Open Space Alliance Governance Structure
The Open Space Alliance is governed by a Board of Directors from the community of Santa Cruz County. An Executive Committee works with the Executive Director to set policies and establish priorities. Advisory committees are created at the discretion of the Board to focus on organizational priorities.
| The OSA Board of Directors | Advisory Board | |
| Officers | Directors at Large |
Jerry Busch
Ann Butler Jeannine DeWald Emily Maloney Deborah Malkin Daniel Press |
|
Chair: Jerry Thomas Vice-Chair: Celia Scott Secretary: Cherie Bobbe Treasurer: Russell Weisz |
Kathryn Britton George Brown Patti Jazanoski Carole Kelley |
|
| Executive Director | Bookkeeping Consultant | |
| Stephen Harrington | Judy Low | |
Executive Director
Stephen Harrington
Stephen Harrington joined the Open Space Alliance as Executive Director in November 2007. He started his land conservation work in the early 90's as an intern with the Land Trust of Napa County while working on a double major in Environmental Studies and Economics at U.C. Santa Cruz. After completing his BA, he attended the Yale University School of Forestry and Environmental Studies and earned a Master of Environmental Studies (MES) degree in 1993. His graduate work focused on public space planning and land conservation. After graduate school he worked on the Chicago Rivers urban river restoration project with the National Park Service Rivers, Trails, and Conservation Assistance Program. In 1995, Stephen and his wife, Karen, returned to their native California where he worked as a consultant in Ventura with Rincon Consultants, focusing on CEQA and NEPA environmental review and city planning projects. During this time he served as an Executive Committee member of the Surfrider Foundation and worked on the Calleguas Creek Watershed Plan. This project was started by the Los Angeles Regional Water Quality Control Board and has since grown to include all of the major watersheds in Ventura County. In 1998, they moved to Auburn and Stephen consulted on the American River Watershed Plan with WRC Environmental. Before joining OSA, Stephen was a full-time dad to his son, Ethan, and, daughter, Eleanor. He and his family enjoy cycling and gardening in the foothills of Mt. Madonna in southern Santa Cruz County where they have lived since 2005.
Board of Directors
Jerry Thomas, Chair
Jerry is an organic farmer, former Peace Corps volunteer, teacher, fifth-generation California and environmental and political activist. He was a founding member of California Certified Organic Farmers (CCOF) and was a founding member of all the farmers markets in the Monterey Bay area, beginning with the first market in 1977 at Live Oak School, which later became the Cabrillo Farmer's Market. He helped to write the first legislation defining organic farming standards, has been a member of the various farmers market boards, was on the state Community Alliance with Family Farmers (CAFF) board and is now on the CAFF Advisory Committee for the Central Coast Chapters.
Celia Scott, Vice-Chair
Celia was a founding member of the Open Space Alliance in 1995, and has been at the forefront of the environmental movement since 1969 when she moved to Santa Cruz with her family. A former city council member and mayor of the City of Santa Cruz, she has used her skills as a land use planner and environmental attorney in campaigns to preserve the Pogonip, the Santa Cruz Greenbelt, the Gray Whale Ranch, the north coast, the Porter-Sesnon Meadow, rare habitat at the Quail Hollow Quarry and many other places. Leading Sierra Club hikes (with her husband Peter Scott), choral singing, bicycling, gardening, and bird watching are activities she enjoys in her spare time.
Cherie Bobbe, Secretary
Cherie has lived in the county for 32 years and has worked on numerous land use/environmental campaigns since 1980, starting with efforts to save the Porter Sesnon meadow. Ms. Bobbe sat on the Sierra Club Water Resource Committee, and was a commissioner on the Santa Cruz County Water Advisory Commission, the Alternate Public Representative on LAFCO, and board member for Seacliff Needs a Park (SNAP).
Russell Weisz, Treasurer
Russell has a masters degree in computer science and is a Senior Software Engineering at Quova Inc. He loves to surf in Santa Cruz and exotic destinations. Russell also spends time with his athletic daughter Izzy, his busy and lovely wife Judy and their pets. His environmental interests include species and habitat conservation, human over-population, green technology and Native American history. Russell has been involved in a number of environmental projects and belongs to many environmental organizations.
Kathryn Britton
Kathryn did undergraduate and graduate studies in biology and, after her four children were born, went to law school. She has been one of the key organizers of the Nisene 2 Sea whose mission is to preserve a corridor of public lands and open space between The Forest of Nisene Marks State Park and New Brighton State Beach. Her law office overlooks Nisene Marks where she enjoys the open space she tries to preserve. Her interests focus on nature: hiking, bird watching, growing native plants, gardening, kayaking, skiing, and bicycling. She has four young grandchildren and a small black dog that love to hike and kayak with her.
George Brown
George holds a faculty position in the Physics Department at the University of California, Santa Cruz. In addition to his department duties, he recently served a term as the Vice Provost for Academic Affairs, among other things working with the UCSC Arboretum and the UCSC Center for Agroecology and Sustainable Food Systems (CASFS). He presently serves on the Director's Advisory Council for CASFS, and is committed to the promotion of sustainable food systems in Santa Cruz and Monterey Counties.
Patti Jazanoski
Patti first became involved with OSA as a donor and then became a volunteer, helping OSA upgrade its computer system and update the website. She's a member of the Friends of Arana Gulch Steering Committee, and a past member of the Sierra Club Conservation Committee. She earned an undergraduate degree in computer science and has worked as software engineer, manager and project leader for 15 years. She also holds a degree in literature and recently wrote the lead article for California Certified Organic Farmers (CCOF) Certified Organic magazine. She enjoys hiking, gardening and reading.
Carole Kelley
Carole is a native of Chicago and came to Santa Cruz as a graduate student in biology when UCSC opened in 1965. After receiving her Ph.D, she taught botany and microbiology at Cabrillo College for more than 20 years before retiring in 2004. She was actively involved in the successful efforts to preserve the Glenwood property in Scotts Valley and has been a member of many organizations including the Sierra Club, California Native Plant Society, Friends of Glenwood and the UCSC Arboretum Associates. Carole joined the OSA board in 1997 and has served in various board capacities. Her interests include traveling, hiking, reading, sewing, and family vacations in Maine.
