Sustainable Connections Board & Staff

Board of Directors:

Fred Berman, Owner, Pastazza, Founding Board Member
Fred has been an organic farmer for 27 years, a restaurateur for the past 25 years, and, with his wife of 36 years, Lynn, currently owns Pastázza in Barkley Village.  They recently sold Pizzázza and Book Fare to allow for some time together outside of work, as Fred is also employed full time by the Washington State Dept. of Agriculture, serving as the Small Farm Program Coordinator.  This position allows his passion for supporting sustainable agriculture to be exercised in a multitude of opportunities and challenges.  Fred serves on the Small Farm Team with WSU Faculty and on the Advisory Board of Small Potatoes Gleaning Project.  Consistent with their values, Pastázza uses more locally grown, organic produce than any other restaurant in Whatcom Co., supports ‘Eat Local’ week (every week), and gives back to this wonderful community that has been our home for the past 29 years in many ways.  We are pleased and honored to be a part of Sustainable Connections.

Ken Bothman, Owner La Fiamma & Fiamma Burger
Ken views Sustainable Connections as an exception to the second law of thermodynamics; it seems as though the more work we do, the more energy we create. Ken has been a Bellingham resident for over twenty years, and a business owner for ten. His restaurants have both achieved zero waste, and he is an active sponsor of many community events. Ken has served on the Depot Market Committee (responsible for the construction of our Farmers’ Market Facility), Board Member of Slum Doctor Programme, and sits on the Design Review Board for the City of Bellingham. He has been an active member of Sustainable Connections’ Buy Local First Committee since its inception.

John D'Onofrio, Owner, Northwest Computer
John owns Northwest Computer, which he founded with his wife Susan in 1990.  He joined the board of Sustainable Connections in 2007 after being a passionate supporter of the paradigm-shifting work of the organization since its inception.  He also serves on the board of directors of the Bellingham Bay Foundation.  In his “spare” time he puts his fine arts degree from Rutgers University to good use as a photographer and painter, exhibiting his artwork on both the east and west coasts.  He writes on wilderness travel for a variety of publications, has hosted wildly eclectic radio shows in the Pacific Northwest and San Francisco Bay area and is also a founding member of the iconoclastic world music group, The Monkey Puzzle Orchestra.

Mauri Ingram, CEO Whatcom Community Foundation; Co-Owner thinkwell Development, Founding Board Member
Mauri provides consulting services in communications, marketing, small business and non-profit management, as well as community development and the occasional plumbing job. Prior to consulting, Mauri worked in real estate development. She was also the founding director of the Downtown Renaissance Network and co-owned the former Calumet Restaurant with her husband Lee Eberhardt. She is involved in several other boards and civic projects, including Whatcom Coalition for Healthy Communities and its Leadership Whatcom program, the Campaign for the Arts and the Whatcom Legacy Project. Mauri is currently chair of the Whatcom Community Foundation board. She has an MBA from the University of Washington and a Sudoku problem. Her passion for Sustainable Connections is rooted in the creative, community focused approach the organization takes to addressing opportunities and challenges.

Shawn Kemp
After many years driving online innovation, Shawn stepped away from the corporate world and Seattle in 2006. With the idea of focus on trying  to live a slightly more sustainable life and helping sparking social change in the world. Change that will ensure a better future for ourselves, our communities, and the planet. He currently spends much of his time with ONE/Northwest a non-profit started by Paul Brainerd 12 years ago to bring technology to the environmental movement. Where he is helping non-profits around the country to get better at utilizing the engagement potential of the internet. Shawn is also an active angel investor with a focus on making local and triple bottom line businesses a viable investment option and powerful economic lever. That interest guides his involvement as a member of the screening committee for the Bellingham Angel Group. Having chosen Bellingham for many reasons Shawn, his wife Misty, their foster daughter, and fluffy white dog can be seen walking, hiking, and riding bikes through our wonderful town and the surrounding area.

Charlie Maliszewski
Charlie brings to the Sustainable Connections board a science-based perspective and a firm belief that work without fun is just…….work.  An immunologist by training, he spent nearly two decades conducting biomedical research at Seattle’s Immunex Corporation (later Amgen), a pioneer in the discovery and development of protein therapeutics to treat cancer, infection, and autoimmune disorders. After moving to Bellingham with his lovely wife Heidi in 2004, Charlie shifted his career focus to environmental issues. He was attracted to Sustainable Connections’ capacity for community-building, due in large part to the strong sustainability ethic that the organization fosters amongst local businesses.  Charlie also proudly serves on the boards of RE Sources and Futurewise-Whatcom.   In his “spare” time, Charlie loves to hike, bike, ski, play music, read, hang out with family and friends, and laugh for no good reason.

Janet Ott, Ott & Associates
Janet is the owner of Ott  & Associates, a local business coaching and facilitation company.  She also faciliitates the core programs for Excellence Northwest. Her passions include peace and justice issues, animal welfare, local food, riding her road bike anywhere and wilderness adventures.

Elie Samuel, Owner, Samuel's Furniture
Elie, the founder and owner of Samuel’s Furniture, is deeply committed to the mission of Sustainable Connections.  Elie received his Bachelor of Commerce from the University of British Columbia in 1990 and moved to Whatcom County shortly thereafter to open Samuel’s Furniture in Ferndale.  Elie comes from a long line of furniture store owners (or at least one generation of furniture store owners) and proudly carries on his family tradition, while seeking to incorporate the triple bottom line of social, environmental, and economic sustainability into his business.  Most recently, Elie has implemented the Toward Zero Waste campaign at Samuel’s Furniture, learning much in the process about our waste stream.  Elie also serves on the board of the Ferndale Boys and Girls Club and has done so since 2001.  When not busy selling furniture or zero wasting, he can most likely be found at Mallard Ice Cream, on a walk with his bride, Kirsten, or on his bicycle.

Alexandrea Spaulding, Co-owner, The Playful World; Owner, Alexandrea Consults
Alexandrea is a co-owner of The Playful World, which designs and distributes unique handmade toys and children’s gifts sourced from around the world. Alexandrea has spent the duration of her professional life working in communications and marketing in a variety of capacities. Prior to moving to Bellingham 5 years ago for love, she worked in corporate communications for multi national technology companies in the San Francisco Bay Area. Since parking cars at the first Imagine This Home and Landscape Tour in the summer of 2003, Alexandrea has been smitten with Sustainable Connections and its great work. Alexandrea also serves on the board of directors for the Mount Baker Kidney Center.

Christopher Webb, Chris Webb & Associates Inc
Chris is a licensed professional civil engineer in the States of Washington and Oregon and a LEED™ Accredited Professional whose passion and technical expertise is focused on providing civil engineering designs that demonstrate the highest degree of sustainability and are based on ecological principles. Chris is a frequent speaker on the technical aspects of sustainability as it is applied in civil engineering.  Chris’ sustainable development project experience includes working with many local and state governments, private and public entities, utilities, and non-profit groups.  Chris believes the work of Sustainable Connections is vital because it works across all economic sectors and throughout the community in a holistic way finding and promoting positive change. When not working Chris loves to sail, bike, and hike around our region with his wife Catriona.

Kathie Wilson, Owner, Child life Montessori Schools, Founding Board Member
Kathie is the owner of Childlife Montessori School, where she has been teacher/administrator for over 26 years.  She is currently the president of the board of the Slum Doctor Programme, volunteers with The Friends of the Library and a former Beach Naturalist with RE-Sources.  Kathie loves working with and gaining inspiration from Sustainable Connection members and staff who are also committed to making Bellingham a sustainable and supportive place to be!

Ex-Officio: Michael Karp, Founder, President & CEO, A World Institute for a Sustainable Humanity (A W.I.S.H.) and President, Michael Karp & Associates, Inc.
Other Boards include: A W.I.S.H and Last Mile Electric Cooperative
The opportunity to work with Michelle and Derek and the SC team of like minded, energetic and accomplished folks with a compelling mission and the poster child nationally for sustainable community potential is too good an opportunity to pass up.  SC started under the A W.I.S.H umbrella as a small eco-guild; then was put on hold; this new revitalization and re-invention of SC is mesmerizing and exciting.

Ex-Officio: Stan Snapp, Bellingham, City Council Liason
Other boards include: WTA, North Coast Credit Union, Economic Development Council, Opportunity Council, and the Countywide Housing Affordability Task Force. On Council; I chair the Lake Whatcom Reservoir committee and serve on the following committees: Public Works/Public Safety, Finance and Personnel, Transportation, and the Parks and Recreation committee.
Last spring the City Council held an economic summit and met with several business associations. The session identified "gaps", mostly communications challenges between local government and the local business community. Sustainable Connections represents the best in local business thinking; is at the heart of local business issues and I think this is the group to lead the effort to fill the "gap". I'm here to do what I can to assist that process.
I love this organization and will do all that I can to help it grow and thrive. Thank you board members for including this liaison position in your structure.

Due to term limits we've lost several founding board members including our co-founder Rick Dubrow. Special thanks to the years of service we enjoyed from:
Leanne Kramer
Terese Roles-Meier
Rick Dubrow, Owner A-1 Builders
Dean Fearing, Director of The RE Store
Duane Jager, Executive Director ReUse Works
Scott Mauermann, Owner Laurel Landscaping
Chuck Robinson, Owner Village Books & Paper Dreams
Cindi Landreth, Co-Owner, A-1 Builders
Steve Roguski, Owner, Fairhaven Runners

Advisory Council:

Mark Asmundson, Director, Northwest Clean Air Agency

Craig Cole, CEO, Brown & Cole

Pete Kremen, Whatcom County Executive

Kelli Linville, State Representative, WA State

Dan Pike, Mayor of Bellingham