Ilarion Merculeif, Aleut, On Sustainability:
We Have to Live It!
EarthDay 2012

Members of the Board of Directors

 

Ruth Ann Barrett

Ruth Ann is the Earthsayers founder and President of the Board of Directors. It is a non-profit with a specialized search engine advancing the voices of sustainability. My advocacy for Earthsayers, a term I coined in 2007 for those speaking on behalf of Mother Earth and her children, grew out of learning to sail at an early age on the contaminated Lake Erie. My mother, who worked for years as a nurse in a steel mill on the banks of the infamous Cuyahoga River had a lot to say about pollution and health. My father, an Irish-Canadian born in 1899, left the dairy farm and immigrated to the United States in 1921. He was kind and generous. He loved the water and taught me to respect it and the land.

My career includes association management throughout the 1970's in non-profit, membership organizations supporting community development, local self government, and volunteerism, particularly among young women. In 1981 I jumped to the computer industry and am an alumna of Hewlett-Packard, ComputerLand Corporation, Sun Microsystems, and Informix Software. Along the way I founded an advertising agency and later, in 1994, a direct marketing agency serving high tech clients, mostly start-ups.

In June of 2007, building on the launch of YouTube, I founded EarthSayers.tv as my “pay forward” project, one of the first information services to use a Web-based Content Management System (CMS) to advance the Voices of Sustainability for the purposes of educating and inspiring citizens around the world under the umbrella of the sustainability movement. With the formation of a non-profit we hope the site will be self-sufficient through donations by 2026.

I hold a BA in Psychology from San Francisco State University and an M.A. Degree in Library and Information Services from the University of Toledo, Toledo, Ohio.

 

JoAnne O'Brien-Levin, Ph.D

Dr. JoAnne O'Brien-Levin is a communicator, a natural collaborator, and the creator of the EarthSayers sustainability taxonomy.

JoAnne is a groundbreaker. In her early career, she pioneered interactive instructional design, winning national awards. She co-designed and produced “Decision Point,” a management training simulation featured in Psychology Today. Subsequently, she was a founding member of the Society for Organizational Learning (SOL) at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology where she helped pioneer learning history methodology. Excerpts of her work were published in The Dance of Change: The Challenge of Sustaining Momentum in Learning Organizations by Peter Senge et al. (Doubleday, 1999). She also co-authored, with two business executives, The Power of Collaborative Leadership (Butterworth Heinemann, 2000), a book that examines organizational change efforts from the inside-out. Corporate clients have included Oracle, Genentech and PacBell.

JoAnne has a long-standing interest in indigenous peoples and indigenous ways of knowing. She has studied with a variety of teachers, collaborating with one to co-author a second book, Business Revolution through Ancestral Wisdom (Outskirts, 2008). She later served on the Board of the SEED Institute in Albuquerque, NM, which conducted annual dialogues between Native Elders and Western scientists that explored how new discoveries in the field of quantum physics were, at last, bringing the Western scientific worldview into alignment with ancient indigenous understandings. In addition, she helped establish Centro Sacha Warmi, a nonprofit supporting the preservation of traditional indigenous knowledge in the Ecuadorian Amazon.

Currently, JoAnne (writetowisdom.com) works as a ghostwriter, writing coach, collaborator, and editor, specializing in memoir and thoughtful non-fiction. Three of her collaborations have won Silver Nautilus awards.

JoAnne holds a BA in Sociology from Anna Maria College for Women, an M.Ed. from Boston University, and a Ph.D. from the Annenberg School for Communication, University of Southern California (USC). She lives in Santa Fe, NM.

 

Frank Burkhart

Frank is a seasoned executive and business owner. Over the last thirty years he has provided sales and marketing support -print, direct mail, fulfillment, email broadcasts, website implementation and support for tech companies throughout the Bay Area.

He also served as CFO for Blue Gold Works Inc., a U.S. based company that provides funding and technology for water purification and irrigation projects in Africa. Blue Gold Works completed a project in Ghana that provided clean water for 2 villages using organic, plant based purification and irrigation water for 10 acres. Project was designed to off the grid using solar pumps with battery backup and drip irrigation.

During his career, he witnessed technology changes including introduction of facsimiles, emails, internet integration, providing a basis for overseeing the next round of innovation including improved funding for worthwhile people and organizations. Frank currently resides in Northern California with his wife and 2 sons.

 

Blase Hents

With years of experience serving nonprofits in the Bay Area and beyond, Blase Hents continues to use his financial and organizational skill set serving the community. Engaging in basic principles of transparency, accountability and collaboration, he is continually inspired working with leaders in the community. Blase Hents received his undergraduate degree from Georgetown University (BSBA) continuing his Masters in Business Administration at Boston University.

After arriving in the Bay Area in the 1980’s he continued his path traveling and serving the nonprofit community in a variety of settings and roles, from program director, finance director as well as executive director. His experience has engendered a multi-faceted career and calling as a Buddhist monk (ten years), an artist, and world traveler. He presently serves as Financial Officer for Women Organized to Make Abuse Nonexistent [W.O.M.A.N.] Inc.

 

James A. Caldwell

Since relocating to San Francisco in 1982, Jim has dedicated himself to serving the real estate needs of this vibrant community. With a deep passion for the industry and an unwavering commitment to his clients, Jim has become a trusted name in the local real estate market.

Jim's love for real estate stems from his belief in the transformative power of finding the perfect home for his clients. He takes pride in guiding them through the process, whether it's finding their dream property or securing the best deal. What truly sets Jim apart is his genuine appreciation for the unique charm of each neighborhood in San Francisco. From the bustling city center to the fiendly suburban streets, Jim understands the diverse appeal of the area and is adept at matching his clients with their ideal surroundings.

His expertise and dedication have not gone unnoticed, as Jim has consistently achieved remarkable results in the real estate industry. His keen market knowledge and strategic approach have led to numerous successful transactions, earning him a reputation as a top performer in the region.

Beyond his professional endeavors, Jim finds joy in spending quality time with his wife.and friends. Whether it's exploring the local parks with his wife and fiends or embarking on outdoor adventures, community remains at the heart of his life. In his spare time, Jim also indulges in his passion for fishing, exploring the many hiking trails the area offers and reading.

As a devoted real estate professional and an integral member of the San Francisco community, Jim is committed to continuing his mission of helping individuals and families find their perfect place to call home. With his unwavering dedication and genuine care for his clients, Jim is poised to make a lasting impact in the real estate landscape of the Bay Area.