nancy@marinrcd.org

Nancy Scolari has been the Executive Director of the District for 25 years helping farmers and ranchers with the application of practices that improve soil, water, air, plants, wildlife and the viability of agriculture. Nancy works with a dedicated board and staff, implementing grant-funded projects such as the Marin Coastal Permit Coordination, Pine Gulch Instream Flow Enhancement, Conserving Our Watersheds and Carbon Farming Programs.  As a founding member of the Marin Carbon Project she has helped develop opportunities in addressing the health of our working landscapes with livestock producers. She received a B.A in Environmental Studies and Planning at Sonoma State University with an emphasis in water quality. Nancy enjoys rock climbing and her dog Herbie.

sarah@marinrcd.org

Sarah has over twelve years of experience in the field of restoration and natural resources management with a focus on riparian systems and salmonid habitat enhancement covering a variety of sectors; non-profit (both international and national), private consulting, and state government. Her work with the Marin RCD focuses on stormwater management through LID applications, collaborative stakeholder engagement through facilitation and mediation, fisheries monitoring, leading hands-on technical trainings, in addition to writing and implementing grants. She also acts as the ombudsman and communication liaison between local, state and federal regulatory agencies. Sarah received a B.A in Restoration and Conservation at Sonoma State University in its Environmental Studies and Planning Department with a minor in vertebrate biology. There is nothing Sarah loves more than hopping on a plane and exploring far away exotic lands on solo journeys as well as volunteering in her community. Sarah serves as the Chair to the Lagunitas Technical Advisory Committee and acts as an advisor to the Tomales Bay Watershed Council and Gallinas Watershed Council, is the Secretary on the Board of the Salmonid Restoration Federation, and Vice President of the Redwood Empire Trout Unlimited Chapter.

simone@marinrcd.org

Simone has over five years of experience coordinating programs to support food systems in California and conserve natural resources. She recently joined the Marin RCD to manage the Conserving Our Watersheds program that helps ranches and dairy comply with water quality regulations. Simone has a M.S. in Environmental Science & Management from the University of California, Santa Barbara where she focused on water resources management and market-based solutions. Prior to joining the MRCD Simone collaborated on a geospatial tool that prioritizes forested hillslopes by their erosion potential. This tool aids land and water managers in California’s headwaters in strategically reducing forest fuels and risks to drinking water supplies. Additionally, Simone has created educational materials for all-ages that characterize food and water systems in the context of policy and management. In 2019, she published a scientific article in Insects on urban farm and garden management practices and their implications for biodiversity.

preston@marinrcd.org

Preston grew up in Ventura, California and studied Environmental Studies and Biology at UC Santa Cruz, where he became enamored with the natural world and the small (and big) wonders that one might notice one slows down to observe. Since undergrad, he has been working as a field ecologist and ornithologist, mainly working with Point Blue Conservation Science during the past six years in Bay Area ecosystems from Mount Tamalpais to the Farallon Islands, banding birds, nest-searching, spotted owl monitoring, and conducting point counts, among many other things. He is currently working on his Master’s thesis in the Geographic Information Science department at San Francisco State University studying spotted owl biogeography in Marin County. Particularly, his thesis is investigating the relationship between territory selection and reproductive success in the Marin County population. Preston has a strong interest in how we manage our relationships with landscapes and wildlife in a post-industrial world, and how we can best preserve our resources in a sustainable and equitable way. Most recently, he has become interested in learning more about the uses and benefits of prescribed fire on our landscapes, and he has obtained his firefighter type II certification to be able to participate in burns across the north bay area. He is excited to join the team and many partners working with the Marin RCD to manage the GIS and monitoring, as well as support in the planning and implementation of projects on Marin’s working lands.

sarahs@marinrcd.org

Sarah comes from a background in urban agriculture and community food systems. She holds a B.S. in Landscape Architecture with a minor in Agricultural Systems and the Environment from UC Davis, where she interned on the Market Farm and worked in entomology and plant biology labs. Prior to joining MRCD, her urban agriculture work centered around edible landscaping and orchard management, urban food access, and rooftop farm development. In her work with Tenderloin Neighborhood Development Corp., Sarah led the design and implementation of 7 expansive rooftop farms as a strategy to address the Tenderloin’s critical food security gap. Previously Sarah served on the board of Slow Food San Francisco, inviting urban agriculture into broader food system conversations. She is thrilled to collaborate with farmers and ranchers on a larger scale, supporting land stewardship strategies that directly address climate change while serving their local communities. Outside of work Sarah enjoys playing water polo and concocting fruit and veggie ferments.

kelsey@marinrcd.org

Kelsey is an agroecologist and soil scientist who aims to develop and facilitate meaningful agricultural design and management applications that improve the long-term viability, productivity, and multifunctionality of our working lands. He holds a B.S. in Plant Science with a minor in Soil Science from UC Davis. He also recently completed a Ph.D. in Soils and Biogeochemistry from UC Davis, where he specialized in agroecosystem design and management, soil carbon flux and storage dynamics, and the feedbacks between grazer-plant-soil interactions. His previous research work includes numerous peer-reviewed publications on perennial integrated crop-livestock systems, forage and cover crop management, and whole-orchard biomass recycling. Kelsey also has a background as an educator, including university instruction for classes related to agroecology and fundamental soil science, as well as outreach roles with RCDs, UC-ANR, and multiple agricultural non-profit organizations. He believes that the solutions to our most pressing resource challenges begin with envisioning transformational pathways and that necessary transitions are achieved through whole-systems approaches and collaborative and on-the-ground projects. The goal of Kelsey’s work is to empower farmers, ranchers, and land stewards with knowledge and resources, and to contribute toward developing opportunities for more equitable and resilient food systems, meaningful and dignified livelihoods, and reciprocal relationships between people and the environments with which we are a part of. Kelsey grew up in the rural mountain community of Amador County, California, instilling in him a deep care for rural vibrancy and viability. He also has a background of nearly a decade as a farmer in small-scale biodiverse row cropping systems, including co-founding an urban farming non-profit in his previous home of Sacramento, CA. Kelsey is excited to be integrating himself into the community and to join the MRCD in their mission to serve the land stewards of Marin County.

marcus@marinrcd.org

Marcus Meggett joined the District in July 2023 as the Fiscal & Administrative Manager. Marcus has worked in public accounting and holds an active CPA license in Pennsylvania. He has 30 years of experience in working with nonprofit and government entities. His nonprofit experience includes but is not limited to auditing, grant accounting, indirect cost accounting and restricted funds management. He has worked as an employee and consultant. He has volunteered to serve on numerous nonprofit boards as a member, treasurer and president. Marcus received a B.A. in Economics and Business from Ursinus College and a Master’s Degree in Business Law from the Washington University School of Law. Marcus enjoys fishing, hiking and quality time with family and friends.

darrylin@marinrcd.org

Darrylin has over ten years of experience as a Bookkeeper and Office Manager in the non-profit, education and private sector while accounting for over $12 million of private and public funds. With family farm roots herself, she enjoys being a part of the work the MRCD spearheads. Her responsibilities since joining the district include assisting the agency’s financial, human resources, and risk management functions, creating and managing new social media platforms, and initiating new creative projects all while working alongside the Board of Directors, landowners and funders. She earned a BA in Editorial Illustration from Art Center College of Design, Pasadena, CA. Darrylin enjoys spending time with her husband and family, traveling, gardening, and an endless array of creative endeavors.

thammond@sonomarcd.org

Tom is a Professional Engineer registered in Californica for Agricultural and Civil Engineering. His responsibilities at the RCD started in 2022 and include providing Partner Engineering services to the Sonoma, Gold Ridge, and Marin RCDs. Tom graduated from Cal Poly, SLO in Bioresources and Agricultural Engineering. He has been practicing engineering in Sonoma County since 2007. In that time he as worked for public municipalities, private consulting firms, and private businesses providing solutions for water, power, and soil systems. Tom grew up in Sonoma County and is enjoying raising his family there as well.

emilie@marinrcd.org

Emilie is an agroecologist whose work focuses on agricultural sustainability, soil health, and impactful collaboration. She is motivated by the intersection of climate change and agriculture and is thrilled to join the regional efforts of the North Coast Soil Hub. Most recently Emilie worked at the USDA California Climate Hub where she engaged diverse stakeholders to craft education and outreach materials on climate adaptation practices and climate-smart agriculture. Additionally, she spent 6 years managing farms and agricultural partnerships in NY and CA, supporting successful relationships between farms and restaurants and promoting local foodsheds. Emilie is dedicated to education around sustainable growing practices and soil health and teaches classes at a nonprofit in San Francisco. Emilie holds an M.S. in Environmental Policy and Management from UC Davis and a B.S. in Plant Sciences from UC Santa Cruz. She has conducted research on mycorrhizal fungi and root systems architecture in soil. She is enthusiastic about soil microbes and good food, and believes agriculture plays a key role in creating a more resilient and just future for communities and the planet.

chad@marinrcd.org

Chad brings twenty years of experience in environmental research, systems analysis, and lifecycle management to this project as well as more recent experience in public contracting and grants management. He has been a leader in collaborative regional planning around biomass recovery in the Bay Area for the last five years. He holds a doctorate in sustainability management (from UC Berkeley) and a bachelors degree in chemical engineering (from The University of Michigan). He has previously worked as a professor of sustainability and as a program lead at sustainability management consultancies.

Orlena brings a keen sense of curiosity about the spaces where climate change, farming, and finance intersect. She has 6 years of experience working with Bay Area nonprofits in the farming sector to support progress on their business goals. Orlena holds a MA in Anthropology of Food, a MSc from the London School of Economics, and a BA from Tufts University. She also brings deep financial expertise to this project from a 15+ year career in the global asset management industry.

Elise Suronen has over 10 years of experience as a restoration project manager and has managed over $8 million in local, state and federal grants on private lands.  Her experience spans from applied scientific research to on-the-ground construction management and she works side by side with over four dozen landowners, state and federal agencies and non-profits. Elise is managing the Conserving Our Watersheds program that helps ranches and dairy comply with water quality regulations. Elise served as Project Manager during the implementation phase of the Pine Gulch Instream Flow Enhancement and Water Rights Project, that developed irrigation ponds to capture winter storm flows in order to restore summer instream habitat for salmonids. She is certified in Negotiating Effective Environmental Agreements and Facilitation Skills for Scientists, Planners and Resource Managers. Elise has a M.S. in Natural Resources from the University of Idaho, and published two papers from her graduate research work on evaluating fire as a habitat restoration tool: Northwestern Naturalist 2013, and Forest Ecology and Management 2013. 

Peter is an organic farmer in Bolinas.