Ojai Valley Green Coalition

Tim Baird - President
Tim Baird is one of the cofounders of the Ojai Valley Green Coalition. He is active in many local community support groups including the Chamber of Commerce Board, The Ojai Youth Foundation Board, Rotary, The Stop the Trucks Executive Committee, and The Ojai Performing Arts Executive Board.

Tim has served as the Ojai Unified School District Superintendent since 2003. Prior to holding this position, he was the district assistant superintendent for two years. Tim has been a high school principal, and an elementary school principal and teacher. He holds a B.A. in history from Cal State University, Fullerton, an M.A. in Educational Administration and Supervision from Cal State University, Fullerton, and an Ed.D. in Educational Policy, Planning and Administration from the University of Southern California.

He is married to Laurie Baird. Their two daughters, Kelsey and Whitney Baird are graduates from Nordhoff High School and they both are currently attending college.

Scott Eicher - Vice-President
Scott is a third generation Ojai resident. His family has been involved with business in Ojai from the early 1940’s. In 2001 he was hired as Chief Executive Officer of the Ojai Valley Chamber of Commerce, and will begin his eighth year in April of 2008. He attended Ojai schools, graduating from the Ojai Valley School as class valedictorian, and has a B.A. from Occidental College.

Scott stays fit by swimming at the Ojai Valley Athletic Club, and surfing Ventura and Santa Barbara County breaks. He is active in the community as Vice Chair of the Board of Directors of the Ojai Valley Green Coalition, and as Chair of the Stop the Trucks! Coalition, and is a member of the Rotary Club of Ojai. He and his wife, Kathy, recently celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary.

Vivian Browne - Treasurer
Vivian crossed first over the ‘pond’ from the UK - to New York City when she was 18 years old, and subsequently moved around the US and Europe quite a bit, catering to many industries as a marketing consultant. She has variously lived in Florida and California as well as New York, and first stepped foot in Ojai in 1994. While, not making it her full-time home until early 2006, she returned continuously, being attracted to the not quite explainable ‘something’ that Ojai possesses. Hence her very early and enthusiastic involvement with the Ojai Valley Green Coalition.

Vivian is married, and lives not too far from a grown son in Santa Barbara and much too far from a daughter and new grandson in Florida.

Dale Hanson - Secretary
Dale is a community activist. She has lived in Ojai for 20 years. Her interests are mostly in family issues, community, animal welfare and the environment. She is active with the American Red Cross, the Ojai Valley Youth Foundation, several animal groups and is a board member of the Ojai Valley Green Coalition. She also serves on the Food and Ag Committee.

Katherine Hope - Director
Katherine is the Spiritual Leader of the Symphony of Life Spiritual Center in Ojai, California and co-founder and convener of the Ojai Interfaith Alliance. In her role as board member, she represents the Ojai faith communities and their dedication to the sanctity of all Life. Katherine grew up overseas in the Middle East and traveled extensively around the world where she learned that though we travel many paths we are all one people. She earned her BA in Psychology and her MA in Spiritual Psychology and after working and living in New York City, Boston, Washington DC and Los Angeles, Katherine moved to Ojai with her family in 1999. She is deeply fulfilled by her life in Ojai and is committed to preserving and sustaining all that we enjoy here today. She is a minister, loving wife and mother, loyal friend, passionate spiritual seeker, deeply committed nonviolent peace monger, nature lover, advocate for diversity and eclecticism, organic farming and environmental health advocate and supporter, and a joyful and enthusiastic lover of people and life.

Todd Metlen - Director
Todd Metlen has been in the business of product design and development for over 20 years. During that time, he has been a key contributor to the development of many successful consumer products and business ventures for companies like BMW, Siemens, Compaq, Samsonite, Phillips, Johnson & Johnson, Porsche Design Golf, Blue Microphones and Nokia.

Currently, he owns Design + Vision, Inc. a product design firm with offices in Ventura and Malaysia. Design + Vision specializes in developing and bringing “green” products to market. Todd and his wife Mary Jo Healy have lived in Ojai for 14 years coming from Los Angeles. They have 2 boys, Max and Liam who attend Oak Grove School.

Tyler Suchman - Director
Recently named to the 2007 Top 40 Under 40 by the Pacific Coast Business Times, Tyler Suchman owns and operates Tribal Core, an internet strategy consulting firm, and The Ojai Network, a collective of websites focused on community and culture, including The Ojai Post, a community blog featuring over 30 authors and 3,200 daily visitors. He also heads Artists of Change, a non-profit project with the mission of redesigning philanthropy on a global scale.

Ken Wright - Director
Mr. Ken Wright, co-founder of the OVGC, was inspired by the film Inconvenient Truth and together with his friend Tim Baird, founded the OVGC. Going "Green" has become a new found passion for Mr. Wright, who, along with his three sons, is a 12 year resident of the Ojai Valley.

“I realized that my children, and their children, will be living on a planet that is very, very different from the one we inherited. A planet in serious environmental trouble. I decided I had to be part of the solution, not part of the problem, and have started working toward that end. I feel it is our duty and responsibility to do everything we can to reverse this alarming trend."

Mr. Wright is a local business owner, and entrepreneur.

Cindy Cantle, Representative for Supervisor Steve Bennett
Cindy has represented Supervisor Steve Bennett on the OVGC since its early days. In addition to the OVGC Board meetings, she participates on the Energy Committee. Cindy has been an Administrative Assistant to Supervisor Bennett since he took office in 2001. Her responsibilities include health and human services, children & families issues, senior services, libraries, courts, probation and office manager. In the Ojai Valley, Cindy also serves on the S.A.F.E. Coalition, is staff liaison to the Oak View Park and Resource Center and is the contact for Community Emergency Response Team training for disaster preparedness. She and her husband, Peter, first became enchanted with Ojai when their two sons were attending Oak Grove School. They made Ojai their home 10 years ago and are committed to protecting its unique character and natural resources.

Steve Olsen, Representative for City of Ojai
Steve is a lifelong Ojai resident and attended Ojai schools. He was employed with the Ojai Unified School District for 32 years as a teacher, coach and administrator. He is presently serving his 19th year on the Ojai City Council and has been Ojai's Mayor 4 times. Steve was a founding board member for the Ojai Valley Land Consevancy, Ojai Valley Youth Foundation, Police Activity League,Ojai Education Foundation and CREW. He has also served on the board of the Ojai Valley Community Hospital, Ojai Valley Museum and American Red Cross. He is married to Sara and has two grown children.