Prior to starting RecWest, Mike was a commercial real estate broker for Coldwell Banker Commercial Real Estate in downtown Los Angeles for ten years.

He came to Los Angeles in 1977 when he was hired as the UCLA crew coach. He spent five seasons coaching UCLA crew and loved every minute of it.

Mike was born and raised in Berkeley and attended Cal. He was a member of Cal’s rowing team, earning three varsity letters on the heavyweight varsity crew. The Cal crew experience, and the friends he made on the team, have had a positive influence throughout his life.

Mike says that developing RecWest and representing Landscape Structures – and now DuMor site furnishings, Classic Recreation Shelters, SkyWays Fabric Shade Systems and Aquatix Splash Pads – has been a transformative and rewarding journey over the last thirty years.

“We have developed an exceptional staff and have a positive and committed group of sales consultants who love their work. We have long-standing, successful relationships with the best recreational contractors in southern California. We are privileged to work with leading Landscape Architects and directly with many government agencies developing and delivering world class products – the safest and highest quality on the market today – for over 2,000 playgrounds, spanning two generations of children. I feel very fortunate to be involved in this enterprise.’’

Mike is married to Sharon Bennett. Sharon inspired and supported Mike’s decision to start RecWest in 1993. Sharon is a naturalized US citizen, born in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe (formerly Rhodesia) She traveled the world, living in Rhodesia, Cape Town, Seychelle Islands and London before coming to the US in 1978. She is a published nature photographer and was involved in the early stages of computer graphic design.

Mike is a long suffering and irrationally optimistic mid-handicap golfer. He occasionally rides one of his vintage steel road bicycles and hikes often in the Santa Monica mountains. He is an avid catch-and-release fly angler.

Mike and Sharon have lived in Thousand Oaks Ca. since 1997.

Griselda’s duties include customer service, assisting accounting and support all outside sales reps. She has been with RecWest for 18 years, coming from 15 years in Retail. She is excellent in assisting customers with almost all their requests, from parts to designing a full structure. When not at work, she enjoys crocheting and spending time with her grandkids.

For the past seven years at RecWest Outdoor Products, Nate has helped municipalities, schools, landscape architects, and developers create dynamic and inclusive play spaces for communities across Central and Southern California. In addition to assisting with current projects, Nate aims to spread valuable information to his clients on topics such as inclusive play, playground safety, and the latest and greatest design trends in parks and playgrounds.

Prior to joining RecWest, Nate was an owner, director and curriculum developer for outdoor leadership, recreation and camp programs. He’s also completed a Master’s in Business Administration from Loyola Marymount University, and is a proud National Outdoor Leadership School Educator graduate.

Outside of helping his clients create their dream parks and playgrounds, Nate is an avid rock climber, outdoor adventurer, and photographer. The mountains and wilderness are his own personal playground, and an inspiration for his work!

Please contact Nate for all projects located Northern Ventura, Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo or Kern Counties.“

Eric works with clients and collaborators to bring life to visions of inclusive parks and innovative play spaces across LA County. With experience As a past president of one of the City of LA’s neighborhood councils, he is driven to build upon those years of volunteer service dedicated to neighborhood stewardship, stakeholder needs, and responsible community growth. Whether the project calls for a pocket park sized play area or a large destination shaded playground, Eric is ready to help get the job done on time and on budget.

Prior to joining the RecWest team, Eric was Senior Recording Mixer at a Studio City-based recording studio specializing in dialogue for animation, earning a Daytime Emmy® Award and ten total nominations. Away from work, Eric and his wife, Virginia, enjoy being with their three children as they navigate through school, extra-curriculars, and family time together.