About Our Board

Board of Directors:

The Guadalupe Business Association Board of Directors is currently made up of a President, Vice President, Vice President – Sponsorships, Secretary, and Treasurer.

President

Judy Wilson

Raised in the Orcutt and Five Cities area, Judy Wilson ventured beyond California for extensive exploration before returning to make Guadalupe her family’s home. As President of the Guadalupe Business Association and elected City Clerk, she is committed to leveraging her roles for the community’s benefit and highlighting Guadalupe’s distinctive qualities. In her free time, Judy enjoys walking through the scenic Rancho Guadalupe Dunes Preserve, hiking, and spending precious moments with her family and friends.

Vice President

Tirzo Lopez

Vice President – Sponsorships

Ernesto Valle

Lobo Butcher Shop was established on January 2021 in the small town of Guadalupe, California.  Located off Highway 1 through the California Coast, it serves locals, tourists, and people just passing by.  As you drive through Guadalupe you can most certainly see Ernesto and Sergio cooking up some quality Santa Maria Style BBQ.  Lobo Butcher Shop has served up events from Carpinteria to San Luis Obispo, popping up at events like the Lavender Festival in Santa Barbara and the Crusader Tournament in Oceano.  Lobo Butcher shop is also a big support of the Guadalupe and Orcutt YFL, donating a portion of the proceeds to the youth teams.  Next time you are driving down Highway 1 in the Central Coast, make sure you make a pit stop and pick up one of their famous Tri-tip sandwiches.

Treasurer

Juan Pablo Cal y Major

 

Secretary

Melanie Backer

Melanie Backer lives in Guadalupe, CA and is currently a manager for writers and actors in the TV and film business. In her free time, Melanie enjoys painting, singing and spending time outdoors. You can find her riding her bike and hiking around Guadalupe and the Central Coast. She also has a strong passion for the Arts because they helped her grow up, gain confidence and get through her teenage years. She is currently focused on trying to help the Royal Theater get up and running and perhaps helping do the same for the youth of Guadalupe.  

President

Garret Matsuura
Owner, Arclight Media
Former Part-Time Faculty, Allan Hancock College

Originally hailing from Huntington Beach, California, Garret has been a Central Coast resident since 1994.  He has a BA in Social Ecology from UC Irvine with a concentration in Criminology, Law and Society.  While an MBA student at Cal Poly, he started working with a local sporting goods company in partnership with America Online.  Cutting his teeth in the web, e-commerce, and online marketing while web browsers were in their infancy, he founded his company Arclight Media and has served the Central Coast with web design and technology consulting services ever since.  He’s actively involved with other non-profit and philanthropic organizations like Assistance League of San Luis Obispo County, Central Coast Masonic Lodge #237, Friends of the Santa Maria Valley Railroad, the Rage Youth Hockey Program, and the Guadalupe Visual and Performing Arts Center.  He was part-time faculty with Allan Hancock College in the Fine Arts department from 2018-2022 and is a resident of Guadalupe with his wife Jennifer, and sons Gabe and Sam.

Vice President

Belinda Popovich
Realtor

Belinda Popovich as a Realtor has over 10 years of experience working within residential, commercial, and new construction sales. Additionally, she has spent over 9 years working as a Compliance Auditor for a firm in Northern California. She established their internal checks and balances that meet and exceed state standards with 1,200 and counting transactions; as well as transitioned them onto a fully digital platform. Locally as a new home sales agent with the Pasadera community she seeks not only to help Guadalupe grow; but also helps organize community participation and outreach events.

Prior to her career change she had been a Pastry Chef specializing in Wedding Cakes and Sculpted Cakes; working in Santa Barbara, Napa, and Sacramento. She excelled within this career field due to her love and passion for the culinary arts. Unfortunately, she had to walk away from this career path due to a car accident.

Being a 3rd generation Guadalupe native, she is continuing a long-standing tradition of convening the community together so we can all help each other grow.

Vice President – Sponsorships

Lupe Alvarez
Manager, Lupe’s Company

Lupe Alvarez has deep roots in Guadalupe, his grandparents, father, aunts, and uncles arrived in 1957 to Guadalupe. Lupe lives in Guadalupe with his wife Olivia and their son Joseph.  Mr. Alvarez believes strongly in giving back to his hometown, and he volunteers where there is a need. But he specifically enjoys volunteering his time with the Guadalupe Food Bank. Lupe is a manager at the family business Lupe’s Company, a local construction and property management company. Previously, Lupe served on the Guadalupe City Council for two years, and then was elected Mayor for four-two-year terms, for a total of eight years. He also served on Marian Hospital Community Board for ten years. And currently, for the last four years he serves on the Board of Directors for Community Bank of Santa Maria, a publicly traded bank stock company. 
 

Treasurer

Judy Wilson
Small Business Owner

 

Secretary

Melanie Backer
Writer/Producer