Wednesday, August 5, 2020, 3-5 pm PST
Staff & Volunteers
Meet our Regeneration Staff & Volunteers
Regeneration is growing thanks to our dedicated volunteers, generous donors, and committed staff!
Our work in 2016 included assembling a team and crafting a vision and mission statement and initial goals. In 2017, Regeneración began implementing projects: a mural on Rodriguez Street; Our Mother Earth series of environmental justice films in partnership with the Watsonville Film Festival; a video research project with Watsonville High School video academy seniors; and the Healthy Children for a Healthy Planet festival.
Executive Director
Director Nancy Faulstich founded Regeneración in 2016 together with a small group of Pajaro Valley residents. Nancy was motivated to work for climate action and resilience upon realizing the plight that younger generations, including her daughter, will face. Her goal was for everyone in the Pajaro Valley to become fully aware of the reality of climate change and to move together to address the causes and fight for justice.
Prior to her work with Regeneración, Nancy served as a bilingual preschool and kindergarten teacher and literacy specialist with the Pajaro Valley School District for 25 years. She has a BA in Women's Studies and Masters in Education with a bilingual (Spanish) certification.
In conjunction with her work as an early childhood educator, Nancy has led parent and women’s support groups and organized to address and eliminate racism and anti-semitism. Nancy approaches her work with Regeneración as an ally focused on elevating the leadership of people of color.
Special Projects Manager
Eloy Ortiz, is the Special Projects Manager for Regeneración. Raised in San Jose, Eloy graduated from UC Santa Cruz with a BA in Psychology and holds a Masters in Urban & Regional Planning from UC Irvine.
At Regeneración, Eloy manages the Transformative Climate Communities Planning Grant incorporating community leaders and residents’ views about needed Climate Action Projects in the Pajaro Valley. Eloy is the lead of the Monterey Bay Area Climate Justice Collaborative and is a Section Author on Community Engagement and Adaptation for the Central Coast Region's 5th California Climate Assessment Report.
Eloy served on the Board of Directors for the Center for Farmworker Families and was on the Northern Regional Steering Committee for California Jobs First (formerly CERF). He lives in Scotts Valley with his wife Nichole and is excited to impact the health and well being of residents in the Pajaro Valley community.
Community Outreach Manager
Maria Perez, was born in Salvatierra, Guanajuato, Mexico and immigrated to the United States when she was 11 years old.
Maria was part of the founding members of Regeneración, while in High School. She has been involved in a variety of environmental educational programs around Watsonville such as Watsonville Wetlands Stewards, the WATCH program, and Food What?!.
Maria obtained her Bachelors of Science in Conservation and Resource Studies from the University of California, Berkeley with a focus on climate and energy policy.
She is also part of the Commission for the Environment for Santa Cruz County and the Transportation Equity WorkGroup with the Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation Commission. She hopes to continue advocating for community-centered climate solutions.
Rocio Sanchez-Nolasco
Program Manager
Rocio Sanchez-Nolasco is the Monterey Bay Area Climate Justice Collaborative Program Manager at Regeneración and aims to support collaborative members and community members to help envision and create a more equitable and sustainable future for everyone in the Monterey Bay area.
Rocio was born and raised in Watsonville and participated in various environmental education programs that served as valuable stepping stones in her appreciation and commitment to the environment including Watsonville Wetlands Watch’s Wetland Steward program, the Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Young Women in Science program and Watsonville Area Teens Conserving Habitats program. She obtained her Bachelors of Arts degree from the University of California, Los Angeles in Art History with a minor in Digital Humanities.
Prior to joining the team at Regeneración, Rocio worked with various educational and non-profit organizations in Santa Cruz County helping oversee and support community outreach and engagement, educational programs, administrative operations, and volunteer stewardship.
Richard Castillo
Climate Resilience and Adaptation Manager
Richard holds a master’s degree in International Environmental Policy from the Middlebury Institute of International Studies in California, and a law degree from the University of Costa Rica. Richard specializes in environmental policy research and stakeholder engagement across cultures. His diverse experience spans Costa Rica, the US, Latin America, the Caribbean, and Asia, focusing on coastal communities and marine policy.
Currently, he serves as Climate Resilience and Adaptation Manager at Regeneración, addressing climate justice in California's Pajaro Valley and Central Coast. Richard has contributed to numerous projects enhancing environmental sustainability and community engagement and is looking forward to contributing to Regeneración's mission and fostering collaboration with stakeholders. His global perspective and passion for outdoor activities enrich his approach to complex environmental challenges.
Raudel Covarrubias
Administrative Coordinator
Raudel Covarrubias is yet another residential trailblazer in the Pajaro Valley. Born and raised by the Watsonville community, his curiosity led him to be involved with and eventually hired by the Environmental Science Workshop during his childhood. Influenced by this experience, after graduating from Watsonville High School he received his B.S. in Biology from UC Santa Barbara.
While attending college, he stayed involved with his community and helped establish Pajaro Valley Pride in 2015. He is now the Vice President for the Board and continues to do work for the community and collaborate with other local organizations and businesses.
As Administrative Coordinator Raudel will help his community become more resilient as climate impacts escalate, by strengthening Regeneración and ensuring its success.
Azucena Sandoval
Student Intern
Azucena Sandoval is currently a junior at Watsonville High School who is driven by a deep passion for engineering, environmentalism, and technology. She aspires to leverage these interests to make a meaningful impact on her community and beyond as she progresses through her career. She is also dedicated to advocating for others and ensuring that everyone has access to the essential resources and opportunities they deserve. Outside of her academic and advocacy work, Azucena enjoys running, reading, and learning as much as she can about the world around her.
Community Outreach/Program Assistant
Jissel, a first-generation Oaxacan graduate student at San José State University, centers her academic and personal work on decolonial perspectives and the lived experiences of impacted communities. This focus aligns closely with her role as Outreach/Program Assistant at Regeneración.
Her undergraduate experience at the Service Learning Institute at Cal State Monterey Bay continues to shape her journey, informing her community service and guiding her ongoing graduate studies and professional trajectory.
Anissa Balderas
Volunteer
Anissa is a WHS graduate and current Master's student in Social Work at San Jose State University. She has been volunteering with Regeneración since May of 2020.
"Volunteering with Regeneracion has taught me so much about myself and brought me closer to my community. Regeneracion supported me in leading local community dialogues, speaking at city council meetings, and hosting my own event. Regeneracion has empowered me to be an agent of change and given me hope for a just and equitable future."
College Corp Fellow
Sofia Amores is an undergraduate college student at California State University of Monterey Bay. She is majoring in Social and Behavioral Sciences with a minor in Pre-Law. This is her first year as a College Corps Fellow with Regeneración.
Born in Los Angeles and raised in Long Beach, California, Sofia attended Long Beach City College where she attained her associate’s degrees in sociology, welding, and metal fabrication. For the past year, she has worked in Watsonville at a manufacturing company as a CNC programmer.
On the weekends, she volunteers in Marina to help eradicate invasive plants and enjoys playing guitar with her partner. “
Pamela Sexton
Volunteer
Pam moved to Watsonville in 1997 and has called Watsonville home ever since, even while living with her family for many years in the half-island nation of Timor-Leste (East Timor). She teaches at Watsonville's Adult School and has been volunteering with Regeneración since February 2020.
"Volunteering with Regeneración has helped me to learn about and take action around local needs and initiatives, to meet and work with others who share the same vision. I've especially enjoyed being part of the Advocacy Committee, where our team has studied issues and possible solutions, organized public events, prepared advocacy letters and fliers, and supported one another in the work. I am inspired by the brilliance and energy of the young leaders on our team, who are ready and able to move us towards a truly sustainable, equitable and just Pajaro Valley."
Eileen Clark-Nagaoka
Volunteer
Eileen enjoys the beaches, mountains and redwood forests of Santa Cruz for 42 years. She moved here from Los Angeles to attend U.C. Santa Cruz where she studied Literature and, later, Dual Language Education. She taught public elementary school in Watsonville for 34 years and has also raised 2 daughters here. Her husband and their daughters have always loved hiking in the Santa Cruz Mountains, swimming and exploring the tide pools in the cold Pacific Ocean, kayaking in the slough and being part of the rich multicultural community of Watsonville.
"I enjoy being a volunteer for Regeneration because so many of our community activities and events have introduced me to other climate justice activist and residents of Watsonville worried about the effects of the climate emergency. Meeting others of many ages, ethnicities and cultural backgrounds wanting to create a resilient and equitable community in the face of climate change has given me immense hope. I now have renewed optimism that this diversity of people and the imagination and power that blooms when we come together really will pull us through to a better future. Besides, being with others in this effort is so much more fun than just staying home alone and yelling at the TV news! (It’s more effective too.)"
Allison Solis
Volunteer
Allison is currently a first-generation Master's student in Environmental Studies at San Jose State University. She loves hiking and running in her free time.
"I am passionate about environmental justice and through Regeneración I have met amazing, hard-working, and resilient people who have helped me grow into the professional that I am today and have helped mold my lens of environmental justice. Regeneración has been uplifting and providing resources for the community and continues doing admirable work! "
