Board Of Directors
Commander
Sierra Rad
Originally from Iran, Sierra escaped the oppression imposed by the fundamentalist rule of the Islamic Republic of Iran and immigrated to the US at the age of nineteen. This opened the door to a future she could embrace. She earned a B.A. in Political Science from University of California, Berkeley and an M.A. in International Policy Studies from Middlebury Institute of International Studies. She is an Associate Professor at the Defense Language Institute, Foreign Language Center, where she has taught since 2011.
Sierra enjoys various outdoor activities including canyoneering, caving, backpacking, and skiing. In addition to her love of outdoor adventures and hobbies, she has always been committed to community service. She has been a volunteer and board member with the Monterey County Search and Rescue Team since 2018.
Secretary
Josh Lenzini
Josh Lenzini has dedicated over 35 years to serving the nation as a soldier, industry partner, and Army civilian. He graduated from Florida State University with a degree in Mechanical Engineering and was commissioned as an officer in the U.S. Army. After completing the Officer Basic Course, he held various active-duty assignments over his 22 years as a soldier. Josh earned dual Master’s degrees in Operations Research and Engineering Management from the University of Central Florida through the Army’s Advanced Civil Schooling program.
Upon transitioning from active duty, Josh worked as a SETA contractor at the Department of Homeland Security’s Domestic Nuclear Detection Office. He then served as a Programming Analyst at the Department of the Army’s G-8, Force Development. In 2021, he graduated from the Eisenhower School for National Security and Resource Strategy at the National Defense University. Currently, Josh is the Director of the Research Facilitation Laboratory in Monterey, CA, focusing on big-data People Analytics.
Since 2013, Josh has volunteered as a Search and Rescue team member, initially in Stafford County, VA, and later in Monterey County, CA.
Training Coordinator
Josh Bryan
Training Coordinator
Wes Hayward
Wes was born and raised in California and also lived in Oregon. He served in the Oregon Army National Guard and was deployed to the middle East and to New Orleans in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. He also did mission work in Congo and has a heart for serving others and serving alongside others.
Wes has a passion for mountain biking and enjoys all things outdoors.
He has a keen sense for mechanical systems and enjoys problem solving and teaching others. He has worked as a machinist and currently does electrical work.
Wes has been serving with Monterey County Search and Rescue since 2017.
Treasurer
Alex Mares
Alex Mares is a Deputy Public Defender and currently serves as the Immigration Specialist Immigration Specialist at the Monterey County Public Defender’s Office. He earned his Juris Doctor from Southwestern Law School and holds a Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy and Spanish from Loyola Marymount University.
His passion for justice extends beyond the courtroom—he enjoys trail running, chess and collects pens and manual typewriters. But, he is most proud of his commitment to public service and contributing to the community. He has been a member of the team since 2021.
Volunteer Coordinator
Rafael Mendez
Rafael is a Monterey County native and active outdoorsman with a passion for backpacking, rock climbing, canyoneering and hiking.
Professionally, he is a Director of Marketing and Data Operations for McGraw Hill and has a Masters degree from Harvard University and a Bachelor degree from Dominican University of California.
Rafael has been with the Monterey County Sheriff’s Office Search and Rescue team since 2024.