The Foundation
Staff
Executive Director
Dan Schurman was appointed to his present position in October 2002. He is the former Executive Director of the San Mateo County Food Bank, Sonoma Land Trust, and Sonoma County Bar Association. He has more than 20 years of senior management experience in the nonprofit sector and holds a Masters Degree in Nonprofit Business Administration from the University of San Francisco.
Associate Executive Director
Mark Green joined the Foundation in 2003, and has been a conservation professional since 1986. He was founding Executive Director of Sonoma County Conservation Action, which grew under his leadership into the largest environmental organization on the North Coast of California, from 1990 through 2000. Named Sonoma County Environmentalist of the Year in 1997, he was a founding director of the Friends of the Russian River and served on the Sonoma County Agricultural Preservation and Open Space District Advisory Committee. He directs the Foundation's grant fundraising, communications and public policy work.
Program Assistant
Catherine Cumberland joined our staff in March of 2006. In addition to her position at the Laguna Foundation, she is the Land Steward at Fairfield Osborn Preserve, and has worked at Sonoma State University's Native Plant Garden since 2003. She also works as SSU’s Volunteer Liaison to the STRAW program, an environmental education program for K-12 schoolchildren. Catherine graduated from SSU in December 2005 with bachelor's degrees in Environmental Studies and Biology.
Administrative Director
Maggie Hart joined the Foundation with a background in non-profit administration. A recent transplant to Sonoma County, she was instantly intrigued with the work of the Foundation and the Laguna's unique habitat. Maggie holds an undergraduate degree in Ecology from Evergreen State University.
Watershed Outreach and Data Manager
Joe Honton joined the Laguna Foundation in 2004 as Project Manager for the development of the Ecological Restoration and Management Plan for the watershed. In that role he lead a diverse set of watershed stakeholders through a community visioning process to arrive at a workable set of goals for habitats, species, pollution reduction and open access to public lands. Mr. Honton is now our resident specialist in GIS, maps, data analysis and databases.
Director of Education Programs
Christine Fontaine joined the Laguna Foundation as Director of Education Programs in August 2007. She earned a BA from
Restoration Program Director
Julian Meisler joined the Foundation staff in May 2005. His initial task is implementation of the Ludwigia Control Plan. Although Julian has lived in Santa Rosa since 1999, he has spent the past five years traveling to Solano County to work for the Solano Land Trust where he led a variety of restoration projects, developed conservation strategies for land protection, and oversaw research and management on over 10,000 acres of vernal pools, grasslands, tidal sloughs, and tidal marsh. Julian holds a Master's degree in Botany from the University of Vermont and a Bachelor's degree in Natural Resource Management from Colorado State University.
Director of Campaigns and Individual Giving
Wayne Mitchell joined the Foundation in January 2007. He directs the Laguna Learning Center capital campaign and manages the Foundation’s individual giving programs. He earned a BA from UC Berkeley and his MBA from St. Mary’s College. He has a long background in nonprofit fund development and capital campaigns for education and science, including work at the Assistance Dog Institute, the Chabot Space and Science Center and San Francisco Day School.
Research Director
Dr. Christina Sloop joined the Laguna Foundation as Research Director in 2006. With a UC Davis Ph.D. in Ecology and San Francisco State University Master’s degree in Conservation Biology, Dr. Sloop has completed research projects on the reproductive ecology of two rare and endangered Mariposa Lilies in
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