Unique Characteristics/Focus
Monterey hosts more visitors than any other city in the county. Worldwide and local visitors are drawn to the beauty of the Bay’s Sanctuary, the Aquarium, Fisherman’s Wharf, and Cannery Row. These visitors cause Monterey’s population to triple or quadruple on any given weekend throughout the year. In addition, a significant number of Monterey’s population are short term residents as students or in the military on temporary. Monterey serves this population with five times the number of restaurants than neighboring cities. Because Tourism is the largest contributor to single-use plastic pollution, Sustainable Monterey has decided to focus on reducing plastic pollution in our ocean and lands and moving our community to adopt reusable non-plastic alternatives and zero waste practices.
Who We Are
Co-Chair Laurie Eavey retired from a technical career in software (HP and Adobe Systems) where she held a variety of management and professional roles focused on database technologies, business processes and systems. Her passion for the environment compelled her to get certified in permaculture design and from which she aspires to bring regenerative practices to urban and suburban locales.
Co-Chair Nancy Selfridge is a California native, raised in the San Joaquin Valley, but has lived in Monterey for the past 36 years. She is a retired elementary school teacher and a past Monterey City Council Member, where she helped start the Sister City Program between Monterey and Lankaran, Azerbaijan and Kusadasi, Turkey.
Lyn Hamilton is a retired public school teacher and anthropologist. She was active in Beyond War and the Salinas Recycling Task force in the 90’s, Salinas Storm Drain Stenciling in the late 90’s and Sustainable Salinas 2013-2015. She is a co-founder of Return of the Natives (part of the CSUMB Watershed Institute) –an environment education program which builds community through native habitat restoration. She is currently a board member of the Monterey Peace and Justice Center.
Daian Hennington, MSW has served the Monterey County community as a Social Worker since 1992. She has served children, youth and families through Monterey County Behavioral Health, Veterans at the Department of Veterans Affairs and has taught and supervised graduate social work students through CSUMB. She has an abiding interest in the healing power of nature and has carried this into the clinical relationship for over two decades. A student of nature, culture and the spirit, she has studied with traditional, academic and other than two-legged teachers. Daian is the author of “Your Wilder Nature: a Field Guide to Tracking Soul.”
Fernanda Roveri manages the Monterey Community Garden with Lynn Hamilton. Fernanda works as a senior planner for the City of Monterey and became involved in the Community Garden because she enjoys gardening and the garden was so close to her office in city hall. She likes growing spinach and kale because they’re so prolific and require little care, and would like to learn more about permaculture and composting. Feel free to contact her through facebook.com/fernandaroveri.
Janette Leonidou co-founded, and for twenty years directed, the Silicon Valley law firm Leonidou & Rosin. She is a past president of the San Mateo County Legal Aid Society and former CASA volunteer. She semi-retired in 2021 to pursue environmental work. She is excited about the use of trees and other plants, as well as regenerative practices, to help slow climate change and support healthier communities. She lives in Monterey with her husband and son.