I’ve lived in Rio Nido, CA, along the Russian River since 2002 and love the beauty, history, and community of the area. I'm a founding member of the Friends of Rio Nido and have been part of the organization for over 15 years. Raised in Sebastopol, I graduated from Analy High School and Sonoma State University. I’ve been employed for 25 years at O’Reilly Media in Sebastopol, focusing on community programs, events, and outreach. I've been on the Russian River Recreation and Park board for almost 8 years.

Even though I focus on tech communities, I was raised in the amusement industry and started working with the public for my family at the age of 12 in a food concession booth. My parents owned fun houses, haunted houses, mirror mazes, and the shoot-out-the-star game. My grandparents owned Foley and Burk,  the last carnival to travel by train in California and one of the largest shows in the state during the late 1960s through the 1980s--they even operated the carnival rides on the top of the Emporium building in San Francisco. Amusement and recreation are part of my family history, and I'm lucky enough to get to continue that tradition here along the river.