Jayda Wood, Chairperson and Board Member
I am a member of the Messinger family, who originally settled the land that is now Pacifica. I am pleased to be part of this non-profit organization that keeps this beautiful land and facility open to the public. I am currently a principal real estate broker with Ramsay Realty, specializing in rural property in the Applegate Valley.
Dr. Rodger Miller, President and Board Member
Dr. Rodger Miller retired to Williams, Oregon in 1994. Prior to that, he practiced general dentistry in Vacaville, California, for 25 years. Dr. Miller graduated from the University of the Pacific School of Dentistry in 1969. He then completed a tour of duty at North Island Naval Air Station in San Diego and a year in Vietnam as a Navy dentist attached to the Marine Corps. He began his private practice in 1970 and over the years served as Ethics Chairman and later as the president of the Napa-Sonoma Dental Society. Dr. Miller also operates Williams Valley Ranch, an organically-oriented farming operation producing row crops and grass-fed cattle. Dr. Miller has been planning and creating challenge course equipment for Pacifica. He is one of the founders of Pacifica.
Ray Prag, Vice President and Board Member
Ray Prag received a B.A. in Botany from the University of Wisconsin, followed by an M.S. in Horticulture from the University of California, Davis. The combination of botany and horticulture and a great love of plants provided Ray with an excellent basis for growing a wide variety of plants from all over the world. He and his wife developed Forestfarm Nursery, which produces over 5,000 kinds of plants and has become one of the largest mail-order offerings in the country. He has now retired from Forestfarm to work on the development of Pacifica. Ray has been the Williams observer for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration since 1975 and reports a monthly summary of the weather which is posted on the local web bulletin board Joslist. He was a member of the Williams Town Council for nineteen years. He is one of the founders of Pacifica.
Dr. Lee Price, Treasurer and Board Member
Dr. Lee Price retired as the managing Director of Dresdner RCM Global Investors in the year 2000. Dr. Price was with Dresdner RCM Global Investors since 1972, becoming a Partner in 1976. During his tenure he filled the positions of financial analyst, equity portfolio manager, economist, strategist, director of MIS, and director of global client contacts. For 10 years, Lee and his wife, Kitty, ran their own business, Price Performance Measurement Systems which helps clients calculate and present investment performance after taxes are included. Lee has served on the boards of several nonprofits including the CFA Institute, the Financial Accounting Foundation, Stanford’s Institute of International Studies, Hidden Villa, the University Club Scholarship Fund, Symphony Silicon Valley, and George School. Dr. Price has a B.S. from Stanford in Engineering, an M.S. from MIT in Nuclear Engineering, and an MBA and Ph.D. from Stanford in Business. As one of the founders of Pacifica, Lee keeps track of Pacifica’s finances.
Wendy Lubianetsky, Secretary and Board Member
Peg Prag, Board Member
Peg Prag received her B.A. in Psychology from the University of California, Davis. In partnership with her husband, she created Forestfarm, one of the top-rated mail-order nurseries in the country. In the beginning, Peg shared every task necessary to grow plants, modeling her commitment to hands-on learning. Now retired from Forestfarm, she was instrumental in the design and development of a computer system to track inventory, orders, plant work, client base and other functions necessary to support the nursery. She is an artist and founder of the Pacifica Arts Guild. Ray and Peg have lived in Williams, Oregon since 1974. She and Ray were co-founders of the Williams Community Scholarship Fund. She is also one of the founders of Pacifica.
Ohana Tee Martin, Board Member
I arrived in the Applegate Valley area over 40 years ago and have been at the same residence in Williams since 1984. My wife Windsong and I established the Good Medicine Wildlife Sanctuary to provide a place for events, gatherings, ceremony, and especially a preserve for nature. I helped found the Sugarloaf Community Association and served on its board of directors for 10 years. I have initiated and assisted in the production of many large- to medium-size events and hope to use these skills for the benefit of Pacifica. I have three children and eight grandchildren keeping me on my toes and my eyes on the future.
Stephanie Allen Hart, Board Member
I was raised in Williams, Oregon attending Williams Elementary, Lincoln Savage and Hidden Valley. As a child I lived very close to the Pacifica property and spent lots of time riding horses in the fields and swimming in the ponds. My mom, LouAnn Allen was a huge part of Pacifica in its early days and I am proud to be a small part of helping to keep it going. I have been in education my entire life and was a Special Education teacher at Williams and Applegate Schools, the building principal at both schools and am currently Director of Student Services for the Three Rivers School District. I enjoy camping with my family, hiking and biking in the area and am passionate about caring for our Earth. I love this valley and community and hope to see Pacifica continue to grow and support the community needs.
Stephen Lubianetsky, Board Member
Richard Reames, Board Member
Richard Reames has resided in Williams, Oregon since 1985. He along with his wife Maya, built their own log house that they live in today. Richard established Arborsmith Studios, a unique hybrid of a tree nursery/art studio where he cultivates and grows living trees into furniture and other artistic creations. In 1995, he authored “How to Grow a Chair,” and in 2005, he penned “Arborsculpture: Solutions for a Small Planet.”
For several years, Richard instructed the art of Arborsculpture at John C. Campbell School of Folk Art in North Carolina. In 2005, he served as the international coordinator for arborsculpture at the World Expo in Aichi, Japan, overseeing the Growing Village pavilion.
A seasoned public speaker, Richard has delivered lectures globally and showcased his art at various flower and garden shows across the United States. His work has been featured in many different publication.
Here at Pacifica, Richard orchestrated the planting of 113 Giant Sequoia trees in a 100-foot diameter spiraling circle, involving over 60 volunteers. This ambitious land art project, named the Sequoia Sanctuary, is envisioned by Richard to evolve into a secluded green space for a multitude of outdoor events for generations to come. Richard hopes to apply his artistic talents to the beautification of Pacifica.