About Us

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Cindy Kerson has had many leadership roles in her field of applied neuroscience. This is her first venture in Napa’s local non-profits and was inspired when the Dry Creek Lokoya Fire Department and other fire agencies protected her community from the 2017 Nuns fire. She reached out to volunteer. Little did she know that it would lead to the position of Chair of the Home Winemakers Classic, and especially during these challenging years. There’s no turning back, Cindy loves the Napa Valley and welcomes the opportunity to co-develop community events that showcase home winemakers and support wildfire preparedness awareness with the amazing HWC team she feels honored to be a part of. Besides, she loves a good party!

Gary Green has had a long and satisfying career in two areas to help society. As a young boy, he heard President Kennedy’s moving speech asking what we could do for our country. To that end in 1978, he became a teacher and a volunteer firefighter. He couldn’t have asked for a better way to serve; with one position that was paid and one that was to volunteer.

Gary and his teaching team started a multi-age, project-based classroom in the middle schools in Sonoma Valley. He was selected twice as the Teacher of the Year before retiring from teaching in 2009.

He continued serving Napa County and the state of California as a volunteer firefighter, training officer, assistant chief, and, finally, fire chief of the Dry Creek-Lokoya Volunteer Fire Department (DCL). Gary also became a strike team leader and took a group of five engines to various locations throughout California to fight fires and helped organize and run the Home Winemakers Classic (HWC), the fundraiser for DCL. He was selected as Fire Captain of the Year for the State of California in 1990.

Gary retired after 41 years from the fire department in March 2020, finding it very fitting to continue with the Mount Veeder Fire Safe Council (MVFSC) since it was started by the DCL fire department in 2001. Now, MVFSC is a non-profit organization and separate from DCL and Gary found that stepping in as the treasurer was a perfect fit. DCL now has a budget from Napa County Fire Department and has handed over the HWC to the MVFSC to support our fire prevention and education programs. He hopes to serve as long as he is able to support our community.

A relative newcomer to Napa, Bob, and his wife, Pam, retired from Southern California real estate and moved up on to Mt. Veeder in 2017. In the middle of an extensive remodel to what was originally the 1921 Enterprise School, the Nuns Fire struck. Firemen stopped the fire about 15 feet from their property. Welcome to Napa. . .

Bob felt he needed to learn more about fire safety and soon joined the Mt. Veeder Fire Safe Council (MVFSC). He's had extensive involvement with non-profit fundraisers down south, so helping out on the Home Winemakers Classic fundraiser for MVFSC was a good fit.

Bob appreciates all the donors and bidders who are helping us achieve our fundraising goals. There is truly a community spirit of recognizing and wanting to address the critical need of wildfire safety.

Perry has lived in Napa for about 6 years. He is a native San Franciscan who stopped off in Marin County for 35 years before arriving here. He and his family owned and managed G&M Sales, a store that catered to outdoor enthusiasts, in San Francisco for almost 50 years. Here in Napa, he is semi-retired and enjoys living on Mt. Veeder with his wife (Cindy - HWC Chair) and 2 dogs, and nurturing their new vineyard.

Jennifer Schwind has had a 40-year career in the Title and Escrow Industry as an Escrow Officer and has held several Management positions, including Branch Operation Manager and Advisor for a major International Title Company in their East Bay Division. Jennifer also had a strong desire to serve in the community by paying it forward and volunteering for Napa Valley Hospice now known as Collabria Care. Jennifer has lived in the Dry Creek Road area for over 30 years with her husband Bob. They built their own home and are passionate about the preservation and protection of the land and community. Wild fire prevention and education is at the top of that list and she feels privileged to be a part of the HWC team and to support the community

Margaret is a seasoned strategy and marketing professional with extensive B2B experience. Now semi-retired, she contributes to her community as a member of the Mount Veeder Fire Safe Council and the 2024/2025 Napa County Civil Grand Jury, while also consulting in the software-as-a-service segment of the automotive industry.

Margaret earned her MBA from Columbia University and began her career with Andersen Consulting. She has worked with companies like A.T. Kearney, Solo Cup Company, Monsanto, ADP, and Cox Automotive. In 2006, she moved to Shanghai to launch ADP’s dealership management software in the region. Upon returning to the U.S., she led strategy for ADP Tax and Compliance Services in Southern California and later drove product marketing innovation at Cox Automotive.

In 2020, Margaret and her husband moved to Napa to be closer to family. She enjoys art, exploring new restaurants, reading mysteries, watching British TV, and spending time with her dogs and cat.

Dan Woodard, a retired Marketing Research Professional, remains actively engaged in volunteer activity. Currently Dan is a member of the Napa County Commission on Aging, a member of the Monarch Center’s Elder Abuse Task Force, and a member of the Mt Veeder Fire Safe Council. Dan also edits and contributes to a column in the Napa Valley Register “Aging Issue.”

In his career, Dan started his professional journey with The Coca-Cola Company he moved to Quaker Oats and later Kraft Foods. In 2006, he moved with his wife to Shanghai China. In China, he further pursued Marketing Research doing freelance work for Kraft. After returning to the US, he continued doing Marketing Research in China for Clorox and Mattel. 

In his spare time Dan enjoys spending time with his wife, dogs, small garden, and fruit trees.