Seminar Speakers

Practical Prep for Your Animals & You – Beyond the Go-Bag, 10:15 am in Saralee’s Barn

Be guided through the steps to create a strong plan for animals in emergencies and natural disasters. Come ready with questions about preparedness for pets, equines and livestock. Special Feature for Caregivers!

Julie Solomon Atwood is the founder of the HALTER Project, an internationally recognized program dedicated to animal disaster preparedness and response. A lifelong Sonoma County resident, she works closely with first responders, CERT teams, and communities to ensure animals are included in emergency planning. Julie has deployed to major disasters across Northern California and has been recognized for her leadership in building more resilient communities.

7 Steps to Earthquake Safety – 11:30am & 1:30pm in Saralee’s Barn

Attendees will learn key guidance for what to do before, during, and after earthquakes, and create personal action plans for being prepared to survive and recover.

Mark Benthien is the Director of Public Education and Preparedness at the Statewide California Earthquake Center, headquartered at the University of Southern California (USC) where he works to increase earthquake and tsunami awareness and to reduce loss. Mark is also Executive Director of the California-focused Earthquake Country Alliance, which organizes the annual Great California ShakeOut Earthquake Drill. He was recognized as a White House “Champion of Change” for expanding ShakeOut drills worldwide, which involve more than 50 million people each year. He also manages TsunamiZone.org which supports participation in California Tsunami Preparedness Week along with activities in other states and countries. Finally, he is the Executive Producer of Quake Heroes (a motivational documentary that depicts stories from the 1994 Northridge earthquake).

Alerts & You – 10:30am & 1:30pm in Finley Hall

Understanding Local Emergency Alerts and What They Mean

Neil Bregman is the Emergency Preparedness Manager for the City of Santa Rosa, a role he has held since 2014. With an emergency management career spanning more than 15 years, Neil has led the City’s EOC operations through some of California’s most significant wildfire events, including the 2017 Wine Country Fires, the 2019 Kincade Fire, and the 2020 Glass Fire, as well as the regional COVID-19 response. Before moving to California, he held emergency management positions with major government agencies and healthcare systems in New York City. Neil began his career as a corporate litigator, handling complex matters in products liability, securities fraud, and white-collar crime. He holds a JD from St. John’s University School of Law.

Creating Sustainable Defensible Space – 11:30am in Finley Hall

Mimi will introduce the concept of sustainable defensible space and outline simple actions we can take in the 3 defensible space zones to be better prepared for future wildfire events.

Mimi Enright was born & raised in the Bay Area and spent many happy days as a child exploring the Santa Cruz Mountains. She worked in the technology industry for 17 years before moving to Sonoma County in 2000 to pursue her passion as a garden designer. She completed the training to become a UC Master Gardener in 2011 due to her interest in helping educate Sonoma County residents on the topic of sustainable landscaping. She has been with the University of California Cooperative Extension in Sonoma County since 2013 as the Master Gardener Program Coordinator. She has been actively engaged in helping educate the community of defensible space practices since the 2027 Wildfires Complex in Sonoma County.

Prepare for Wildfire: Hardening Your Home Against RED – 12:30pm in Finley Hall

Attendees will learn about low-cost strategies recommended to harden homes against wildfire threats. Key measures discussed include installing noncombustible gutter covers, sealing exterior gaps larger than 1/8-inch, and upgrading vent protection with ember- and flame-resistant materials.

Roberta MacIntyre has served over 35 years in the fire service. She started out as a volunteer firefighter, became a career firefighter for a metropolitan fire department working in fire suppression, and eventually discovered how much more she could do in fire prevention. After several years working in fire prevention, Roberta eventually became the Assistant Chief/Fire Marshal for the County of Sonoma. Now in retirement, Roberta volunteers as President and CEO of Fire Safe Sonoma.

Alerts & You – 10:30am & 1:30pm in Finley Hall

Understanding Local Emergency Alerts and What They Mean

Jorge Rodriguez is the Community Alert and Program Manager with the County Department of Emergency Management. He joined the department in 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic. He’s been involved Sonoma County disaster response from the 2019 Kincade Fire, 2020 LNU Lightning Complex and Glass Fires.

Fire Weather 101 – 12:15pm in Saralee’s Barn

Attendees will understand the criteria for Red Flag Warnings and other weather events that create the potential for a damaging fire in Sonoma County.

Marshall Turbeville is a CAL FIRE Battalion Chief assigned to Sonoma County. He began as a seasonal fire fighter in 1995 and was hired full time in 2001. He has responded to most major wildland fires in Sonoma County including the 2013 McCabe, 2015 Valley, 2016 Sawmill, 2017 Tubbs and Pocket, 2019 Kincade, 2020 Walbridge and Glass. Marshall has a Bachelor of Science degree from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo in Forestry and Natural Resources and is a qualified fire behavior analyst.