BIO

I was born and raised in the greater Sacramento area, Downtown Sac, Carmichael and Old Towne Fair Oaks California. The only child of divorced parents, I am the oldest of four siblings. My dad, Bill Withrow, was a prominent real estate broker, three-time honorary Mayor of Fair Oaks and founder of American River Bank until his tragic murder in 1988. A proud Latin-American, he became the youngest broker in California when he returned from the war in Vietnam. His parents, Jack Withrow, a Plumbers and Pipe Fitters Local 228 in the Sacramento City Unified School District, and Bea Withrow, were community organizers in Carmichael, deeply committed to Circulo Hispano and celebrating Latin cultures. I enjoyed being on Circulo's floats in the Camilla Parade on many occasions, imparting the beauty of so many cultures of Latin America. Their home, where I spent much of my time, became a multi-national refuge for people seeking freedom and a better life in America.

My mom Lauri Beltrand, a second generation French Canadian, owned a beauty salon in Carmichael before entering the health care industry in administrative roles, eventually becoming Chief Shop Steward when it was SEIU Local 250 (now CHW - Health Care Workers) before going back to school. Her parents Ray and Emily, were walnut farmers in Carmichael. My grandfather eventually marketed his tree-pruning invention to hardware stores throughout the area. Mom's influence was environmental. She was an activist for the rivers that surrounded Sacramento, as well as Save the Whales and part of the No-Nukes movement to deactivate Rancho Seco.

Growing up in the oak woodlands along the American River, i came to know the wildlife and ecology, keeping an eye out for rattlesnakes and coyotes in my adventures in the forest on our property and along the trails. Unlike my siblings, I had a special immunity to poison oak. Each year I waited for the salmon run up to Folsom dam, knowing the struggle they made to keep the cycle of life going.

I moved to Petaluma in 1989 looking for a safe and cool place to raise a family (Sacramento is too hot!). I was drawn to Petaluma because it was a stopping place on the way to my childhood vacation home in Bodega Harbour. 

As a single mom, I had returned to school at SRJC, to receive my GED and continue my education, eventually to become the first in my family to graduate from college. I met my husband Jaimey Walking Bear while at SRJC. Jaimey has lived in Petaluma since 1974, graduating from Casa Grande High. Together we've raised my daughters Robin Lane and Zoë Marcus, both Petaluma High graduates. So we're definitely a "blended" family when it comes to school pride.

In the recent past I'm proud to say my baby brother Adam Withrow became a police officer at UCSF, Mission Center. And my little sister Lindsay Withrow is now working at California's oldest park, Big Basin Redwoods State Park.

And in the family tradition of music appreciation, my little brother Sidd Kalstrom became manager for a Sacramento-based band, Izabella. 

EDUCATION

• M.A. in Humanities: Philosophy & Religion (Integral Ecology), California Institute of Integral Studies
• B.A. in Women's Studies, Mills College (Mayr Scholar)
• A.A. in Journalism, Santa Rosa Junior College (Doyle Scholar)

EXPERIENCE

• Web & Graphic Designer since 2001, owner/operator of Designmotif.com (2005-present)
• Exec. Asst. to SVP of Web Channel at Illuminations.com (1999-00)
  
• Treasurer and Events Director, Nineteenth Amendment Anniversary Project (1995-05)
• Lab Assistant, SRJC Astronomy Lab (1994-95)
• Copy Editor & Feature Writer, SRJC Oak Leaf newspaper (1992-94)

BOARDS, COMMITTEES,  COMMISSIONS & FELLOWSHIPS

• City of Petaluma, Development Code Advisory Committee, October 2007-Present
  
• City of Petaluma, Technology & Telecommunications Advisory Committee, Chair, July 2005-Present
• Sonoma County Commission on the Status of Women, Chair, Second District, Dec. 2005-Present
• City of Petaluma, Tree Advisory Committee, Dec. 2005-June 2007
  
• Petaluma Independent Business Alliance, Director
  
• Leadership Institute for Ecology and the Economy, Fellow
• American Association of University Women, Branch Co-President & State Leadership
  
• Petaluma Community Access TV, Board Member, Dec. 2005- May 2006
• Sonoma County Democratic Central Committee, 1998 interim member

AFFILIATIONS

• Petaluma NERT (Neighborhood Emergency Response Teams)
• Petaluma HS PTSA
• Petaluma HS Music Boosters
• Petaluma HS Library Boosters
• Women in Technology International
• American Association of University Women
• Alumnae Association of Mills College
• Petaluma Community Coalition
• Coalition to Prevent Underage and High-Risk Drinking
  
• Friends of the Petaluma River
• Green Coalition for Responsible Waste Management
• Sonoma County Conservation Action
• Red Cross of Sonoma County
  
• Living Wage Coalition
• Daily Acts
• Sustainable Petaluma
• Healthy Community Consortium
  
• The Community Health Foundation of Greater Petaluma
• Greenpeace
• Tibetan Nuns Project
• Plan USA