Merrill Berge

Board Chair

As a Board Member of SOAR (Save Open Space & Agricultural Resources), Merrill helped coordinate the SOAR initiative signature drive and subsequent SOAR renewal campaign for Camarillo – which passed Nov. 2016 with 72% voter approval.

Merrill has been on the Ventura County Resource Conservation Board since 2014, and helped to lead a financial turnaround and implement strategic planning for this special district whose mission is to facilitate the conservation and restoration of Ventura County’s natural resources for current and future generations. Merrill has been on the CFROG Board since 2016.

Gladys Limón

Treasurer

Gladys Limón is the Director of Climate and Environmental Justice at the State Energy & Environmental Impact Center at NYU School of Law, where she brings over 20 years of experience in complex impact litigation, policy, and community-based work in environmental justice and civil rights. Gladys previously served as Executive Director of the California Environmental Justice Alliance. Prior to that, she was a senior staff attorney at Communities for a Better Environment. Gladys has extensive experience working on behalf of immigrant communities, including as a staff attorney at the Mexican American Legal Defense & Educational Fund. She was also an attorney at Hadsell Stormer Renick & Dai, LLP and a fellow associate attorney at Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson LLP. Gladys holds a J.D. from Stanford Law School and clerked for the late Hon. Lawrence K. Karlton and the Hon. Fernando M. Olguin in the U.S. District Courts for the Eastern and Central Districts of California.

Aimee Dewing

Secretary

For more than a decade, Aimee has been working with leading foundations, advocacy organizations and community groups to foster the most progressive conversations happening today.

After graduating with her Masters from Pepperdine University’s School of Public Policy in 2008, Aimee gained experience on the National Advance team for the Obama campaign. Throughout President Obama’s two terms in office, she organized national and international events featuring President Obama, Vice President Biden, and their spouses. She then joined Al Gore’s nonprofit organization, Climate Reality Project, where she traveled the world producing campaign events with former Vice President Gore.

In 2012, she joined the strategic communications firm RALLY where she managed teams across multiple issue areas and built award-winning campaigns. After helping grow the firm from seven to 50 employees, she stepped away from her role as Director to focus her work more deeply on fighting for environmental justice. Since then she has acted as communications manager for Last Chance Alliance, a coalition of diverse groups working to end oil drilling in CA, and worked with Center for Environmental Health and the Cancer Free Economy Network to help frontline communities stand up to toxic polluters.

Araceli Centeno

Director

Araceli was born in Ventura, CA, to farm working parents and grew up in Oxnard’s Colonia neighborhood. She attended San Francisco State University where she double majored in International Relations and Raza Studies. It was during this time that she discovered her passion for social justice and organizing. After receiving a B.A., she worked as a community organizer conducting direct actions, tackling issues such as environmental justice, workers’ rights, and gentrification. Araceli has trained and mentored aspiring organizers in topics such as campaign building, grassroots fundraising, direct actions, community building, and other organizing tactics.

In 2016, Araceli graduated with a Master in Public Health from the Keck School of Medicine at USC with a concentration in Child and Family Health. Since then, she has worked in NIH funded research of chronic diseases in agricultural workers and early literacy initiatives. More recently, her role as a mental health engager allowed her to work with youth and families to connect and advocate for mental health services. Araceli is a firm believer that people have the power to build healthy self-autonomous communities through community organizing.

Araceli enjoys roller skating, arts and crafts, and peaceful family walks along the beach with her dog and human family. She also values her alone time by watching documentaries (mocumentaries included) and starting crocheting projects (albeit, not always completing them).

Alison Huyett

Director

Alison Huyett is a seasoned strategist and coalition-builder with nearly two decades of experience advancing environmental advocacy, corporate responsibility, and brand impact. She currently serves as Senior Strategist for Brand Impact at Patagonia, where she leads global environmental and social initiatives that integrate sustainability strategy, advocacy, philanthropy, and impact storytelling across the business.

During her nearly ten years at Patagonia, Alison has spearheaded multi-year advocacy campaigns, forged durable partnerships with communities and NGOs, and helped shape company-wide strategies that deliver measurable outcomes for people and the planet. Her leadership has strengthened Patagonia’s role as a catalyst for movement-aligned business practices and values-driven growth.

Prior to Patagonia, Alison worked with grassroots environmental organizations in the Intermountain West and Pacific Northwest, building trust with local communities and advancing place-based solutions.

Throughout her career in the environmental field, Alison has brought a deep commitment to movement-aligned philanthropy, community trust-building, and bold, systems-level strategy. Whether advancing advocacy campaigns, designing grantmaking programs, or building cross-sector coalitions, she has consistently worked to connect grassroots priorities with institutional influence, resource local leadership, and strengthen the civic infrastructure essential to long-term environmental and climate justice.

Michelle Sevilla

Director

Michelle I. Sevilla works on local environmental issues and policy in the California State Legislature as Director of Communications for Assemblymember Steve Bennett and is the first Network Manager of the Central Coast Climate Justice Network. She brings a unique lens as a young immigrant from the Philippines, more than a decade of environmental outreach and education experience in the museum setting, and as a volunteer leader in various organizations working in the nexus of equity and justice in the environmental movement. She serves as a Board Member of the Gaviota Coast Conservancy, Board Member of CFROG (Climate First: Replacing Oil & Gas), Board Member of the Los Padres Chapter of the Sierra Club, and as a Steering Committee Member of 350 Santa Barbara.

Catalina Solis

Director

Catalina Solis has been in the non-profit sector for over 25 years as supportive administrative staff at the Executive level at various non-profits. Her first profession was in the printing business, leading her to an Assistant Plant Manager position at her pinnacle.

As an active social justice supporter, she has been on the boards of COLOR (Community Organized for Liberty, Opportunity and Respect) & VC Cool (Ventura Climate Care), lending her minute taking secretary skills. A collector and seller of 50’s vintage goods, inventor, writer, and comedian; If you need a laugh, come see her at her stand up when she performs. You can also find her at local venues of Karaoke, belting out Bill Withers’ tunes (o.k. maybe a little Steve Winwood and anything Social Justice oriented!)

Catalina considers Ventura her permanent home, residing here for 30 years, and wants to make sure our way of life is the best it can be.

Annelise Anderle, Petroleum engineer

Steve Colome, Sc.D.,
Environmental health scientist

Helen Conly,
Retired teacher, political activist

Ruth Cooper, MFT,
Therapist and youth mentor

Robert Coronado,
Environmental attorney

Leif Dautch,
Attorney

Daniel Gonzalez,
Future Leaders of America

Suzanne Harvey,
Retired financial and ethical investment professional

Julie Henszey,
Community and political organizer

Carol Holly,
CFROG Founder

Richard Holly,
Attorney

Arthur Valenzuela Jr.,
Longshoreman, former City of Oxnard Council member

Severo Lara,
Former Ojai Mayor

Carol Lindberg,
Ventura Citizens for Hillside Preservation

Sarah Otterstrom,
Paso Pacifico

Vicki Peters,
GIS specialist

Juan Sanchez,
Educator, systems thinking practitioner

Michael Shapiro,
Film maker, producer

Bruce Smith
Ventura County Planner, Retired

Adam Vega,
Port of Hueneme

Jimmy Young,
Small Business Owner