PAULA BROWN-WILLIAMS , Executive Director, brings a background in civic journalism to ESICE administration and program development. She graduated from San Francisco State University with a BA, magna cum laude, in a major she wrote synthesizing communications, graphic design, journalism, and marketing. She worked in the Public Information Office at Yosemite National Park, later serving as a fire information officer during the evacuation and closure of Yosemite National Park. She has over a decade of experience reporting in the Sierra with her reports published in the Mammoth Times, Inyo Register, Ridgecrest Daily Independent, syndicated news services, and American Communications Journal. Her work as a reporter includes extensive research and study in land and natural resource management. Ms. Williams held the position of News Director for Channel 12 Cable Television in Bishop for seven years before starting her own news service company. As a videographer, she has produced numerous informational videos and documentaries.


JAN RHOADES, Roadside Heritage Program Coordinator, brings a broad background to ESICE. At San Diego State University she earned a Bachelor’s Degree with Honors and Distinction in Physical Education, rounding it out with studies in Spanish, English Literature and Psychology. After teaching for five years, she entered a graduate program at the University of California at Berkeley to study for a Master’s Degree in Reading and Language Acquisition. A teacher in Bishop since 1982, she has earned teaching credentials in six different subject areas, including a bilingual credential. As a mentor teacher, she brought programs in Environmental Education and Language Arts to the students at Bishop Elementary School. In addition to teaching, she has worked as an outdoor guide, a Volleyball coach and referee, a massage therapist and, for the past five years, as the Camp Coordinator for the Inyo County Outdoor Science School. She enjoys traveling on her bicycle, as well as hiking, skiing, mountain climbing, and organic gardening. She finds her work at ESICE extremely enjoyable and exciting. Working with students and teachers, researching class topics, organizing interviews, and refining the student programs provide the diversity and intellectual stimulation that feed her enthusiasm for the Roadside Heritage Project.


LEIGH PARMENTER, Curriculum Development
Ms. Parmenter arrived in Bishop in 1988 with a degree in Natural Resources and a teaching credential. Her first years in the community were spent working in natural resource related jobs locally and out of state for the U S Forest Service, the Bureau of Land Management, California Dept. of Transportation, California Dept. of Fish and Game, and private consultants. While raising her children, Parmenter saw a need for new and different programs for the children in the community. She was instrumental in the creation of a parent participation preschool and a summer enrichment program for elementary school students. In addition, she is an actively-involved Girl Scout troop leader and organizer of weekend camps, summer day camps and many other activities for the Girls Scouts troops of the Owens Valley. Parmenter was involved in the initial design of the pilot project, Scientists in the Classroom, Students in the Field, in collaboration with the middle school sixth grade teachers and scientists from local agencies. Along with Katie Quinlan, she set up training for community docents, who then presented two weeks of hands on field studies to 180 sixth grade students.


KATIE QUINLAN, Curriculum Development
Ms. Quinlan's background includes teaching 6th grade environmental education programs in Oregon and directing an adventure program for high risk youth. From these early teaching experiences she developed the firm belief that the best education happens in small groups where students are experientially involved in the process. Ms. Quinlan says the ESWP program represents a project where experience is the driving force in curriculum design, and every student is individually involved in each study. "No one sits back and watches." Of the programs focus on the Owens River watershed, she notes that it is a watershed where the upper creeks are in a relatively natural state, but the lower river has been diverted since 1913. "Now we will watch and study a river being reborn into its natural channel," she says. "Just as the river is a ribbon of flowing water permeating the landscape it flows through we hope to connect the students and teachers of the communities that it passes through."