EarthRise at IONS Personnel

See also Key Contacts
Please direct Retreat Bookings and Inquiries to events@noetic.org
 

• Cathy Coleman, PhD, Executive Director, Property and Retreat Center
  Cathy Coleman oversees the operations of the property and retreat center, including site management and development, facilities management, bookings and contracts, event management, marketing, food service, and long-range and strategic planning. She has many years of experience directing various aspects of pioneering educational institutions, including budget management, staff supervision, and developing and implementing effective policies and procedures. Cathy also had a five-year career in institutional food management (colleges, hospitals, and businesses) after receiving her Bachelor of Science degree in home economics from Iowa State University. She also holds a master’s degree from Washington State University and a doctoral degree in East-West psychology from the California Institute of Integral Studies (CIIS). Cathy held an administrative role at CIIS from 1982–2001, which included human resources director and dean of students. She was president of Kepler College in Lynnwood, Washington from 2001 to 2003.
  
  One of Cathy’s passions is empowering young people. In service to this passion, she has developed and directed eight youth conferences, including three for IONS at their last 3 biennial conferences. She is very knowledgeable with the transformational community as a result of her education and work experience at CIIS, as well as her two-decade marriage to consciousness pioneer and researcher Ralph Metzner.  
   

Property

• Randy Evensen, Site Manager
  Randy Evensen is the site manager for the land and retreat center. Randy works on all the physical aspects of maintaining the land and buildings, and is responsible for everything from meeting room setup to general campus security. He is also involved with the planning of future development on the campus as well as present day greening of campus operations. Randy is from Southwest Virginia, grew up in Washington, D.C., and is a recent transplant to California. He started his education in architecture and drafting in high school, received his Bachelor of Science degree from Radford University in earth science, and more recently received his certificate as a marine mechanic from The Boat School in Eastport, Maine.
   
• John Stample, Facilities Management
  John Stample is responsible for the carpentry, plumbing, electrical, and mechanical aspects of EarthRise, as well as the administration end of campus. John was born and raised in Lisle, Illinois, and has worked in all phases of construction for more than thirty years.
   
• Christine Falcon, Resident Caretaker
• Jake Daigle, Resident Caretaker
  Christine Falcon and Jake Daigle are resident caretakers of EarthRise. They live on campus with Christine’s daughter, Giuliana, and consider it a great privilege to watch over the retreat center on evenings and weekends and serve the people who visit. Christine completed her MFA in Writing and Consciousness at CIIS, holds a BA in psychology, and works during the day as an enrollment counselor at The Hoffman Institute Foundation in San Rafael. Jake is completing his certification in Sustainable Agriculture at the College of Marin, and also works at the Indian Valley Organic Farm and Garden as part of the North Bay Conservation Corps.
   

EarthRise Operation

• Tanya Robertson, Business and Events Manager
  Tanya Robertson is the business and events manager for EarthRise. She works with clients to book new business and see them through the planning phase to the event itself. She ensures that all their on-site logistical needs are met. She determines and coordinates the equipment needs for the meeting rooms, special dietary needs, audio/visual needs, and works with our guest services manager to determine the best fit for lodging of overnight guests. Tanya supervises the guest services manager and the resident caretakers.
   
• Dylan Rose Schneider, Educational Programs and Events Manager
  Dylan Rose Schneider is the educational programs and events manager for EarthRise. She works with our clients to coordinate and plan events and workshops, is one of our social media voices, and collaborates on implementing new programs and strategies. Dylan has worked as a national community organizer around climate and social justice issues for the past 5 years, and continues to pursue her passion of empowering individuals to be powerful agents of change by introducing new communities, voices and workshops to EarthRise.
   
• Connie King, Marketing and Outreach Director
  Connie King manages the marketing process for EarthRise, gathering information about events and giving voice to them via print and online press, advertising, and coordination of social media. She creates, writes, designs, and does personal outreach to get the word out about the wonderful things taking place at EarthRise. Her background includes twelve years on staff at the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, followed by eight years of consulting with them and other Bay Area museums and businesses in her own design and marketing company. She has been involved in cross-cultural healing practices since the late '70's, studying indigenous cultures, Chinese medicine, meditation, Goddess cultures, and holistic health.
   
• Mary-Allana Holmes, Contracts Associate
  Mary-Allana Holmes is the contracts associate for EarthRise. She takes clients through the contract and invoicing stages of their event. If you have any question about the paperwork, she is happy to help. She is a recent import from British Columbia, Canada, where she was living for the last 20 years in a small town, raising a family. She was co-owner/manager of a caving tour operation in a local Provincial Park. She was also on-site Financial Manager for 7 years for the Kaslo Jazz Festival, in Kaslo B.C. Her varied background includes Director on several non-profit organizations, office assistant for a Community Forestry operation, 2 years of college in computer systems administration, and housekeeping in a health care facility. She also has a background in healing arts and integrates her skills in Energy Work into a lifelong passion to service the lands and people that she meets.
   
• Trecey Chittenden, Lead Chef
  The Earthrise Kitchen at IONS is now led by Trecey (birth name Betty) Chittenden. Trecey grew up in New Hampshire with parents who valued alternative living. They had only a wood-burning cook stove (no gas or electric stove). As one of seven children she learned to cook at an early age. She had many friends whose parents were macrobiotic or vegan or vegetarian and she remembers many amazing meals at their homes; she was inspired to bring some of the delicious food she experienced at their homes into her own home. She attended a Waldorf High School and became the assistant chef in her high school. Food became a central theme again when she was diagnosed with diabetes. She had to re-align herself around eating balanced meals. She then attended the Culinary Academy and worked in numerous restaurants. She has also cooked for several parent/youth camps in Utah.
  
  Cooking at IONS wraps up many of Trecey’s life experiences and talents (tarot, massage, baking, cooking, and spiritual care giving) into a magical package. Remarking that she "loves the vibe of the land," Trecey says that when she gets here for each work day she knows it is the "right place to be." She finds the kitchen crew to be "an amazing group of people, who have a really good time when they get together and cook." Trecey brings her gift of leadership into taking care of all aspects of kitchen management so that her crew can not only have a joyful time preparing food for EarthRise guests, but also run like a well-oiled machine. She values spontaneity and joy and brings an intention to create food that tastes good and looks beautiful.
   
• Deborah Day, Kitchen Manager
  Deborah Day, EarthRise kitchen manager, is a joyous leader and key member in our extraordinary culinary team. Trained at Bauman College, she follows its philosophy of SOUL (Seasonal, Organic, Unrefined, Local) food in planning meals and placing orders for fresh, quality ingredients. Inspired by her mentor, chef Shannon Hughes, as well as Bauman, Debbie’s culinary style is to prepare delicious dishes with five ingredients or less, and allow the quality ingredients to stand strongly on their own, with minimal fussing and intervention in the preparation process.
  
  Debbie is responsible for menu planning, staffing, ordering food and supplies, and often serves as lead chef. Remaining committed to local, fresh, organic products, Debbie is constantly reviewing vendors, products, and costs to help the kitchen continue its outstanding reputation while remaining a cost effective operation.
   
• Rey Hernandez, Housekeeping
• Carmen Dominguez, Housekeeping
  Rey Hernandez and his wife, Carmen Dominguez, comprise our primary housekeeping staff. They have worked at the center for eight years. If you hold more than one retreat at EarthRise, you’ll know how quickly Rey learns your set-up and housekeeping needs, and how well you can count on them to serve your needs.