Speakers

A self-proclaimed introvert and “the quiet, awkward one”, Amanda is a neurodiverse, fierce advocate for trauma-responsive living, caregiver support, honoring adoptee voices, resource navigation, and meeting the youth of foster care where they are at so they feel seen and heard. As a social scientist with a degree in Anthropology, she has always enjoyed studying people, behaviors, and connection. Amanda is no stranger to navigating the foster care system. She and her husband, Chad, have been Resource (Foster) Parents since 2011, and have adopted four kids from foster care. Additionally, Amanda has mentored other Resource Parents and assisted with the Resource Family Approval training modules. Through the years, she and Chad have cared for medically fragile infants and learned first-hand about parenting kids with disabilities, sensory challenges, neurodiversity, PTSD, heart & kidney disease, and mental illness. The programs Amanda develops at OVC are informed by her lived experiences and continuous studies.

Miles Horobin (he/him) grew up in Sonoma County and spent much of his childhood exploring and getting to know the flora and fauna who inhabit this bioregion. His appreciation for the natural world is deeply inspired by his botanist grandfather, Alan. After spending many years immersed in gardening, farming, and landscaping, Miles came to OAEC in 2020 for the Garden Internship Program. In his current role as Garden Manager, he brings together many of his passions and skills and shares them with others. He is a lifelong learner and finds plants to be some of the best teachers. When he is not working, you can find him drinking tea, trail running, or transforming plants into various forms of food and medicine.

Patti Callahan is a retired RN with years of nursing service in inpatient psychiatric services and as a manager in Sonoma County Mental Health.  In addition to nursing, she worked in Human Resources for Bank of America after completing her MBA from UCLA, and at the end of her career she returned to patient care as a hospice nurse in Honolulu.
In retirement, Patti has remained active and involved as a volunteer.  She is a patient care volunteer for hospice, is a committee co-chair with the local women’s group philanthropy, Impact 100 Redwood Circle, is on the board of Waljok Foundation, and is a member and past president of the board of Welfare League.  This year she is co-chair of Welfare League’s Christmas Unlimited program

 

Santa Rosa Sunrise Rotarian Mark Campbell recently traveled to Portugal, Spain and Morocco with his wife and close friends. A dedicated photographer for over 50 years, Mark will present a small selection of images from some of the places his group visited that he feels best showcase the destination and various core elements of travel photography: subject matter, composition, lighting, color, perspective, etc. This will not be your typical 'we saw this, we did that' presentation. Rather, Mark will 'tell the story' behind each image and why he was inspired to capture it. Learn why Morocco's Chefchaouen became the 'blue city, and see 'liquid light' inside Casablanca's Hassan II Mosque, the second largest mosque in Africa, and one of the few mosques that welcome non-Muslim visitors.

Mark Randol retired in May 2011 after 35 years of military and federal civil service and moved to Oakmont.  He has taught college courses in domestic terrorism and counterintelligence; lectures at the University of Southern California’s Viterbe School of Engineering on aviation security; and teaches U.S. Coast Guard-certified maritime security courses.  He also provides security consulting services.

Prior to retirement from the government Mr. Randol served as the senior specialist in domestic intelligence and counterterrorism at the Congressional Research Service (CRS) in Washington, DC, where he provided non-partisan research and policy analysis for members of Congress and their staffs.  He was also the Director of Counterterrorism Policy at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) where he was responsible for ensuring the Secretary’s priorities were reflected in interagency counterterrorism plans and policies.  In that role, he represented DHS at national-level coordinating bodies including the National Security Council’s Counterterrorism Security Group, charged with overseeing U.S. Government counterterrorism efforts.  

Other professional assignments include serving as one of the original cadre of Transportation Security Administration Federal Security Directors.  He has 14 years experience as a civil aviation security manager, inspector, and intelligence analyst with the Federal Aviation Administration in Washington, D.C. and Brussels, Belgium.  He also served as a Senior Aviation Security Officer with the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). in Montréal, Canada.

Mr. Randol served for 8-1/2 years in the U.S. Air Force, with assignments in Taipei, Taiwan; Stuttgart, Germany; Osan, Korea; and Fort Meade, Maryland; as well as 3-1/2 years as a civilian on the Army Intelligence Staff at the Pentagon.

Mr. Randol is a graduate of the University of California at Berkeley, earned a Masters Degree in Government (National Security Studies) from Georgetown University in Washington, D.C., and has completed all Ph.D course work and comprehensive exams at the Catholic University of America; Washington D.C.  He also graduated from the U.S. Government Senior Executive Service development program at the Federal Executive Institute in Charlottesville, Virginia.