Board of Directors

. Banner Image by Steve Gibbs

Board of Directors

Our diverse board of directors is composed of business leaders, conservationists, scientists and educators, and is representative of the Laguna’s broad appeal to Sonoma County’s many cultural and economic communities. Our strategic approach is collaborative, building a “big tent” embracing private landowners and public agencies to jointly solve problems and improve management of the Laguna’s natural resources. Our directorship, accordingly, reflects a wide range of perspectives and interests, but shares the common goal of improving the health and functioning of the Laguna.

Officers

Chair
Morgan Marchbanks, EdD holds a Doctor of Education degree (Ed.D) in Educational Leadership for Social Justice, a M.A in Educational Administration, M.A in Secondary Teaching, an English teaching credential, in addition to numerous academic awards and professional achievements. Her educational pathway started at Santa Rosa Junior College and her advance degrees were earned University of California, Berkeley and Stanford University. In the Sequoia Union High School District of San Mateo County, her work included the teaching of English, and English as a Second Language, serving as Master Teacher to student teachers at Stanford and San Jose State universities, and English Department Chair. Dr. Marchbanks also served as Principal, Chief Academic Officer, and Assistant Superintendent for Educational Services. She was a Founding Board member of the Smart Cookies Scholarship Board for ten years, and served as a board member for Garfield Charter School. She is proficient speaker of Spanish and currently volunteers as PTA President of Biella Elementary School, while working independently as an educational consultant. After her three daughters attended Camp Tule, Morgan praised the abundant value of the program and became interested in volunteering for the Laguna Foundation. She grew up on a small farm within two miles of the Laguna. She believes the restoration of the Laguna and the myriad educational opportunity it provides is of great importance to her family and the entire community.

Vice Chair
John Dell'Osso
After 36 years in the National Park Service, John retired in 2019 as Chief of Interpretation and Communication with Point Reyes National Seashore (PRNS). He is passionate about education and curriculum-based programs and oversaw many docent programs at PRNS. John was a leader in PRNS’s nonprofit arm, Point Reyes National Seashore Association, throughout his career and participated in various fundraising efforts that made possible the visitor centers at Bear Valley and Drakes Beach. John is involved in many civic organizations and activities, including serving on the Cotati City Council for 13 years (3 as mayor) and an advisor to Sonoma County Ag+Open Space. John is an avid birdwatcher. And with the headwaters of the Laguna passing directly behind his house in Cotati, he has truly found home.

Treasurer
Janine Barnes moved to Sebastopol in 1983. Since then, she has experienced and enjoyed the many positive changes in the Laguna. While raising her two daughters, she became aware of the Laguna Foundation when her daughters participated in the Foundations sponsored field trips to the Laguna in their fifth and sixth grade classes. Janine currently works for Boyle & Stoll CPAs specializing in non-profit audits and tax.

Secretary
Barbara Zarakov moved to Sebastopol after retiring from the Contra Costa Public Health Department where she worked in Communicable Disease Investigation. She has a BSN in Nursing from Case Western Reserve University and an MSN from Sonoma State. She also completed a professional photography program at the New England School of Photography in Boston. Her nursing experiences were varied, from working in a small clinic in Alaska, to the Navajo reservation in Arizona, to helping to start a clinic in rural India. Barbara’s health care experiences taught her that the health of a community is intimately connected with its physical environment. She recognizes that the Laguna Foundation is crucial to both the environment and the health of the people of Sonoma County.
A New Englander, Barbara moved to California after raising three children in rural New Hampshire. She enjoys hiking, biking, swimming, photography, and exploring new places throughout Sonoma County with her husband and dog.

Directors

Clayton Creager
Clayton Creager recently retired from the CA North Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board serving as the Region’s Watershed Stewardship Coordinator. For the Regional Water Board Clayton was the lead for the Klamath River Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) and dam removal efforts. Prior to working at the Regional Water Board, Clayton was an environmental consultant for 20 years specializing in water quality, ecological restoration, and watershed stewardship projects. He served as Project Manager and was coauthor of the 2007 report “The Altered Laguna: A Conceptual Model for Watershed Stewardship.” Clayton lives in Sebastopol within the Atascadero Creek watershed and is an enthusiastic gardener. He enjoys backpacking and saunters regularly within the Laguna. He is excited to be working with the Laguna Foundation team working towards fulfilling the Laguna Restoration Vision.

Arthur Deicke
Arthur Deicke is a 21-year Navy veteran (meteorology and oceanography) and served mainly overseas including Guam, Japan, and Antarctica. For the past 17 years, he is has been an environmental consultant and owns a small firm based in Rohnert Park focused on stormwater pollution prevention. He lives with his family including three dogs in Santa Rosa. Art holds a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Environmental Science from the University of California Riverside and a Master’s in Public Administration from the University of Oklahoma. He is a Fellow of the Leadership Institute for Ecology and the Economy (Class of 2014) and member of Pepperwood Preserve and Stewards of the Coast and Redwoods. Art recently became a Certified California Naturalist and is enrolled in the Climate Stewards program, both through the University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources program. In his younger years, Art solo’ed the 212-mile John Muir Trail and scuba'd in the Western Pacific Ocean area, but now spends some of his free time in his kayak or on the golf course. Art volunteers in numerous committees and advisory groups including the San Francisco Bay Restoration Authority, Santa Rosa Plain Groundwater Sustainability Agency, and the Marin Sonoma Mosquito Vector Control District. He is County-appointed to the Flood Control District Zone 1A Advisory Committee and AB939 Local Task Force (Solid Waste) and Santa Rosa City-appointed to the Waterways Advisory Committee. Art is also involved in several business organizations. He desires to serve on the Foundation’s board to help with restoration and preservation of the 254 square mile watershed while helping flora and fauna succeed, including humans.

Over the years, Michael Shklovsky served in leadership positions for a variety of organizations and non-profits. He is currently the co-managing director of the Santa Rosa law firm, Anderson Zeigler, and the current Co-Chair of the Business Litigation Committee of the California Lawyers Association. Michael also serves as the President, CFO and founding Board member of the California Discovery Law Initiative, a small non-profit dedicated to increasing access to justice. Michael regularly serves as a Judge Pro Tem, pre-trial mediator and Court-appointed discovery facilitator in Sonoma County Superior Court. Michael holds a Bachelor’s degree in Rhetoric from UC Berkeley and Doctorate of Jurisprudence from the Golden Gate University of Law. Michael is a graduate of the Leadership Santa Rosa Class 34. In addition to his considerable involvement in the law, Michael is an avid nature adventurer, with most free time spent hiking, gardening, camping, kayaking, overlanding, taking wildlife photography, and generally spending as much time outdoors as possible.

Wendy Eliot had a 35-year career in conservation, most recently serving as the Conservation Director for Sonoma Land Trust and retiring in 2020. During her 21 years with the land trust, she secured funding to protect nearly 20,000 acres of parks, habitats, and working lands from the Sonoma Baylands to Lake Sonoma to the coast. She advanced conservation strategies, including the regional Sonoma Valley Wildlife Corridor program; the Southeast Santa Rosa Greenway; and wetland restoration along San Pablo Bay to counter impacts from sea level rise and protect vital habitat and transportation infrastructure. Before joining the land trust, Wendy worked for several non-profit and government organizations, including the California State Coastal Conservancy, Washington Department of Ecology, and the Capitol Land Trust in Olympia, Washington. Wendy serves on the Bay Nature board and the Sonoma Ag + Open Space Advisory Committee. Wendy has lived in west of Sebastopol in the Atascadero Creek watershed for 30 years and is now, in retirement, enjoying more time to be outside hiking and gardening in this beautiful place we are fortunate to call home.

[ top ]

Officers
	Chair Morgan Marchbanks, EdD holds a Doctor of Education degree (Ed.D) in Educational Leadership for Social Justice, a M.A in Educational Administration, M.A in Secondary Teaching, an English teaching credential, in addition to numerous academic awards and professional achievements. Her educational pathway started at Santa Rosa Junior College and her advance degrees were earned University of California, Berkeley and Stanford University. In the Sequoia Union High School District of San Mateo County, her work included the teaching of English, and English as a Second Language, serving as Master Teacher to student teachers at Stanford and San Jose State universities, and English Department Chair. Dr. Marchbanks also served as Principal, Chief Academic Officer, and Assistant Superintendent for Educational Services. She was a Founding Board member of the Smart Cookies Scholarship Board for ten years, and served as a board member for Garfield Charter School. She is proficient speaker of Spanish and currently volunteers as PTA President of Biella Elementary School, while working independently as an educational consultant. After her three daughters attended Camp Tule, Morgan praised the abundant value of the program and became interested in volunteering for the Laguna Foundation. She grew up on a small farm within two miles of the Laguna. She believes the restoration of the Laguna and the myriad educational opportunity it provides is of great importance to her family and the entire community.
	Vice Chair John Dell'Osso After 36 years in the National Park Service, John retired in 2019 as Chief of Interpretation and Communication with Point Reyes National Seashore (PRNS). He is passionate about education and curriculum-based programs and oversaw many docent programs at PRNS. John was a leader in PRNS’s nonprofit arm, Point Reyes National Seashore Association, throughout his career and participated in various fundraising efforts that made possible the visitor centers at Bear Valley and Drakes Beach. John is involved in many civic organizations and activities, including serving on the Cotati City Council for 13 years (3 as mayor) and an advisor to Sonoma County Ag+Open Space. John is an avid birdwatcher. And with the headwaters of the Laguna passing directly behind his house in Cotati, he has truly found home.
	Treasurer Janine Barnes moved to Sebastopol in 1983. Since then, she has experienced and enjoyed the many positive changes in the Laguna. While raising her two daughters, she became aware of the Laguna Foundation when her daughters participated in the Foundations sponsored field trips to the Laguna in their fifth and sixth grade classes. Janine currently works for Boyle & Stoll CPAs specializing in non-profit audits and tax.
	Secretary Barbara Zarakov moved to Sebastopol after retiring from the Contra Costa Public Health Department where she worked in Communicable Disease Investigation. She has a BSN in Nursing from Case Western Reserve University and an MSN from Sonoma State. She also completed a professional photography program at the New England School of Photography in Boston. Her nursing experiences were varied, from working in a small clinic in Alaska, to the Navajo reservation in Arizona, to helping to start a clinic in rural India. Barbara’s health care experiences taught her that the health of a community is intimately connected with its physical environment. She recognizes that the Laguna Foundation is crucial to both the environment and the health of the people of Sonoma County. A New Englander, Barbara moved to California after raising three children in rural New Hampshire. She enjoys hiking, biking, swimming, photography, and exploring new places throughout Sonoma County with her husband and dog.
Directors
	Clayton Creager Clayton Creager recently retired from the CA North Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board serving as the Region’s Watershed Stewardship Coordinator. For the Regional Water Board Clayton was the lead for the Klamath River Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) and dam removal efforts. Prior to working at the Regional Water Board, Clayton was an environmental consultant for 20 years specializing in water quality, ecological restoration, and watershed stewardship projects. He served as Project Manager and was coauthor of the 2007 report “The Altered Laguna: A Conceptual Model for Watershed Stewardship.” Clayton lives in Sebastopol within the Atascadero Creek watershed and is an enthusiastic gardener. He enjoys backpacking and saunters regularly within the Laguna. He is excited to be working with the Laguna Foundation team working towards fulfilling the Laguna Restoration Vision.
	Arthur Deicke Arthur Deicke is a 21-year Navy veteran (meteorology and oceanography) and served mainly overseas including Guam, Japan, and Antarctica. For the past 17 years, he is has been an environmental consultant and owns a small firm based in Rohnert Park focused on stormwater pollution prevention. He lives with his family including three dogs in Santa Rosa. Art holds a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Environmental Science from the University of California Riverside and a Master’s in Public Administration from the University of Oklahoma. He is a Fellow of the Leadership Institute for Ecology and the Economy (Class of 2014) and member of Pepperwood Preserve and Stewards of the Coast and Redwoods. Art recently became a Certified California Naturalist and is enrolled in the Climate Stewards program, both through the University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources program. In his younger years, Art solo’ed the 212-mile John Muir Trail and scuba'd in the Western Pacific Ocean area, but now spends some of his free time in his kayak or on the golf course. Art volunteers in numerous committees and advisory groups including the San Francisco Bay Restoration Authority, Santa Rosa Plain Groundwater Sustainability Agency, and the Marin Sonoma Mosquito Vector Control District. He is County-appointed to the Flood Control District Zone 1A Advisory Committee and AB939 Local Task Force (Solid Waste) and Santa Rosa City-appointed to the Waterways Advisory Committee. Art is also involved in several business organizations. He desires to serve on the Foundation’s board to help with restoration and preservation of the 254 square mile watershed while helping flora and fauna succeed, including humans.
	Over the years, Michael Shklovsky served in leadership positions for a variety of organizations and non-profits. He is currently the co-managing director of the Santa Rosa law firm, Anderson Zeigler, and the current Co-Chair of the Business Litigation Committee of the California Lawyers Association. Michael also serves as the President, CFO and founding Board member of the California Discovery Law Initiative, a small non-profit dedicated to increasing access to justice. Michael regularly serves as a Judge Pro Tem, pre-trial mediator and Court-appointed discovery facilitator in Sonoma County Superior Court. Michael holds a Bachelor’s degree in Rhetoric from UC Berkeley and Doctorate of Jurisprudence from the Golden Gate University of Law. Michael is a graduate of the Leadership Santa Rosa Class 34. In addition to his considerable involvement in the law, Michael is an avid nature adventurer, with most free time spent hiking, gardening, camping, kayaking, overlanding, taking wildlife photography, and generally spending as much time outdoors as possible.
	Wendy Eliot had a 35-year career in conservation, most recently serving as the Conservation Director for Sonoma Land Trust and retiring in 2020. During her 21 years with the land trust, she secured funding to protect nearly 20,000 acres of parks, habitats, and working lands from the Sonoma Baylands to Lake Sonoma to the coast. She advanced conservation strategies, including the regional Sonoma Valley Wildlife Corridor program; the Southeast Santa Rosa Greenway; and wetland restoration along San Pablo Bay to counter impacts from sea level rise and protect vital habitat and transportation infrastructure. Before joining the land trust, Wendy worked for several non-profit and government organizations, including the California State Coastal Conservancy, Washington Department of Ecology, and the Capitol Land Trust in Olympia, Washington. Wendy serves on the Bay Nature board and the Sonoma Ag + Open Space Advisory Committee. Wendy has lived in west of Sebastopol in the Atascadero Creek watershed for 30 years and is now, in retirement, enjoying more time to be outside hiking and gardening in this beautiful place we are fortunate to call home.