Lee & Elena Danielson

Regular

Sponsors: : Henning Thorsen, Dave Dawson, Jane Lodas, Lauren Katz

Lee and Elena Danielson are pleased to be settling into life in Santa Barbara and would be honored to become part of the La Cumbre Country Club community.

Elena moved to California from Toronto in 2011, where she raised her two children. She holds a degree in Music as a classical pianist and a Bachelor of Arts degree with honors in History. She began her career as a programmer analyst in cancer research before founding the Bravo School of Music in Toronto. After moving to Los Angeles, she obtained her California real estate license and was affiliated with Hilton & Hyland in Beverly Hills from 2014 to 2024.

Elena joined the Beverly Hills Women’s Club in 2014, became a member of its Board of Directors in 2016, and later served as President. A lifelong athlete, she was a professional volleyball player in her youth and a member of the Waterside Tennis Club in Toronto from 2000 to 2010. She discovered golf in 2011 and scored a hole-in-one during her first 18-hole round, sparking a lasting passion for the game. She has also been involved in the entertainment industry as a film producer and is the proud mother of two adult children and grandmother of three.

Born in Texas, Lee spent much of his youth between Florida and California, including time at his family’s Bel Air residence and Thousand Oaks ranch, land now part of Point Mugu State Park. He attended Robert Louis Stevenson School in Pebble Beach and earned a Bachelor of Business Administration with a minor in Economics from the University of Miami.

Lee began his career with Southeast Bank in Miami and later Crocker Bank in San Francisco before moving into real estate development. He built a distinguished career developing luxury residential and commercial properties, including the Wilshire Thayer, The Wilshire, and The Remington in Los Angeles. Over his career, he developed more than $450 million in projects throughout California and Virginia, including the redevelopment of the Downtown Mall in Charlottesville.

Lee’s maternal grandfather was W. Lee “Pappy” O’Daniel, former Governor and United States Senator from Texas. His family has long been connected to California, particularly Los Angeles, Montecito, and Santa Barbara.



Since 1977, Lee has been a member of the Rancheros Visitadores in Santa Ynez. He is also a member of the Bohemian Club, where he serves as Camp Captain of the Santa Barbara Camp, as well as the International Order of St. Hubertus and the Chevaliers du Tastevin. Golf has been one of Lee’s lifelong passions. He has belonged to Indian Creek Country Club, Bel-Air Country Club, and La Gorce Country Club, and has participated in tournaments alongside Jack Nicklaus, Raymond Floyd, and others.

Together, Lee and Elena bring a strong appreciation for community, tradition, athletics, and the game of golf. They look forward to becoming active members of La Cumbre Country Club.

Jaime & Robin Melgoza

Regular

Sponsors: Lisa Yabsley, John Price, Barry Gellert, Jeff Nelson

Jaime and Robin Melgoza are lifelong Santa Barbara residents with deep roots in the community. Jaime’s family history in Santa Barbara dates back to his grandfather in 1897 and his grandmother in 1900. Jaime and Robin are high school sweethearts who attended Santa Barbara High School, have been together for 47 years, and have been married for 36 years.

Together, they have raised three children in Santa Barbara: Candace Cavaletto, a graduate of Vanguard University; Amber Melgoza, a graduate of the University of Washington; and Zach “Buddy” Melgoza, a graduate of the University of Arizona. They are also proud grandparents to Tensley Rose Cavaletto and Weston Cavaletto.

Jaime and Robin have spent more than four decades in the construction and building materials industry. He owns Specialty Team Plastering, established in 1986; Bedrock Building Materials, established in 1990; and SB Stone, established in 2016, continuing a long-standing connection to the local construction community.

In addition to his professional career, Jaime has dedicated more than 40 years to coaching high school football at Santa Barbara High School, reflecting his commitment to mentorship, athletics, and the Santa Barbara community.

The Melgozas are interested in becoming involved at La Cumbre Country Club through golf, fitness, tennis, and social activities, and look forward to enjoying the Club’s community and amenities.

John Gould

Regular

Sponsors: John Davis, Kevin McTague, Andrew Simons, Mark Lemons

John Gould is a UCSB graduate, earning his Bachelor of Arts in Business Economics in 1986. During his time at UCSB, he was also a member of the Gaucho baseball team in 1982 and 1983.

John has enjoyed a distinguished 34-year career in financial services, including 31 years with Franklin Templeton and Thornburg. He has also remained actively connected to UCSB through his service on the UCSB Gaucho Order Alumni Board from 2012 to 2014, as well as his involvement with the UCSB Chancellor’s Council and UCSB Legacy Circle.

An avid golfer with a current Handicap Index of 10.8, John brings extensive private club experience. He was a member of The Olympic Club from 1978 to 2018 and Los Angeles Country Club from 1997 to 2022, where he served on the Tournament Committee and helped host Men’s Guest Days for more than 10 years.



John is the proud father of two children, Whitney and Miles. In addition to golf, he enjoys skiing, mountain biking, walking, and fitness. This fall, he will also be joining the Santa Barbara Athletic Roundtable, further reflecting his interest in athletics and community involvement.

Russ & Andi Allen

Non-Resident

Sponsors: David Amerson

Russ and Andrea “Andi” Allen bring together entrepreneurial leadership, community involvement, curiosity, warmth, and a genuine appreciation for meaningful relationships. Russ is the founder and leader of the K-Solv Group, a portfolio of eight companies he has either founded or acquired across the chemical, maritime, energy, environmental response, safety supply, and oilfield services industries. What began in 1997 with the purchase of a small property along the Houston Ship Channel has grown into a nationwide group of companies employing nearly 400 people, including a chemical distribution company ranked 14th in the United States and Garner Environmental Services, a nationally recognized emergency response provider for state and local governments. 



A graduate of Texas A&M University with a degree in Industrial Distribution, Russ has built his career through strong relationships, strategic growth, and a commitment to innovation. He is also active in civic, philanthropic, and industry efforts, serving on the Board of Directors of the Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo, participating in the National Association of Chemical Distributors, and supporting environmental initiatives through both his business and charitable involvement. In 2024, he was appointed by the Governor of Louisiana as Chairman of the Ernest N. Morial New Orleans Exhibition Hall Authority Board. Outside of work, Russ enjoys golf, racquet sports, and training and competing with his cutting horses. 

Andi, a Texas native, brings a warm, energetic, and highly engaging spirit to every setting. She is an avid traveler, devoted reader, and lifelong student of history, known to read nearly 150 books a year and to immerse herself deeply in the culture, traditions, and historical context of the places she visits. She is especially interested in the role history has played in shaping the modern world, including the experiences and influence of women throughout history. 

While Andi does not play golf, she embraces the social side of club life and enjoys entertaining, gathering with friends and family, playing card games, and creating memorable experiences with the people around her. She is known for her lively personality, humor, curiosity, and natural ability to make others feel comfortable and included. Family is central to both Russ and Andi, who are the proud parents of three children, Lexie, Emily, and Blake, and are excited to welcome their first grandchild later this year. They also share a love for animals, especially their Golden Retriever, Rufus. 

Together, Russ and Andi would bring to La Cumbre Country Club a strong appreciation for friendship, tradition, hospitality, and shared experiences. Russ’s love of golf, racquet sports, horses, and community involvement pairs naturally with Andi’s enthusiasm for connection, conversation, travel, history, and club life. Their warmth, accomplishments, generosity, and genuine interest in people make them a strong fit for a vibrant and welcoming membership community.

Max & Tessa Angell 

Associate

Sponsors: Mark Magid, Richard Kahman, Ron Lloyd, Ken Badish

Tessa and Max’s story is rooted in Santa Barbara, family, and a lifelong connection to the community. Tessa was born in Johannesburg and spent part of her childhood in Gaborone before her family moved to the United States when she was 11, choosing Santa Barbara as home. She quickly embraced the local lifestyle, swimming during the school year and spending summers in junior lifeguards. She attended Cold Spring School, Marymount of Santa Barbara, and Dos Pueblos High School, where she played water polo and built lifelong friendships.



Max was born and raised in Santa Barbara, where he grew up surfing, golfing, and playing nearly every youth sport imaginable. His parents were teachers at Santa Barbara Montessori School, where Max attended from preschool through eighth grade. Golf became an important part of his life early on, and he spent much of his childhood competing in junior tournaments and refining his game at La Cumbre Country Club. He later attended Dos Pueblos High School, where he played on the golf team and first met Tessa.

After high school, Tessa attended California Polytechnic State University, earning a degree in Journalism. She was a member of Sigma Kappa and studied abroad in Barcelona. Max continued his golf career at Santa Barbara City College before transferring to San Francisco State University, where he earned a degree in Communications while working at The Olympic Club.

Both Tessa and Max went on to build successful careers in technology and advertising. Tessa began her career in marketing and advertising in San Francisco, spending nine years at LinkedIn and four years at Nextdoor before joining Reddit, where she now works as a Senior Client Partner leading advertising partnerships and campaigns for major retail brands. Max built his career in technology sales, spending seven years at LinkedIn before joining Apollo.io, where he now serves as Vice President of Sales leading the company’s global sales organization.

Above all, Tessa and Max are devoted parents to their three daughters, Poppy (5), Sloane (3), and Noa (1). As a family, they are excited to deepen their Santa Barbara roots and share the community, friendships, and traditions that have meant so much to them throughout their lives.

Travis & Pearl Nichter

Social

Sponsors: Dave Dawson, Chris Bellamy, Ryan Fell, Sean Hecht

Travis was born and raised in Orange County, California. He attended Suffolk University in Boston, where he graduated in 2007 with a degree in Chemistry. Today, he manages his own real estate development projects in Santa Barbara, with a particular focus on the agricultural sector. Outside of work, Travis enjoys gardening, offshore fishing, golf, free diving, spearfishing, and spending time outdoors with his family.



Pearl was raised in Los Angeles and moved to Santa Barbara in 2020. In 2018, she earned her veterinary degree from University College Dublin in Ireland. After practicing veterinary medicine in New Zealand for two years, she settled in Santa Barbara and now works at the Montecito Pet Hospital. In her free time, Pearl enjoys spending time outdoors with family and friends, beach days, and hiking.

Together, Travis and Pearl are raising two wonderful children, June and Taj. June, age three, approaches life with confidence, curiosity, and negotiating skills well beyond her years. Taj, at a year and a half, is an aspiring daredevil whose daily mission seems to involve testing the limits of both gravity and parental patience.

As a family, they value time together, meaningful friendships, and an active, community-oriented lifestyle.

John & Emily McLaughlin

Social

Sponsors: Melbourne Smith, Lauren Katz, Jennifer Cotteleer, Evan Berger, Sandra Stingle

John and Emily are excited to become part of the La Cumbre community with their daughter, Sienna.



Raised in San Mateo, California, John grew up with fond memories of his family’s membership at Peninsula Golf and Country Club, an experience that gave him a deep appreciation for club life and community. He attended the University of Southern California for his undergraduate degree in 2003 and earned his master’s degree from Boston University in 2005, where he published a thesis arguing that a SARS-like virus was likely to emerge from China in the near future and overwhelm public health infrastructure globally. After graduate school, John spent several years conducting research at Stanford and UC Davis before relocating to Santa Barbara to pursue his PhD at UCSB in 2018, where he is now a research scientist. A trained parasitologist, his work sits at the intersection of infectious diseases and ecosystem energetics and takes him around the world, from the Line Islands in the Pacific to the Sierra Nevada to East Africa. At home in Santa Barbara, John’s greatest joy is time with his family. He is an enthusiastic hiker, biker, skier, and surfer, an active member of All Saints-by-the-Sea, and a committed volunteer in Sienna’s extracurricular activities.

Emily grew up in New York City, where she attended Friends Seminary, a Quaker school that instilled in her a strong sense of community and civic engagement. She went on to study at New York University in 2004 and, after several years working in the private sector in New York, earned her law degree from George Washington University in 2013. Emily practiced law in Washington, D.C., working with the Federal Communications Commission and the NTIA before deciding to make a change of scenery. Though she was skeptical that anywhere could rival New York, Santa Barbara quickly won her over. It was here that she met John, and the rest, as they say, is history. Since the birth of their daughter, Emily has been a devoted full-time mother and a true fixture in the Santa Barbara community. She is a familiar face at Laguna Blanca, a regular volunteer for school events and fundraisers, and the person her many friend circles rely on to know what is happening around town. She looks forward to expanding those circles at La Cumbre. Emily enjoys bike rides around Santa Barbara and, above all, arts and crafts sessions with Sienna.

Born in Santa Barbara in 2018, Sienna is a joyful, spirited seven-year-old entering second grade at Laguna Blanca. She is, by all accounts, a force of nature in the best possible way. Rather than a lemonade stand, Sienna runs an “Art Sales” table at the bottom of the driveway, and she and Emily are currently preparing a series of sunset canvases for the next one. Arts and crafts are their love language. Beyond her creative pursuits, Sienna plays AYSO soccer and competes in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, where she has earned two silver medals in statewide competitions. Her two favorite activities are boogie boarding at the beach and skiing at Mammoth, which she considers her favorite place on Earth and where she conquered her first black diamond run this past winter. Sienna is kind, warm, and full of life and infectious enthusiasm. She loves making new friends of all ages and has a gift for making everyone around her feel included and at ease. She recently decided that she would rather be a member at La Cumbre than have ten dogs, much to her parents’ relief.