Stevenson Symposium 2025
Civic Engagement
Stevenson School welcomes guest speakers who have initiated change to guide our students through activities that will help them to find their purpose.
Thursday, April 3, 2025
8:45 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Hosted by the 2025 Symposium Committee, under the leadership of Elisabeth Campbell and Heather Bagley-Rowe.
Keynote & Featured Speakers
Embark on a journey of learning with an engaging group of presenters who have harnessed their passion to drive change in politics, the environment, and entertainment. Many of these change-makers initiated their impactful journeys while they were still in high school or college, proving that everyone can make a difference.
Rick Stevenson – Keynote Speaker
Writer, Producer, Director of Film and Television
Keynote: Finding Your Place in the Universe
We’re all key pieces in a grand puzzle and, like all puzzles, no two pieces are alike. Our journey through life is all about finding our place in the puzzle. As Mark Twain said, “The two most important days of your life are the day you’re born and the day you discover why.” The key to making a difference is knowing how and why that difference starts with you.
Session Title: If your life were a movie, what would the tagline be?
Every main character in every movie has an arc—that thing they need to overcome by the end. So, if your life were a movie, what would your arc be? Come and watch a series of intimate short films on kids your age who have chosen to share their lives through the 5000 Day Project powered by StoryQ.
Eddie Ahn – Featured Speaker
Cartoonist and Environmental Justice Lawyer
Session Title: Advocate: Art and Activism
Join Cartoonist and Environmental Justice Lawyer Eddie Ahn as he describes his process for making a graphic memoir about his nonprofit work and life. Bring your questions for Mr. Ahn and participate in a graphic novel making activity.
Schedule & Abstracts
Students will have the opportunity to meet change-makers from different sectors and walks of life to learn about ways in which they, too, can make an impact.
Presenters’ Bios & Session Info
Eddie Ahn
Writer, Artist
Join Cartoonist and Environmental Justice Lawyer Eddie Ahn as he describes his process for making a graphic memoir about his nonprofit work and life. Bring your questions for Mr. Ahn and participate in a graphic novel making activity.
Eddie Ahn is the writer and artist of ADVOCATE, a graphic memoir published by Penguin Random House in April 2024, and has been an environmental justice attorney and nonprofit worker for fifteen years. While working as the executive director of Brightline Defense, a San Francisco–based environmental justice nonprofit, he was inducted into the State of California’s Clean Energy Hall of Fame for his work in equity and clean energy. In addition to his nonprofit work, he has served as president of the San Francisco Commission on the Environment as well as a commissioner on the Metropolitan Transportation Commission and Bay Conservation and Development Commission. He is a self-taught artist who has been recognized as a Cartoonist-in-Residence by the Charles M. Schulz Museum in Santa Rosa.
Charla Britt
Social Development Specialist and Environmental Sociologist
Subtitle: Civic Engagement and Your Journey
This presentation focuses on the speaker’s non-linear path to finding her purpose and vocation. She offers insights into how she shifted away from becoming a lawyer to choosing a career as an environmental sociologist and social development specialist working on foreign assistance projects around the world. She emphasizes why being open to different possibilities and civic engagement matters, noting how everyone’s path is unique and highlighting ways to further self-discovery and utilize available resources to find purpose and a meaningful career.
Charla Britt is a social development specialist and environmental sociologist with 20+ years of experience providing technical assistance through a gender and social inclusion lens to international development programs and projects, including on natural resources management, green transitions and climate resilience, sustainable agriculture, energy, education, and water, sanitation and hygiene. She has traveled to more than 60 countries and worked with the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund, the Millennium Challenge Corporation, the United States Agency for International Development, the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, non-governmental organizations, community groups, and community-based federations. Charla holds a PhD and MS from Cornell University, in Development Sociology, and a BA from University of California, Berkeley, in Political Economy. She is the proud parent of a Stevenson high school senior and 8th grader.
Jeff Baron
Carmel-by-the-Sea City Councilmember
Government shapes the rules, policies, and services that define our communities. From crafting and enforcing policies to funding and implementing them, government plays a central role in everyday life. As a result, many forms of civic engagement aim to influence governments’ policies and decisions.
Jeff Baron, a six-year veteran of the Carmel-by-the-Sea City Council—the most local level of government—participates in this process firsthand. In this session, he brings that experience to Stevenson, giving students a chance to step into the roles that comprise public decision-making.
Students will take part in a simulated policy debate: Should Stevenson School replace the senior and faculty and staff parking lots with additional housing, relocating said parking to new or expanded facilities in more distant locations on the other side of Forest Lake Road?
Participants will assume all of the different roles in the process, including those of Stevenson board members, advocates for and against the proposal, and representatives of diverse constituencies. After the board reaches a decision, the session will conclude with a discussion on the process itself—what makes for effective advocacy, and how public decision-making can serve a community’s needs.
Jeff Baron is an elected official with a diverse professional background. Before entering public service, he built a successful career in the private sector, working on Wall Street before transitioning back to his roots in software design and consulting. He holds a bachelor’s degree in computer science from Harvard University.
In 2005, Jeff and his husband, Kevin D’Angelo, purchased a home in Carmel-by-the-Sea, later relocating there full-time in 2011. His commitment to the community first led him to volunteer at the local library, assisting patrons with electronic books and devices. He later served on Carmel’s Forest and Beach Commission from 2014 to 2016.
Jeff was first elected to the Carmel-by-the-Sea City Council in 2016 and was re-elected in 2022. Jeff represents the city as a board member of several regional entities, including the Transportation Agency for Monterey County and Monterey County’s Community Human Services, a nonprofit providing mental health, substance abuse, and homeless services. He previously served as a director of the Monterey-Salinas Transit District, the county’s primary public transportation provider.
Throughout his tenure, Jeff has championed efforts to preserve Carmel’s distinctive character while addressing modern challenges. He has been actively involved in discussions on implementing street addresses—balancing safety and accessibility with tradition—and plays a key role in initiatives to protect Carmel’s forested environment and architectural heritage, helping to ensure that the town’s unique identity as a residential community in the forest by the sea endures and thrives into the future.
Emily Cole
Senior Scientist
A major hurdle in addressing climate change at a global scale is decarbonizing large industry, which represent point-polluters that are also the foundations of our economy (building material manufacturing, fuel & chemical production, transportation…) In this presentation, we will look at large industry through the lens of decarbonization potential. In small groups we will dissect major economic sectors according to perceived CO2 footprint and–as a large group–we will examine where our ideas sit within the technology-policy-economics nexus that drives industry change. Students who are interested in working towards change will consider where their strengths are best-suited to support that change. The talk will emphasize that these solutions require extensive interdisciplinary work, so there is room for every skill set. The talk will close with advice for students who want to use their skills to work towards a solution, which includes a reminder of how important it is to give yourself grace and lean into your “happy place” while tackling problems much larger than ourselves.
Emily Cole has spent 10+ years at startups developing decarbonization solutions for large industries. Her professional experience includes working on projects that address direct carbon capture and reuse for cement manufacturing, novel low-energy manufacturing methods for commodity chemicals, and now green hydrogen. In her current role as Senior Scientist, she leads a lifetime and failure analysis program aimed at vetting novel electrolyzer components for compatibility with Verdagy’s commercial electrolyzer offering. She also supervises all analytics applications for Verdagy’s R&D site. Emily enjoys leveraging her BS in chemical engineering, MS in environmental engineering, and her passion for science communication to tackle problems from new angles. Emily also has extensive teaching experience in tutoring and postsecondary education, teaching in one-on-one settings throughout her academic and professional life as well as in large classroom settings at Hartnell College. Outside of work, Emily is president of a local running club that provides scholarships to exceptional high school seniors in Monterey County who excel in cross country and track & field and who plan on pursuing a postsecondary education.
Julia Farley ’16
Promising Futures Fellow, New York Community Trust
What is the nonprofit sector, and how does it serve communities locally and globally? In this session, we’ll explore the diverse roles of direct service, advocacy, philanthropy, and grassroots organizations. We’ll spotlight civic engagement efforts in Monterey, focusing on community development, and food systems. Adam and Julia will share their personal journeys from Stevenson to their current work in the New York nonprofit sector, showing how early civic engagement shaped their careers. An interactive Q&A will allow students to discuss challenges and opportunities in the sector and get advice on making their own impact.
How would you turn your passions into civic action? This session offers an insider look at creating and leading nonprofits. Learn from Adam and Julia as they share their experiences at the Asia Society and New York Community Trust, sharing what inspired them to pursue careers in the nonprofit sector, offering advice for students aspiring to make a difference. Then, put theory into practice through an interactive workshop where you’ll design your own nonprofit. Using guided materials, you will define your organization’s mission, goals, and structure based on issues you care about. Groups will present their ideas to their peers, demonstrating the power of civic engagement.
Julia Farley is a nonprofit and philanthropic professional with a passion for leveraging policy and philanthropy for long-term social change. She is currently pursuing her MPA at NYU’s Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service and serving as a Fellow at the New York Community Trust. At the Trust, she supports New York City nonprofits through community-focused philanthropy across workforce development, civic engagement, immigration, gender equity, and early childhood education. In a nod to her California upbringing, much of Julia’s work and passion centers on immigration and food system equity. She brings experience in academic philanthropy, New York City government, policy think tanks, and direct service nonprofits, leveraging her background to drive meaningful change and improve outcomes for youth and communities.
John Giordanengo
Founder & Economic Restoration Advocate
Times of great turbulence ensure one thing: the economies and businesses that will thrive in the future are not those that were tailored to the past. In this turbulent century, how might our economic model shift to become a driver (not a roadblock) to meaningful progress? Summarizing over thirty years of experience and work in business, ecology, civic engagement, and restoration, John Giordanengo (Jor-dah-nayn-go) will present a seminal theory on the actual structure of a sustainable economy. Beyond theory, this talk identifies practical strategies for resolving society’s environmental and social issues while sustaining our economic needs.
John’s decades of experience, research, and global interviews are synthesized into Ecosystems as Models for Restoring Our Economies (To a Sustainable State), a timely book that explores the roots of abundant social and environmental challenges we experience, and identifies processes for restoring our economies to a sustainable state. This book is the foundation of speaking engagements across the globe, inspiring students, activists, policymakers, and even economists to think and act in a bold new direction.
Grasping the solid bonds between ecology and economy, we find ourselves moving beyond “doing less harm” to actively restoring our ecosystems and economies as one seamless whole. In the process, great opportunity awaits entrepreneurs, government leaders, non-profit organizations, and consumers dedicated to actively building a sustainable future. Just when we think there are no good paths forward, nature’s wisdom guides the way.
This afternoon session builds on Giordanengo’s morning talk, and will provide a chance for students to engage one another and to explore these topics more deeply. John will share practical details of non-profit organizational development, entrepreneurship, and other means for citizens to engage in restoring their economies to a sustainable state. Economic restoration is the process of rebuilding the balance between social, ecological, and economic systems. However, the acts of restoration are in the hands of entrepreneurs, businesses and non-profit organizations, investors and inventors, government leaders and policymakers, researchers, volunteers, activists, and consumers. In the process, an unprecedented opportunity exists for the next generation to forge real change in their communities, states, and nations. The sum of that work amounts to global change.
John H. Giordanengo asked two simple questions in business school in the early nineties: “Are Earth’s ecosystems and economies built around the same model? If so, how can we apply such knowledge to forge a sustainable future?” He continues this pursuit today, including investigative research, publications, and talks around the globe. In the process, John has founded three companies and co-founded four NGOs dedicated to building sustainable economies, ecological restoration, and conservation. His newest venture, the Economic Restoration Institute, aims to work across public, private, and philanthropic realms to restore our economies to a flourishing and sustainable state. John’s work is inspired by the awe of nature, music, and our shared human struggle.
Tamu Green
CEO of the Equity and Wellness Institute
As humans, we are naturally wired to create cultures that enable our survival, protection, and belonging. And as teenagers, we are tasked developmentally with examining those structures, fundamentally questioning them to see if they hold up for our generation. Time and again, teenagers recognize that what we are inheriting is outdated and must change. We draw inspiration from our social environment, from previous movements, and from one another. In this talk, the speaker will describe some of the powerful youth-led movements that she engaged in and the ways that activism shaped her life and career as a developmental psychologist, public health practitioner, DEI professional, and CEO.
Tamu Green is a developmental psychologist and thought leader who brings expertise and lived experience in communities facing inequities in her pursuit of social justice through institutional and systems change. For 30 years, she has been engaged in power building efforts that synergize resources, facilitate equity-oriented decision making, and turn advocacy into outcomes. She was honored in July 2022 by the Sacramento Business Journal for her decades of work in diversity, equity and inclusion.
Dr. Green is the CEO of the Equity and Wellness Institute, which has guided numerous organizations and institutions in their aspirations of advancing equitable internal and external practices. The Stanford Center for Biodesign is one of her clients; having formerly served as their Director of Health Equity and Inclusive Design, she now serves as their Senior Advisor. Her expertise has supported an array of clients in advancing their justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion goals through training, coaching, and product development.
By prioritizing planning, research and evaluation practices that maximize stakeholder engagement, coalition building and strategic partnerships, Dr. Green has confronted the social determinants of health at the community, state and national level. These efforts have been aided by her networks, including the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and American Leadership Forum, of which she is a senior fellow.
Brandi Jones
Multicultural Community Council of the Monterey County District Attorney’s Office
Uncover the powerful story of how the lived experiences of four individuals helped transform history. Their voices, shared in unity, sparked a movement that changed the world. This journey highlights the significance of grassroots organizing—how real change often begins at the local level, where the people most affected by injustice come together to advocate for themselves and their communities.
As Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. once said, ‘Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.’ This truth reminds us that silence is complicity, and speaking out is essential.
Learn why your voice matters, how grassroots advocacy can shape public policy, and why engaging in civic action is one of the most powerful tools we have to create a just society.
Brandi Jones establishes the vision, systems and strategies for Secure Families Initiative to win concrete improvements in the lives of military families. Brandi creates and oversees grassroots member pipeline programs and international campaign teams that center people of color to build member power, and coordinates across all departments to ensure organizational analysis aligns with the values and diverse experiences of our membership.
Brandi has worked as a Transitional Kindergarten teacher, community organizer, advocate, publisher, and writer. A national spokesperson for military-connected families, her work has been featured on CNN, NBC News, CBS News, NPR as well as contributed to national publications including USA Today, Newsweek, We Are the Mighty, MilitarySpouse.com and Military.com. She is a frequent speaker at policy forums and civic groups.
Brandi has been the proud wife of a United States Marine for two decades. During this time she has created time-tested programs that served thousands of military families that are still in place a decade later to foster inclusion in schools. Her most recent project, the PCS Safety Campaign, achieved a landmark legislative success by securing a report within the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2025 (NDAA 25). Additionally, her contributions were instrumental in the Secure Families Initiative, which filed and successfully litigated multiple lawsuits aimed at challenging regulations that pose a threat to voter disenfranchisement, particularly for military and overseas voters.
Brandi currently holds positions on several boards, including serving on the Multicultural Community Council of the Monterey County District Attorney’s Office. She also made history as the first Black woman to be elected to the board of the Commodore Sloat Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution.
Brandi’s exemplary work has not gone unnoticed, she has been awarded AFI Naval Postgraduate School Monterey Military Spouse of the Year, A Hero at Home, as well as a recipient of the Opening Doors Award from the Girl Scouts. In 2010, Brandi established a program dedicated to supporting military families, an initiative that garnered recognition from Dr. Jill Biden, then Second Lady of the United States. Brandi is also a three-time recipient of the MacArthur Foundation’s one million dollar Ploughshares Fund grant. Her work has been instrumental in introducing transformative ideas and advancing progress within the nuclear field.
Brandi is a graduate of Liberty University, and holds a Masters in Education in Curriculum and Instruction, and a Human Resources Certification in Inclusion from Cornell University. She is currently pursuing a PhD in Education with a focus on Organizational Leadership.
Rebecca Nowatchik
Director of External Partnerships for the Secure Families Initiative
Uncover the powerful story of how the lived experiences of four individuals helped transform history. Their voices, shared in unity, sparked a movement that changed the world. This journey highlights the significance of grassroots organizing—how real change often begins at the local level, where the people most affected by injustice come together to advocate for themselves and their communities.
As Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. once said, ‘Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.’ This truth reminds us that silence is complicity, and speaking out is essential.
Learn why your voice matters, how grassroots advocacy can shape public policy, and why engaging in civic action is one of the most powerful tools we have to create a just society.
Rebecca Nowatchik has served in multiple executive leadership roles for community-based and national environmental organizations. Rebecca has an extensive background managing successful campaigns focused on worker safety, community health, and renewable energy policy. Rebecca’s career has been dedicated to bringing regular people to the center of the political process and holds the conviction that the people most entitled to decision-making are those who are affected by the outcomes of those decisions.
One of Rebecca’s proudest moments was leading a community campaign that resulted in the closure of a coke production plant, a $30 million criminal penalty and a prison sentence for the company’s environmental control manager. As a result of the shutdown, which included a worker transition plan, the chemical carcinogen benzene, which posed a 75 to 1 million-lifetime cancer risk in the neighborhood, dropped to 7 in 1 million.
Her work has been featured by publications such as Grist, Bill Moyers, and Al Jazeera. She currently serves as the Director of External Partnerships for the Secure Families Initiative. Rebecca holds a Masters in Nonprofit Management from Canisius College.
Liz O’Brian
Family Nurse Practitioner and Sexual Assault Forensic Nurse Examiner
Over 20 years ago, Liz participated in her high school’s 24-hour volleyball marathon to help raise funds for Operation Smile. This act of civic engagement and exposure to a global nonprofit organization as a high school student was the spark that ignited her passion for global health. Now a nurse practitioner and almost a decade since her first international surgical cleft lip and cleft palate mission, Liz feels honored to be coming back to the arena where it all began: a high school. She will share how even a small spark leads to engagement and how engagement leads to a big impact.
Liz O’Brian is a former journalist turned Family Nurse Practitioner and Sexual Assault Forensic Nurse Examiner. She is triple Board Certified and holds specialty certifications in aesthetics, wound care, and Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy. She earned her Masters of Science in Nursing from Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia. Since moving to California with her family, Liz’s practice focus is on forensics for Monterey County and Craniofacial Reconstructive Plastics at Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital Stanford. She credits her fascination with the body’s ability to heal and transform from her days as an RN in the Burn ICU at the William Randolph Hearst Burn Center at New York Presbyterian Hospital Weill Cornell. As a Family NP Liz is committed to helping her community achieve a greater sense of health and wellness. When not taking care of patients stateside, Liz volunteers with international NGOs such as Healing The Children and International Medical Response to provide surgeries to underserved populations around the globe. When she’s off duty as a nurse, she is often outside exploring Mother Nature with her husband and two children.
Jake Peterson ’23
Jake Peterson, Class of 2023, is a current second-year Political Science (BA) major specializing in American Government and minoring in Environmental Science. Jake has experience in civic engagement through high school and into college, starting with the creation of the political discussion podcast Picket which invited guests from across the political and academic realm to discuss current topics during the COVID-19 pandemic. Jake has since worked for both the legislative side of government and campaigns, gaining an understanding of the ever-changing role of civically-engaged youth.
Julia Ramirez ’09
12th Ward Alderwoman
Together we will work on finding your “why”, discuss tools to organize around the issues you care about, and elevate the importance of young voices.
As a person once in your shoes I will share how Stevenson School was a catalyst to my career and how my “why” stood firm and led me to elected office.
I am excited to share my experience but more importantly I want to take what I have learned and highlight them for you and your journey. We will discuss the power of storytelling, learn from our positionality in society, and discuss lessons learned in organizing and politics.
12th Ward Alderwoman Julia Ramirez is a restorative justice practitioner, social worker, and community organizer born and raised in Brighton Park,Chicago.
Like too many families in our community, Ald. Ramirez lost a loved one to gun violence.
This experience moved Julia to fight for quality and equitable investments in our community. Through her work at Latinos Progresando and Instituto del Progreso Latino, Julia worked with immigrant communities on nonviolence initiatives to increase resources and reduce crime and violence. After attending the University of Chicago, Julia worked on the west side with BUILD Chicago on gang intervention initiatives, providing support and resources to at-risk youth. Most recently, Julia has worked as a restorative justice practitioner and social worker re-engaging students at Chicago Public Schools (CPS), connecting families with resources and supporting students’ through their integration in the public school system.
As an organizer for the Back of the Yards Neighborhood Council, Julia helped to create safe spaces for families and supported local small businesses. She was also part of the efforts to raise funds for street vendors during the COVID pandemic in 2020 as a volunteer for Increase the Peace.
Julia received her Master’s Degree in Social Work from Northeastern Illinois University. On February 28, 2023 Julia was elected to be the new 12th Ward Alderwoman, the only aldermanic candidate to unseat an incumbent. She was sworn into office on May 15, 2023 with Mayor Brandon Johnson and the Chicago City Council.
Terrence Riley ’00
Founding Executive Director of the San Francisco Literacy Coalition
Explore how being active in your community enhances how you lead. Through storytelling, brainstorming and reflective activities, participants will uncover their leadership potential and learn how to address the needs of their communities
A class of ‘00 Stevenson graduate, Terrence has made it his life’s work to serve those who are often most marginalized and under-resourced. Terrence is the Founding Executive Director of the San Francisco Literacy Coalition supporting SFUSD students in becoming skilled readers, writers and critical thinkers.
Terrence previously worked for 15 years at Aim High, a national, award-winning academic summer program, where he served as VP of Programs. An intentional life-long learner, Terrence received his B.A. from the University of Southern California, his M.A. from the University of the Pacific, and is a graduate of the Executive Leadership Program, a non-degree program at the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University. He is currently a Strategic Advisory for Michael L Younger’s 2026 Gubernatorial Campaign, serves as a Commissioner on an OUSD Oversight Commission, and is on the board of directors for the Regional Parks Foundation.
Outside of work, Terrence enjoys spending time with his wife, Brandi, and their two children exploring their hometown of Oakland and the greater Bay Area.
Dr. Rick Stevenson
Writer, Producer, Director of Film and Television
We’re all key pieces in a grand puzzle and, like all puzzles, no two pieces are alike. Our journey through life is all about finding our place in the puzzle. As Mark Twain said, “The two most important days of your life are the day you’re born and the day you discover why.” The key to making a difference is knowing how and why that difference starts with you.
Every main character in every movie has an arc—that thing they need to overcome by the end. So, if your life were a movie, what would your arc be? Come and watch a series of intimate short films on kids your age who have chosen to share their lives through the 5000 Day Project powered by StoryQ.
Dr. Rick Stevenson has produced, written and/or directed thirteen feature films and nearly 100 hours of television. He has worked with Robert Redford, Hugh Grant, Christopher Plummer, Kiefer Sutherland, Meg Ryan, Patrick Dempsey, Jennifer Connelly, Mark Harmon and many others. He is Founder of The 5000 Days Project which involves 10,000 kids over six continents and has pioneered the practice of Personal Story Mentoring which helps kids capture and become authors of their own stories (The5000DaysProject.org/psm). He is the author of four books including 21 Things You Forgot About Being A Kid based on his 7000 interviews with kids from twelve countries. He also founded the PRODIGY CAMP for the 25 most talented young filmmakers and songwriters from around the world. He has won over 40 awards for his work in film, television and commercials. He holds a doctorate from Oxford University, a master’s degree from The London School of Economics and a bachelor’s degree from Whitman. Rick is married with four children. www.rickstevenson.com
Catherine Stihler
Distinguished leader, adept community builder, campaigner and advocate
With a career including two decades at the forefront of European policy creation and decision making, she uniquely bridges regulation and innovation, helping organizations understand compliance and achieve their strategic goals. She served as the 52nd Rector of the University of St Andrews and was the first elected Senior Lay Member of the governing body of the university where her expertise in board governance and effectiveness have been praised.
Catherine is excited about making a practical difference in her new local community. Her husband grew up in Monterey County and they moved back from Scotland with their family in 2021. She currently serves as Chair of the Audit and Risk Committee at Stevenson School and sits on the Filecoin Foundation Advisory Board.
Steve Thomas
Strategic Outreach and Public Communications
Join communications expert Steve Thomas during a fun, interactive and informative discussion on how effective civic engagement and outreach can affect positive change within your school, community, and the world.
Steve has more than 25 years of strategic outreach and public communications experience. He specializes in working with entities and individuals in the public sector. He is an expert in public outreach and education emphasizing collaborative processes with creative and effective outcomes. Steve regularly presents at state and national conferences on community engagement and the public outreach and education process.
Adam Tusin ’15
Senior Manager of Special Projects and Individual Giving at Asia Society
What is the nonprofit sector, and how does it serve communities locally and globally? In this session, we’ll explore the diverse roles of direct service, advocacy, philanthropy, and grassroots organizations. We’ll spotlight civic engagement efforts in Monterey, focusing on community development, and food systems. Adam and Julia will share their personal journeys from Stevenson to their current work in the New York nonprofit sector, showing how early civic engagement shaped their careers. An interactive Q&A will allow students to discuss challenges and opportunities in the sector and get advice on making their own impact.
How would you turn your passions into civic action? This session offers an insider look at creating and leading nonprofits. Learn from Adam and Julia as they share their experiences at the Asia Society and New York Community Trust, sharing what inspired them to pursue careers in the nonprofit sector, offering advice for students aspiring to make a difference. Then, put theory into practice through an interactive workshop where you’ll design your own nonprofit. Using guided materials, you will define your organization’s mission, goals, and structure based on issues you care about. Groups will present their ideas to their peers, demonstrating the power of civic engagement.
Adam Tusin is the Senior Manager of Special Projects and Individual Giving at Asia Society, where he oversees the Young Patrons program in New York. Originally from Singapore, Adam graduated from Stevenson School in 2015. After serving two years with the Singapore Fire Department, he earned a BA in International Relations and Asian Studies from Hobart and William Smith Colleges. His career has included roles in cultural affairs at the French Embassies in the U.S. and Singapore, ultimately leading to his current position at Asia Society.
Barbara Utter
Financial Controller at Big Sur Land Trust
Wildfires and floods are two of the biggest threats to Monterey’s landscapes and communities—but how do we protect both people and nature? In this interactive session, students will take on real-world roles, including scientists, firefighters, and policymakers, to develop solutions for balancing wildfire prevention and floodplain restoration. Work as a team to tackle tough decisions, debate trade-offs, and see how your solutions compare to real NOAA-funded projects in Monterey County.
Barb is the Financial Controller at Big Sur Land Trust, combining her background in marine biology and finance. She spent 23 years at the Monterey Bay Aquarium, specializing in kelp forest ecology and phycology, before transitioning to accounting. Her love of math and problem-solving led her to become a CPA.
She holds a BS and MS in Biology from Stanford University and an MS in Accounting from Saint Mary’s College of California. An avid outdoor enthusiast, Barb enjoys hiking, biking, swimming, and river boating. In 2019, she co-founded BSA Scout Troop 2090, the first girls’ BSA troop in Monterey County. She lives on the Monterey Peninsula with her husband and three children.
