These bios were created in a light-hearted mood for VBC 2006. Some of the people listed graced us with their presence only briefly; some have moved on, or taken on other roles.

Please feel free to edit your own profile, adding contact info or removing displeasing detail, but refrain from altering others’. Thanks!

Ashley Howell: Ashley joined the team in April as Volunteer Coordinator and left in October to indulge in her artistic side with a little hands-on creativity and to get her hands dirty.

Andy Singer (’Builder contibutor) Andy’s art graced the VBC5 poster and last year’s VB cover. He self-syndicates his panel cartoon “No Exit” to about a dozen newspapers around the country. You can see more of his work (and purchase his two books) at http://www.andysinger.com/. You can also see his work on stickers on many bikes and bike shops.

Bernhard Masterson is a builder, sculptor, and artist who was so inspired by earth building in 2001 that the next thing he did was go build a cob cottage. What he didn’t know, was how much he would learn about life. He now teaches workshops in the Pacific Northwest sharing his insights and inspiring others. bernhard_masterson@hotmail.com <mailto:bernhard_masterson@hotmail.com>

Bob New – Earth Day Coordinator Without missing a beat coordinating the successful Earth Day Celebration at Sellwood Park in 2006, Bob started working with the Woodlawn Neighborhood Association this past April, already getting the wheels in motion for 2007. Earth Day 2007 will be hosted at Woodlawn Park, making this the first City Repair sponsored Earth Day north of the Burnside Divide... Previous Office Manager and Program Coordinator and bookkeeper at City Repair and a member of City Repair’s Council, Bob wears many hats...literally!

Brock Dolman is a Sowing Circle Community member and the Director of OAEC’s WATER Institute and Permaculture Program, and he co-directs the Wildlands Biodiversity Program. He co-instructs Basins of Relations and permaculture-related courses. Brock also co-manages the Center’s biodiversity collection, orchards and 70 acres of wildlands.

Bruce Podobnik, Board Member, is a professor of sociology at Lewis & Clark – and a vital community connection for hooking students up with community projects such as City Repair, VBC, and VisionPDX. He also walks his lovely, glossy dog past the City Repair offices on occasion – which makes him a dynamic pedestrian.

Catherine Burke is a natural building pioneer in her hometown Seattle. Since apprenticing with Cobworks in Canada and teaching at Cob Cottage Company in Oregon, she returned home to start “Together: Seattle’s Natural Building Collective.” Inspired by our natural rightto safe and affordable housing, Most recently this spring, she traveled to Wales to study traditional lime plaster methods and materials. Catherine specializes in cob and natural paints and plasters.

Charla Chamberlain – co-founder and Board member, 2000-2005 Charla has moved on, and she is missed. Co-founder and the original T-Horse Mama, Charla continues to work on inspiring public service opportunities in the Portland Area – such as the VisionPDX Citizens’ Committee.

Cindy Talley is a 2006 graduate of Lewis and Clark College, with a double major in Studio Art and French Studies. She has volunteered for City Repair as a site liaison and assistant designer and is ready to get her hands dirty with cob, traffic marking paint and mosaics during VBC6. She aspires to become a landscape architect.

Courtney Dillard, PhD, teaches in the Rhetoric and Media Studies Department at Willamette University. She joined the City Repair Board in 2006. Nothing conveys “You have my attention” quite like this bright lady’s eyes.

Cyd Manro Ad sales; Videography In addition to his VBC work, is the Director and Cofounder of EcoTV, which highlights local efforts for sustainability, energy conservation, and community outreach. Check it out Sundays at 11AM and Mondays at 9PM on Ch.21; Saturday 6PM on Ch. 11.

Daniel Lerch 2001-2006 Board Member: City Repair co-founder Daniel Lerch can’t officially be made a saint until he’s dead, which makes it all the more unfortunate that he’s left City Repair at this young age. Daniel’s attention to detail, community-building insights, and studies of urban systems have been invaluable to City Repair’s work on placemaking at the neighborhood scale. He’s off to study urban planning and work at Metro, and we wish him the best of luck – may his contributions long be remembered.

Dat Nguyen SHIFT to Bikes Liason: All kinds of fun, free bike accessories, and insights both technical and regional come from this unassuming young man. His spiffy streamlined riding outfits are pretty cool, too.

Deston Denniston, Aikido Presenter: Deston is the Chief Instructor of Aikido Yuishinkai at the Crooked Branch Dojo. He began studying Aikido in 1994. In 2004–’05 he spent four months training intensively at Australia under the supervision of Michael Williams Sensei, earning his Shodan and permission to teach. He began informal Zen practice in 1996. He is currently a Masters student in Agriculture at WSU, where he focuses on Permaculture and Agroforestry. When he is not studying he can usually be found doing aikido or building cob. www.crookedbranchaikdio.com <http://www.crookedbranchaikdio.com>

Deepak Saxena Publicity Coordinator and Technology Guru If you ever get invited to a meeting at Deekak’s house, say yes. Bring penguins. You will be rewarded with effective organizing, amazing food, and the occasional moment of deep friendship.

Elliot Rasenick – Community Events Coordinator Oh, Wow!

Erica Ritter Office Manager 2006 / City Repair VisionPDX Project Co-Coordinator Too many hats, too little time – Erica can dance, sing, cook, paint, write, or even put her fingers on your missing document files ... if you can catch her attention. Otherwise, just fall into the VBC6 poster to get an idea what’s in her head.

Henry Stanley, Graphic Design and Village Builder - and mapmaker extraordinaire Henry leaped in at the last minute to pump out this year’s Village Builder, and has also collaborated on past City Repair retreats and the upcoming Portland City Repair Sites Map – a long-awaited addition to our resources!

Hindi Iserhott Program Coordinator, T-Horse Coordinator, Grantwriter, City Repair Organizer Stepping up to the plate and filling in gaps whenever they arise, Hindi brings a strong sense of organization and enthusiasm to City Repair. Acting as a connector to many of the projects and people involved with City Repair, she helps to make many things possible. Please say hello to her if you happen upon the T-Horse.

Jan Semenza City Repair Board Member: Neighbor, activist, teacher, epidemiologist, and self-confessed European, Jan Semenza is one of the founding members of the Sunnyside Piazza, the famous sunflower-painted “Intersection Repair” located on SE 33rd & Yamhill. Jan brings a dedicated and radical intelligence to City Repair, and is one of the key spokesmen spreading the word to other regions and circles around the world.

Jason Kelley has been called timber framer, natural builder, instrument maker, communitarian, dirt farmer. He’s more interested in having fun, being inspiried, and encouraging others to do the same. And he’s got a bun, so you can pick him out from the other hippies.bambusero@mail.com <mailto:hippies.bambusero@mail.com>

Jason McClevish-Kidspace Jason has been actively supporting the development and wonder of children for the past 6 years. I began at camp, moved on to a Reggio Amelia inspired preschool, and then became a nanny. My goal is to remain dynamic and at ease while being responsive to the needs of each being or moment.

JON YOUNG Inspired by his childhood mentoring with tracker and author Tom Brown, Jr., Jon has pioneered blending Native mentoring techniques from around the world with the tools of modern field ecology. Under Jon’s guidance, Wilderness Awareness School, which was originally founded as a high school nature club, has grown to reach students all around the world with its programs that help people reconnect with their native environments.

Kathleen Walsh City Repair Board President: La Presidenta de la Junta: Board President Kathleen Walsh puts her powers of psychology to good use in guiding the City Repair board to consensus (and generally goes all-out to support the cause). Therapist, teacher, and motivational speaker, Kathleen’s revolutionary work on “Taking Back Your Time” is a force for human good in the universe.

Jenny Leis Education Coordinator: VisionPDX co-coordinator, and Placemaking Guidebook editor A five-year veteran placemaker, Jenny Leis can turn cardboard into gold. She divides her time between City Repair, the Try-On Life Community Farm, and planning for a world tour of activist organizations. She is currently in Kenya at the World Social Forum.

Kyogen Carlson (’Builder Contributor) Kyogen is a Zen Priest and Co-Abbot of Dharma Rain Zen Center in Portland. www.dharma-rain.org <http://www.dharma-rain.org> for more information.

LaShelle Charde NVC presentation & ‘Builder article. LaShelle has worked as a professional psychologist and trainer for the last twelve years. She has worked with children of all ages for the last 20 years. She holds a master’s degree in psychology and has trained in Nonviolent Communication (NVC) with Marshall Rosenberg and other internationally known NVC trainers. She is a committed Zen practitioner and this shows in the clarity and depth of her work. LaShelle delights in helping others learn to relate from a place of connection, compassion, and integrity. See her website: www.wiseheartpdx.org <http://www.wiseheartpdx.org>

LAURA “PIECE” KELLEY Piece is an artist who is soulfully dedicated to drawing on the alchemical mixture of words, music, and beats to the rhythmic pulse of society through her balanced and fluid presentations of lyrical prophecy. Piece has accessed one of the broadest audience bases possible; spanning genres, geography, and social demographics. Her work, as well as her audience, defies narrow classification.

Lydia Doleman is a natural builder and activist currently practicing in Portland, Or. For the last eight years her work has been a culminating point for ecology, art and social justice. Flying Hammer Productions <www.theflyinghammer.com <http://www.theflyinghammer.com» is her natural building company focused on pushing the bounds of affordable and energy efficient housing, training people and communities in various building skills and infecting the dreary urban fabric with structures that reflect beauty, sustainability and community.

Mark “mOceaN” Lakeman City Repair Board Treasurer: Placemaking, Event Design, Fundraising and Accounting, Project Permits, Outreach & Promotions, and several small side projects. City Repair co-founder, architect, builder, speaker, artist, and prophet of the new paradigm... Mark Lakeman’s legendary slide presentations on “The Grid and the Circle” attract groupies from around the world. mOceaN is hard to pin down, but can generally be found covered in paint, mud, spackle, or small post-it notes on his way from one world-changing meeting to another. Mr. Lakeman is in Love with Lydia Doleman and will be marrying her sometime soon, like maybe next August.

Marsha Rakestraw, ‘Builder contributor; Marsha is a founding member of Northwest VEG <www.nwveg.org <http://www.nwveg.org». She works as a Humane Educator <www.iihed.org <http://www.iihed.org» and a Teen Services Librarian. Her goal is to awaken people to the power of their choices & to make it as easy as possible for them to live compassionate, sustainable lives. She can be contacted at humane_beings@yahoo.com <mailto:humane_beings@yahoo.com>

Martin Schulke: Building and Construction Coordinator, ‘Builder Publisher and more. Don’t let the grumpy exterior fool you. Keep listening. Somewhere between endless sanding, philosophizing, and disappearing for a perplexing variety of day-jobs, Martin is a motivator with a heart of true human brilliance.

Melinda Pittman, Finance Manager 2006, BroadArts Liason: Melinda is the Hercules to City Repair’s financial Augean stables. She also sings, and does stand-up comedy. You’ve never been to a funny financial training? You’re totally missing out.

Morgan Brent ~~~ has a background in Taoist energy practices and philosophies, academia (PhD in anthropology), and ‘teacher plant’ traditions, most recently working with local curanderos (shamans) in the Peruvian Amazon. He is currently doing the permaculture-working-the-land-thing near Olympia, WA, and circulates around the eco-festival circuits in the NW facilitating ceremonial singing circles and giving talks on teachings of the forest. He will be doing the Spoken Word at the Oregon Country faire this year. Other events can be seen on his website at: http://www.tribesofcreation.com/

NALAWALLA (Presenter) Nala Walla is a transdisciplinary artist dedicated to active crosspollination between the arts and ecology. Her BODYVERSITY curriculums span a diversity of genres, being offered everywhere from schools, dance centers and festivals, to Permaculture /Village Design Courses and organic farms. From her rural, off-the-grid homestead north of Seattle, Nala facilitates the BCOLLECTIVE, whose mission it is to create ecologically and socially relevant art by healing the fracture between the arts and sciences, and restoring the participatory arts to their rightful place at the center of sustainable, healthy community life.

Patrick Hennebery (Natural Builder) Patrick lives on Mayne Island, B.C. His first cob workshop was in 1997 with Ianto Evans, and has completed 20 cob houses/structures and various benches, garden walls and ovens. Patrick, Tracy Calvert and Elke Cole form Cobworks, a company committed to building beautiful, affordable structures with natural and local materials in a spirit of cooperation and social responsibility.

Pedro Ferbel-Azcarate is an applied anthropologist of village resistance movements and teaches at local Portland State University in the Black Studies department. Pedro’s natural building work includes the Lifehouse Memorial at SE 37th and Taylor, the Red and Black kiosk and the Kung Fu bench in front of the City Repair office. This year Pedro coordinates PSU students on the “universe-city repair” in front of the PSU library.

Ryan Matson, Technology Coordinator and Neighborhood Liason Ryan, can you put this on the web page? Ryan, what’s wrong with the fax machine? Ryan joined City Repair three years ago because he wanted to learn more about permaculture. Luckily, he’s never quite gotten over his love of computers.His hacktivist passions are shared among Portland State University’s Community Development program, Southeast Uplift, Seven Corners Localization Initiative and his own brainchild—Outerference.

Rich Mackin, Village Builder Editor: One day, Rich wrote to a candy company to ask them what their name meant, and somehow that’s affected almost every good or bad thing that’s happened to him. Rich used to work for an ad firm in Boston, but he’s feeling much better now. Rich discovered City Repair on a promotional book tour when he decided he wanted to live in a city with flower intersections. www.richmackin.org <http://www.richmackin.org>

Sabrina Gogol: Archivist and VisionPDX Collaborator The lucky lady is in Spain, we hope she will come back again, because if she doesn’t we’re never going to get our library organized. She is also a Reedy (Reed College graduate) with a fine sense of the absurd.

Sarah Stacey Iannarone - Board Secretary as of Summer 2006, Sarah is also a mother, spouse, restauranteur, and an active neighborhood leader on the Arleta Triangle Project at SE 72nd & Woodstock. How does she do it? One day at a time.

Saskia Dressler - co-founder and Board member 2000-2006 Saskia’s powerhouse organizing for events like Earth Day will be sorely missed. A dedicated educator, Saskia is still involved in the Portland community. (Her yard hosts an iconic straw-bale sanctuary that is one of the first such shelters in Portland.)

Scott Howard has been a natural building enthusiast since 2000. He has spearheaded several major natural buiding projects in his home town, Portland. When he is not building or creating artwork, he plays music with his friends and takes bike rides of any length. He believes in resistance to the dominant paradigm through minimalism, cooperation, and subsistence from the earth. You may contact him at scott@earthenhand.com <mailto:scott@earthenhand.com>.

Starhawk: Presenter Starhawk is one of the most respected voices in modern Goddess religion and earth-based spirituality. She is the author or coauthor of ten books, including the classics The Spiral Dance and The Fifth Sacred Thing. Her latest is Earth Path: Grounding Your Spirit in the Rhythms of Nature. Starhawk is a veteran of progressive movements, and deeply committed to bringing the techniques and creative power of spirituality to political activism. She travels internationally teaching magic, the tools of ritual, and the skills of activism. Her web site is www.starhawk.org <http://www.starhawk.org>.

Stuart Cowan, a former Board Member, is an active part of the Portland sustainable economics community. Well worth reading his book, or crashing one of his lectures, for inspiration.

Toby Hemenway, 2006 Board Member, Spring 2006 Board Secretary: Permaculturist, speaker, teacher, world traveler, and author of “Gaia’s Garden,” Toby Hemenway is a source of deep knowledge about the interactions between humanity and the natural world. When he’s not in Latin American countries beginning with B, he can be found rallying the eco-revolutionaries at local and regional speaking engagements.

Tree Bressen, Presenter. Tree is an experienced facilitator working with nonprofits, cohousing groups, activists, schools, and a wide variety of other organizations. Her base is in intentional communities, groups of people who live together and have to deal with each other every day! Her work arises from a desire for people to learn the communication skills that will enable all of us to build a better world together. Tree gives workshops on consensus decision-making, meeting facilitation, conflict resolution, and related subjects.

Tsarra Ninja: Nest Cafe & Food Coordinator: In the day time, she looks like a perfectly ordinary working mother... yet from her kitchen in the dark hours of the night come tantalizing smells.... luck for us, this Ninja uses her powers for good instead of for evil.

Yveline Wilnau, VBC & Placemaking Coordinator This PSU graduate student came to study our work in 2005, and in her own words, “was adopted by the pygmy tribe” that is City Repair. She’s been the powerhouse organizer behind the Village Building Convergence ever since. In her spare time ... spare time, what’s that? but if there is a clothing sale or a dance, you will find her glowing enthusiastically in recycled raiment.

with many, many more to come...