Debbie has lived in the Bay Area for over 30 years and is new to Camp Tawonga. She grew up in southern Oregon where she learned to love outdoor adventures and spending time in nature. She attended 4-H and Girl Scout summer camp as a kid and grew up loving to backpack with family and friends. Debbie has a passion for community work and has twenty-five years of extensive experience in non-profit management, and seven years in public administration for local government. She served as the Executive Director of two different branches of the YMCA of Silicon Valley. She has a Bachelor of Science degree from San Jose State University and is currently finishing her MPA. Fun fact- she competes in the sport of triathlon, and just completed her first full Ironman and plans to compete in a second later this year.

Julie (she/her) is so excited to begin her journey as a Tawongan. She has 20 years of experience as a non-profit leader with a focus on finance and operations. Most recently served as COO of San Mateo’s CuriOdyssey after serving as executive leader of Aurora Theatre Company in Berkeley for nearly 12 years. Previously spent 15 years working in professional theatre in Chicago and 7 years as System Administrator/Business Analyst at a large advertising agency. Julie holds a Bachelor of Arts in Theatre from Loyola University Chicago and a Master of Non-Profit Arts Management degree from Columbia College Chicago.

Julie lives in Oakland with her husband, Erik, and their daughter Madelyn who they hope to make a Tawongan very soon.

Sarah’s story with Tawonga began in 2002 when she joined the summer staff as a counselor. After falling in love with the land, community and culture, she returned many summers as a Lifeguard, Office Staff Member and Office Manager. After earning a degree in Business Management from Chico State and spending two years in Japan teaching English, Sarah joined the year-round team from 2008 – 2018 where she served as the Accounts Receivable and Financial Assistance Manager. In addition to her role in the Finance Department, Sarah managed logistics for many large scale annual events including Ruach Rides, Erev Rosh Hashanah Celebrations and at Camp weddings.

In 2018 Sarah bittersweetly said goodbye to Tawonga and the Bay Area and moved with her husband Avi, their three sons Harley, Asa, Ari and their toy poodle Otis, to a small town on the Pudget Sound in Washington state to live a quieter life with more nature and less people. For three years Sarah enjoyed being a stay-at-home mom, exploring the Pacific Northwest beaches, forests and parks with her kids.

Fast forward to 2021, Sarah’s boys are all in school, and she is ecstatic to rejoin Tawonga’s year-round team as Staff Accountant, where she looks forward to helping bring Tawonga’s mission to life.