Joann Kerr
A Seattlite since 1985, I have loved living in the PNW with its beauty, rain and appreciation for the outdoors. Growing up in Ann Arbor, MI, my parents instilled conservation of resources and thrift into my upbringing but I never looked beyond applying those values beyond my own home and family. In 2008, after years of trying to live with a low carbon footprint in my home, I saw “An Inconvenient Truth” and decided I needed to work with others concerned about climate change. At that point I learned about Sustainable Ballard and discovered a couple of others also wanting to do something within the community. We met and organized a meeting where 45 other people concerned about the future showed up to discuss what local actions we could all do as a community. Sustainable NE Seattle was born with the first projects around food security through urban gardening, veggie garden tours, and community kitchens. I have two grown sons and I pledged to them that I would do whatever I could to change the course of our trajectory away from climate disaster.
Susan Gregory
Susan Gregory is co-owner of Terra Nova Landscape Services, and a long time member of Sustainable NE Seattle and resident of Ravenna. She has been actively involved in creating the NE Seattle Tool Library and Ravenna Community Garden. When not getting into trouble in Seattle, she enjoys any activity on a river.
David Johnson
David Johnson was born and raised in Seattle and a graduate of the UW with science degrees in Botany and Environmental Studies. As a Board Member, David’s primary focus is supporting Urban Farming activities increase urban food growing skills and production as part of developing a sustainable food network for the region. David accomplishes this by using his 50+ years of horticultural and vegetable gardening knowledge to educate others informally and through classes, and organizing the annual garden tour. In addition, he distributes produce to neighbors and the local food bank. His secondary focus is improving community home repair skills so members feel comfortable tackling their home repair and improvement projects. When not in the garden or working on his own home projects, David can be found somewhere in the Cascades or Olympics working on a trail crew.
Westlee Brent Latta
<Bio is forthcoming>.
Kelly O’Callahan
<Bio is forthcoming>.
Former Board Members
Keith Mastenbrook
Keith is a permaculture landscape designer and owner of Westland Gardens Inc., a garden design-build business. Active in his community, he is a Board Member of Sustainable NE Seattle and serves on the steering committee of the Nathan Hale Urban Farm. Born and raised in Seattle, he pursued environmental studies at The Evergreen State College before earning a Bachelor of Landscape Architecture from the University of Oregon. At the UO he became involved with the Kubota Garden in the Rainier Beach neighborhood of Seattle, and he was a founding board member of the Kubota Garden Foundation. The Kubota Garden led to an interest in historic preservation, and Keith worked for three years restoring Westland, a historic garden in Hoquiam, Washington built by Frank Lamb. Before turning his attention to permaculture he was a Master Gardener and Seattle Tilth Comprehensive Organic Gardener. In 2003 he attended the Permaculture Design Course at Lost Valley, Oregon, with Judd Hobbs, Rick Valley and Toby Hemenway. Since then he has advanced his permaculture education with David Holmgren: Permaculture Principles workshop at Phinney Neighborhood Center, Seattle (2003), with Dave Jacke: Edible Forest Charrette for Helena, Montana (2013), and with Jenny Pell, Andrew Millison and Keala Young: Community Planning Charrette for Breitenbush Hot Springs, Oregon (2014),. In 2017 he attended Permaculture Teacher Training at Wilson Creek, Oregon and certified by Judd Hobbs. Keith and his wife, Joyce LeCompte-Mastenbrook, PhD, are currently planning their move to Rochester, WA where they will build a permaculture teaching and cultural studies residence.
Patrick Linder
Patrick is a recent arrival to Seattle, having moved here in 2012. He’s a tinkerer with interests in gardening, permaculture, food storage and preservation, cooking, appropriate technology, building, and general DIY living. Patrick has a background as a chef, anthropologist, and labor and community organizer. He is married to Meghan, who patiently puts up with his eccentric hobbies and multiple half-finished projects. Their menagerie of cats and chickens largely ignores him.