Brian Allen
Brian Allen is the Chief Operations Officer for Xchange Stewards,LLC, an Oregon-based startup that designs, builds, and operates barter and credit exchange market networks in the Cascadia Bioregion. He has lived and worked across the Americas and Europe for a wide range of businesses and non-profits over the last 30 years. In Washington State, he has founded or served on the boards of Sustainable West Seattle. the Green Party of Washington State, Washington Alpine Club, Seattle Astronomical Society, The Backbone Campaign, The Washington Alliance of Technology Workers, Seattle Independent Media Center, Northwest Ecobuilding Guild, Green Party of Seattle, and the Puget Sound Beekeepers Association, among others. He earned a BA in Political Science & International Relations from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, the Certificat d’Études Politiques from the Institute d’Études Politiques in Aix-en-Provence, France, and an MA in Economics & Latin American Studies from The Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) in Washington, DC. He is a Wisconsin native living in West Seattle in a Homestead Community Land Trust home, which he is renovating into a model of green building techniques and energy self-sufficiency.
Malcolm Best
President of the Board
Emigrating to the USA from Uruguay in the 60’s with thoughts of becoming an astronaut, Malcolm was at the same time was fascinated with the possibilities of “inner-naut” travel. Degrees in Physics from Bowdoin College, Visual Design from M.I.T., Social Work from the U. of Washington, a year in a Fine Arts program, training in psychodrama, Zen practices, martial arts and adaptive leadership are just some of the facets of a life of learning, discipline and transformation. As Senior Director, he authored and executed a strategic plan to bring Restaurants Unlimited, with 3000 employees, into the computer age. As Cinnabon was born, he was responsible for the information technology systems that would help the new chain take off. In the last decade, relationships and social networks emerge as Malcolm’s central life theme leaving technical skills and decades of experience with systems analysis and design as supporting background. His current passion is, as human connectivity and scale increase, exploring and actualizing the incredible capacity that exists between people and between organizations, in service of the common good.
Ken Cousins, PhD
Ken Cousins has a Ph.D. in the Politics of Natural Resource and the Environment, and an M.A. in Political Economy (both from the University of Maryland), as well as a B.A. in Ecological Agriculture from The Evergreen State College. His work focuses broadly on sustainability issues, including the global dynamics of green markets and social labeling, ecological economics, and mapping activist networks. He has been active in the sustainability movement for over two decades, working with the Forest Stewardship Council-US, GreenFestival, Sustainable Cascadia, Eat Local Now!, and Seattle Innovators, as well as Seattle-based SCALLOPS affiliates and Transition Network groups. He believes sustainability – broadly realized – is necessary for a healthy, just, and vibrant civil society.
Katheryne Davis, King County Superior Court Court Bailiff
Katheryne is very active in her community and has volunteered with organizations focusing on families and children for over 20 years. Katheryne is a co-founder of The Youth & Law Forum, an annual event first organized in 1990 and held at First AME Church with the purpose of educating youth and families about their legal rights, protection and responsibilities, law careers, court procedures, and resources. Katheryne has served on many boards. She is passionate about environmental issues and the future of our planet.
John de Graaf, Take Back Your Time, Executive Director
John de Graaf is a documentary filmmaker with more than 15 national PBS specials, including the popular, Affluenza. The De Graaf Environmental Filmmaking Award, named for him, is presented annually at the Wild and Scenic Environmental Film Festival in Nevada City, California. He is the co-author of the best-seller Affluenza: The All-Consuming Epidemic (now in ten languages) and the editor of Take Back Your Time: Fighting Overwork and Time Poverty in America. John is the Executive Director of Take Back Your Time and also serves on the board of the national environmental organization, Earth Island Institute. He was the founder of the Hazel Wolf Environmental Film Festival and is currently writing a new book, What's the Economy For Anyway? (Bloomsbury, 2011). He has taught at The Evergreen State College. For Sustainable Seattle, he is the co-coordinator of the Seattle Area Happiness Initiative.
Tysan Dutta, Sustainable Seattle's WEB Recognition and Awards Lead
Secretary of the Board
Tysan is a graduate of Vassar College and the Antioch Seattle Environment and Community Masters. Her work within the wine and restaurant industry has included operations for restaurants in New York, Portland and Seattle. She has been an instructor for the International Sommelier Guild, educating on viticulture and vinification—including organic and biodynamic vineyard practices—and accrediting Sommeliers in LA, Portland, Seattle, and Vancouver BC. She has focused on sustainability in the hospitality industry, working most notably as the Sommelier at the acclaimed Herbfarm Restaurant in Woodinville (2006-present). She recently opened Fonté café in Seattle with level 2 Green Restaurant Certification.
Nathan Jackson, PIELC
Nathan Jackson graduated from Central Washington University with a degree in Secondary English teaching and began working in various educational positions including AmeriCorps, pre-kindergarten and college level teaching. He has always had a desire to help others reach their full potential and see that their limitations are only what they set for themselves. He brings experience in non profit organizations, social outreach and communication. He is especially effective with interpersonal relationships and pragmatic problem solving. Nathan has a deep commitment to social justice, health equity and education for all. He believes that no real change can happen if someone is over dependent on others and is not fulfilling their own promise. Change happens when someone learns how to fend for themselves using their own natural talents, education and access to services that empower and free them.
Aisha Kaba, Treasurer
Aisha is originally from Guinea. She has been living in the PNW for the past 11 years, and has been deeply engaged with at least one non-profit project a year since 2005. Most recently, she teaches First Aid and CPR/AED as a volunteer teacher at the Seattle Red Cross which she joined in 2003. She is also a member of Amnesty International and a board member of a brand new organization called the African Media Center. Aisha earns a living as an account advocate, and enjoys dancing and practicing yoga, whenever she can.
Marco Pinchot
Marco Pinchot is husband, a father and a professional advocate and developer of environmentally and socially responsible food systems. He holds a BS in Ecology from the Evergreen State College, a M.Ed. Science and Environmental Education from Western Washington University and an MBA from the Bainbridge Graduate Institute in environmentally and socially responsible business. After over 10 years working as an ecologist and environmental educator with organizations such as the Channel Rock Conservancy, the North Cascade Institute and the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, Marco refocused his efforts on sustainable food systems and aquaculture. Now in his third year as the Community Relations and Sustainability Manager for Taylor Shellfish Farms, Marco continues to develop the company’s sustainability program where he focuses on the company’s environmental code of practice, worker safety and social justice, third part sustainability certification, community outreach, product marketing and environmental and social philanthropy. Whenever possible, Marco enjoys getting out into the community to share fresh shellfish and his passion for connecting sustainably produced seafood with ecological conservation in Puget Sound. Marco lives on the Westside of Olympia with his wife Lalita Calabria, who is professor at the Evergreen State College and their two year old daughter Rowan.
Heather Trim
Heather is the Urban Bays and Toxics Program Manager for People For Puget Sound. She has more than 20 years of experience in environmental work. In Los Angeles, she worked for the Regional Water Quality Control Board on water quality standards, regulatory permits, and pollution assessments of both surface and ground water for Los Angeles and Ventura Counties. She then was staff scientist for the Los Angeles and San Gabriel Rivers Watershed Council focusing on various projects leading to the greening of the rivers, including water quality, stormwater issues, pollution assessments and habitat renewal. She moved to Seattle in 2001 and joined People For Puget Sound in 2002. She works on reducing toxic pollution and protecting shoreline health in Puget Sound and also focuses on a range of Seattle issues – waterfront, habitat, stormwater, and landuse. She has been a leader of Zero Waste Seattle which has run campaigns on food serviceware styrofoam ban, plastic bags and reducing unwanted phonebooks, among other waste reduction efforts. She enjoys camping and traveling but is a pathetic bike rider.
J.D.Tovey
John Tovey (J.D.) is a PhD Student in Urban Design and Planning program through the Graduate School and currently in the Urban Ecology Lab in the College of Built Environment. He is also IGERT Fellow in BioResourse-based Energy for Sustainable Societies program through the College of Engineering and School of Forest Resources. His current scholarship focuses on how teaching and learning occurs among planners and publics, with a particular focus on energy, built environment, population, and climate. He worked for many years as a Senior Urban Designer in Florida and currently owns a small planning and design firm specializing in development assistance and design with the Pacific Northwest Tribes.
Sustainable Seattle's Board spent most of 2010 redefining what it means to be an organization. Our Co-Creator Agreement and Board DNA are tools to help create this change. For background information, check out these articles on Technologies of Cooperation and Holocracy.
