Board of Directors

Tiffany grew up around the oak woodlands and coastal sage scrub of southern California in Orange County. She enjoyed desertscapes, mountains, and the ocean when connecting outdoors and cycled through the thrills of all the local theme parks. In pursuit of higher education, she lived in Humboldt County. She fell in love with the Redwoods, coastal marshes and the Humboldt community. Here began her commitment and love for the Northcoast Environmental Center, working as an office assistant and now humbly serving as the Board President. Humboldt will forever be her second home.

After graduating, Tiffany worked as a Soil Conservationist for USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, serving Trinity County for 4 years. She explored backpacking the Trinity Alps, enjoying alpine lake plunges, conifer diversity, wildflowers, serpentine hills, and the intersection of granite and red, ultramafic igneous mountains. The Trinity County land management community taught her the importance of collaboration and synchronized stewardship across ownership boundaries. They also laid the framework and ignited her passion for prescribed fire. She wants to work to empower people to connect with their local community, flora and fauna relatives and the inner-land steward we all possess. Tiffany is now carrying out that passion in the Southern Willamette Valley in Oregon, where she will be working on oak woodland and prairie restoration using prescribed fire. Her free time is filled with hiking, botanizing, birding, trying new food joints, thrifting, traveling, cooking and mixing a good cocktail.

Scott has been a volunteer and Board Member for the NEC since 1974 and spent 10 years as President of the Board in the 1980’s. He is currently the Board Vice President. Scott moved to Humboldt County in 1974 and attended Cal Poly Humboldt as a Wildlife Biology student. He started an Outdoor Gear store in Eureka in 1974 (Northern Mountain Supply) and owned and operated that store for 30 years.

Public Lands Director, Executive Director for Safe Alternative for our Forest Environment

Larry Glass is a life-long environmental advocate and former retail business owner for 40 years. He has served in various capacities on the NEC board for over 45 years, including Board President for about 20 years and Volunteer Executive Director for 5 years. He is currently presiding as Board Secretary, Forest Policy Advisor, and Public Lands Director.  Larry was elected to the Eureka City Council and served four years (2006-2010). His knowledge of local environmental issues and experience as a community leader prove a vital component of the NEC. Larry sits on the NEC’s Conservation, Personnel, Tech, Finance, Board Development and EcoNews Committees. Larry is also President and Executive Director of Safe Alternatives for our Forest Environment (S.A.F.E.),  Trinity County’s environmental voice since 1979.  Larry is a resident of Trinity and Humboldt Counties, giving him a unique perspective for both groups.

Chris Beresford has worked closely with the NEC for over 50 years and has served as Board Treasurer since 2011. Chris brings significant administrative, fiscal and organizational experience to the NEC through her work with California State Parks. She has a passion for propagating and protecting native plants and runs, as a volunteer, the native plant nursery for the North Coast Chapter of CNPS. Chris currently presides over the NEC’s Finance Committee and serves on the Personnel Committee.

Redwood Region Audubon Society

C.J. Ralph has been a member of NEC for more than 30 years, and served on the Board in various capacities over 15 years, including Vice President and Audubon representative. Dr. Ralph is a Research Ecologist Emeritus with the Forest Service Research Branch, has founded several bird observatories, and participates in many conservation non-profits locally and elsewhere including Costa Rica and New Zealand. He is committed to conservation based on excellent science. He serves on the Conservation Committee.

Sierra Club North Group, Redwood Chapter

North Coast California Native Plant Society

Joan Tippets

EPIC 

Abigail Lowell 

At-Large

Maggie has always danced in the middle between community-based economic development and environmental activism. Her firm, Gainer & Associates, specialized in integrating recyclable material into manufacturing. Since 1977, she has been an early innovator in the recycling industry and increasing public adoption of Zero Waste. She was Arcata Community Recycling Center’s executive director, Sacramento County’s first recycling coordinator, President of the California Resource Recovery Association and on the National Recycling Coalition Board. She co-founded Zero Waste Humboldt, Center for Environmental Economic Development; directed HSU’s Office for Economic & Community Development and served on California Governor’s Economic Strategy Panel.