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VWS Board of Directors

Janet Shing- Chair
Janet Shing is a Program Officer with the Community Foundation for Monterey County. She earned her BA degree from Hampshire College in Massachusetts where she volunteered with the Massachusetts Audubon and Arcadia Wildlife Sanctuary. She previously volunteered for various nonprofit arts organizations. A California native and current Salinas resident, Janet is passionate about habitat conservation.

Virdette L. Brumm, PhD - Secretary
Pediatric Neuropsychologist
A native Californian, Virdette L. Brumm received her Bachelor’s and Master’s degree from U.C. Berkeley and her Ph.D. (psychology) from the University of Southern California. She has had a long-standing commitment to habitat restoration, species preservation, and protection of the California coast. She is a member of the Sierra Club, Monterey Bay Aquarium, and the League of Women Voters. She is a volunteer for the SPCA of Monterey County Wildlife Center and the Organization of Regional Coastal Activists. Virdette and her husband, Dr. Robertson Parkman, reside in Pebble Beach.

Rachelle F. Onishi, CPA, CFE, CICA
Rachelle has over twelve years of experience implementing, assessing, and/or making recommendations for the improvement of internal controls.  She holds a Certified Public Accountants License, Certified Fraud Examiner’s License, and a Certified Internal Control Auditor’s License.  She is a member of the California Society of Certified Public Accountants.  She has served as Area A1 Governor, President, and Vice President of Education in several Toastmasters Clubs in Monterey, as well as Conference Chair of District 4 Toastmasters, which covers San Francisco to Monterey Bay Areas.  Rachelle enjoys hiking, the outdoors, and practicing Buckram Yoga.

Alison Barratt
Alison Barratt is Communications Associate Manager at the Monterey Bay Aquarium. Alison has worked in the environmental non-profit sector for the last 9 years, after 12 years in private business and government. A passionate advocate for wildlife, Alison loves observing and photographing wildlife, when she's not home in Monterey with her rescue cat and dogs.

Sarah Berling
Psychotherapist
Sarah Berling grew up in Carmel, CA. She started bird watching in elementary school and has continued birding nationally and internationally since that time. Sarah graduated from Stanford University and earned a Master's Degree at Denver University. She has been on the boards of the Monterey College of Law, the SPCA, the Carmel Foundation, and Carmel Heritage.

Sandy Decker
Businessman/Artist, Decker Studios
Sanford (Sandy) Decker is an artist, sculptor, and naturalist. Sandy became involved with Ventana Wildlife Society 12 years ago when he learned about the California Condor while sketching and hiking in Los Padres National Forest. Sandy is the owner and founder of Decker Studios, a full service fine arts atelier, in Los Angeles.

Mark Dedon
Retired Senior Consulting Scientist, PG&E
Mark Dedon worked as a wildlife biologist with Pacific Gas and Electric Company for the last 24 years and is now supervising the biological monitoring of the Tehachapi Renewable Transmission Project. During his career, Mark has conducted research on how to protect birds from impacts caused by electric utility facilities. Mark is passionate about promoting wildlife conservation within the utility industry. His hobbies include aviation, bicycling, swimming, hiking and many other outdoor activities. Mark is married to Erica Dedon and they have twin sons, Matthew and Russell. They reside in Dublin, CA.

Heather Doorlag
Occupational Therapist
Heather Doorlag has lived in the Monterey area for seven years, working in geriatric healthcare. Big Sur and its wildlife are among her passions, along with NPR, SPCA, and general community service. She is a Leadership Monterey Peninsula graduate of 2008. She enjoys hiking, running, yoga, whale watching, boating, SCUBA diving, and bird watching. She has a BS in Occupational Therapy from Western Michigan University and works as the Director of Rehabilitation for a local skilled nursing facility.

VWS Advisory Board

Bruce Elliott, Dist. Supervisor-Reg 3 South
Dept of Fish & Game Biologist, retired

William R. Hearst III
Venture Capital and Philanthropy

Lucinda Jackson, PhD
Ecologist, Chevron Corp.

Walt Koenig PhD, Research Zoologist
Hastings Natural History Reserve

Ada Lucido
IBM Senior Systems Engineer, Retired

Salvatore Lucido
Businessman, Retired

Tom Mallett JD
Buck and Mallett Professional Law Corp

Michael Murray, DVM

James Roush, DVM

Robert Stephens
Orchard Owner, Philanthropist, Native Plant Grower, Habitat Restoration Expert

Mark Stromberg, PhD
Wildlands Manager, Hastings Natural History Reserve

Elizabeth Van Dyke, PhD
Communications & Organization Development