Bioneers Staff

CEO & Founder

Kenny Ausubel

Kenny Ausubel is an award-winning social entrepreneur, author, journalist and filmmaker. He is the founder and co-executive director of Bioneers, a nationally recognized nonprofit dedicated to disseminating practical and visionary solutions for restoring Earth’s imperiled ecosystems and healing our human communities. He launched the annual Bioneers Conference in 1990 with his producing partner and wife Nina Simons, Bioneers co-executive director.

Kenny serves as executive producer of the Bioneers plenary series airing on Free Speech TV and Link TV. He acted as a central advisor to Leonardo DiCaprio's feature documentary The 11th Hour, and appears in the film.

Kenny co-founded the national company Seeds of Change in 1989 and served as CEO until 1994 to restore “backyard biodiversity” into the food web through marketing organic, biodiverse heirloom seeds to gardeners.

Kenny has written three books and edited two volumes of the Bioneers book series. For the past four years, Kenny has served as executive producer and principal writer of the award-winning radio series, Bioneers: Revolution from the Heart of Nature, now in its seventh year of broadcast.

Since the 1970s, Kenny has published articles on topics ranging from alternative medicine and environmental health to social justice and politics. His writings have been published most recently in online media including the Huffington Post, Orion and Alternet and in magazines such as Utne, Explore, Alternative Therapies and Tikkun.

President & Co-Founder

Nina Simons

Nina Simons is a social entrepreneur and co-founder and co-president of Bioneers. Previously, she served as president of Seeds of Change and as director of strategic marketing for Odwalla. In addition to advancing practical social and environmental strategies, Nina has an enduring interest in the leadership of women and girls, which has long been reflected in Bioneers’ conference programming and media. She co-teaches Cultivating Women's Leadership, a five-day intensive forum for women entrepreneurs, donor activists and other nonprofit practitioners.

In 2002, Nina produced a retreat for diverse women leaders called UnReasonable Women for the Earth, to envision a broad progressive women’s movement with environmental restoration at its heart. The gathering served as an incubator, resulting in the formation of CodePink: Women for Peace. Together with her husband and partner Kenny Ausubel, Nina was named an Utne Reader “Visionary” in 1996. They received the Robert Rodale Award in 2003 for their work in bringing the emergent field of Ecological Medicine to public awareness. Kenny and Nina received the Green Cross Millennium Award for Community Environmental Leadership in 2006. Nina serves on the board of the David Brower Center.

Executive Director

Jill van Nortwick

Jill van Nortwick has overseen operational management and strategic development initiatives for many years. Her work over the last 15 years in Australia, New Zealand and the U.S. has spanned the nonprofit, corporate and governmental sectors.

In New Zealand, Jill served as a principal advisor to the Minister of Science, Research and Technology on strategic issues affecting the nation's infrastructure and education sector. She wrote the business case for installing terabit-speed Internet in New Zealand to connect scientists and researchers around the world.

Jill has worked to advance progress on issues ranging from information technology to sustainable business. She worked with the regional economic development agency in Wellington, NZ, to bring together smaller IT firms to begin collaborating on exporting their software. She also served as Chair of the Sustainable Business Network for the lower North Island of New Zealand, helping companies integrate sustainability into their business practices. Jill and her husband also ran a sustainable business on their organic blueberry farm.

In the corporate sector, Jill has managed international teams with multi-million dollar budgets. She worked as an intrapreneur within a large transnational telecommunications firm for 14 years. In this firm in the U.S., Australia, and New Zealand, Jill created new lines of business, grew the telecoms services business, established cross-boundary relationships and structures, championed a vision for strategic business growth, and guided the development and completion of high risk business projects.

Jill's current interests range from sudoku to learning the banjo. She happily admits, however, that she devotes most of her time outside of work to her children -- ages 11 and 14.

Vice-President for Advancement

Peter Mattair

Peter Mattair joined Bioneers in 2003. From 1991 to 2003, he served as the program officer first and then the executive director of a national foundation making grants to protect and encourage traditional arts. He went into that body of work inspired by his experiences as director of the Music of the Americas program at the Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival, where he was also development director.

Peter started his career as a publicist with Paramount Pictures in New York City, where he was privileged to assist the studio historian. He was an early volunteer with Gay Men's Health Crisis, New York’s and the world's first AIDS education, service and advocacy organization. Peter has served on the Santa Fe Arts Commission and as a board member of the New Mexico Association of Grantmakers, which he helped to found. He feels deeply honored to have been president of the board of Many Mothers, an organization in Santa Fe providing support to any family with a newborn child. He currently serves on the advisory council of Art for Healing, placing donated works of art in medical, healing and hospice facilities throughout the San Francisco Bay Area and beyond.

Director of Events & Program Management

Roberto Aponte

Roberto Aponte started working with Bioneers in 2002. Roberto has extensive experience spanning more than 23 years working in the events industry. Roberto has a varied skill set in the field of event management which includes technical production, project management, conference operations, and food & beverage management. Roberto also has a Masters in Business which supports his additional experience and expertise in training and facilitation with an emphasis on team-building and organizational development.

This diverse background inspires a dedication in Roberto to advancing the growing initiatives in green meeting management and other socially responsible business practices.

Roberto’s stellar reputation in the event business is only partially due to the outstanding results consistently delivered from his work. Those who have worked with Roberto know him for his positive presence, open and soothing communication style and grace under pressure.

Executive Liaison

Chuck Castleberry (photo credit: Jennifer Esperanza)

Chuck Castleberry joined Bioneers in 2008. He previously worked for the Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation, and has produced several environmental films, including Global Warning, Water Planet, and the feature documentary: The 11th Hour. Chuck has been a professional actor, tap dancer, painter and photographer. He became an activist upon the arrival of his daughter, Sabrina.

Membership & Development Assistant

Maia Cortissoz

Maia Cortissoz joined Bioneers in May of 2007. Maia's previous non-profit experience includes working with The Colorado Public Interest Research Group (CoPirg), Girls Inc. of Metro Denver, The YMCA of Greater Kansas City and City in Motion Dance Theater in Kansas City, Missouri. She also had a brief stint working with the US EPA Region 8 Superfund Record Center in Denver.

Maia holds a BA in Environmental Studies from the University of Colorado at Boulder. She speaks Spanish and enjoys hiking, mountain biking, photography, gardening and camping in her spare time. Maia is also a classically trained dancer. She began taking dance classes and performing when she was 4 years old, and has taught Modern Dance and Ballet to students of all ages and skill levels since the age of 15.

Youth & Conference Project Manager

Liz Cunningham (photo credit: Tim Porter)

Liz Cunningham has been working with Bioneers since 2006. She holds a BA in Environmental Studies from Green Mountain College. She came to Bioneers from Burlington, Vermont where she was working to improve energy efficiency and renewable energy on college campuses through a grant from the DOE. In 2005, she coordinated the Northeast Climate Conference, which brought more than 300 students from the region to participate in more than 30 workshops on climate-change education and action.

When she is not organizing youth, you can find her telemark skiing in Tahoe, California, tossing a frisbee in Golden Gate Park, riding her bike through the city, or boogying on down to some live tunes!

Project  Manager

TC Gritt

TC Gritt has been associated with Bioneers since 2004, as the Volunteer Coordinator for onsite staff at the annual Bioneers conference in California--she joined us full-time on our staff in 2008. Prior to joining Bioneers, TC held a variety of positions including Associate Store Team Leader at Whole Foods Market in Santa Fe.

As an active member of the community, TC was appointed to the Sustainable Santa Fe Commission by Mayor Delgado in 2002. Then, in 2006, she was appointed to the Recycling and Illegal Dumping Abatement Alliance for the State of New Mexico by Ron Curry, the Secretary of the New Mexico Environment Department. She is the co-founder of the Green Business Network of Santa Fe, a business network in the emerging field of green building and technologies. TC is also a current board member for the Santa Fe Alliance.

She LOVES to think "smarter not harder." A lover of all things furry, feathered, or fantastical, she can often be found with her dogs, chickens and cats celebrating the simple joys of shadows dancing on the wall.

Conference Associate Producer

JP Harpignies

JP Harpignies has been with Bioneers since 1990. He was formerly a program director at the New York Open Center and founder/co-producer of the Eco-Metropolis conference in NYC. JP is a consultant, conference producer, copy-editor and writer. He is the author of three books: Political Ecosystems, Double Helix Hubris, and most recently, Delusions of Normality, as well as the editor of the collection, Visionary Plant Consciousness and associate editor of the first two Bioneers books: Ecological Medicine and Nature's Operating Instructions. JP also taught t'ai chi chuan in Brooklyn, NY for nearly 25 years.

 

 

Receptionist & Retail Assistant

Aidan Kallas

Aidan Kallas joined our team to fill the much-needed role as office person extraordinaire. With her myriad of office and multimedia skills, she is our receptionist and online sales assistant at the Bioneers office. But, she fills a number of other roles as well.

After an inspiring stint in Buffalo, New York--where she learned about food systems and regional planning--Aidan has returned to her mountain home of Santa Fe, New Mexico. She's involved in all things local and growing.

 

Media Project Manager

Aaron Leventman

Aaron Leventman moved to Santa Fe from Provincetown, Massachusetts, where he worked in town promotion. Previously, he worked as an assistant publicist on an independent feature film in New York City.

In Santa Fe, Aaron has worked for their Film Center as a film curator and events planner. He was also Assistant Program and Outreach Coordinator for the NM Alliance for Children with Traumatic Stress and has been a volunteer fo GMHC in New York and the Human Rights Alliance in Santa Fe. He recently worked for the Sundance Film Festival and is also a published playwright and actor, appearing in many theatrical productions.

Web Content Manager

Esther Lombardi

Esther Lombardi joined Bioneers in 2008. She grew up in the Midwest, but she's lived in a number of locales. Over the last 15 years, she has used her technical knowledge and writing skills to help organizations develop a voice and presence on the web.

Esther earned her master's degree from California State University, Sacramento (she also completed coursework from the University of Oregon). She has a background in English, Journalism and Web Technology.

She's a writer, avid reader, blogger, book nut, editor, and geek. She is blessed with an extraordinary 3-year-old fighter (cancer). When she's not creating web pages, writing, or reading, she's outside with her son: walking, hiking, biking, or just about any other activity in the great outdoors.

Food & Farming Director

Arty Mangan

Arty Mangan joined Bioneers in 1998 as the Project Manager for the Restorative Development Initiative, which produced “Wisdom at the End of Hoe” ecological agricultural workshops. He collaborated with John Mohawk and the Iroquois White Corn Project and worked with The Federation of Southern Cooperatives and African American farmers in Mississippi and Alabama. He is a board member of the Ecological Farming Association, and was a member of the Santa Cruz GE Subcommittee that led to a Precautionary Moratorium on growing genetically engineered crops in Santa Cruz County.

Arty has worked with farmers and agriculture since 1978 as a partner in Live Juice, a fresh, local, organic apple juice company in Santa Cruz. In 1986, he joined Odwalla and was in charge of fruit sourcing, working with farmers in the US, Mexico and Costa Rica.

Executive Assistant to Nina Simons

Felicia Marohn

Felicia Marohn joined the organization in 2006. Previously, Felice lived, worked and practiced for four years at the Upaya Zen Center in Santa Fe, New Mexico. As a Zen Priest, she worked on the organizational development of the non-profit, offering spiritual leadership and guidance for the residents of this Buddhist community.  Currently, she is also completing her BA in Psychology with the College of Santa Fe.

Felice brings to her life and work a deep curiosity about human behavior.  Inspired and guided by her ongoing encounter with Buddhist practice, Non Violent Communication (NVC), and the HeartMath Solution she is motivated to develop the skillful means necessary for transforming human suffering into liberation.  On evenings and weekends, Felice volunteers for several prison projects as a meditation and Tai Chi Quan teacher—working with incarcerated youth, women, and men in Northern New Mexico.

Sponsorship & Conference Exhibitor Manager

Ginger Ridder

Ginger Ridder has been with Bioneers since 2007. She previously lived in New York, Massachusetts and Australia before venturing to New Mexico. Her spirit moves her to help other people. She formerly worked for the Olympics, then in the health and fitness industry--bringing joy to others through play and sport.

As a rock climber, Ginger prefers to be amongst the mountains--she now strives to help protect and preserve the outdoors that challenge her to climb beyond her limitations. She lives with her dog, Telulah, and partner, Garrett,  in Santa Fe and enjoys walking with them to work each morning along the Santa Fe river.

 

 

DNM Project Coordinator

Nikki Spangenburg

Nikki Spangenburg joined Bioneers in 2008 to act as the coordinator for the Dreaming New Mexico Project, which has since received such acclaim and international recognition.

With a Bachelor's in Business Administration, she has been working in project and event management for over 15 years.
She lives in Santa Fe with her husband and two children.

 

Administration Manager

Sue Talkington

Sue Talkington has worked for Bioneers since 2006. She was born and raised in Texas. Sue has a BS in Computer Information Systems and an MA in Liberal Arts from St. John’s College. When she joined Bioneers, she brought 12 years of professional experience in computer applications development and complex systems management for the banking and finance industry to Bioneers. Her proficiency in multiple computer languages, databases, operating systems and applications have all been of great use to the team.

Sue currently manages Bioneers’ administrative team, the online Store, and the office. She lives in Santa Fe, New Mexico with her daughter. She enjoys singing, hiking and cooking in her spare time.

 

 

Design & Production Manager

Amy Theobald

Amy Theobald joined the staff of Bioneers in 2003. Educated at The School of the Art Institute of Chicago, she has many years of experience in design direction and collaboration and a background in arts administration and studio practice.

Amy has directed a non-commercial exhibition space, worked on a team to produce an annual international contemporary art exposition and coordinated projects for a graphic design studio. She has also taught art, cooking and yoga to three- to six-year olds at a Montessori preschool. She currently lives in a farmhouse in Illinois with her husband and two daughters.

 

 

Comptroller

Jeffrey Vasterling

Jeffrey Vasterling joined Bioneers in 2000. He spent his youth in the Midwest and has an education in Anthropology and Psychology. He has previously worked as a professional in the healing arts and as an office manager in a small doctor's office.

For 19 years, Jeffrey has lived in the same house in Santa Fe, New Mexico with his best friend, Susan. He's a gardening and outdoor enthusiast, and he loves movies.

 

 

Project Manager

Kelli Webster

Kelli Webster began working with Bioneers in 1998. Previously, she worked at EcoWorks Multimedia (a nonprofit project of the Tides Center) as assistant to the director, where she was responsible for office management, managing an organizational outreach program, supervising staff and intern schedules and editing of manuscripts. Kelli is a certified dog trainer, and lives in Portland, Oregon.

 

 

Membership & Development Manager

Julie Weinstein

Julie Weinstein came to Bioneers in the spring of 2006 with 10 years of membership program development and fundraising experience for both arts and environmental organizations. Prior to joining Bioneers, she directed the annual fund for the Los Angeles based, urban forestry non-profit, TreePeople. Before that, she directed fundraising and education programming for the Decorative Arts Council of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art.

Her interest in developing and directing membership programs stems from her belief in the power of social movements creating positive change and in the concept of tikkun olam (repairing the world). Julie lives in the mountains outside of Santa Fe, New Mexico with her husband, two children and a very large stash of hand-dyed yarn.

 

Desktop & System Administrator

Scott White

Scott White is the desktop and system administrator for Bioneers, which means he helps to fix almost anything plugged into the wall here at Bioneers.

Since the dawn of time, Scott has believed in the three M's: magic, mystery, and having the best time all the time! He doesn't own a car, wrote this biography in Emacs, and is pretty keen on mass media studies.

He graduated with a hi-score from UMBC studying modern prose and theory, primarily the American Renaissance and post-structuralism. Somehow, like other liberal arts majors he knows, he's not bad with math and computers, and finds science and technology as interesting as words. In his spare time, he fights for the resistance and loves everything in the universe, twice over.

Executive Assistant to Jill van Nortwick

Jacquelyn Williams

Jacquelyn Williams recently joined Bioneers in June 2008. She brings an eclectic blend both personally and professionally. She grew up near Cape Cod, attended the University of Massachusetts majoring in Liberal Arts and Psychology. After graduation she lived and worked abroad for four years in Europe, England, Morocco and in India.

Back in the USA her path took her into Nursing where she practiced in Labor and Delivery as well as the Intensive Care Newborn Nursery. Moving on to the non-profit sector, she worked in Southern California with the Hermes Project and produced events featuring great minds such as Valerie Hunt, Robert Bly and Joseph Campbell (the premier of “The Hero’s Journey” at the Director’s Guild in Hollywood). Her main interest lies in promoting personal and planetary transformation, by sharing and integrating new and vital information from diverse areas, and by supporting the leaders carrying out meaningful work.

Jacquelyn’s current passions include Peruvian Paso horses, natural medicine and the work of the Bioneers.