Sarah Newkirk: New Leader at Land Trust • Save Our Shores Seeking New Leader

COMMUNITY NEWS Sarah Newkirk: New Leader at Land Trust

Sarah Newkirk is the new executive director at the Land Trust of Santa Cruz County, succeeding Stephen Slade, who retired after 15 years. She started Aug. 9.

Known as a consensus-builder, she comes with 16 years of experience at The Nature Conservancy, where she created a first-of-its-kind partnership between a conservation agency and FEMA to mobilize federal investment in conservation through hazard mitigation grant programs.

She spearheaded developing the Nature Conservancy’s “coastal resilience” approach to addressing rising sea levels, which has since been adopted in 17 states and internationally.

Newkirk, 49, lives in Felton.

“It is an honor to have been selected for this important leadership position,” she said, “and I’m excited by the opportunity to help protect an area I dearly love.”

The Land Trust is the largest land conservation nonprofit in Santa Cruz County, raising $100 million to protecting more than 14,000 acres since it was founded in 1978.

At the Nature Conservancy, Newkirk directed scientific assessments and developed strategic priorities. She focused on cultivation of public and private funding sources, oversight of land acquisition and restoration of coastal habitats.

Before that, she was California water quality programs manager at The Ocean Conservancy, a fellow with the Stanford Fisheries Policy Project at Stanford Law School, and a Schwarz public policy fellow at the Natural Resources Defense Council.

She has a law degree magna cum laude from Pace University School of Law, and a master’s in marine environmental science.

“Sarah brings local, state, and national perspective to the work of the Land Trust and assumes the helm at a pivotal moment of growth for the organization,” said Donna Murphy, Land Trust board chair and Santa Cruz mayor.

Newkirk will lead implementation of the Land Trust’s strategic plan, including the Nature Connection Campaign, which aims to raise $21 million in donations and $20 million in grants to fund projects, including the protection of Rocks Ranch Sarah Newkirk

and the building of 10 miles of trails through San Vicente Redwoods, an effort delayed by the once-in-a-century CZU lightning fire in Bonny Doon a year ago. n

Save Our Shores Seeking New Leader

Save Our Shores executive director, Katherine O’Dea, is stepping down Sept. 30, and a search for her successor is under way.

The 42-year-old nonprofit stewards clean shores, healthy habitats and living waters to foster a thriving Monterey Bay through awareness, advocacy, and action. The annual budget is about $500,000 (due to Covid) and there are 4.5 employees, numbers that are expected to grow once the community emerges from the worst of the pandemic and its economic impacts

During her nearly 6 years at the helm,O’Dea led: • A strategic planning process that introduced 3 pillars of focus — Clean Shores,

Healthy Habitats and Living Waters to guide the organization’s program focus • An advocacy campaign against sandmining on the shores of the Monterey

Bay National Marine Sanctuary that resulted in closure of the Cemex sand mining operation in Marina • The passage of multiple plastic pollution mitigation ordinances at the city, county and state level • Revamp of the education program creating K-12 marine literacy curricula aligned with the Next Generation

Science Standards • Development of a 3D virtual marine

protected areas dive experience for middle school students • Increased diversification of the Board of Directors • A survival and thrive plan to weather the pandemic, economic downturn, and unprecedented wildfire season and growing social.

O’Dea plans to return to her native New England to embark on the next phase of her life. n Katherine O’Dea

“Roberts” from page 12

MBEP is recruiting for a new president and CEO who will build on the momentum of the organization since its founding and continue to develop MBEP as a regional catalyst of equitable and sustainable growth.

Interested candidates should review the position description (https://mbep.biz/news/recruitingpresident-ceo/) and a description of MBEP (https://mbep.biz/ what-we-do/).

Please send your cover letter including why you are uniquely qualified to lead MBEP, your resumé, and at least three references to CEOsearch@ mbep.biz. n

“Pepper Golesh” from page 15

Her husband Dan said she had a successful operation for lung cancer, diagnosed in 2017, completed six weeks of radiation and was taking medication to stop the cancer from spreading. In 2020, when she experienced dizziness, cancer was found in her cerebral spinal fluid, and she was hospitalized at Kaiser in Vallejo July 19 this year, entered hospice care and passed away at a private boardand-care 24 days shy of her 85th birthday.

Dan said he learned that his wife had chronic coronary disease, pulmonary disease, and kidney disease in addition to cancer.

“Not once did she ever complain,” he said. “She faced her end of life with a great deal of dignity.”

Her ashes will be scattered in her rose garden and in her daughter’s garden, the two places Pepper loved most.

A celebration of life for family and close friends will be in Napa, likely in the first half of September, with invitations sent via email.

Pepper lived in Aptos for 33 years before moving to Vallejo in 2015 to be closer to her daughter in Napa.

She and Dan were married for almost 39 years.

They met at a dance in San Francisco at Bimbo’s 365 Club.

Dan said a mutual friend invited him. He didn’t want to go but his friend wouldn’t take no for an answer.

Dan was divorced. Pepper was separated and three children who were mostly grown.

A woman Dan knew from the ski club introduced them.

Dan told his friend afterward he planned to marry Pepper, and four years later, he did.

The couple came to Aptos when Dan was working for Digital Equipment Corp.

Pepper was primarily a homemaker, but she also had a part-time position as a caregiver for a woman with epilepsy.

“That brought her a great amount of personal satisfaction,” Dan said.

She discovered that intermediate algebra was a barrier to students with dyscalculia — learning disability in math — at community colleges in California, and pushed to allow alternative courses to be substituted for that requirement to earn an associate’s degree.

The policy change was approved statewide in 2006.

“She fought a long battle with the state community college system…she was successful,” Dan said.

She was always with her Angel, her certified therapy outreach dog, and she had a cat named “Cleo-cat-ra.”

Pepper came from a large family; she had eight sisters and two brothers. She was born Aug. 17, 1936, in Massillon, Ohio, to parents who had immigrated from Lebanon in search of a better life.

“They found it,” Dan said. n •••

The family requests memorial contributions be made to the American Cancer Society.