Board Biographies
A list of board members and some information about them.Lynda Deschambault, President & Co-Founder
Lynda does all the coordinating, paperwork, and finalizes the details for our workshops, events, grant writing and more! She holds a dual degree in Chemistry/Soil Science, and an M.B.A. in Management/Marketing. Lynda worked more than 17 years in the environmental laboratory business, and then went on to form Dynamic Perspectives and worked as a private consultant for four years. In that capacity, she assisted businesses with on-going requirements for documentation and program compliance, and provided oversight for laboratory accreditation and start-up. Lynda then went to work as an Environmental Chemist for the US Environmental Protection Agency. There she performed inspections for five years, and settled enforcement cases under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), and the Toxic Release Inventory (TRI) Programs. Lynda often focused her efforts on working with schools, tribes and environmental justice communities. For the past three years, Lynda has provided project management oversight to one of the nation's largest superfund sites, located in Santa Maria, California. In addition to her chemistry and environmental work, Lynda enjoys environmental education and outreach. As a USEPA representative, she participated in two overseas activities in African third world countries. In collaboration with the United Nations Environmental Program (UNEP), Lynda provided an intensive one week, hands-on training class to the heads of Ghana, Namibia, and The Gambia. As a certified herbal consultant, Lynda assists with symptom diagnosis, herbal supplements, and treatment. She focuses on native plants, and through her gardening she provides most of her own supplies. Her specialty is applying her knowledge of plants and chemistry in the preparation and extraction of quality tinctures, teas, supplements, and toiletries for medicinal purposes. In her spare time, she makes beer, walks her Siberian huskies and serves as an elected official to the Moraga California Town Council. But above all---Lynda is an avid recycler and reuse advocate!
R.C. Ferris aka The Dumpster Diva, Vice President & Co-Founder
R.C. (also known as the Dumpster Diva) is the wacky artist of the group and the materials coordinator for Generation Green's Dumpster Diversion Project! She is the creator of our phony rhythm instruments, telebells and more! She gathers the materials for our workshops and often diverts any extra materials to various other re-use organizations. The Dumpster Diva, won the 1999 Earth Day award from Region IX's USEPA for her contributions as an environmental educator. RC worked for the Contra Costa Library for 25 years as a Library Assistant and has provided numerous reuse activities for all ages at various library events. Beginning in 2003, R.C. has enjoyed being the Recycling Assistant for the City of Antioch in Contra Costa County. She is responsible for implementing recycling programs in schools and at large public With her ingenuity, innovativeness, creativeness, and wackiness, she converts recycled and reused items into interesting, fun, bizarre and wonderful pieces of art! She has held workshops and displays for the public libraries, community events, East Bay Parks, City of Martinez and more. Her recycled art workshops for young and old alike teach about a specific environmental topic, at the same time a recycled craft is created. R.C. has participated (and won awards) at East Bay's annual "Trash to Treasures” contest, assisted in the design of a population display for the lobby of Walnut Creek's Center for the arts, co-organized an environmental leadership weekend retreat for teenagers, worked on the Contra Costa Earth Day steering committee, and helped to pull off "Jammin' for the Planet", a fundraiser featuring all high school bands. RC's last protect was to design a fabulous line of trashy fashion outfits, made from reused materials. These outfits are available for rent, or Generation Green can be hired to put on a wonderful Fashion show at your upcoming event!
Amelia K. Sefton, a.k.a. Madame Ovary, Director
With a back ground in library science (MLS, University of Michigan, 1972),and 16 years as a civil servant in the Department of Army, (1975-1991), Madame O has been a performer and puppeteer since 1978. She is the creator of "Toys and Tools for Troubled Times" , which are handmade crafts made from reused materials. Her background includes Special Events Administrative work (including selecting/soliciting artists, volunteers, invoicing, etc.) and on-site artist as needed for the East Bay Depot Reuse Center since 1992. Appointed as the Special Events Coordinator iin 1997, she worked five years to build the program up from just 6 to 8 events per year, to more tha 175 events per year.. Madame O does an amazing child/adult puppet show using puns centered around eggs. All of her puppets are made from L'eggs panty hose containers and recycled materials from the East Bay Depot for Creative Reuse. Words can't exactly describe this wonderful wacky and talented reuse artist! Madame Ovary's Trash Transformations include an opportunity for children to make their own crowns, wands and wings. Her hands-on eco-art EGGSperiences, have become a favorite Bay Area resource for community groups and organizations that are seeking kid-friendly artist-led eco-art which is educational, amusing and amazingly affordable. All have a certain ecological flair, use rescued/recycled materials, and provide opportunities for creative and aesthetic experimentation and expression. Her dazzling display of cleverly crafted puppets, presented with interesting word play for EGGcological messages that are far from ordinary.
Sharon Schutjer, Director
Sharon's interest in community service was instilled by grandparents who were always involved in social issues. Her grandfather was a Mason who would write letters to elected officials or editorials to newspapers whenever he felt some injustice on the rise. Her grandmother helped to start the women's club of Alamo and started the welcome wagon in the Danville and Alamo area. Sharon has applied her public service by working for the "Picnic People” for the last 16 years She assists with operations and concessions at numerous park locations such as Angel Island State Park, Mount Shasta Recreation Area and Little Hills Ranch in San Ramon, California. The Picnic People specialize in bringing back the old fashioned picnic, and hosting as many as 1500 guests from June to October, with over 70 school groups and 200 corporate events Sharon provides recreational attractions and delicious BBQ meals and helps to ensure that the California Parks Company events are "green” venues. She provides recycling and earth friendly cleaning and office supplies, and ensures that the kiddie craft corner is implementing reuse crafts using recycled items. Sharon has a 14 year old daughter who attends College Park High School, she is in active board member on the Pacheco town council and serves as V. P. of the Home Owners Association and the Fun and Games Committee.
Linda Monroe, Retired Volunteer
Linda has been an avid reduce-reuse-recycle devotee for over a decade and has worked with Generation Green's Dumpster Diversion Project for over a year. Participating in several workshops and programs, Linda is a vital and enthusiastic artist that people of any age bond with instantly. She is a dedicated purser of found items and an ardent recycler. Linda enjoys creating mosaics from discarded glass and found objects. She assists with our bookkeeping and is always the thrift store maven. Linda keeps us informed of the best and worst thrift stores in the area! She is a master at finding unique items & has a great eye for art.
Frank Freitas, Director
Frank Freitas. Frank is our newest board member and comes to us with a diversified background. After obtaining an Engineering degree in 1975, he spent two years in the US Army, (1969 to 1971), then went on to excel in sales and marketing while designing, building and racing cars. In 1985 he helped a solar heating company sell and market their products. Frank has run and owned several businesses here in the Contra Costa/Alameda County area. He has spent time as a religious education teacher and as a youth group facilitator for teenage boys and girls. Currently employed by Astound in Concordc CA. his duties are Commercial sales and marketing, right of access manager and government liaison between the City of Concord , Walnut Creek and Astound. Frank is currently marketing for a new solar energy company. His passion for the aquatic environment includes 46 years of fishing, water skiing, boating, and enjoying the bay area delta and many Northern California lakes. Frank is very concerned about the current and future quality (and quantity) of the water for California and beyond. He is doing research to educate young adults to do their part in the preservation of these resources