Plan Steering Committee and the Napa County Watershed Task Force.

Belia Ramos, Commissioner 

Belia was appointed as a regular county member in 2022 to complete an unexpired term. Belia's current term is 2022-2026. More details and photo forthcoming.

Kenneth Leary, Commissioner 

Kenneth was was originally appointed as an alternate city member in 2017, then appointed as a regular public member on April 5, 2021 to fill an unexpired term. Kenneth's current term is 2022-2026.

Joelle Gallagher, Alternate Commissioner

Joelle was appointed as an alternate county member in 2022 to complete an unexpired term. Joelle's current term is 2021-2025. More details and photo forthcoming. 

Eve Kahn, Alternate Commissioner    

Eve was appointed as an alternate public member in August 2019 to fill an unexpired term ending on May 4, 2020. In February 2020, incumbent Kahn was reappointed to a 4-year term beginning May 4, 2020.  Eve's current term is 2020-2024. She moved to California in 1969 after receiving her MA in Math Education from the State University of New York at Albany. Eve began her career as a High School Math Teacher but shifted to the emerging computer programming division at Bank of 

America. Starting out as a trainee, Eve worked her way up to Senior Vice President before retiring in 2000. Her next, and hopefully last, career is in real estate. Eve is associated with Keller Williams Napa Valley. Since her move to Napa in 1995, she has had a variety of leadership roles on boards and committees. Currently she is a member of the North Bay Association of Realtors – Napa Chapter Council and Local Government Relations Committee. Eve is a graduate of Leadership Napa Valley, is Secretary of Board of Trustees for Congregation Beth Shalom, is chair of Get a Grip on Growth (a local organization promoting slow, s

mart, and sustainable growth), a member of the Napa Housing Coalition, and a board member of Napa Vision 2050. Eve brings a unique perspective to LAFCO just as the need for housing that’s affordable to our local workforce gains prominence.

Mariam Aboudamous, Alternate Commissioner

Mariam was appointed as a regular city member in 2020 to fill an unexpired term and was reappointed as an alternate city member in 2023. Mariam's current term is 2023-2027. Mariam was elected to the American Canyon City Council in 2016, and is currently Vice Mayor. Mariam is a member of the League of California Cities' Housing, Community, and Economic Development Policy Committee. She also serves on the Napa County League of Governments and the Association of Bay Area Governments as an elected official, and is a county and state delegate of the Napa County Democratic Central Committee. In her professional career, Mariam is an associate attorney specializing in business litigation, construction law, product liability, and toxic tort matters. She earned her J.D. from the University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law, and received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science with a minor in Middle East/South Asia studies from U.C. Davis. She is fluent in Arabic. Mariam was raised in American Canyon and currently lives in Vintage Ranch with her husband.