The Coronado Island Film Festival (CIFF) Board of Directors is thrilled to announce its 2025 slate of officers and directors. Phil Garn will return as president marking this his sixth year on the board and second in this position. Carole Arendt will serve as this year’s vice president, alongside Jeanmarie Bond as secretary and Alison Lancaster as returning treasurer.
Three new members have joined the board serving their first year as directors; Dr. Kevin Kenny, Pam Sauter, and Renee Simpson, with the return of former board member Ken Fitzgerald. The board saw the retirement of Steve Rippe, Janice Lowenberg, and Gail Bardin. Founding board member and CIFF benefactor, Peter Benzian, sadly passed away last year.
2025 marks the 11th year since the establishment of the board and the 10th anniversary of the festival.
“Jumping into my second year as president, I couldn’t be more thrilled for CIFF’s 10th anniversary year,” states Phil Garn. “You can expect an elevated year celebrating film, industry icons, community, and the rich cinematic history of this island.”
CIFF BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Doug St. Denis
Founder and Chairman of the Board
OFFICERS
President: Phil Garn
Vice President: Carole Arendt
Secretary: Jeanmarie Bond
Treasurer: Alison Lancaster
Parliamentarian
DIRECTORS
Christian Esquevin
Ken Fitzgerald
Jennifer Franks
Robin Franck
Arlene Inch
Dr. Kevin Kenny
Pam Sauter
Renee Simpson
Carol Sommer
Jeff Tyler
STUDENT REPS
Lilia Spiegel + Ethan Wahamaki
President Phil Garn moved to Coronado in 1983, serving as a Naval officer in Special Boat Units 12 and 13. He continued federal service with the US Postal Service, as a Postal Inspector for three decades. Phil is a founding member of the Combatant Craft Crewman Association and served as secretary and presently historian. He is a published Naval Historian and co-author of “WARBOATS, 55 Years of Naval Special Warfare Combatant Craft History.” He developed a love film from his grandparents, Academy Award® winning art director Alexander Golitzen and Frances Golitzen who worked in the MGM history department. He helped curate a retrospective of his grandfather’s Hollywood career at the Coronado Library and presented four of his grandfather’s films at the CIFF in 2017. An avid ocean swimmer who has soloed the Catalina and English Channels, Phil can be found swimming just off Coronado’s shore most days when not traveling with his wife, Lisa.
Vice President Carole Arendt is a native Chicagoan, John Hughes enthusiast, and a longtime lover of film, which started in high school with a job at the local theater. A University of Wisconsin grad, this MBA educator left the snowy shores of Lake Michigan for sunny San Diego in 2010. Drawn to Coronado’s small-town charm, she and her family fell in love with the community including the Village Theater. Her enthusiasm for building community through this shared interest led her to volunteer with the Coronado Film Festival in 2019. Carol subsequently became a Patron member and joined the Festival’s Board as Secretary in 2023. When not volunteering with the Film Festival and Board, she can be found playing with her pup, attending yoga classes, and juggling the demands and joys of twin teenagers.
Doctor Kevin Kenny was raised in the suburbs of New York City and while serving in the U. S. Navy, settled in San Diego. He rose to the ranks of Captain while also running an established dental practice, and teaching as an Associate Clinical Professor at the University of San Diego. Kevin has a passion for giving back and has gone on a number of dental missions abroad providing dental care in countries where resources are limited. He is a Coronado Rotarian, a golfer, enjoys going out on his speedboat, and is a big fan of film, regularly attending CIFF and North Island’s Lowery Theater.
Ken Fitzgerald is a trial lawyer, trumpet player, and writer who has lived in Coronado since 1986. He has a B.A. in Music from the Shepherd School of Music at Rice University, and a law degree from the UCLA School of Law. Ken is the managing partner of the trial-focused litigation boutique law firm of Fitzgerald Knaier LLP. He has been ranked several times as one of the Top 10 attorneys in San Diego by San Diego Super Lawyers and has been continuously recognized by Best Lawyers in America as one of the top intellectual property and commercial litigation lawyers. Ken sits on the Advisory Board of the Shepherd Society and is currently the principal trumpet of the La Jolla Symphony Orchestra.
Renee Simpson is an experienced development professional with expertise in higher education, project management, and grant research and writing. Renee earned her B.A. in Political Science from the University of Colorado Boulder and an M.A. in Liberal Arts from San Diego State University. Throughout her career, she fulfilled roles at organizations such as the Center for Creative Leadership, Queen Mary University of London, The Water Conservation Garden, and SDSU. As a consultant and small business owner, Renee provides expert solutions through Simpson Nonprofit Services. She is dedicated to helping San Diego area nonprofits increase their contributed revenue and positively impact lives in the region. She lives in Coronado with her husband and has two children, a daughter and a son, Baxter, who recently served on the CIFF Board as a student representative.
