Our Advisory Board

Pat Boyd, MPA - Pat is the Chief Adult Probation Officer for San Francisco. Pat’s extensive corrections experience includes adult and juvenile probation; adult parole; Law Enforcement Assistance Administration programs; administration of community and institutional correctional programs for adults and juveniles; business administration; and executive leadership. Before coming to San Francisco’s Adult Probation Department in 2007, Pat served as a Probation Manager with the County of Santa Barbara’s Probation Department. For more than 30 years, Pat served in various capacities with the California Department of Corrections, including acting Deputy Director of the Risk Management Division; acting Chief Deputy Warden at Mule Creek State Prison and Folsom State Prison; and Associate Warden and Facility Captain, Mule Creek State Prison. Pat holds a Bachelor’s in Sociology from the University of California, Santa Barbara, and a Master’s in Public Administration from California State University, Sacramento. He is a longtime member of the California Probation, Parole and Correctional Association and the California Farm Bureau. For nine years, he served as the President of his community’s elementary school district Board of Trustees.

Michel Saint-Sulpice - Born in Grenoble, France, from a family of artists and architects, Michel Saint-Sulpice chose architecture as his career. His first commission took him to Iran in the mid 70’s where he and his Iranian partner designed a university and a school of journalism. Later, most of his architectural work was built in California. Michel participated in the first Earth Day in 1970 when living in New York City. The awareness gained from this event caused such a strong impact in his mind and heart that he became an environmental activist on the spot. As part of his environmental activism, Michel was a Board Member of the Community Environmental Council in Santa Barbara for a number of years in the 1980’s. His activism evolved into a profound love for Gaia. This love inspired Michel to create Gaia Globes in 1987. Gaia Globes is a company manufacturing earth globes depicting the earth as seen from outer space. The combination of his skill as an architect and his devotion for the preservation of the environment led Michel to be a “Green Architect” using the principles of Sustainable Design. Because of his belief that the sun alone can abundantly provide for all the energy needs of the world, Michel passionately promotes the concept of “A 100% Solar Powered World”.

Isabelle T. Walker is a freelance writer who specializes in health issues. She is a regular contributor to Western Art and Architecture and The Santa Barbara Independent but also write for The American Journal of Nursing and Modern Physician Magazine. She has also written for The Ventura County Star, Santa Barbara Magazine, and the website Reporting on Health www.reportingonhealth.com. Isabelle received a California Newspaper Publisher’s Association award for Best Business reporting in a weekly in 1994 and is a California Endowment Health Journalism Fellow. She is currently creating a blog on homelessness in Santa Barbara.

Sanford Hinden - Sanford (Sandy) Hinden has worked to help create a better world for over 30 years, initiating and coordinating projects in the arts, health and human services, for the environment and peace. He is a project and program developer and consultant specializing in marketing, public relations, training, fund-raising and community development. Sandy is executive director of the Dix Hills Performing Arts Center and co-director of the John Lennon Center for Music & Technology at Five Towns College. He is founder of the Long Island Men’s Center and WholeEarthARTS. Sandy works with clients to overcome obstacles and barriers through increasing resources and expanding their community of support to create opportunities to fulfill their dreams, potential and possibilities. He seeks to be creative, inspire, motivate and empower audiences, workshop participants, clients and co-workers. Sandy has just finished writing a book and is offering a workshop on love in 2009.

Mark Westwind, MPA - Mark Westwind is a independent consultant specializing in professional and technical services for businesses, community agencies and non-profit organization. He was the founding Director of the Contra Costa Software Business Incubator (CCSBI) in Concord and the founding Associate Director of John F. Kennedy University’s Center for Entrepreneurship. Mark is a co-founder of the Digital Safari Institute for Innovation in Education and producer of the annual Digital Safari Innovation Fair. Mark is also the founder/co-founder of over a dozen community organizations, including Diablo Video Arts, Walnut Creek & Pleasant Hill Farmers Market, the California Council for Community Gardening, the James Howe Homestead Park (Walnut Creek), and Project Glean (nominated as one of Pres. Bush's "1000 Points of Light." He is the co-author of "Silicon Valley: The Ecology of Innovation" with former PG&E Chief Economist Dr. Tapan Munroe. Mark received a Master of Public Administration degree from Cal. State University, Hayward and a B.A. in Environmental Studies from the University of California, Berkeley.

Merrill Tilghman - Merrill Tilghman has been a Santa Barbara resident since 1953. She is a widow with four children, two of which have struggled with dual diagnosis. Her professional background includes teaching at Crane School, Howard School (now part of Laguna Blanca School) and the University of California.

Karen Spechler - Karen is a native Santa Barbaran and is a very successful Real Estate broker with Coldwell Banker locally for over 32 years. Karen plays the cello with the Santa Barbara City College Orchestra and is also an avid cyclist. Karen has two sons, one who is currently attending UCLA and the other is living and working in Santa Barbara while playing in several local bands.

Bob Trimble - Bob Trimble has a Master's degree in Clinical Psychology and over 15 years' experience in the addiction field. He is a certified California Alcohol and Drug Educator, a certified California Criminal Justice Professional, and is on the faculty of Santa Barbara City College in the Department of Alcohol and Drug Counseling. He is also a certified Interventionist. Bob served for 10 years as supervisor of the Santa Barbara Sheriff's Treatment Program, and has been Executive Director of Threshholds to Recovery in Santa Barbara for the past 14 years. He currently does court assessments for people with dual diagnosis.

Susan Rode,RN, LCSW,- Susan is a Senior Clinical Social Worker in Counseling and Psychological Services at the University of California at Berkeley where she has worked for 16 years. She provides crisis intervention, individual, group and couples counseling to undergraduate, graduate and international students. Previous to her work at the university , she was a psychiatric medical RN for 20 years working with a wide variety of mental health concerns including eating disorders and substance abuse. She worked for 10 years in Santa Barbara at local hospitals in these speciality areas. She has lived in the East Bay for the last 16 years. As a family member,

she has a son and a parent who have suffered from mental illness. These experiences have enriched her own professional practice providing her with insight into both patients and their families.

Robert Aller - Robert Aller has a Bachelor of Arts in film from UCLA. He has produced a number of documentaries on varied subjects. He was nominated for an Academy Award for the film “A Long Way from Nowhere,” tracing the treatment and development of four autistic children over a one-year period. His documentary on the detection of an adverse and fatal reaction to all antipsychotic medications won the First Place in Patient Care Award at the International Health and Medical Film Competition. Robert is currently filming a series of vignettes with consumers on important personal strategies for well-being, including diet, exercise, spiritual activities, acupuncture, etc. Robert has also been active as an advocate for consumer issues.

Gerald Sawyer - Gerald Sawyer has a Bachelors of Science in Education, Northwest Missouri State University and completed graduate work at Emporia State University. He also has a Bachelors of Arts in Professional Photography Brooks Institute. He worked as quality control inspector/auditor for 20 years with Garvey Inc., then the largest grain storage facilities in world. International photography has always been his passion leading him to attend the Brooks Institute of Photography as a life change. A few years was spent in building a portfolio which resulted in one-person exhibitions in Mannheim and Berlin, Germany. During an earlier five year period, Gerald displayed his images in the residence of the American Ambassador to Thailand. The photographs were commissioned by the Ambassador and his wife as their personal collection.

Alex Lambrous - Alex Lambrous is a native Californian with a film degree from New York University. Alex has been practicing criminal or civil law in Santa Barbara for almost twenty years – the last seven (and best) representing low income individuals, people with mental and/or physical disabilities, and senior citizens with Legal Aid Foundation of Santa Barbara County.

Jennifer Tarasovic - Jennifer Tarasovic grew up and was educated in Educador. She lost her beloved brother John in the winter of 2006. She currently works in banking in Goleta.

Bob Quinn - Bob was diagnosed with bi-polar disorder 5 yrs ago and after a rough start he got involved with support groups and advocacy which were important in his recovery. Bob became the president of a local group of advocates called “Prop 63 4 me.” Bob is employed as Field Representative for the California Network of Mental Health Clients (CNMHC) Network. Bob is also a member of the Client and Family Member Advisory Committee, and a voting member of the Recovery Learning Center Guidance Committee. He co-founded the Santa Barbara DBSA chapter. He is trained in WRAP and leads a Peer Support training. He brings marketing and sales skills from working as a Web Site sales counselor at the early stages of Internet. Before that he spent several years in real estate as a top producing sales broker and associate manager for a 105 office in Santa Monica.


	Our Advisory Board Pat Boyd, MPA - Pat is the Chief Adult Probation Officer for San Francisco. Pat’s extensive corrections experience includes adult and juvenile probation; adult parole; Law Enforcement Assistance Administration programs; administration of community and institutional correctional programs for adults and juveniles; business administration; and executive leadership. Before coming to San Francisco’s Adult Probation Department in 2007, Pat served as a Probation Manager with the County of Santa Barbara’s Probation Department. For more than 30 years, Pat served in various capacities with the California Department of Corrections, including acting Deputy Director of the Risk Management Division; acting Chief Deputy Warden at Mule Creek State Prison and Folsom State Prison; and Associate Warden and Facility Captain, Mule Creek State Prison. Pat holds a Bachelor’s in Sociology from the University of California, Santa Barbara, and a Master’s in Public Administration from California State University, Sacramento. He is a longtime member of the California Probation, Parole and Correctional Association and the California Farm Bureau. For nine years, he served as the President of his community’s elementary school district Board of Trustees. Michel Saint-Sulpice - Born in Grenoble, France, from a family of artists and architects, Michel Saint-Sulpice chose architecture as his career. His first commission took him to Iran in the mid 70’s where he and his Iranian partner designed a university and a school of journalism. Later, most of his architectural work was built in California. Michel participated in the first Earth Day in 1970 when living in New York City. The awareness gained from this event caused such a strong impact in his mind and heart that he became an environmental activist on the spot. As part of his environmental activism, Michel was a Board Member of the Community Environmental Council in Santa Barbara for a number of years in the 1980’s. His activism evolved into a profound love for Gaia. This love inspired Michel to create Gaia Globes in 1987. Gaia Globes is a company manufacturing earth globes depicting the earth as seen from outer space. The combination of his skill as an architect and his devotion for the preservation of the environment led Michel to be a “Green Architect” using the principles of Sustainable Design. Because of his belief that the sun alone can abundantly provide for all the energy needs of the world, Michel passionately promotes the concept of “A 100% Solar Powered World”. Isabelle T. Walker is a freelance writer who specializes in health issues. She is a regular contributor to Western Art and Architecture and The Santa Barbara Independent but also write for The American Journal of Nursing and Modern Physician Magazine. She has also written for The Ventura County Star, Santa Barbara Magazine, and the website Reporting on Health www.reportingonhealth.com. Isabelle received a California Newspaper Publisher’s Association award for Best Business reporting in a weekly in 1994 and is a California Endowment Health Journalism Fellow. She is currently creating a blog on homelessness in Santa Barbara. Sanford Hinden - Sanford (Sandy) Hinden has worked to help create a better world for over 30 years, initiating and coordinating projects in the arts, health and human services, for the environment and peace. He is a project and program developer and consultant specializing in marketing, public relations, training, fund-raising and community development. Sandy is executive director of the Dix Hills Performing Arts Center and co-director of the John Lennon Center for Music & Technology at Five Towns College. He is founder of the Long Island Men’s Center and WholeEarthARTS. Sandy works with clients to overcome obstacles and barriers through increasing resources and expanding their community of support to create opportunities to fulfill their dreams, potential and possibilities. He seeks to be creative, inspire, motivate and empower audiences, workshop participants, clients and co-workers. Sandy has just finished writing a book and is offering a workshop on love in 2009. Mark Westwind, MPA - Mark Westwind is a independent consultant specializing in professional and technical services for businesses, community agencies and non-profit organization. He was the founding Director of the Contra Costa Software Business Incubator (CCSBI) in Concord and the founding Associate Director of John F. Kennedy University’s Center for Entrepreneurship. Mark is a co-founder of the Digital Safari Institute for Innovation in Education and producer of the annual Digital Safari Innovation Fair. Mark is also the founder/co-founder of over a dozen community organizations, including Diablo Video Arts, Walnut Creek & Pleasant Hill Farmers Market, the California Council for Community Gardening, the James Howe Homestead Park (Walnut Creek), and Project Glean (nominated as one of Pres. Bush's "1000 Points of Light." He is the co-author of "Silicon Valley: The Ecology of Innovation" with former PG&E Chief Economist Dr. Tapan Munroe. Mark received a Master of Public Administration degree from Cal. State University, Hayward and a B.A. in Environmental Studies from the University of California, Berkeley. Merrill Tilghman - Merrill Tilghman has been a Santa Barbara resident since 1953. She is a widow with four children, two of which have struggled with dual diagnosis. Her professional background includes teaching at Crane School, Howard School (now part of Laguna Blanca School) and the University of California. Karen Spechler - Karen is a native Santa Barbaran and is a very successful Real Estate broker with Coldwell Banker locally for over 32 years. Karen plays the cello with the Santa Barbara City College Orchestra and is also an avid cyclist. Karen has two sons, one who is currently attending UCLA and the other is living and working in Santa Barbara while playing in several local bands. Bob Trimble - Bob Trimble has a Master's degree in Clinical Psychology and over 15 years' experience in the addiction field. He is a certified California Alcohol and Drug Educator, a certified California Criminal Justice Professional, and is on the faculty of Santa Barbara City College in the Department of Alcohol and Drug Counseling. He is also a certified Interventionist. Bob served for 10 years as supervisor of the Santa Barbara Sheriff's Treatment Program, and has been Executive Director of Threshholds to Recovery in Santa Barbara for the past 14 years. He currently does court assessments for people with dual diagnosis. Susan Rode,RN, LCSW,- Susan is a Senior Clinical Social Worker in Counseling and Psychological Services at the University of California at Berkeley where she has worked for 16 years. She provides crisis intervention, individual, group and couples counseling to undergraduate, graduate and international students. Previous to her work at the university , she was a psychiatric medical RN for 20 years working with a wide variety of mental health concerns including eating disorders and substance abuse. She worked for 10 years in Santa Barbara at local hospitals in these speciality areas. She has lived in the East Bay for the last 16 years. As a family member, she has a son and a parent who have suffered from mental illness. These experiences have enriched her own professional practice providing her with insight into both patients and their families. Robert Aller - Robert Aller has a Bachelor of Arts in film from UCLA. He has produced a number of documentaries on varied subjects. He was nominated for an Academy Award for the film “A Long Way from Nowhere,” tracing the treatment and development of four autistic children over a one-year period. His documentary on the detection of an adverse and fatal reaction to all antipsychotic medications won the First Place in Patient Care Award at the International Health and Medical Film Competition. Robert is currently filming a series of vignettes with consumers on important personal strategies for well-being, including diet, exercise, spiritual activities, acupuncture, etc. Robert has also been active as an advocate for consumer issues. Gerald Sawyer - Gerald Sawyer has a Bachelors of Science in Education, Northwest Missouri State University and completed graduate work at Emporia State University. He also has a Bachelors of Arts in Professional Photography Brooks Institute. He worked as quality control inspector/auditor for 20 years with Garvey Inc., then the largest grain storage facilities in world. International photography has always been his passion leading him to attend the Brooks Institute of Photography as a life change. A few years was spent in building a portfolio which resulted in one-person exhibitions in Mannheim and Berlin, Germany. During an earlier five year period, Gerald displayed his images in the residence of the American Ambassador to Thailand. The photographs were commissioned by the Ambassador and his wife as their personal collection. Alex Lambrous - Alex Lambrous is a native Californian with a film degree from New York University. Alex has been practicing criminal or civil law in Santa Barbara for almost twenty years – the last seven (and best) representing low income individuals, people with mental and/or physical disabilities, and senior citizens with Legal Aid Foundation of Santa Barbara County. Jennifer Tarasovic - Jennifer Tarasovic grew up and was educated in Educador. She lost her beloved brother John in the winter of 2006. She currently works in banking in Goleta. Bob Quinn - Bob was diagnosed with bi-polar disorder 5 yrs ago and after a rough start he got involved with support groups and advocacy which were important in his recovery. Bob became the president of a local group of advocates called “Prop 63 4 me.” Bob is employed as Field Representative for the California Network of Mental Health Clients (CNMHC) Network. Bob is also a member of the Client and Family Member Advisory Committee, and a voting member of the Recovery Learning Center Guidance Committee. He co-founded the Santa Barbara DBSA chapter. He is trained in WRAP and leads a Peer Support training. He brings marketing and sales skills from working as a Web Site sales counselor at the early stages of Internet. Before that he spent several years in real estate as a top producing sales broker and associate manager for a 105 office in Santa Monica.