Kyra Rogers, Board Chair
Kyra is the mom of three WYP boys. She serves on the Board of Directors for Storyteller Children’s Center and the Executive Board for the Golden Rule Family Foundation. She has her Masters in Social Work from USC and B.A. in Organizational Psychology from Claremont McKenna College. After working for four years as an information systems consultant for Andersen Consulting (now Accenture), Kyra shifted to work in the non-profit sector. She was the Director of the Even Start Family Literacy Program in El Paso, TX. While in El Paso, she served on the board for Centro Mujeres de la Esperanza, a non-profit provider of health and mental wellness classes to women in low-income communities. While earning her masters, she interned with the Los Angeles County Mental Health Department, then UCLA. She has also served on the board of The Seasons Way, a non-profit dedicated to supporting local preschools who teach compassionate communication in an outdoor setting. She has backpacked through Denali National Park in Alaska, the Wind River Wilderness in Wyoming, and throughout California. She loves hiking, surfing, SUPing, reading, and bird language.
Arnold Jaffe, Trustee & Past President
Arnold S. Jaffe (Arno) has been a Santa Barbara resident since 1977 and is an attorney/mediator, specializing in immigration law. He has extensive board experience, he’s served with the Santa Barbara Middle School, The Rythmic Arts Project and Fighting Back Mentoring Program. He spent 22 years in the food industry with New York Bagel Factory and Paradisio Sorbet, is the father of two sons Joss and Bowie, and an avid practitioner of being in the now.
Laura Russell, CPA, Treasurer
Laura is a CPA with over 25 years of experience in accounting. After receiving a BBA in Accounting from the University of Texas at Austin, Laura worked for KPMG in public accounting. Since moving to Santa Barbara in 1993, Laura has worked primarily in corporate accounting. As a mom to three boys who have thrived under WYP mentorship over the last 10 years, Laura firmly believes in WYP’s mission and vision to stimulate and inspire the next generation by facilitating a life-long relationship with the outdoors. Laura enjoys spending time in nature, hiking, biking, and camping.
Anthony Rogers, M.D. – Family Practice, Secretary
As a father of three WYP boys, Dr. Rogers brings his commitment to family health to his role on our Board of Directors. After receiving his B.A. in French Literature from Pomona College and his M.D. from Texas Tech School of Medicine, Dr. Rogers returned to California to do his training at Harbor-UCLA Family Medicine Residency, one of the top residencies in the country for urban, underserved, primary care medicine. Dr. Rogers received the “Resident Teacher of the Year” award while at Harbor-UCLA, an honor awarded by the Society for Teachers of Family Medicine (STFM). Dr. Rogers is board-certified in Family Medicine. He joined the Santa Barbara Public Health Department in 2004 at the Franklin Health Care Center, then moved to the Santa Barbara Health Care Center in 2007. He is also a Fellow of the American Academy of Family Physicians.
Matt Dobberteen, Trustee
Matt Dobberteen is the Alternative Transportation Manager with the County of Santa Barbara and has been involved in government planning for his entire 30-year career. He has extensive experience working with nonprofits through his current role as advisor to the Santa Barbara Bicycle Coalition and COAST. He has also served as a board member to Fairview Gardens and the Sustainability Project. Matt is an Eagle Scout and a lover of the natural world. He enjoys backpacking, camping and bicycling for transportation and fitness. Matt is deeply passionate about WYP’s mission. He has joined the fundraising committee and is eager to help increase awareness in our community about the many benefits of nature connection.
Amy Schneider, Trustee
Amy Schneider is an independent consultant providing strategic direction and management to individual philanthropists, foundations, public entities, and nonprofits in support of their charitable, organizational, and community change goals. She is an experienced grantmaker and nonprofit professional with broad knowledge of Santa Barbara County’s unique philanthropic and nonprofits sectors. Specialties include philanthropy/grantmaking, managing people and programs within the nonprofit environment, governance, program evaluation, capacity building, facilitation, community convening, and leadership development. Previously Schneider has served as Director of Grantmaking & Nonprofit Excellence for the Santa Barbara Foundation, Interim Director for the Santa Barbara County Human Services Commission, Executive Director of the Incredible Children’s Art Network (ICAN), and Program Officer with the Weingart Foundation. In addition to her consulting practice, Schneider is involved with a variety of professional affinity groups, educational institutions, and nonprofit organizations in board, advisory, and volunteer roles. A California native and resident of Santa Barbara since 1987, Schneider holds a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science and International Relations from the University of California at Santa Barbara. She currently lives in Santa Barbara with her husband Nicholas J. Schneider, Esq. and their two children, both avid and long-time participants in WYP programming.
Carrie Kappel, Trustee
Dr. Carrie Kappel is a Research Scientist and Senior Fellow at UC Santa Barbara’s National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis, and an independent facilitator of collaborative initiatives. A marine conservation biologist and community ecologist by training, she has worked in coral reefs, kelp forests and rocky intertidal systems and now uses collaborative synthesis science to develop conservation solutions that protect marine ecosystems and enhance human wellbeing. Dr. Kappel currently serves on the Science Advisory Council for the Science for Nature and People Partnership (SNAPP) and provides facilitation services to SNAPP working groups, drawing upon her long history participating in and leading interdisciplinary, team science projects. She is passionate about helping diverse groups come together to solve challenging problems. Carrie received her B.S. from Brown University and her Ph.D. from Stanford University, both in biology. She has a longstanding interest in environmental education and nature connection, growing from time spent as an environmental educator for the Teton Science Schools, Ogden Nature Center, and as an independent consultant early in her career. Prior to joining the WYP Board, she served on the Board of Directors for Ecology Project International, from 2011-2017. Carrie and her family have been enjoying WYP programs for most of their 12+ years living in Santa Barbara and are grateful for the ways that being out on the land with WYP mentors and friends has deepened their connection to this beautiful place we call home.
April Price, Trustee
April Price works for the Community Environmental Council (CEC) on renewable energy issues. In this role, she leads programs designed to help homeowners and nonprofits transition to solar energy, and is closely involved with local government energy initiatives. Prior to working with CEC, April worked in a variety of outdoor education focused positions. For three years, she worked at Coal Oil Point Reserve (UCSB) where she managed the Western Snowy Plover recovery program, oversaw volunteers, and started an education program to bring 5th grade students to the reserve for field trips from local schools. She also spent time working in outdoor schools in the Santa Cruz mountains, as a naturalist and manager of a high school volunteer program. April has a Bachelor’s of Biology from UC Santa Cruz and a Masters of Environmental Science and Management from UC Santa Barbara. In her free time she enjoys playing beach volleyball, hiking and salsa dancing.
