Staff and Board of Trustees
Meetings of the Board of Trustees are typically held on the third Thursday of the month in the late afternoon. The next meeting of the board of trustees is scheduled for January 16, 2025 in the community room at the Orcas Public Library, starting at 4:00 p.m.
OPAL’s Board of Trustees operates by consensus:
BOARD OF TRUSTEES
Anne Bertino has lived on Orcas since 2009 and first became involved with OPAL through the building committee. The home she shares with husband Patrick is very efficient with rain catchment and solar hot water systems. She managed OPALCO’s Energy Efficiency program for four years and currently works as an energy efficiency / sustainability consultant and interior space planner. Her varied background includes green building and design and a career in the aerospace field. She has a B.S. degree in engineering physics and an A.A.S. degree in interior design. Anne has been a LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Accredited Professional since 2008.
Eros Belliveau is a versatile individual with a diverse background. He graduated from the University of North Carolina in 1996 and moved to Seattle in 1997. Eros has worked in various industries, including tech companies, landscaping and as an outreach worker for HIV prevention. He currently resides on Orcas Island and has experience in the service industry, as well as involvement with Dog Park Board of Directors. Eros is thrilled to finally step into a board position at OPAL and eagerly looks forward to the connections he will make and the knowledge he will gain from this new role.
Bonnie Burg moved from Minnesota to Orcas in 2013. She and her wife Maryann Syers, both clinical social workers, have a psychotherapy practice in Eastsound. After receiving a BA in Psychology from Barat College, and her MA from the University of Chicago, she worked for 40 years in various mental health settings in Chicago. In 1972 Bonnie became a faculty member at the University of Illinois where she worked in the Psychiatry Department training psychiatric residents, medical students and social work interns. Several years later she opened her private practice in downtown Chicago. She joined the board of Horizons Community Services in 1986 and was president of this organization for 8 years. This marked the beginning of her “board career” and commitment to community service. Since coming to Orcas she has served on the Orcas Community Resource Center board as Program Chair, the Orcas Senior Center Committee as Vice Chair and Chair, and on SJC Human Services Advisory Committee. Bonnie sees OPAL as a cornerstone organization on Orcas and heartily supports the mission to create opportunities for of all islanders to have a place to call home.
Rusty Lynn Diggs moved to Orcas Island in 2003, and together with Christopher Evans began raising their twin girls in the Bonnie Brae neighborhood in 2005. Prior to Orcas Island, Rusty worked and lived at a non-profit, intentional community in Oregon for 8 years. While there she taught sustainable living skills as well as advocated for Old Growth Forests, social and economic justice. Born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, Rusty first came to the Pacific Northwest in 1990 where she attended the University of Oregon for a degree in Cultural Anthropology. Her passion for community development inspires her desire to be a part of the OPAL board of directors.
Minor Lile and his wife Leonie Van Gelder have lived on Orcas Island since 1995. They purchased an OPAL home in 2018 after nearly twenty years as the resident managers at Indralaya. Prior to moving to Orcas Island, Minor worked for the Greater Seattle Chamber of Commerce and later as a commercial real estate appraiser. His educational background includes a BA degree in History from Whitman College and an MBA from the University of Washington. Minor has been a member of the OPAL Board since 2019 and is currently serving as Treasurer. He also sits on the Loan Fund and Finance Committees.
Margaret Mills lives on Crane Island in a house her parents constructed in the 1970s as a weekend project of about three years’ duration. She joined construction phases during breaks from graduate school at Harvard, where she trained as a Ph.D. general folklorist/anthropologist specializing in the cultures of Persian language-speaking areas. With war and displacement overtaking Afghanistan and Iran, she became involved with refugee and immigration studies, critical gender studies, oral history, and truth and reconciliation topics. She taught and chaired academic departments at the University of Pennsylvania and Ohio State University and served on boards of related national/international academic organizations. A fan and supporter of OPAL since its inception, spending summers and sabbatical years on Crane Island and retiring here as a permanent resident in 2012, she is happy to be able finally to join the OPAL Board. She finds the stories of OPAL residents, staff and other members endlessly fascinating and illuminating.
Jami Mitchell and her husband, Fabrice van Putten, moved to Orcas in 2002. They bought an OPAL home in 2009 where they have raised their two sons. Jami graduated from Smith College before traveling extensively and then attending graduate school in Spain and eventually completing her Master’s Degree in Austria. On Orcas, Jami was the General Manager of Doe Bay Resort and served on the Funhouse Board of Directors for 6 years. In 2015, Jami began working at the Orcas Senior Center and then joined San Juan County Health & Community Services as the Senior Services Specialist for Orcas. In 2023, Jami was promoted to Human Services Manager for San Juan County, and she joined the OPAL Board of Trustees in 2024. Believing that stable housing is a foundation of well-being on all levels, Jami is excited to offer her talents and perspectives to OPAL in support of housing solutions for the Orcas Island community.
Bob Morris and his wife Bonnie have been full time Orcas residents for four years after living in the Portland area for nearly four decades. It was amazing to them how quickly Orcas became their only home. Their two children and their families are also northwesterners and visit often. The last 15 years of Bob’s working life were spent in the non-profit world, equally divided between Oregon Food Bank and Feeding America. For 20 years he was a school board member, K-12 and Community College. In his distant past he got an Economics degree from Arizona State. Here on Orcas Bob has been an active Food Bank board member and he and Bonnie are Door 2 Door drivers. They were attracted to OPAL because of the obvious quality of the organization and the importance of the mission. Bob’s favorite quote is from Arthur Ashe – “Start where you are, Use what you have, Do what you can.”
Mandy Randolph, a lifelong Orcas Island resident, brings both her deep community roots and professional expertise to OPAL’s Board of Trustees. Raised in a family of builders, Mandy has a practical understanding of construction and housing challenges. Her experience as a realtor with TWilliams Realty gives her keen insight into the difficulties local homebuyers face, especially in finding affordable homes. A former Farm to Classroom teacher and outdoor education leader, Mandy is passionate about creating opportunities for middle-income families to stay and thrive on Orcas Island. Her dedication to OPAL’s mission reflects her commitment to ensuring housing remains accessible for islanders.
Anne Marie Shanks and her husband Bern bought their home on Orcas in 1988 and became permanent residents in 2006. Prior to retiring 2009, she held administrative positions in State and Federal government, and with several non-profit organizations. Her educational background includes a BS from the University of Maryland and an MA from Georgetown University. Anne Marie has served on several community boards and committees including LIFT, the Local Area Immigrant Family Trust, The Orcas Women’s Coalition, Orcas Garden Club, Deer Harbor Community Club and the Deer Harbor Plan Review Committee. In 2018 Anne Marie joined the Yes for Homes Campaign and helped pass the Real Estate Excise Tax which now supports the San Juan County Home Fund.
STAFF
Rachel Arias has served OPAL since August 2023, working part time as an Accounting Specialist focused on Accounts Payable. Rachel grew up in San Jose, California and moved to Washington in 2017 after graduating with a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Accounting. She has a diverse accounting background and invites opportunities to expand on her expertise. Rachel is based in Mount Vernon, WA with her family. She is fluent in Spanish and looks forward to family gatherings in Mexico. She has a passion for growth and development, reading, and enjoys hosting social gatherings. Rachel also serves as a treasurer at her community HOA board and understands the importance of making a difference where you live.
Jeanne Beck joined the OPAL staff for the second time in 2009. She is the Director of Stewardship and Project Manager. Jeanne oversees the implementation of new construction and renovation projects, provides support to neighborhood homeowner associations, oversees the property management firm operating the Lavender Hollow apartments, and guides OPAL homeowners through the process to sell their homes. Prior to this job, Jeanne worked as an operations manager, project manager or executive director for nonprofit and for-profit organizations. She was the first executive director of the Funhouse Discovery Center (1998-2006) and also of OPAL Community Land Trust (1990-95). She has a degree in Criminal Justice from St. Ambrose University and completed graduate course work in economics at the University of Washington.
Julie Brunner has been OPAL’s Housing Director since January 2002, working part-time. Julie helps homebuyers through the process of buying a home, including obtaining mortgage financing and homebuyer education instruction. She also provides financial counseling to existing homeowners if the need arises. In addition to working for OPAL, Julie teaches courses for the national Grounded Solutions Network and works as an independent consultant. Julie has worked in the field of affordable housing since 1995 and prior to that in social service and international economic development. She has a B.A. from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and an M.A. in city and regional planning from Rutgers University.
Lisa Byers has been OPAL’s Executive Director since January 1996. Prior to working for OPAL, Lisa worked as Land Steward for the San Juan County Land Bank, and for 10 years as a land and property manager for the Society for the Preservation of New England Antiquities (now Historic New England), based in Boston, Massachusetts. Lisa has an A.B. from Vassar College and an M.B.A. in public and nonprofit management from Boston University. In 2006 Lisa was elected to serve as the first president of the National Community Land Trust Network and was awarded the Friend of Housing Award from the Washington State Housing Finance Commission. She currently serves on the board of directors of the Washington Low Income Housing Alliance.
Jocelyn Cecil works part-time as OPAL’s Assistant Project Manager. She is working with Jeanne Beck on current and new projects and is passionate about people and serving her community. She has lived on Orcas Island with her two children and partner for the last decade. She co-owns and manages Hogstone’s Wood Oven in Eastsound and has spent the last 25 years working in the hospitality industry, most notably in fine dining institutions in the Seattle and New York area.
Qasim Ali Dino is a Pakistani American with a background in Fine Arts and Architecture. He graduated from Forman Christian College University in Lahore, Pakistan, with a degree in Fine Arts (Mathematics, Statistics, and Education). He further pursued his passion for architecture and earned a B.Arch. degree from Beaconhouse National University. Qasim has worked with architecture firms in Pakistan, using his architectural education to contribute to design projects. Recently, he joined OPAL as a Communications Manager, where he combines his artistic skills with effective communication strategies.
Kim Jaeger has served as OPAL’s Interim Finance Director since March 2023, assisting with the transition of accounting software systems, creating and leading an accounting team, and improving standardized procedures and internal controls. Kim has her Bachelor of Business Administration (Accounting) from Pennsylvania State University, CPA certification, and MATP (Organizational Development & Change Management). Providing strategic and implementation leadership in nonprofits, Kim’s focus at OPAL is to assist in its ongoing success. She lives in upstate New York, and enjoys yoga, music, multi-cultural travel, and community service.
Suzanne Olson returned to her roots at OPAL in 2024 as the Pea Patch Community Campus Lead after 17 years at OPALCO as Communication Manager. She first came to OPAL and the Community Land Trust Alliance of the San Juan Islands in 2005 as Organizational Storyteller and also served on the OPAL Board of Directors for two terms. With a degree in Writing and Literature from Prescott College, and a career serving non-profit and public sector organizations, Suzanne brings strong writing, organizational development and community engagement skills to the project. Outside of work, Suzanne and her husband manage an orchard and dahlia farm and enjoy boating and exploring the PNW. Suzanne also plays the drums in an all-mother rock and roll band.
Flor Orantes is a Resident Services Counselor at OPAL. Originally from El Salvador, she studied law for two years before moving to the United States in 2001. After living in California for a decade, a vacation on Orcas Island in 2010 led her to relocate here with her family in 2011. Flor’s current role involves assisting the public with housing-related inquiries and guiding them through the application process. Her compassionate nature and dedication make her an invaluable asset in helping individuals and families secure safe and affordable housing.
Natalie Shapiro joined OPAL in July 2024 as Senior Accountant, bringing over 25 years of diverse experience in manufacturing, construction, property management, and real estate accounting. She holds a degree in Mechanical Engineering from Donetsk State University of Economics and Trade, as well as a degree in Accounting and Finance from Donetsk College of Technology. After relocating to the United States in the 1990s, Natalie applied her expertise to managing accounting services for several real estate investment and property management companies. Outside of work, Natalie enjoys traveling, hiking, snowboarding, and playing volleyball.
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