VISTA LAS PALMAS NEIGHBORS FOUNDATION
Meet the people helping our neighborhood thrive. We’re neighbors, volunteers, and fellow fans of this very special corner of Palm Springs.
A little time. A lot of heart.
Familiar faces. Different stories. One shared love for Vista Las Palmas.
Chairman
Bryan and his wife have lived in many places, but always loved visiting Palm Springs. Vista Las Palmas biking tours were a highlight of their frequent trips, so after winding down their professional careers they bought a home in Vista Las Palmas in 2024. Bryan has volunteered for numerous organizations, and looks forward to advancing the mission of the Vista Las Palmas Neighbors Foundation.
Secretary
A native of San Diego, Patsy Marino is a graduate of the University of San Diego. After a 12 year career in communications and Internet start ups, Patsy committed to stay home, support her family and raise her children. Always having a passion for Contemporary Art, education and children, Patsy found purpose in her work as a community volunteer. She served as a Trustee at the Museum of Contemporary Art in San Diego. Patsy devoted six years to re-opening The New Children's Museum serving served on the Board for 5 years with two terms President. During her Presidency, she co-chaired a $10mm capital campaign to get the museum out of debt.
As part of the executive committee of the La Jolla Arts Community, Patsy’s current project is The Murals of La Jolla, a privately funded outdoor public art project on private property.
Since 2015, Patsy has served on the Board of Trustees at The Francis Parker School.
She recently started a Foundation based in the Coachella Valley to support visual artists in the early stages of their career.
Patsy resides in La Jolla and Palm Springs with her husband of 19 years and their two children.
Member at Large
Leda Potente was born in Germany and grew up in Milwaukee, WI. She graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Although thoroughly “Americanized” she became a volunteer with the International Institute of Wisconsin, a non-profit organization that assisted immigrants with assimilation while maintaining their cultural roots.
After owning and selling a couple of businesses in Milwaukee, Leda and her husband of 40+ years, Pete, and their two children moved to Centerville, OH to pursue other business opportunities. While living there, Leda became president of their HOA.
In 2011 the opportunity arose to move to Vista Las Palmas and own the Vista Las Palmas home built by Pete’s grandfather in 1958. After volunteering in the past as Treasurer for a couple of non-profits in the desert, Leda now joins the VLPNF Board and looks forward to helping VLP maintain the neighborhood feel.
Leda enjoys playing tennis and walking Robby (who thinks he is the VLP Canine Ambassador) in our neighborhood.
Treasurer
Joe Vassallo and his husband Doug have been regular visitors to Palm Springs since 1990, part-time Coachella Valley residents since 1997, and more recently, they are happy to be planting some roots here in Vista Las Palmas.
Joe describes himself as a "reformed techie". After 2 decades of successfully working in software engineering and corporate executive management, Joe discovered the importance of community and civic engagement by volunteering in governance roles at not-for-profit organizations focused on community economic development and public education reform, two areas he feels passionate about.
As a certified green building professional, he is committed to bringing sustainability to our community. He has developed a niche specializing in helping the many vacation homes in Palm Springs become more environmentally sustainable and better neighbors. A challenge he’s both overwhelmed by and motivated to impact.
You might meet Doug and Joe exploring the Palm Springs foodie and craft cocktail scene or walking their Weimaraner Kaia either in the neighborhood or on the Lykken Trail.
Joe and his husband Doug of over 30 years split their time between San Francisco, Palm Springs, and Puerto Vallarta.
Member at Large
Having met in Manhattan, Byron Hancock and his husband/partner now of 40+ years, author Len Handeland, enjoyed visiting Palm Springs many times when they escaped the summer “winter” of San Francisco where they lived for 24 years before moving to Sonoma for 10 years. The wildfires eventually drove them out of Sonoma and in February 2021, their final move was to Palm Springs where they found their mid-century-inspired dream home on West Stevens Rd with gorgeous views.
A native of Florida growing up in the restaurant business, Byron graduated from Cornell University’s School of Hotel Administration and worked in catering before entering wealth management where he continues today. Byron believes in giving back to his community and has served on various non-profit boards including as President of the 330+ unit HOA “The Brannan” in San Francisco and President of the 95-member Sonoma Valley Club of Rotary International.
Focusing on Membership for VLPNF, Byron is looking forward to expanding our strong and vibrant beautiful community and deepening neighbor relationships.
Byron & Len are year-round residents of Palm Springs with their 2 rescue cats, siblings Felix and Felicia.
Member at Large
Paul has regularly visited Palm Springs for over 30 years, drawn by its iconic architecture, rich cultural history, and close-knit community. In 2013, he and his husband of 28 years, Bob, fulfilled a dream of theirs when they purchased their home in Vista Las Palmas. Always a strong advocate for preserving Palm Springs’ unique character, Paul has enjoyed volunteering as a docent for Modernism Week and sharing his passion for mid-century design and Palm Springs’ rich cultural history with family and friends.
Professionally, Paul is currently a venture capital and private equity partner with over 25 years of experience building and leading e-commerce, media, and software businesses. His career includes leadership roles on company boards and as an executive at public companies and start-ups.
Paul divides his time between Venice, CA, and Palm Springs with Bob and their labradoodle, Schatzi.
Member at Large
David Weis and his husband, Mark Weis, first met in San Diego and have since established deep roots in Vista Las Palmas. They are now on their third home in the neighborhood, a testament to their love for the community. In 2018, they transitioned to full-time residents of Palm Springs while developing The Cole Hotel.
As a successful Realtor, David’s deep understanding of real estate and property stewardship aligns with his passion for preserving the unique character of Vista Las Palmas. Beyond his career, he is deeply committed to community involvement, actively contributing to philanthropic efforts as a San Diego chapter leader and host committee member.
As a board member of the Vista Las Palmas Neighborhood Foundation, David is dedicated to upholding the foundation’s mission to preserve and protect the architectural integrity and charm of this remarkable neighborhood, ensuring it remains a treasured part of Palm Springs for generations to come.
David and Mark currently share full-time residency between San Diego and Palm Springs and enjoy escaping to their cabin in Big Bear Lake for snowboarding in the winter and fun on the lake during hot summer months with their two Border Collie mix dogs, Elsey and Sybil.
Member at Large
Karla was born in Michigan but moved to Orange County as a child so she’s a California kid. Her husband, Jeff, was raised in Phoenix but they lived in OC for 30+ years raising 4 kids. Their family visited Palm Springs regularly and owned homes in La Quinta they rented to snowbirds. In 2018 they retired and did the country club life in La Quinta for six years but desired a more diverse community and a town they could walk to.
They found their dream home in Vista Las Palmas October 2024 when touring the Elvis Honeymoon house and saw an open house two doors down. Two weeks later, it was theirs! It was a dream come true since they had walked this neighborhood over the years and loved the iconic style of the homes. Mid Century modern rocks!
They were active in a variety of charitable organizations in Orange County including Radiant Health, MakeAWish, Meals on Wheels and others. They continue that involvement in the Coachella Valley. Karla is a member of the Assistance League and Women For The Wild of the Living Desert. They volunteer and support DAP Health, LGBTQ Center, Living Desert, Planned Parenthood, PS Library, The Plaza, and McCallum Theatre, among others.
As a part of this community, it’s important to support each other - either with time, money, or both!
Member at Large
The year was 1991. The July temps were in the 110s. The place was the Harlow Club, a small gay resort on El Alameda. This is where two 20-somethings from Ohio, Rick Distel and Kevin Comer, fell into a torrid love affair with Palm Springs. They vowed that if they ever had the opportunity to live here someday, they would consider it a dream come true…
Back to reality, they moved to NYC in 1993 where Rick received his MBA in Finance and Real Estate from New York University. After getting a taste of commercial real estate while consulting at Ernst & Young, he began a thirty-plus year career encompassing various dimensions of the field in both New York City and Connecticut including luxury marketing, brokerage, and private equity. In 2008 he made the move to residential brokerage at Sotheby’s International Realty where he became a go-to broker for properties of architectural importance, representing homes designed by noted architects including Richard Neutra, Marcel Breuer, John Johansen, and many more. In 2018 he became a Founding Agent for a growing NYC brokerage firm called Compass.
21 years after that first visit, Rick and Kevin made their Palm Springs dream a reality when they purchased a 1959 Krisel in Vista Las Palmas from the original family and have been here ever since. They spend most of their time in Palm Springs but also enjoy escaping to their cabin in the rugged desert landscape of Pioneertown. They have two rescue pups, Cooper and Dodger.
VISTA LAS PALMAS NEIGHBORS FOUNDATION • PALM SPRINGS, CALIFORNIA