Our Team
The Earth Discovery Institute is a collaboration of a small but dedicated team of volunteers and a number of important partners. Please come meet our Board, and our volunteers, at one of our monthly neighborhood meetings, at a work party (see News and Events), or at one of our student field trip days.
Earth Discovery Institute Board of Directors
Cathy Chadwick has spent her career coordinating organizations and managing a diverse range of projects, all reflecting her focus on health and well-being of the community and the environment. She has thirty years of experience with coalition building, program development, design and coordination of training programs and curriculum, volunteer recruitment and coordination, grant-writing, and community development and organization. Over the last 6 years, she has developed her knowledge of habitat restoration and management.
Linda Chase became the director of the Crest Coordinating Committee for Fire Recovery in response to the 2003 San Diego Wildfires that destroyed 197 homes and displaced over 1000 households in the community of Crest. She remained in this post for 3 ½ years while her team helped the community recover and rebuild. Linda has 15 years experience as a project manager in art and interior design, facilitating groups and implementing projects for medical campus design projects and religious institutions nation wide. The San Diego Foundation, through a generous grant issued by the Disaster Board, has requested that Linda Chase, along with the CRT Team, serve as advisors to the 2007 Wildfire Long Term Recovery Teams ( LTRT). This new group of community leaders will be facilitating and guiding the recovery of their communities affected by the 2007 Wildfires.
Diana Griffin, Crest resident since 1992, currently serves as Treasurer for EDI. She has been an active member of the Crest community by serving as the Crest Elementary School PTA Treasurer for 2 years, President for 2 years. During that time she successfully solicited $50,000 in funding from Diane Jacob County Supervisor's office for grass field at Crest Elementary. She assiduously worked with insurance company issues during 2003 Cedar fire to acquire additional funds owed to fire victims. She is deeply committed to making a difference in our environment and looks forward to working with Crest neighbors in this endeavor. Diana has 30 years experience serving on the fiscal management team for the Department of Defense.
Kevin Mortensen is part of a family that has lived in Crest since 1952. He assisted in handling insurance claims, as well as the rebuilding of their family home after it was destroyed in the San Diego Wildfires of 2003.Kevin has volunteered at Crestridge for the last 9 years, and is currently the Liaison to Crestridge for the San Diego Mountain Biking Association (SDMBA) He has 13 Years experience in Woodworking and as a Superintendent on large construction projects. In recent years Kevin has steered his career towards Environmental Stewardship. Kevin is a member of the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), where he manages and implements FSC Chain of Custody Certification for multiple small companies in San Diego. He is an active contributor to the US Green Building Council (USGBC) LEED rating system. Kevin also oversees sustainability efforts for a multi-million dollar corporation. Environmental Stewardship, Habitat restoration, and Sustainable trail design are Kevin’s passion and the reasons He joined the EDI board in 2010.
Dena Rosenberger has been a resident of Crest since 1989. She has been teaching science at El Capitan High School since 1990 after graduating from SDSU with degrees in Chemistry and Geology. She also completed a Master’s degree in Curriculum and Instruction. Dena continues to enjoy teaching high school Chemistry, Honors Chemistry, AP Environmental Science, as well as being the advisor for the environmental club, (Roots & Shoots), the Honor Society (CSF), and coaches the Academic Team. Her lifelong love of the outdoors coupled with her background in environmental sciences gives her the desire to preserve open spaces for responsible use and education. She currently serves as EDI secretary.
Liaison Members (Ex-officio Board Standing)
Michael Beck representing the Endangered Habitats Conservancy) was appointed to the County of San Diego Planning Commission in 1993 and continues in that role. As a founding board member (1991) and San Diego Director of the Endangered Habitats League, he is engaged in the planning and implementation of the Multiple Species Conservation Program (MSCP), intended to preserve the biodiversity of San Diego County through land use planning, land acquisition, species monitoring, and resource management. Michael played a key role in the negotiation and passage of the TransNet, a local transportation tax that included $850 million for MSCP implementation; founded Lakeside’s River Park Conservancy; is co-founder and Chairman of the San Diego River Park Foundation. He serves on the board of the Volcan Mountain Preserve Foundation, the California Oak Foundation, and is President of the Endangered Habitats Conservancy, an EHL sister organization working on MSCP land acquisition and stewardship.
Suzanne Mullins (representing the Cajon Valley Union School District) is currently a member of the Board of the Cajon Valley Union School District with which EDI conducts its largest education program. She has decades of experience as a classroom teacher and has also served as a union leader, school site liaison, and advocate for children & education. She is an active volunteer, working with Crest Kiwanis and serving as an EDI education docent.
Agency Partners
Cajon Valley Union School District
EDI works with the CVUSD to provide environmental service-learning to 3,000 students annually from grades K-6, representing 80 teachers from 23 schools.
Endangered Habitats Conservancy
The mission of the Endangered Habitats Conservancy is to acquire, manage and monitor land in Southern California for habitat protection and restoration, agricultural preservation, and other conservation purposes. EHC currently manages Crestridge Ecological Reserve with support from the California Department of Fish and Game and the California Wildlife Foundation. The Earth Discovery Institute is collaborating with the Endangered Habitats Conservancy (EHC) to involve students and stewards in biologically meaningful management and stewardship goals for Crestridge Ecological Reserve.
US Fish and Wildlife Service
EDI works with USFWS in San Diego to support their environment education and restoration efforts on federal refuge lands in the county, serving 300-400 students annually.
WiLDCOAST
EDI works with the non-profit, WiLDCOAST to conduct environment education and habitat restoration at the Otay Valley Regional Park, serving 300-400 students annually.
