Board of Directors & Advisors
Kenny Watkins, President
Kenny is a recently retired Biochemist who has lived in Eugene since 1996. He received his Ph.D. from the University of Washington in 1989 and did post-doctoral research at UC Berkeley and UC San Francisco before moving to Eugene. He worked at the University of Oregon in the Institute of Molecular Biology as an Associate Research Biochemist until 2000. Since then, he has worked part-time as a farmer on organic farms, and has volunteered in land stewardship for the McKenzie River Trust. Interests include farmworker health and safety and the impacts on community health from indoor and outdoor pollution. He is an avid hiker, bicyclist, skier and backpacker and enjoys exploring (and protecting) all that our area has to offer.
Mira Mason-Reader, Co-Vice President
Mira works as the Special Projects Assistant for Dream Corps Green For All, a national nonprofit that works for a world that is green for all, not just green for some. Prior, Mira championed higher education access at Lane Community College. Commited to public service, Mira works diligently to use her organizational and creative skills to make lasting, positive change. Mira earned her BA in English and Dance from Mills College and her MA in Creative Writing from University College Cork in Cork, Ireland. Mira lives in the Bethel area of Eugene, the most polluted neighborhood in all of Lane County and, as an impacted community member, has worked side-by-side with Beyond Toxics to raise community voices to fight for healthy neighborhoods and clean air.
Miguel Cervera, Co-Vice President
Miguel grew up in Mexico, where he got a B.S. in Computer Science. In 2013 Miguel immigrated to San Francisco, where he worked for companies like Twitter and Stripe as a Software Engineer and Systems Architect. With this systems thinking, and the support of an amazing and empathetic partner, Miguel was able to understand some of the challenges of climate change. Miguel understands that technology has often ended up causing a negative impact on our environment, but it’s his belief that technology could be used for good, as long as the solutions are grounded, with the advice from experts, and consulting with grassroots movements that are on the ground doing the work to seek equity and justice. Miguel moved to Eugene in early 2020 and is excited to collaborate with Beyond Toxics.
Kim Kelly, Treasurer
Kim has lived in Oregon since 2007 and owns her own health insurance business. She has been on several health insurance industry boards. She spends much of her time volunteering and being dedicated to environmental protection, believing that everyone has a right to clean air and water.
Kristina Lefever, Secretary
Soon after moving to Ashland in 2012, Kristina became involved in the movement to help save our bees and other pollinators. As a leading member of Pollinator Project Rogue Valley, Chair of Bee City USA Ashland, a member of the Ashland Garden Club, and a certified Jackson County Master Gardener, Kristina often gives presentations about pollinators and other beneficial insects, the plants and habitats that will best support them, and the harm pesticides cause to us and our ecosystems. Kristina and her husband turned their barren property in Ashland into a pollinator garden, with many native plants, trees, and dandelions. Her dream is that everyone’s yard will include a little or a lot of pollinator habitat, even if it’s just a pot of lavender on the porch.
Brad Lerch, Member at Large
Brad is the principal managing partner of Royal Blue Organics, parent company of Café Mam (an organic & fair trade coffee company) and Royal Blueberries (an organic blueberry farm), located in Eugene, OR. Brad has served on the Provender Alliance Board of Directors, and the WVSFA Advisory Board. He has a strong belief that business should be a force for positive change and social and environmental justice. Brad is a dad, loves the outdoors, and is excited to be of service as a Beyond Toxics' Board Member.
Mary Stites, Member at Large
Mary works as the legal fellow for the Northwest Environmental Defense Center, an Oregon-based nonprofit doing environmental advocacy throughout the Pacific Northwest. At NEDC, Mary focuses primarily on issues affecting water quality, air quality and public lands, but loves to find new ways to use the legal system to protect the environment and advocate for environmental equity for surrounding communities. Mary graduated from Lewis & Clark Law School in 2022, earning her J.D. and a Certificate in Environmental and Natural Resources Law. In her free time, Mary enjoys being outdoors, listening to live music, and finding the best fried chicken sandwich in the Pacific Northwest.
Kathleen Sullivan, Member at Large
Kathleen moved to Oregon in 2003, and lives on the North Coast. She recently served as a Clatsop County Commissioner (Chair 2020), and the Clatsop County representative on the Forest Trust Lands Advisory Committee and the Northwest Senior and Disabilities Services Board. During her service as a commissioner, Clatsop County became the lone forest trust land county to opt out of the Linn County Lawsuit, reasoning that the greatest permanent value for public forest land is balanced forest management that includes revenue, climate, recreation and habitat. She currently serves on the Governor’s appointed North Coast Regional Equity in Recovery Council. Kathleen believes community involvement is an essential factor in good governance.
Sammi Teo, Member at Large
Sammi works as a Public Policy Advocate for Oregon Food Bank, where she co-creates and advocates for policies that address the systems which perpetuate food insecurity and poverty. She serves on the Board of Directors of Farmers Market Fund, a nonprofit that administers Oregon's Double Up Food Bucks program and makes locally grown, nutrient-dense foods more accessible to under-served Oregonians. Sammi earned her J.D. and Certificate in Environmental and Natural Resources Law from Lewis & Clark Law School in 2021. She is passionate about community-centered solutions to environmental injustices, and is thrilled to join Beyond Toxics' Board in uplifting the health and dignity of our communities and shared habitats.
Beyond Toxics Advisory Board
Bob Amundson, Ph.D., Air Toxics Specialist (Portland)
Jessica Applegate, Eastside Portland Air Coalition (Portland)
Richard Barnhart, M.D. (Coburg)
Lori Ann Burd, Environmental Health Program Director, Senior Attorney (Portland)
John Dunphy, M.D. (Eugene)
Lynne Fessenden, Ph.D. Willamette Farm and Food Coalition (Junction City)
David Funk, co-owner of Bell+Funk (Eugene)
Maria Rainbow Gerolaga (Medford)
Lauren Herbert, MD (Eugene)
Kat Herrera (Eugene)
Joel Iboa, Executive Director of Oregon Just Transition Alliance (Eugene)
Anita Johnson, Media (Eugene)
Tom Kerns, PhD (Yachats)
Kari Norgaard, Ph.D. UO Department of Sociology (Eugene)
Mary O’Brien, Ph.D., Co-Founder and Botanist (Utah)
Randy Phelps, M.D./Ph.D., OHSU/UO Early Child Development (Eugene & Portland)
Doug Quirk, Environmental Attorney (Eugene)
Dr. Lawrence Rasheed, Lane Community College (Eugene)
Eric Richardson, NAACP (Eugene)
Debra Schlenoff, Conservation Chair at Lane Audubon Society (Eugene)
Linda Tamura, Ed.D., Co-editor-in-chief of The Oregon Encyclopedia, Professor Emerita of Education, Willamette University (Portland)
