Our Board
Philip Zwerling
Chair Philip Zwerling earned his MFA in Creative Writing from the University of New Orleans and his Ph.D. in Drama from UCSB. He taught as Playwright in Residence at Ursinus College and, prior to retirement, Chaired the Creative Writing Department at the University of Texas, Rio Grande Valley. He is the author, coauthor, editor, and co-editor of eight books.
Nathan Rich
Vice Chair Nathan Rich is of Dakota / Muscogee / Filipino / Irish descent. Born in Oakland California, Nathan will share his family’s history, their challenges and triumphs to build community and maintain a healthy cultural identity in an ever changing world. Nathan’s experiences of being raised in a Native Community in the diversity of the Bay Area provides a glimpse into the value of indigenous commitment to healthy communities.
Evelyn Acre Erickson
A descendant of the Muisca people of Colombia, Evelyn is passionate about Indigenous self-determination and Indigenous-led philanthropy. She founded Indigenous Resilience Consulting (IRC), with the mission to build Native led capacity and serve as a strategic advisor to both donors and Indigenous communities. Previously Evelyn co-founded and ran an international NGO for 15 years called International Funders for Indigenous Peoples (IFIP). It was the first organized effort to bring hundreds of millions of dollars directly into Indigenous communities.
She obtained her Bachelor’s and Master's degrees from Cornell University. Evelyn now lives in the territory of the Pomo tribe (now called Mendocino) with her husband and three children. She spends her free time exploring the raw beauty of the land
Clayton Duncan
Board Member Clayton Duncan is a tribal elder of the Robinson Rancheria of Eastern Pomo in Lake County. He has the distinction of being the great grandson of Lucy Moore. At the age of 6, Lucy survived the massacre of Bloody Island at Clear Lake where the US Army slaughtered an untold number of Pomo in retaliation for the killing of Andrew Kelsey and Charles Stone who had enslaved, whipped, murdered, and raped Indigenous people on their ranch in what is now Kelseyville.
Duncan led a project to erect a memorial at the site of the massacre and later worked to change the name of Kelseyville’s sports teams from The Indians to The Knights. Today he is working to change the name of Kelseyville itself so it no longer memorializes the rapacious Andrew Kelsey and his murderous brothers.
Nikcole Whipple
Board Member Nikcole Whipple is a member of the Round Valley Indian Tribes. She is a water protector and policy advocate who works with organizations providing professional development in Native Land Stewardship and (TEK) Traditional Ecological Knowledge. Her work experience includes the exercise of Tribal Rights in creating policy initiatives to provide equitable recommendations in the oversight of cultural resources and the collaboration of community partners to provide cultural events for Tribal youth and families.
Kyle Whiterock
Kyle Whiterock is a Yokayo & Big Valley Pomo artist, actor, director. He serves as a Student Retention Specialist at Mendocino College.
Kyle has worked in Indigenous Communities for over 5 years, and continues to work to uplift and motivate community youth. He is currently pursing his Bachelor's in Social Work at Cal Poly Humboldt.
Aeon Karris
Aeon Karris is an author, deep ecologist, and founder of Know The Self Academy, where she trains leaders to apply indigenous wisdom within modern systems. A native of California, born on Ohlone land, she has studied with indigenous teachers across India, Mexico, Japan, and the UK. With an early background in technology and entrepreneurship, she bridges modern systems and traditional knowledge. She is a community designer who has helped build intentional communities grounded in stewardship and governance. Her work focuses on restoring land, culture, and human systems impacted by extraction and erasure.
Lavender Grace Kent
Lavender Grace Kent is a Mendocino Coast artist, cultural practitioner, and storyteller rooted in the back-to-the-land lineage of this place. Of Gaelic and Celtic descent, she carries forward the traditions of women’s drum, song, and dance, shaped by a life lived close to forest, ocean, and community. For over three decades, she has worked at the intersection of rhythm, voice, and community arts, guiding connection between people, place, and the living world. Through the Bee Bold Alliance, Bee RYL Productions, and her work with the Intentional Creativity Foundation, she brings forward cultural ecology as a pathway for weaving story, youth leadership, and place-based knowledge into contemporary life—supporting communities to remember their roots while shaping a shared future.