2025 SMPOA BOARD
Board of Directors – Sunset Mesa Property Owners Association
The Board of Directors is the governing body of the Sunset Mesa Property Owners Association (POA). Elected by the membership, board members are all volunteers and responsible for overseeing the management, maintenance, and preservation of our community’s shared values, aesthetic standards, and long-term interests.
Key responsibilities of the Board include:
Enforcing the Covenants, Conditions & Restrictions (CC&Rs) and Bylaws
Overseeing the Architectural Committee (AC) and review process for home modifications
Managing the POA’s budget, financials, and vendor contracts
Developing and updating policies that protect property values, view preservation, and neighborhood harmony
Facilitating transparent communication between the POA and homeowners
Responding to community concerns and helping resolve disputes when necessary
The Board meets regularly and encourages all members to participate, provide feedback, and stay engaged in community matters. Through thoughtful leadership, we strive to maintain Sunset Mesa as a safe, beautiful, and vibrant place to live.
Jonathan Markiles
HOA President & Treasurer
Jonathan has lived in Sunset Mesa since 1996 and raised two children here. His sister and his nephew are both also homeowners in the community. Jonathan retired after a career founding and running an advertising technology company. He and his wife are both dog lovers and one of the things he misses most is walking his dogs in the early evening and chatting with friends and neighbors out and about. He and his wife are rebuilding and can’t wait to come home.
Lisa Larkin
BOARD SECRETARY
Lisa brings a diverse background that blends administrative experience in a landscape design firm with a formal education in fine art. Her passion lies in enhancing community spaces through thoughtful, sustainable design and is particularly interested in California native gardening and environmentally sustainable building practices that reflect our coastal environment and preserve its natural beauty. Lisa is committed to supporting initiatives that strengthen community engagement and promote responsible stewardship of our shared landscape.
Chris Plummer
Architecture Committee Liaison
We have strong determination, momentum and chemistry as a board and it’s great to see that reflected in the rebuild progress across Sunset Mesa. There is no doubt that our community is on a credible path to recovery now. I believe this board will secure that outcome and find more ways to make the rebuild process smooth and rewarding for the entire community.”
Chris has focused on improving the workflows and communication between the association and its members as it relates to the fire rebuild process and other matters that intersect with the Architectural Committee. He created most of the rebuild progress reports shared over the past year and authored many of the documents and guides to help SMPOA members achieve AC approvals for their fire rebuilds. Most recently, Chris supported the AC and Board’s adoption of LiDAR as a tool for understanding pre-fire elevations.
Chris is a 30-year veteran of the video game industry where he learned to drive solutions to complex problems involving diverse stakeholders - all in the interest of serving a passionate audience. He now applies that mindset to the SMPOA Board as we work together to rebuild our community. Chris appreciates Chris and his family are among the newer residents of Sunset Masa after admiring its picturesque qualities for decades prior to making the move.
Howard Gould
Board Member
Howard Gould practices commercial law in Santa Monica with an emphasis on real estate matters and corporate, partnership and LLC governance disputes. He served on numerous boards and in a variety of community service activities over the years including the Pacific Palisades Community Council, the Palisades-Malibu YMCA, 18 years on school governance councils in the LAUSD, and many others. He also currently serves on the Executive Committees of real estate groups putting on educational programs, including the Beverly Hills Bar Association Real Estate Section.
Sessely Mcdaniel
BOARD MEMBER
Sessely is a deeply involved member of our community who is a registered nurse with a masters degree in counseling. She cares greatly for the wellbeing of our residents. While she and her husband, are temporarily living in Venice while they rebuild, she remains dedicated to the Mesa. Sessely has been volunteering in the role of senior advocate helping people navigate the PayHOA platform and you may also recognize Sessely’s artistic touch from the Jan 7 memorial get-together, where she organized the art activity.
Sessely was appointed to the board in April 2026, due to an opening created by the resignation of a prior member.
Gary Greene
Board Member
Gary has lived in Sunset Mesa since 2010. His family manages and develops property across the United States. Gary has run his own entertainment and sports event and P.R. management firm for the past 25 years, producing and promoting sports, entertainment, corporate and charity related events nationwide.
Rahul Jain
Board Member
Rahul has enjoyed living in our beautiful Sunset Mesa for over a decade. Professionally, he is an academic AI researcher. He is looking forward to our ocean view community rebuilding and coming to back to life, even better than before.
Dave Karsh
Board Member
Dave has a professional background in enterprise IT systems at Northrop Grumman, where he serves as a systems engineering manager focused on enabling complex business operations.
He brings prior HOA leadership experience, having led major initiatives including a comprehensive overhaul of the CC&Rs and bylaws, and coordinated closely with Santa Monica Building & Safety, structural engineers, architects, and contractors. This experience taught me how to navigate complex regulatory and construction environments while balancing the needs of a diverse membership.
Dave looks forward to working with neighbors to strengthen transparency, protect property values, and ensure Sunset Mesa remains a vibrant and resilient place to live.
