Board of Directors
Chair: Amit Rajgarhia, Dish Dash
At the age of 11, Amit began helping his father at a furniture store in Nepal where he first learned the principles of management and business. In 1998, Amit moved to Sunnyvale where he attended Foothill College to study Business Management while working as a server at Dish Dash. Five years later he stepped up into a management position, shaping the restaurant into the iconic Middle Eastern Cuisine it is today. Now, Amit is District Manager and pays homage to his roots by importing beer from Nepal. Amit believes that no problem is beneath him, and if you’re too big to do the small things, you’re too small to do the big things.
Vice Chair: Justin Breining, Whole Foods Market
Justin is the Store Team Leader for Whole Foods Market in Sunnyvale Downtown. Starting in 2005, Justin has worked with almost every location on the Peninsula & South Bay. He was raised in San Jose where he studied music at De Anza College, leading to several certificates in music & sound engineering. Justin has many hobbies, including being a classic car owner, musician, archer, and dog owner. He joined the Sunnyvale Downtown Association as a firm believer in one of the core values of Whole Foods Market: “We care about our Community and our Environment”. Justin understands the importance of synergy within all businesses and how the right support can better serve the community.
Treasurer: Amit Rajgarhia, Dish Dash
Secretary: Leigh Odum, Leigh's Favorite Books
Leigh Odum was born in San Francisco, grew up in West Hollywood, and finished High School at Gunn High in Palo Alto. During high school, Leigh developed a love for reading and spent most of her time working in bookshops or the Palo Alto Library. Leigh founded Leigh’s Books on April 1, 2004, with help from her husband, Khader Abdel-Hafez, a year after getting married. Together they started the used bookshop from scratch, creating a business plan and collecting books six months before opening. At the time, the Sunnyvale downtown mall was closing, Historic Murphy Avenue was struggling, and opening a bookshop at the beginning of the digital age seemed daunting, but Leigh remained determined. Leigh wanted to provide the neighborhood with book related events and book clubs. Leigh has always been a firm believer in books, knowing they can create community through the sharing of ideas. Leigh attributes her store’s success to the dedication and skills of her team, and the unwavering support of the Sunnyvale community. She recognizes that every employee brings a high standard of customer service, quality of stock, and store organization. Leigh’s Favorite Books is now 20 years old. Leigh also felt Sunnyvale’s need for a kid’s shop and opened Bookasaurus, a small toy and book shop for children, in 2010. In addition to managing Leigh’s Books and Bookasaurus, Leigh has become a Rotary member for American Booksellers Association (ABA), California Independent Bookstore Alliance (CALIBA), and recording secretary for the Sunnyvale Downtown Association (SDA) since 2008. Leigh donates to local schools, focusing strongly on Ellis, San Miguel, Vargas, Bishop, and Fairwood Elementary Schools. Leigh also believes in keeping shopping dollars in Sunnyvale and supporting our local economy and community.
Members At Large:
Amal Allan, City National Bank
Amal Allan, vice president and branch manager, has nearly 25 years of banking experience to her role at City National, where she leads the team of seasoned financial experts to help clients meet their financial goals. Allan started her career as a teller and has since worked in every position in a branch environment. She is also active in the local community and has hosted financial literacy and elder/fraud abuse seminars. In addition, Allan has volunteered for organizations focused in reading and financial literacy support.
Kim Kilpatrick, CityLine Sunnyvale
Kim Kilpatrick began her position as General Manager at RiverRock Real Estate Group - now part of Lincoln Property Company - nearly five years ago and has over 18 years of experience in the real estate industry. In April 2024, she was promoted from managing the CityLine Association (a position she held since 2019 along with other property management assignments with Lincoln) to General Manager of property operations across the CityLine development. She currently oversees all office and retail property management duties and provides support to the Association's property manager. From brokers and owners to porters, construction project coordinators, and managers, Kim has built the relationships that make CityLine a success. She is active with the Sunnyvale Downtown Association (SDA) board and attends various SDA meetings monthly. In addition, she participates in the site's monthly development team meetings and collaborates with the site's marketing consultant to support holiday and other special events at CityLine. As General Manager, Kim is also the main point of contact for tenant-focused support of all office tenants, as well as retail tenants in McKinley Street, which include AMC, Whole Foods, Ulta, Pacific Catch, and Urban Plates. Before joining the Lincoln family, Kim led and directed 20 mixed-use residential and commercial projects from Monterey to Walnut Creek, California, as the Regional Property Manager for Saratoga Capital.
Dr. Gary Gold, Dr. Gary Gold & Associates Optometry
Dr. Gold has multiple degrees from the University of California, Berkeley. He received his Bachelor of Life Sciences in Biology in 1973 and later a Doctor of Optometry from the UC Berkeley School of Optometry in 1977. In 1981 he founded Dr. Gary Gold & Associates developing the practice from both an optical and medical perspective, staffed with 8 doctors and a state-of-the-art facility. Dr. Gold has been awarded Businessperson of the Year by the City of Sunnyvale and has been the Chairman of the Board of the Sunnyvale Downtown Association previously. He travels extensively around the world, scuba dives, is an avid cyclist, and volunteers in numerous organizations.
Heather Stuart, YogaSix Sunnyvale
Heather Stuart opened the YogaSix Studio in Sunnyvale as the General Manager since 2024. Since their opening, Heather has grown the yoga community exponentially in Downtown Sunnyvale and has actively participated in multiple SDA events on behalf of YogaSix. She has a huge passion for yoga and group fitness and is also an instructor at YogaSix. Heather comes to the Bay Area from the Midwest, with her children and dog, Boba.
Organization Documents
State of Downtown Report 2025
Monthly Board Meetings:
Second Wednesday of each Month
Location:
Online Meeting via Zoom: By email invitation to SDA Members and Board.
Board Minutes Current Fiscal Year Jul 2024 to Jun 2025
Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun
Board Minutes Current Fiscal Year Jul 2023 to Jun 2024
Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun
Board Minutes Current Fiscal Year Jul 2022 to Jun 2023
Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun
Board Minutes Current Fiscal Year Jul 2021 to Jun 2022
Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun
Please contact Mike Johnson for any questions regarding the minutes of Board Meetings at this time.
