The five-member Parks, Recreation, and Community Services Commission meets on the first Thursday of the month, at 6:00 p.m. in the City Council Chambers. Members of the public wishing to address the commission may do so by completing a speaker’s slip upon arrival at the meeting. There is a three minute time limit per person.
Meetings are held in the City Council Chambers, 1st floor of City Hall, 23920 Valencia Blvd., Santa Clarita, CA. (view map) For more information, contact the Commission Secretary at (661) 286-4135.
Skye Ostrom, Chair
Term Expires: December 2026
“I am proud of Santa Clarita!”, is a statement that Skye Ostrom often says….and she means it! She moved here with her parents, Dennis and Susan, and her sister in 1979 when they purchased a 2.5 acre parcel of land in Sand Canyon. When they first got to the property it was on a rural dirt road and had 2 oak trees. As a family they set to planting an orchard, building a house, and developing the acres into a small hobby ranch which they still work today.
Skye attended Sulphur Springs Elementary, Sierra Vista Jr. High, Canyon High School, COC, and then left the SCV for some years to attend UCLA where she got her 1st degree in Microbiology with an emphasis in Psychology. However, she always knew she would return to the city that she watched her parents and neighbors build up from 4 small townships into the strong and independent Santa Clarita Valley of today. Upon her graduation and return, Skye attained a teaching position at Sierra Vista and after 24 years, she is still there as a Science teacher, campus leader, and at times, a school counselor. Over the years she has continued her education to include two masters degrees in education and school counseling.
During her freetime Skye takes advantage of the resources SCV has to offer: hiking, riding her horses, going to community events, and enjoying the plethora of restaurants and shops around town. She also spends time working with youth and programs in the area that deal with animal husbandry, nature, mental health, and education. Skye, her sister, Rachael Dawn (Dr. Rachael of Twin Oaks Equine), and her parents also spend time traveling and experiencing unique places around the world. The vast list of experiences gained over the years have led Skye to becoming part of the Parks Commission where her dream is to make SCV into a destination that both residents and visitors are excited to come and enjoy.
As part of the Parks commission, Skye hopes to keep the momentum going for open space, hiking trails, and parks that she, her family, friends, and her students utilize. Along with this, she strongly supports the diverse resources and recreational programs that offer the community chances to participate and enjoy this special area of SoCal. She also wants our city to keep embracing a focus on healthy lifestyles with a variety of activities, educational opportunities, and positive mental health programs for all. “Santa Clarita is like family and I want us all to become the best version that we can be!”
Di Thompson, Vice Chair
Term Expires: December 2026
Di Thompson, a dedicated resident of Santa Clarita for 24 years, has been married to her husband Jeffrey for 27 years and has raised their daughters within the Santa Clarita community.
Di’s passion lies in facilitating families’ and individuals’ dreams of homeownership while advocating for and educating underserved communities on the process and benefits of creating generational wealth through homeownership. Di is an entrepreneur, who has been working to establishing her own real estate brand that specializes in residential and investment properties, Thompson Realty Advisors, brokered by eXp Realty.
Di is deeply committed to serving her community. She is very involved with the Santa Clarita Valley Chamber of Commerce and will serve as the 2025 Chair Elect of the SCV Chamber of Commerce, where she currently sits on the Board of Directors. Additionally, Di serves as the inaugural Chair of the Black Business Council and Co-Chairs InfluenceHER with the Santa Clarita Chamber of Commerce. Di is also a Board Member for the Child & Family Center.
In addition to her leadership roles, Di is an active member of various community organizations including SCV Zonta and Soroptimists of Greater SCV, where she co-chairs the Dream It Be It program, providing invaluable support and resources for high school students’ college and career readiness.
Through her continuous personal development and exemplary leadership, Di remains steadfast in her commitment to improving the lives of others.
Hugo Cherre, Commissioner
Term Expires: December 2028
As a former Gymnastics National Champion and National Team Coach of Peru and an international judge, Hugo was invited to participate in the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles as a judging team member from Peru. While in the USA, Hugo decided to make the USA his forever home. Over the past 40 years in this wonderful country, Hugo has made the most of the opportunities available here.
After the Olympics, Hugo became a U.S. citizen while working as a coach for other gymnastics organizations. But his vision for excellence in gymnastics was more significant than that. He
moved to Santa Clarita in 1987 when the time was right and the opportunity was ripe; despite the 2008 economic recession, Hugo decided to make his vision a reality and opened Hugo’s
GymFitness and has made his mark providing gymnastics excellence in SCV for the past seventeen years — a gymnastics facility created to instill in children a well-rounded experience that helps them develop a full spectrum of personal, social, educational and physical potentials for becoming the best version of themselves that they can be.
Hugo had a vision for success — his American Dream! He has made that dream come true through hard work and opportunity.
Hugo’s breadth of knowledge and experience extends beyond his many years as a gymnastics athlete, coach, and entrepreneur. He attended the Universidad Nacional de Ingenieria in Lima, Peru. He pursued a Bachelor of Science degree in Engineering and is experienced in planning and hosting large-scale public events for entertainment, education, training, and motivation.
Hugo is married to his lifelong sweetheart, Lilly. Together, they are parents to three children: daughter Dr. Naddia Palacios, a graduate of UCLA who now works at USC; daughter Nikky Stark, a gymnastics professional who now manages Hugo’s GymFitness; and son Sebastian, who is a senior at Canyon High School and 2024-25 football player of the year. Hugo loves to spend time with his family, especially his four grandkids and also enjoys traveling in his free time.
Looking back over his long career as a gymnastics coach at all levels, from children’s introductory levels to top-level international competition, his favorite thing about coaching is seeing his students blossom into their full potential as coaches and careers as professionals and great American citizens.
Peggy Stabile, Commissioner
Term Expires: December 2026
When Peggy and Jeff Stabile relocated to the Los Angeles area in 1979 with their children, Beth and Jeff Jr., one of Jeff’s co-workers suggested Valencia, as “the perfect place to raise a family.” They were easily convinced when they saw the parks, paseos, schools, and small communities within the community!
With Jeff at work and the children at Placerita Junior High, Peggy began her career with the Hart District in January 1980 as a reading specialist at Bowman High School. She transferred to Hart’s Special Ed program and worked as a counselor at both Hart and Valencia High Schools. Diagnosed with breast cancer, she took early retirement but following treatment, returned to the work force as an adjunct counselor at COC. In 2010, she launched her own business, Pegasus 2 Edu, assisting families in navigating the college application process. Under her guidance, numerous Hart District students found their “dream” schools and were recipients of generous scholarships. She also worked pro bono with families in need and continues this practice each year.
While counseling at Hart, Peggy piloted TEENAGE GRIEF (TAG), a support program for students grieving deaths of loved ones. With a colleague, she initiated both the International Club, enabling students to share their cultures with classmates and UNITY, the first anti-bullying anti/discrimination program in the district. She also designed Operation US, during which UNITY teen leaders met with local 6th graders and shared activities that encouraged inclusion and acceptance of all. At the urging of her teen leaders who felt UNITY should be citywide, Peggy approached staff at the city’s Parks, Recreation, and Community Service Department who embraced the idea. And, in 1994, the city’s Human Relations Forum was established.
When their son came out in 1986, Peggy and Jeff joined PFLAG LA and eventually became board members. Two years later, 400 protesters held a demonstration on the median of Orchard Village Road to oppose a teacher who was lesbian and who was invited to address educators about creating safe spaces in their schools for their LGBTQ students. This event prompted the Stabiles to establish a PFLAG chapter in Santa Clarita. In addition to hosting meetings, Peggy organized a Speakers’ Bureau and led educational seminars and workshops for parents and teachers. At PFLAG SCV’s 30th anniversary celebration, the city recognized her for contributions that advanced equality by providing support, education, and advocacy on behalf of our LGBTQ children.
Since 1987, Peggy has watched city officials in Santa Clarita use caution and common sense to create an incredible community filled with opportunities that enable all age groups to find a way to belong. While maintaining the many wonderful programs the city already offers, as Commissioner, she hopes to investigate additions to these programs. She is especially interested in positive activities for at-risk youth as well as the development of both intergenerational programs and community interactions that will enable all of us to engage and embrace our city’s diverse populations.
Dennis Sugasawara, Commissioner
Term Expires: December 2028
Dennis Sugasawara has an insatiable curiosity for learning new things. Becoming a commissioner of Parks, Recreation, and Community Relations provides him with new opportunities to understand the operations of the city and to represent both the department and the community effectively.
Dennis has lived in Santa Clarita since 1990. He graduated from California State University, Northridge, and enjoyed a 17-year career in the entertainment industry as a producer of independent feature films. At one point, he needed to shift his focus to caregiving for both of his parents until their passing in 2016. His mother was diagnosed with multiple myeloma, and his father had Parkinson’s disease.
Since 2017, Dennis has dedicated his time to various charities and community organizations. In 2018, he produced the Latino Business Alliance Hispanic Gala. In 2022, he organized Metavivor’s first “Met Gala” in Santa Clarita, supporting an organization focused on metastatic breast cancer research. In 2023, he co-chaired the Soroptimist International of Greater Santa Clarita Valley’s annual fashion show. In the summer of 2024, he was asked to help organize the Veteran Services Collaborative’s first-ever fundraiser, “Marching On.” As a veteran himself (Army), he understands the importance of supporting service members transitioning back to civilian life and agreed to join their board of advisors.
Dennis is a former member of the Producers Guild of America and currently serves as a member of the board of advisory for the SCV Boys and Girls Club, a board of director for SCV Child and Family Services, board of director for the Santa Clarita International Film Festival, and now a board member for the Santa Clarita Veteran Services Collaborative. He is also a member of the Chamber of Commerce and the Valley Industry Association, as well as Soroptimist International of Greater SCV.
As a father of a now-grown son, Dennis took advantage of the many community parks and trails. He continues to enjoy these spaces, especially the paseos in his neighborhood. Additionally, a little-known fact about him is that he is an Eagle Scout.
