UCCE Marin Staff

The services provided by Marin UCCE depend on a talented group of staff and volunteers who bring a wealth of knowledge to bear for the benefit of the county. Together, they represent a combined 80 years of service.

University of California Academic Advisors

David Lewis, Director and Watershed Management Advisor
David Lewis is the Director of both Marin and Napa county UCCE offices. The Watershed Management Program provides education to support natural resource management and agricultural production while conserving, protecting, and restoring watershed function. Areas of program research include: point and nonpoint source pollution management and links between agricultural and natural resource management practices and beneficial uses of watersheds.

Steven Swain, Environmental Horticulture Advisor
Steven Swain is the Environmental Horticulture Advisor for Marin and Sonoma counties. The Environmental Horticulture Program promotes sound plant health care in our urbanized county, with an emphasis on Integrated Pest Management (IPM) principles.

Julia Van Soelen Kim, Food Systems Advisor
Julia Van Soelen Kim's work focuses on the viability, sustainability, and equity of regional food systems. Her efforts are directed at strengthening the connections between farmers and consumers by supporting the viability of small-scale and diversified agricultural production and expanding access to affordable local food.

Steven Worker, 4-H Youth Development Advisor
Steven Worker is the 4-H Youth Development Advisor for Marin, Napa, and Sonoma Counties.  He is the most recent addition to our UCCE team, bringing a wealth of knowledge and experience in youth science literacy and experiential learning. 4-H Youth Development helps diverse young people discover and develop their potential through learning-by-doing activities, youth-adult partnerships, and research-based educational programs. Through these outlets, young people enhance their leadership abilities and develop a wide range of other life skills.

Cross-County Advisors

Stephanie Larson, Livestock & Range Management Advisor
Stephanie Larson works with ranchers and producers, addressing such topics as animal health and welfare, marketing, and the management of range and natural resources. The Livestock and Range Program also conducts research in the wise stewardship of lands, humane methods of predator control, and sustainable agriculture for the livestock industry.

Paul Olin, Marine Science Advisor
The Marine Science Program serves both Marin and Sonoma Counties and promotes the wise use of coastal and marine resources. Technical assistance is provided to the commercial fishing and aquaculture industries, seafood processors, and retailers through a collaboration between UCCE, California Sea Grant and Scripps Institution of Oceanography, UC San Diego (SIO).

Paul Vossen, Specialty Crops Advisor Emeritus
Paul Vossen works with the county's 800 small-scale commercial farmers who grow olives, tree fruits, nuts, berries, vegetables, herbs, cut flowers, and other specialty crops on about 8,000 acres. The Specialty Crops Program goal is to help farmers, processors, and marketers make a profit in local agriculture while promoting sustainable practices

University of California Program Staff

Janice Alexander, Forest Health Educator
Janice works with a variety of stakeholders to protect the health of forests and wildlands, including assisting tribes with pest management issues (with the Western Region Tribal IPM Work Group) and delivering environmental education to underserved youth. She is an organizer and facilitator for the Working Group for Phytophthoras in Native Habitats, and coordinates statewide education efforts on sudden oak death and invasive species in firewood via the California Oak Mortality Task Force and the California Firewood Task Force, respectively.

Allison Keaney, 4-H Program Representative
Allison supports Marin County’s twelve general and specialty clubs, 4-H in the Classroom, 4-H After School, and Camp. 4-H Youth Development helps diverse young people discover and develop their potential through learn by doing activities, youth-adult partnerships, and research-based educational programs. Through these outlets, young people enhance their leadership abilities and develop a wide range of other life skills. 

Lauren Klein, Community Gardens Program Coordinator
Lauren Klein coordinates the Community Gardens Program, which supports community and school gardens countywide. She also helps maintain the Marin Community Gardens interactive map, and promotes policies that encourage both existing and potential community gardens.

Peggy Mathers, Marin-Friendly Garden Walk Program Coordinator
Peggy Mathers coordinates the Marin-Friendly Garden Walk Program, a partnership between Marin Master Gardeners and all of Marin’s water districts, to provide homeowners with information and advice on improving their irrigation practices and improving sustainable landscaping techniques in order to help conserve Marin’s water resources.  

Bonnie Nielsen, Communications Specialist
Bonnie Nielsen provides program support for the office, focusing primarily on the Forest Health, Sustainable Agriculture, Food Systems, and Master Gardener programs. She provides technical support with website design and management, workshop and outreach event planning, the production of assorted newsletters and other publications, and general office communication needs.

Rina Aoyama, Intern
Rina Aoyama, an intern and graduate student at the University of California Berkeley supported the compilation of legacy and contemporary water quality results in the Tomales Bay and Olema Creek Watersheds.

Marin County Staff

Vince Trotter, Agricultural Ombudsman for Marin County
Vince joined our team in July 2015 taking over as the role of Ombudsman from Lisa Bush, who previously served 11 years in the role. The Agricultural Ombudsman is here to help agricultural producers navigate the permitting process and to facilitate understanding across the different county, state and federal agencies.  The Ombudsman creates factsheets that outline regulatory requirements for agricultural endeavors in Marin county.

Effie Cook, Program Support
Effie Cook, after more than 20 years of service, retired in December 2015. Effie provided operational support including administrative financial oversight. She also staffed and supported the Marin County Fish and Wildlife Commission and its annual grant program for environmental education and restoration.



Vicki Jimenez, Program Support
Vicki Jimenez, in her fourth year of service, took over a leadership role in program support. Her work includes budget oversight and office operations in addition to seeing to the logistics for more than 150 educational events a year, website and social media content and outreach, and managing program participant databases.

Ana Medina, Program Support
Ana Medina, joining the team in May 2016, supports our 4-H Youth Development and Environmental Horticulture programs and assists with bilingual delivery of program content and service.

Paulette Swallow, Organic & Sustainable Agriculture Coordinator
Paulette Swallow coordinates the Sustainable Agriculture Program, serving the Marin agriculture community with educational workshops, trainings, publications, and the Grown in Marin website - a comprehensive listing of resources for farmers and ranchers as well as the public. The Sustainable Agriculture Program also provides assistance with ranch diversification, ranch planning, and other transitional phases.

University of California Marin Master Gardener Co-Presidents