Board of Directors

The Orange County Great Park Corporation Board of Directors is responsible for creating policy for the development, operations, and maintenance of the Orange County Great Park and its infrastructure. Activities include overseeing the design, construction and development of park amenities. In the long term, the Board will focus on fundraising, park operations and maintenance.

Beth Krom, Chair

Residence: Irvine, California
Occupation: Irvine Mayor Pro Tem; Businesswoman

Beth Krom was first elected to the Irvine City Council in 2000 and was re-elected in 2002. In 2004, she won her first term as Mayor of Irvine, was re-elected Mayor in 2006 and was elected to the City Council in 2008. Councilmember Krom brings her experience as a teacher, a business owner, a community volunteer and a mother to her work on behalf of the community. An advocate for balanced communities, she is focused on undertaking initiatives that will ensure a sustainable future for the Great Park and the City of Irvine.

“The Orange County Great Park Plan is the result of a remarkable partnership between the City of Irvine, the Department of the Navy, and the County of Orange. The Great Park will be a recreational resource for residents throughout Orange County and a tremendous source of pride for generations to come.”

James “Walkie” Ray, Vice Chair

Residence: Newport Beach
Occupation: Business Owner; Philanthropist

Walkie Ray is a co-owner of Sanderson J. Ray Development, which is among Southern California’s oldest and most successful real estate development companies. He also was owner and chairman of J. Ray Construction, a general contracting company, until 2002. Director Ray served for eight years as Chairman of the Board for the Discovery Science Center and was responsible for the site acquisition, design, construction, and fundraising for this unique $28 million interactive science museum. He has also served as Chairman of the Building Committee of Sage Hill School and as Chairman of the Board of the Orange County High School of the Arts.

“I believe that my professional training, business experience, history of community involvement and desire/ability to set aside the necessary time would enable me to be an effective and productive Director of the Great Park Corporation.”

Larry Agran, Director

Residence: Irvine, California
Occupation: Irvine Councilmember; Public Interest Attorney

Larry Agran is Mayor Pro Tempore for the City of Irvine. He re-entered the local political arena when he was elected to the Irvine City Council in 1998. He was elected Mayor in 2000 and re-elected in 2002. In 2004, he was elected to the City Council and was re-elected in 2008 and 2010. He also served on the Irvine City Council from 1978 to 1990, including six years as Mayor. Under his leadership, the City received national recognition for its pioneering programs in child care, affordable housing, recycling, and open space preservation. Councilmember Agran became Chair of the nine-member Orange County Great Park Corporation in 2005.

“Other great metropolitan parks have required fifty years or more to develop. By contrast, our Great Park development strategy – harnessing the power of private capital and the benefit of enlightened public planning – will enable all key elements of the Great Park to be developed in less time. We will have a Great Park larger than New York’s Central Park, San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park and San Diego’s Balboa Park combined that will be developed and maintained in perpetuity with private dollars.”

Steven Choi, Director

Residence: Irvine, California
Occupation: Irvine Councilmember; Professor/Businessman

Steven Choi sits on the Irvine City Council. He was elected to the Irvine City Council in 2004 and re-elected in 2008, having also served on the Irvine Unified School District Board of Trustees since 1998. He has taught at several colleges and universities, including USC and UCI and is the Director of Dr. Choi’s Academy. His first job after emigrating from Korea was training Peace Corps volunteers for the State Department. Dr. Choi earned his Ph.D. in Library and Information Science from the University of Pittsburgh, his MS from Louisiana State University, and his BA from Kyung Hee University.

“As an educator, I am thrilled by the many learning opportunities the Orange County Great Park will create. The Great Park Plan designates land for new universities, museums, libraries and other institutions that will expand educational choices for all county residents.”

Sukhee Kang, Director

Residence: Irvine, California
Occupation: Irvine Mayor; Businessman

Sukhee Kang is Mayor of the City of Irvine. He was elected to Irvine City Council in 2004 and was re-elected for a four-year term in 2006. He was then elected Mayor in 2008 and was re- elected in 2010. Mayor Kang currently sits on the Board of Directors for the Transportation Corridor Agencies and the Executive Steering Committee of the Orange County League of California Cities. Mayor Kang’s priorities for the Great Park include a world-class Sports Park, collaborative multicultural center, opportunities for public-private partnerships and developing global appeal.

“The Orange County Great Park will become the “town square” of our rapidly growing and diverse county. It will be a place where people of all cultures can come together to enjoy open space, sports, recreation and cultural activities.”

William Kogerman, Director

Residence: Laguna Hills, California
Occupation: Lieutenant Colonel USMC (Ret.); Businessman

Lieutenant Colonel William Kogerman USMC (ret.) is a decorated combat aviator who flew a variety of jet aircraft from the former MCAS El Toro. Lt. Col. Kogerman created and chaired each of the anti-airport initiatives and spearheaded the defeat of the airport plan, which ultimately contributed to the creation of the Orange County Great Park. He is most interested in developing an air museum and veterans memorial within the Park. Lt. Col. Kogerman has been honored with the PROTUS award for Communications and the Passkey Foundation/Chapman University Ethics In America award. He also serves on the California State Parks & Recreation Commission.

Jeffrey Lalloway, Director

Residence: Irvine, California
Occupation: Irvine Councilmember; Attorney and Businessman

Jeffrey Lalloway was elected to the Irvine City Council in November 2010. Councilmember Lalloway graduated from Rutgers University with a Bachelor of Arts in political science. In 1989, he graduated from Villanova Law School at the top of his class. After many years as an attorney in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Jeffrey moved his practice to Irvine where he practices family law. Jeffrey is a member of the Citizen’s Advisory Commission of the Orange County Transportation Authority, the Irvine Chamber of Commerce, the Republic Jewish Coalition, and is on the Board of Directors of the Lincoln Club of Orange County.

“I look forward to the development of the Orange County Great Park as a resource for all of the region’s residents, young and old, to enjoy for generations.”

Michael Pinto, Director

Residence: Laguna Beach, California
Occupation: Founder/President of Laguna Canyon Foundation

Michael Pinto is founder and president of the Laguna Canyon Foundation and has a doctorate in non-profit organizational development. He has been a leader in efforts to preserve land for public benefit over the past 30 years. In addition to the Laguna Canyon Foundation, he is the founder and Chairman of the Board of the Laguna Beach Education Endowment and Capital Fund, advisor, group facilitator and fundraising consultant to the Volcan Mountain Preserve Foundation, Vice President of the Great Park Conservancy and Chairman of the Board of the Warner Community Resource Center.

“To succeed in building the Great Park, the Board must forge partnerships with a variety of entities, including local and county governments, private sector interests, consultants, and constituent organizations. In the area of forming partnerships and conducting negotiations, I will bring a special expertise to the Board.”

Miguel Pulido, Director

Residence: Santa Ana, California
Occupation: Santa Ana Mayor

Miguel Pulido is Mayor of Santa Ana, the largest city in Orange County, and has been elected to consecutive terms as Mayor since 1986. He has also served with distinction as a member of regional, state and federal boards, including the Orange County Transportation Authority, the Southern California Air Quality Management District, the State Workforce Investment, and the Federal Inter-Governmental Trade Policy Advisory Committee. Mayor Pulido is a champion of the arts, forming the Mayor’s Task Force on Arts and Culture, and was instrumental in the development of the Artist’s Village in Downtown Santa Ana.

“As a mayor of a large city and as a board member of many regional agencies, I can be especially instrumental in honoring the will of the voters and in unifying the entire County behind the Great Park.”