- Author: Yana Valachovic
With tremendous sadness, we mark the passing and remember the impact of our friend, colleague and mentor, Dorina Espinoza, who passed away Oct. 10 after a brief illness.
One of her University of California colleagues, Irene Padasas, said it best, “I am grateful for the opportunity to have experienced Dorina's radiating humility and kindness, but most of all, I am thankful for her patience and mentorship that changed me forever.”
In 2012, Espinoza joined the University of California Cooperative Extension in Humboldt and Del Norte counties to develop a novel position under the title of youth, families and communities advisor. This position sought to integrate and blend programming in community health and education. In this role, she supported three critical programs: 4-H Youth Development, Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program, and UC Master Food Preservers. These roles naturally suited her and her love of youth education, community health and community empowerment.
In 2020, when COVID-19 disrupted 4-H activities, Anne Iaccopucci, California 4-H Healthy Living coordinator; and Marcel Horowitz, UCCE healthy youth, families and communities advisor in Yolo County; and Espinoza adapted the CDC/4-H Junior Disease Detective: Operation Outbreak project for remote instruction.
In one of her autobiographical sketches, Espinoza stated, “I am continually learning from my community members and I am passionate about working with communities to make healthy changes that improve lives, create equitable and just communities that support and value difference, and help decision-makers support practices and policies that ensure healthy communities for all to thrive.”
She earned her master's degree and Ph.D. from Michigan State University in kinesiology and exercise science. She served the North Coast for over two decades, working for Humboldt County's Health and Human Services Department as a health education specialist for 5 years, lecturing at Humboldt State University in Kinesiology for 6 years, and working for UC Cooperative Extension for 11 years.
Espinoza was a bright light and a vibrant voice in Humboldt and Del Norte counties and through her work in California. Professionally, she was not only a joy to work with, but she inspired us all.
Espinoza built meaningful and successful partnerships with community-based organizations and tribes. She inspired us with her practice of deep cultural humility and respectful solidarity with the communities that she served and by the way she exemplified equity-driven and inclusive approaches in her work and valuing the lived experiences of individuals. She was gifted with the ability to find the best in everyone.
Espinoza was passionate about addressing food insecurity, supporting emergency preparedness, strengthening local agriculture and regional food systems, and engaging with community volunteers. With both 4-H and the Master Food Preserver programs, she found the balance between sharing science-based information with others and respecting their own wealth of knowledge and experience. She understood the importance of power lying within people in their communities and gently encouraged both staff and volunteers to develop more skills to understand bias and equity.
She set an important example for others on how to undertake research, extension activities, and community projects with an inspirational vision that will long outlive her individual impact. She was also a leader in helping Cooperative Extension colleagues and the 4-H program in intercultural development and diversity, equity and inclusion training. Espinoza and her 4-H colleagues received the National Extension Diversity Award in 2016.
Espinoza described herself as a “woman, a woman of color, a woman of color occupying a position within California government, I am both one in solidarity and one in oppression with tribal communities. I strive on a daily basis to maintain humility, curiosity, respect, excitement and so much more while I work and live on these lands of the North Coast. I strive to understand issues relevant to my community, provide learning opportunities as well as leadership and extension skills so community members may shine with or without me, and share what I learn… to engage for deeper understanding.”
She had a joyous heart, an infectious smile and a deep compassion for everyone.
Espinoza is survived by sons Nicolas White, 26, and Anthony White, 24, and sisters Denise Ziskin and Diana Sacramento.
In Espinoza's memory, 4-H colleagues are dedicating a bike rack at the ANR building in Davis. JoLynn Miller explained the significance, saying, “The story is that in meetings, there's always an easel with a ‘parking lot' to put ideas that need to be discussed later. Dorina always would suggest we start using the word ‘Bike Rack' because it's modeling healthy behavior. So, we're dedicating a bike rack in her honor.”
Davis artist Wes Horn will create a mosaic plaque composed of clay tiles made by Espinoza's family and friends. He anticipates installing the plaque in April.
Read more about Espinoza at https://www.vcstar.com/obituaries/pyrk0672218.
Dear Colleagues,
I'm sorry to share the sad news that our dear colleague Dorina Espinoza has passed away. As I wrote on Oct. 2, Dorina recently had been diagnosed with an extremely aggressive form of cancer. She leaves two sons, Nicolas White, 26, and Anthony White, 24.
As the UC Cooperative Extension youth, families and communities advisor for Humboldt and Del Norte counties since 2012, Dorina has accomplished so much to improve the community's food security and well-being by reaching out and collaborating with tribal members and local organizations. She will be deeply missed.
I send my condolences to those of you who were Dorina's friends as well as her colleagues.
Yana Valachovic, Dorina's supervisor, has been in touch with Dorina's sister and will let us know if a memorial or other remembrance will be planned.
If you'd like to do something to honor Dorina's spirit, Yana suggests going outside for a walk because when Dorina was stressed, taking a walk was her first step to address a challenge.
For your own well-being, also remember the Academic and Staff Assistance Program (ASAP) is available to all ANR employees for confidential, cost-free assessment, intervention, consultation and referral services. These services are available to ANR employees and their immediate families.
Glenda Humiston
Vice President
Dear Colleagues,
It's with a heavy heart that I am writing to let you know that our dear friend and colleague Dorina Espinoza is suffering from an extremely aggressive cancer. Yana Valachovic, Dorina's supervisor, has spoken with her family members, who gave their permission to share this news with you. They want you to know that Dorina is with her family and receiving excellent hospice care.
Dorina, UC Cooperative Extension youth, families and communities advisor for Humboldt and Del Norte counties, has been a member of UC ANR since 2012. You may remember that at the ANR town hall in May, she and Julia Van Soelen Kim, UCCE North Bay food systems advisor, gave a presentation about the North Coast Emergency Food Network they built to feed people during disasters and strengthen the economic viability of local food producers.
This type of news is never easy to deliver or receive. But we can let Dorina's family know that we appreciate her and all that she has given to improve the health and welfare of her community members.
If you would like to send a card to Dorina and her family, you may address it to Dorina Espinoza at our UCCE Humboldt office at 5630 South Broadway, Eureka, CA 95503.
Additionally, please remember the Academic and Staff Assistance Program (ASAP) is available to all ANR employees for confidential, cost-free assessment, intervention, consultation and referral services. These services are available to ANR employees and their immediate families.
Please take care of yourselves and keep Dorina and her family in your hearts.
Glenda Humiston
Vice President
- Author: Pamela Kan-Rice
New food systems partnership to aid disaster response in Del Norte, Humboldt, Mendocino, Sonoma, Napa and Marin counties
To improve people's access to food during disasters, University of California Cooperative Extension advisors Dorina Espinoza and Julia Van Soelen Kim received a combined $1.5 million from the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service Regional Food Systems Partnership Program and crucial matching contributions from local government, nonprofits and foundations. Over a three-year period, they will create a California North Coast Emergency Food System Partnership across six counties – Del Norte, Humboldt, Mendocino, Sonoma, Napa and Marin – to strengthen local and regional food systems and build community resilience.
“We wouldn't have been able to access these funds without UC providing the backbone,” said project partner Suzi Grady of Petaluma Bounty, an urban farm and food security project. “The trusted relationship with UC allows us to broaden our reach and scope; the neutrality piece is also really important. It's a natural fit for UC to step in.”
Grady added, “I'm excited by this opportunity because UC can provide evaluation, reflect back to us what happens in disasters, and help build our collective capacity when those of us who are busy doing are too busy to step back and reflect. Having academic partners helps us retain institutional knowledge, learn from the past and strategize for the future."
Meredith Knowles with the Del Norte and Tribal Lands Food Security Project agreed, “I have seen so many times that the relationship building, coordinating and making space for sharing is so important and the momentum that comes from that is powerful. I'm excited for the space to share that.”
Learning from past disasters
Following earthquakes in Humboldt County last December, UC Cooperative Extension advisor Espinoza took part in the Community Organizations Active in Disaster or “COAD,” collaborating with local government, agencies and organizations to support a Local Assistance Center in Rio Dell, the town hit hardest by the quakes.
Espinoza and partners worked to connect impacted neighbors with local, state and national services, including ensuring community members could access food right in their community through the local food bank and local food trucks, which prepared meals for residents who were unable to use their kitchens.
In January, with storms in the forecast, Mimi Enright, UCCE Sonoma County community food systems program manager, activated the COAD's Emergency Food Group in Sonoma County. She discussed with Van Soelen Kim, UCCE North Bay food systems advisor, as well as local emergency food providers, how their network could respond to food needs that might arise if flooding occurred.
“Before the storm, we met and asked, ‘What populations might be most impacted? What organizations might be offline because of the storm? Who will be able to deliver groceries and meals to sites in the community?'” Enright explained.
Further north in Del Norte County along the Oregon border, there are limited entry points and no major highways, leaving the region vulnerable to natural disasters. Road access to and from the county is frequently blocked by landslides, wildfires and floods, resulting in disruptions to food deliveries.
The Del Norte and Tribal Lands Community Food Council – a group that works to build a more local food system by providing healthy, culturally appropriate food to families – learned from past closures and from the pandemic the importance of having local and regional systems in place to better respond to the emergencies that impact the isolated area of the state. Their Choice Pacific Pantry includes local products in its food distribution programs and their Pacific Fresh Mobile Market brings food directly to vulnerable rural communities with limited access to nutritious food.
Over the past five years, Northern California has experienced catastrophic wildfires, floods, landslides, drought, earthquakes and the pandemic, all of which have put increasing pressure on local producers, the local/regional food system and emergency food aid.
“Food is implicated in every disaster,” said Patti D'Angelo Juachon with the Marin Community Foundation.
Through the various challenges to their communities, Espinoza, Enright and Van Soelen Kim have extended their expertise related to emergency food systems. Collectively the UCCE team has gained firsthand knowledge about what works well and what doesn't in getting local food to food-insecure community members. They hope to share this knowledge with partners regionally and expand collaboration at a larger scale.
“Local food production is critical to the resilience of the North Coast,” said Lynda Hopkins, Sonoma County District 5 supervisor. “I'm thrilled that UCCE will be working with our farmers to ensure that we can feed our residents healthy, local food no matter what disaster we're facing – be it future flood, fire or pandemic. This is a huge step towards food security for Northern California!”
Collaborating across the North Coast
“The Regional Food Systems Partnership Program will help to build a more resilient and stable food system in times of disaster and in times of stability,” said Heather Irwin, founder of Sonoma Family Meal. “This is very important work for the future of Northern California disaster relief efforts, and we are excited to be part of it. During disasters, Sonoma Family Meal coordinates resources between the restaurant industry and emergency meal providers in order to provide quality emergency meals for those who have been impacted.”
One way the team hopes to strengthen local and regional food systems is by reducing the risk of lost income and creating additional market channels for local food producers in emergency food supply chains. The team also plans to create a network of partners, develop emergency feeding plans, and inventory local emergency food supply chain infrastructure. They also plan to create recommendations for policies and practices that support local/regional emergency food supply chains.
/h3>- Author: Christina Harrington, student assistant
A delegation of 12 UC ANR staff, academics, volunteers and stakeholders visited state legislators in Sacramento on April 19 for UC ANR Advocacy Day to share how UC ANR's work delivers local, place-based education, outreach and programming to serve communities throughout the state.
Anne Megaro, government and community relations director, and Christina Harrington, student assistant, UC Master Gardener and graduate of the UC California Naturalist Program, organized meetings with Assembly Member Rebecca Bauer-Kahan, Senator John Laird, Assembly Member Devon Mathis, and staff members in many legislative offices.
The delegation thanked them for investing in ongoing funding in last year's state budget and shared their stories of serving community members, farmers, ranchers, youth and natural resource managers in their regions.
Vice President Glenda Humiston and Mark Bell, Vice Provost of Strategic Initiatives and Statewide Programs, led two teams, which included Sarah-Mae Nelson, UC Climate Stewards initiative academic coordinator; Kamal Khaira, director of CalFresh Healthy Living, UC; UCCE advisors Igor Lacan, Mae Culumber and Dorina Espinoza; 4-H Youth State Ambassadors Megna Nayar and Sara Tibbets; and Clio Tarazi, UC Master Gardener volunteer.
The teams urged legislators to support several key budget requests as part of Governor Newsom's proposed FY 2022-23 state budget. These budget commitments would support UC's much-needed capital projects at Research and Extension Centers and Elkus Ranch to expand capacity for research and programming, as well as investments for UC climate action and resiliency projects that will advance climate research and workforce development programs for students and community members.
The UC ANR representatives invited the legislators to visit for tours and events to see UC ANR at work in their districts firsthand.