Andros Howes (He/Him) is OAEC’s Landscape Project Manager and Information Technology Manager. Before coming to OAEC, Andros was the farm manager at Foxhole Farms in Sebastopol and also worked for five years before that at Southern Exposure Seed Exchange…
Brock Dolman (He/Him) co-directs the WATER Institute, Permaculture Design Program and Wildlands Program. He has taught Permaculture and consulted on regenerative project design and implementation internationally in Costa Rica, Ecuador, U.S. Virgin Islands, Spain, Brazil, China, Canada, Zimbabwe, Tanzania, Democratic Republic of Congo, Cuba and widely in the U.S. .
Cameron (they/them) currently serves as the Office Manager of OAEC, working to improve and maintain the invisible structures and communications systems that keep OAEC running smoothly.
In his current role, Daniel (he/him) supports and helps teach about permaculture, demonstrating his commitment to environmental practices. With his in-depth knowledge of permaculture principles and practices, Daniel is dedicated to sharing his expertise with others and fostering a culture of sustainability and resilience. In his teaching role, Daniel employs a hands-on approach, guiding individuals and groups in design, soil biology, water conversation, map making, and more.
Dave Henson (He/Him) has been the Executive Director of OAEC since it’s founding in 1994, and is a founding member of the Sowing Circle intentional community. At OAEC, Dave’s responsibilities include strategic planning, fundraising, and overall organizational management. Programmatically, he works within sustainable agricultural, environmental and social justice movements…
Doug Gosling (He/Him) is a lifetime gardener, cook and educator and has managed the Gardens at OAEC for 30 years. He originated the Plant Sales at OAEC 18 years ago, and manages the new Greenhouses and Nursery. He is the Director of the Mother Garden Biodiversity Program, curates the plant and seed collection and directs OAEC’s seed saving efforts and Seed Exchanges…
Hannah Wilton (She/Her) plays a key role in OAEC’s fundraising activities as well as the development and success of its diverse programs, partnerships, and fiscally sponsored projects…
James Pelican (He/Him) has been with OAEC since 2001, initially as the Facilities Manager and now also serving as the Site Director. James has served as project manager for the major remodels and new construction at OAEC, including the Meeting Hall, Barn (twice), Guest Buildings, Main Kitchen, Spa, and Nursery. He has also served as the director of the Chautauqua Revue since it’s inception in 2003. He has been known to wear a red nose.
Jim Coleman (He/Him) earned a MS in Biology studying grassland restoration at Sonoma State University in 2005 and since that time has been primarily focused on that work within the OAEC ecological preserve. In addition to Jim’s endeavors at OAEC, he has worked as a field ecologist for the California Native Plant Society in their efforts to help generate a vegetation and habitat map for Sonoma County…
WATER Institute Communications and Project Manager
As the Communications and Project Manager with The WATER Institute, Johanna Sliver’s (She/Her) job is to build enthusiasm around beaver, process-based restoration, and other WATER Institute programs…
Kate Lundquist (she/her) co-directs the Occidental Arts & Ecology Center’s WATER Institute and the Bring Back the Beaver Campaign. Collaborating with landowners, communities, tribes, conservation organizations and resource agencies across California, Kate works to implement beaver and process-based restoration to conserve watersheds, recover listed species, increase water security and build resilience to climate change (www.oaec.org/beaver).
Kendall Dunnigan (She/Her) is the Director of the Occidental Arts & Ecology Center’s Permaculture Program and co-teaches the Permaculture Design Certification courses with Brock Dolman. Her ecological design work focuses on facilitating collaborative design processes with priority given to working with economically and environmentally marginalized communities in the US, Latin America, and Haiti…
Maureen Murray (She/Her) guides the creation of healthy, beautiful and seasonal meals for our guests, community and staff. She is proud to be part of this effort, and hopes our kitchen inspires the message that our food system is our most powerful tool for health, stability and cultural richness. Maureen performs affinage for award-winning cheeses at the Tomales Farmstead Creamery.Â
Olivia Rathbone (She/Her) was the lead author and project manager of the award-winning Occidental Arts & Ecology Center Cookbook (Chelsea Green Publishing 2015)…
Reva Navah (She/Her) is a mother, earth steward, teacher, dancer, and community builder. She has worked with a number of organizations on community resiliency, women’s economic empowerment and entrepreneurship, and environmental policy along the US / Mexico Border and in Jordan and Israel. Reva’s broad professional experience also includes nature mentoring and teaching youth…
Samara Seibel has a B.A. in English literature and poetry from Sonoma State University. In 2011, when Samara became an administrative intern in the OAEC office, she formed a strong bond to the place and the community, and since that time she has sought to deepen this relationship. Her work at the Center has been an amazing learning process and still continues to provide new challenges and new opportunities. To her position in the OAEC office, she brings her enthusiasm for keeping track of minutiae, her desire to support colleagues in their work and guests in their visitor experience, and her gift for saying less and listening more.
Sunny Hill (She/Her) has been specializing in non-profit financial management for fifteen years. She has worked with several Bay Area NGOs including Groundswell Fund, PLAN, CTWO, AlterNet, ILRCSF, and is currently the Treasurer with Grateful Heart Holistic Therapy Center…
