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Executive Director
831.464.2950 ext. 17
kchristensen@rcdsantacruz.org
Karen Christensen has worked for the RCDSCC since 1995. Before coming to the RCDSCC, Karen graduated from UC Davis with a BA in Geography, worked for the Tahoe Conservancy and served in the Peace Corps in Sri Lanka providing small business development and agricultural extension services. She was raised between Santa Cruz County and the City of Berkeley. She resides with her husband and son and loves to hike, travel, spend time with family and enjoy exploring her surrounds.
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Sharon Corkrean
Director of Finance
831.464.2950 ext. 16
scorkrean@rcdsantacruz.org
Sharon Corkrean was born and raised in Santa Cruz County. She is the longest standing RCD employee; on staff since February, 1982. Sharon’s family has farmed in the Watsonville area for over 50 years. She resides in Santa Cruz with her husband and two daughters and is an active volunteer in mid-county school and sport programs.
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Tangi Meyer Chapman
Executive Assistant / Benefits Coordinator
831.464.2950 ext. 25
tchapman@rcdsantacruz.org
Tangi is a native of California born and raised in the fertile San Francisco Bay Area. She attended UC Santa Cruz during the early 90’s and received her BA in Environmental Studies. After college, Tangi spread her wings and moved to the slopes of the Big Mountain in Whitefish, Montana. She spent three summers working for the US Forest Service on their Forest Inventory and Analysis project taking data on trees and vegetation throughout the intermountain west, i.e. she got paid to hike into remote locations and enjoy the scenery whilst taking tree Diameter at Breast Height. Tangi then returned to Santa Cruz to start a family. She is currently a full-time mom and assisting the RCDSCC office.
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Russ Bernhardt
IT Support/Webmaster
831.464.2950 ext. 25
rbernhardt@rcdsantacruz.org
Russ started with the RCD in 2003 as an intern, redesigning and supporting the website. He moved to a permanent employee in 2004 and took over as IT Support and Webmaster. He is responsible for keeping the RCD technology up to date as well as supporting the RCD network and website. Russ has won two awards and a promotion for work done on the migration of interlibrary loan systems and the library catalog at Dudley Knox Library at the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey.
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Karl Fieberling
Grants Administrator
831.464.2950 ext. 13
kfieberling@rcdsantacruz.org
Before coming to the RCDSCC, Karl worked for the Trust for Public Land, where he helped facilitate the completion of hundreds of projects. Karl graduated from the UC Davis with a BS in Agricultural Economics and Business Management and has an MBA in Finance from the University of Colorado. He was raised in Santa Cruz County where he resides with his wife. He loves to hike, bicycle, and spend time with family. Karl is excited by the role RCDSCC plays in conserving the County’s natural and economic resources. He aspires in his new roll as Grants Administrator to help keep Santa Cruz County the wonderful place it is.
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Kelli Camara
Program Manager
831.464.2950 ext. 15
kcamara@rcdsantacruz.org
Kelli Camara has spent most of her life in the beautiful coastal towns of California. Born in San Luis Obispo, she stayed for her early college days, earning a Bachelor of Science degree in Soil Science from California Polytechnic State University. In the late-90’s she left California for the rainy forests of Oregon and earned her Master of Science degree in Soil Science from Oregon State University.
After a brief stint on the east coast, Kelli returned from New York to work for Chico State University. In 2001, Kelli accepted a position with the Natural Resources Conservation Service and moved to Santa Cruz. In 2007, Kelli joined the RCD team and looks forward to applying her technical background to promote successful conservation with the Roads and Restoration Programs.
Kelli currently resides in sunny Corralitos, and in her free time enjoys running and pilates.
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Lea Haratani
Communication Specialist
831.464.2950 ext. 10
lharatani@rcdsantacruz.org
Lea Haratani is excited about her new role as a Communication Specialist. Her goal is to understand how best to serve concerns of private landowners, agricultural and urban communities while representing the RCDSCC. She would like to build and maintain positive, productive relationships with stakeholders by keeping them informed about the programs and opportunities that are offered.
She is looking forward to synergizing her past public relations experience on various boards, her work with the National and State Parks, and her education in Conservation and Resource Studies from the University of California Berkeley.
Lea lives in coastal Davenport with her two children, husband, dog, rabbit, and twelve chickens. Her favorite thing to do when not writing or working is to ride horses.
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Arianne Rettinger
Program Manager
831.464.2950 ext.11
a.rettinger@rcdsantacruz.org
In her role as Pajaro Watershed Program Manager, Arianne puts her skills to work for local growers, and has the opportunity to assist growers in finding solutions to their resource conservation problems. Being a native of Monterey, CA, she has grown up understanding the importance of preserving our region’s ecosystems and resources, while recognizing the economic importance that agriculture plays in our central coast region.
Arianne’s academic credentials include a B.A. degree in Biology and a certificate degree in Marketing from the University of California, Santa Cruz and a Master Degree in Environmental Science and Management from the University of California at Santa Barbara’s Donald Bren School with an emphasis in Coastal and Marine Resource Management.
Her other main interests include ecological assessment, restoration of declining habitats, and the effects of land and marine based pollutants on ecosystems and industry. In her free time she enjoys running, sea kayaking, scuba diving, and sailing.
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Zoë Carlson
Conservation Program Specialist
831.464.2950 ext. 23
zcarlson@rcdsantacruz.org
Born and raised in Santa Cruz, Zoë is excited to apply her knowledge and skills in her home county. As Program Coordinator she is thrilled to get involved in all of the programs that the Santa Cruz County RCD offers.
Before joining the RCD, Zoë worked for the Natural Resources Conservation Service since 2004 where her passion for conservation was expanded throughout San Benito, Santa Clara, and Santa Cruz Counties. Zoë has also completed various projects and field work in Monterey County during her collegiate studies.
Zoë Graduated magna cum laude from California State University Monterey Bay with a BS is in Earth Systems Science and Policy, Watershed Systems concentration. In order to broaden her expertise, Zoë has also taken classes in the field of science at Cabrillo College and Monterey Peninsula College.
Zoë loves her work as well as painting, hiking, diving, and embarking on new adventures.
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Angela Stuart
Conservation Program Specialist
831.464.2950 ext. 22
astuart@rcdsantacruz.org
Angie comes to the RCD with over 12 years of sales and marketing experience from Silicon Valley start-ups and local non-profits. She joined the RCD in May of 2005 as the Livestock Program Coordinator and has been thrilled to see program participation nearly triple since her arrival. She loves supporting local land owners and has been inspired by their enthusiasm and openness for resource conservation on their properties. She looks forward to facilitating the continued growth and success of the livestock program.
Outside of the RCD Angie volunteers for local watershed efforts, is infatuated with exploring local creeks and streams, and is always up for a good rock climb. She attended Cabrillo College and San Jose State University and also served in the United States Airforce Reserves. She currently lives in Soquel with her boyfriend, his two boys, and their three dogs.
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Ezra Neale
Project Manager
831.464.2950 ext. 14
eneale@rcdsantacruz.org
The RCDSCC welcomes Ezra Neale as its new Rural Roads Project Manager. Ezra brings a wealth of practical experience working with resource conservation issues. His background includes a Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Science for the University of Vermont and a Master’s degree in Geography from the University of California, Davis. He has worked on the ground supervising at risk youth to complete restoration projects with the East Bay Conservation Corps as well as managing environmental grants with the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation. Please contact Ezra if you have any questions about the Rural Roads Program, he is looks forward to getting your rural roads erosion control projects in motion.
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Roberta Haver
Conservation Program Specialist
831.464.2950
rjhaver@pacbell.net
Roberta Haver ‘Bobbie’ has led the grass roots Arana Gulch Watershed effort since 1997 after graduating from University of California Santa Cruz in December 1996, with a BA in environmental studies. Under the umbrella of the Santa Cruz County Resource Conservation District and the Santa Cruz Port District she successfully wrote grants and was awarded funding to conduct the Arana Gulch Watershed Assessment and the development of the Enhancement Plan. The Arana Gulch Watershed Alliance AGWA has a goal of watershed stewardship for the natural resources protection and restoration to improve water quality and wildlife habitat throughout the Arana Gulch Watershed. Watershed education and stewardship is one mechanism in achieving this goal. Bobbie frequently makes classroom presentation and leads volunteer school groups to project sites in Arana for hands-on participation in restoration projects.
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Jennifer Stern
Restoration Ecologist
831.464.2950 ext. 24
jstern@rcdsantacruz.org
Jen joined the Santa Cruz County Resource Conservation District (RCD) in July 2003 after completing her Bachelor of Arts in Environmental Studies and Community Studies (Honors) at University of California at Santa Cruz. Jen works mostly on stream and riparian habitat restoration projects throughout Santa Cruz County developing funds for projects, managing grants, implementing and monitoring projects, and providing community outreach and education.
Jen is also the RCD contact for the Partners in Restoration Permit Coordination Program for Santa Cruz County (PIR). The PIR Program, finalized in 2005, was developed to facilitate restoration on private lands. The program provides coordinated permitting needed for high-quality erosion control and habitat restoration projects implemented through the RCD’s programs.
Jen’s inspiration for her work comes from a strong commitment to natural resource conservation and restoration. She has demonstrated her commitment by building new programs at the RCDSCC and furthering the RCD’s ability to deliver conservation in Santa Cruz County.
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Joseph Issel
Program Assistant
831.464.2950 ext. 12
jissel@rcdsantacruz.org
Joe was born and raised in Berkeley California and now lives in Santa Cruz. He has been working in the San Lorenzo/ Soquel Watersheds to help plan, implement and find funding for various restoration and conservation activities. Joe is a graduate of the UC Santa Cruz Environmental Studies Department as of March 16, 2007, his focus is on restoration ecology. Outside of academics he is an avid outdoorsman and sport enthusiast.
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Kellie Guerra
Conservation Program Specialist
831.464.2950 ext. 101
kguerra@rcdsanbenito.org
Kellie became a member of the Pajaro Watershed Team in April ’07 to coordinate the Livestock and Land Program in both San Benito and Southern Santa Clara Counties, as well as develop the San Benito RCD board and build the capacity of the agency. Kellie’s past work has been primarily in the field of education, with 13 years of grant, contract and project management spanning from preschool to diverse projects at the CSU level, augmented by active participation with local (San Benito County) non-profits and collaborative groups. She holds a B.S. in Business Management.
Kellie lives in Hollister with her husband of 29 years. She cherishes time with her daughters and two granddaughters, who illuminate her life. In her spare time she enjoys gardening, cooking, entertaining and spending time with her family and many friends. Having grown up on a small farm, she feels as though this new direction in her career has taken her back to her roots. She appreciates the opportunity to assist landowners who are interested in voluntarily implementing Best Management Practices on their properties and working with her community to preserve the quality of our resources.