Stefani Danes (RCE Project Manager) and Doug Cooper have been members of The Pittsburgh Cohousing Group for many years and are delighted that those goals are being realized in Rachel Carson EcoVillage. They both have architectural backgrounds and teach in CMU’s School of Architecture. Doug’s a muralist whose work explores the ways we experience cities, and Stefani’s a practicing architect with a passion for housing and community. With Doug’s charcoal drawings and Stefani’s fabric collage, they have also been making murals together. They’re members of the East Liberty Presbyterian Church Chancel Choir and the Pittsburgh Paddlefish Dragon Boat Team. Their five children are all on their own and doing well.
Judy and Jim Robertson (Founder Manager) both were born and raised in Pittsburgh. Jim was an Engineer and Judy a Social Worker; both are now retired. Early in their marriage they lived in South Africa and Belgium. Jim later spent seventeen years commuting to China. Both enjoy traveling and paddling. They paddle outrigger canoes and have paddled in Europe and the South Pacific. They were members of the Pittsburgh Paddlefish Dragon boat team for 13 years. They are looking forward to being part of the intentional community and the opportunities for socialization and being active physically and intellectually with projects including helping with the chickens, gardening and more. They have four grown children all living with their families in states throughout the country.
Originally from Georgia and now transplanted (via Ohio & West Virginia) in Pittsburgh for the last 28 years, Grace Astraea (Information Manager) has two children ages 13 & 20 and currently lives in West Homestead. Zie has operated a multifaceted business since 2005 that continues to challenge and amuse them. Zie loves to garden and connect in the natural world to anything zie can as well as relax with a good book or puzzle when zie’s not tending to zir garden or other volunteer pursuits. What interests zir most about living in an intentional community is the intentional part; after living in about a dozen or so of Pittsburgh’s neighborhoods since moving here and experiencing a lack of felt community despite zir efforts to integrate, it just makes sense to join with others who actually want to be in community with each other in building a place to live. The most exciting aspect of the Rachel Carson EcoVillage for zir is the location and relationship with Chatham University’s Eden Hall campus and what that will add to the community.
Becky Lubold is a retired environmental educator who has worked with many conservation and community groups throughout her career. She now focuses on education and activism related to climate change and local/regional food systems.
Becky loves spending time outdoors…walking/hiking, camping, observing (and submitting observations through “community/citizen science” projects like the Great Backyard Bird Count and Project FeederWatch), gardening, and cross-country skiing. She also enjoys cooking (and eating!), reading, music of many types, drumming, contra dancing, and practicing yoga.
Rachel Carson EcoVillage seems just what she is hoping for in the next chapter in her life: living in a multi-generational, diverse, vibrant, and supportive community; having opportunities to learn, befriend, garden, share skills and interests with others; living more lightly on the earth and demonstrating how, as humans within natural ecosystems, we can have positive impacts and transition to a sustainable future. An innately curious person and lifelong learner, she is excited and intrigued by the possibilities for connecting with Chatham University’s sustainability programs and other activities at Eden Hall Campus.
Jerry Sales is a Pittsburgh native who grew up in Highland Park. He earned his BA and MBA at Northwestern University. He is a CPA and has worked as a Chief Financial Officer for over 30 years. He has been interested in cooperative living since his early college days and has been involved in fostering cohousing in Pittsburgh as a member of the Pittsburgh Cohousing Group for over 15 years. He has visited over 10 cohousing communities and understands what is required to help them succeed. He is married to Jane Critchfield and has 2 adult sons, both artists.
A native Pittsburgher, (with art school and some college in Cleveland), I am Margot Critchfield. I have been interested in co-housing for quite a while. I took a weekend workshop at Ecovillage Ithaca and have visited a number of other communities. I am 78 and settled in Naples, Florida but I am willing to give up ‘endless summer’ and a bunch of good friends for a chance to be part of co-housing in my home town. My interests are reading (human prehistory, social history, detective stories set in first century Rome), watercolor painting, riding my tricycle, arts and crafts, getting my old cat to eat, discussions with friends, going to the Unitarian Universalist Church in Naples. Rachel Carson EcoVillage at Chatham University seems like a nearly ideal situation, very exciting. (If it just didn’t have snow and ice—just kidding).
Kristi Karsh is a Libra, left handed, tried a vegetarian diet 40 odd years ago and is still at it! She’s also a fiber artist, nature lover, mother of 3 fine young people, fond of peace and all about repurposing and recycling. A perfect day for her is one spent outside or working with my hands. A gratifying moment for her is when I’ve been of service to someone.
Kristi is a North Hills native and was born in Bradfordwoods, raised in Pine Township, and graduated from Richland High School (which is the elementary school across from the Ridge Road). She’s had some adventures; living for a time near the Rockies and then in northern California. She reluctantly returned to Pittsburgh, but grew to recognize what a gem of a place we have here, she’s a big fan of Pittsburgh, which is possible even without following the sports teams. Travel will never get old for her.
She’s presently employed at Rodef Shalom Congregation as their Director of Membership and Human Resources. She’s held a variety of positions (with a 12 year stint as a stay at home mom and busy volunteer) in educational settings and nonprofit organizations. She’s consistently inconsistent about most things and learning to embrace not knowing what will happen next.
To live in community to her means that she’ll put time and effort into knowing my neighbors and care about their welfare. It means sharing in something special and putting energy into sustaining it. It means expanding her social network and increasing her opportunities to learn and grow.
She’s excited that the RCE is founded on principles that honor the planet and engage members in being good stewards of the earth. She also likes the fact that it’s located on a university campus and that it feels like she’s returning to her roots. She values the earnestness and sense of humor of the members and the compassion she’s witnessed both on an individual and collective level.
After learning about cohousing from friends who were involved with planning a community in Massachusetts, Jill Brethauer was excited to find out about the proposed RCE. Knowing her neighbors and being an active member of a vibrant community is important to Jill. She also is intrigued by the opportunity to live on the Chatham Eden Hall campus.
Jill was born in Alabama and raised in West View. She attended college in Massachusetts and then moved to West Philadelphia. Life in Philadelphia instilled a love of urban living, which spurred Jill to eventually purchase, renovate, and live in a home in Pittsburgh’s central North Side. In the late 1980s, Jill and her then-future husband purchased land and began building a home in Gibsonia. It was an adjustment to move to what was then “country”. But wonderful neighbors, involvement in the community, and a growing understanding and appreciation of the power and rhythms of nature had a huge positive impact. In the eight years since the house was converted to solar, hearing the “hums” and “clicks” of the inverters and tracking and reducing the energy usage have reinforced that connection with nature.
Jill is retired from a career in healthcare finance and management. Volunteer commitments include the AFS exchange program, Friends of the Northern Tier Regional Library, Allegheny Unitarian Universalist Church, and some others. Hobbies include hiking, gardening, knitting, enjoying the arts, traveling, and taking classes at CCAC, although ailing knees have forced Jill to curtail some of those for the time being. Jill’s husband has returned to his home state to live. Jill’s extended family includes her cat; her siblings and their families; host siblings from when she was an exchange student in the Philippines many years ago; and her “son” from India whom Jill and her husband hosted when he was an exchange student at Pine-Richland High School 10 years ago.
Luba Severinovsky was born in Kiev, Ukraine and immigrated to the USA in 1989. She currently lives in Levittown, NY and works in Manhattan in a consulting/engineering company. She has two daughters, two grandchildren, two cats and one dog. When not at work she enjoys reading, theaters, museum and galleries, along with various outdoor activities – hiking, walking, skating. She’s looking forward to being part of the Rachel Carson EcoVillage community.
Mary Ellen “Mel” Scott grew up in Fair Bluff, NC along the banks of the Lumber River. Shoes were optional; she loved riding horses, swimming, and playing with her animals. Stuart “Stu” Bush (Inquirer Manager) grew up in Rochester, NY. In April 1970, he created a slideshow with photos of pollution in Rochester, set to Bridge Over Troubled Waters that he presented at a school assembly on the first Earth Day.
After earning a BA (Chemistry) at Wittenberg U., Stu enrolled at UNC. He met Mel at a Chapel Hill bus-stop. While at UNC, Mel finished her BS in Psych, then studied massage while Stu completed his PhD. Married in 1983, they moved to Doylestown, PA in 1984. Mel practiced massage/Reiki for 32 years, became an interfaith minister, and an entrepreneur. Stu was a research leader at Rohm & Haas for 25 years until it was acquired by Dow Chemical. For 12 years, Stu has worked for human service nonprofits, for eight years as an Executive Director. They parented two wonderful sons who live in Swissvale, PA and Somerville, MA. Breast cancer has paid Mel a visit twice and has shaped her literally and figuratively.
Because of her vision loss, nature has become less available to Mel; RCE seems like a great place for her to feel the dirt between her toes again. Both Mel and Stu envision RCE as an ideal home to create and live into the Quaker testimonies of Stewardship, Peace, Integrity, Community, Equality and Simplicity.
Frank Gmeindl grew up in Stowe Township, PA. After earning his BS in Physics from Duquesne University, he, his wife, son moved to Morgantown, WV during the 70s’ back-to-the-land movement. They lived on a communal farm, gardened, kept bees, baked, chopped wood, maintained farm machinery and designed and built a grid-independent automated high efficiency wood-fired hot water heating system.
He was one of the first members of the Mountain People’s Co-op and worked as a volunteer to convert an old dry cleaner into a still thriving grocery store and café where he remains an active member.
At WVU, he earned an MS in Mechanical Engineering and an MBA. While working on his MBA, he started the Wholesum Bakery where he and a friend made organic whole grain breads and sold them through the Co-op. He continues to bake regularly. Many local craft bakers are using his starter and methods.
He worked in the Physics department and then at the Morgantown Energy Technology Center where he engineered energy components and managed a group that assessed energy system social, business and environmental impact. His work in management and organizational development led the Director to appoint him Quality Coordinator where he helped change the culture to a customer-focused, measurement-based, team environment.
He brought these skills as Total Quality Leader to the Software Engineering Institute at CMU as facilitator of the Management Team and as a process development consultant for SEI customers and as the Quality Manager of ProLogic, a software startup in WV.
Since he was 3 years old, bicycling has been his passion. He is a certified cycling instructor. He taught PE212 Confident City Cycling at WVU and organized and chaired the Morgantown Municipal Bicycle Board. He also served on the Monongalia County MPO and revised WV’s bicycling laws.
On a bike trip to Ottawa with a friend three years ago, they studied Edward Burtynsky’s “Anthropocene” exhibition and became zealots to raise others’ awareness of the changes humans are making to Earth and the need to change direction. RCE is playing a role. He has 3 sisters in the Pittsburgh area and looks forward to living closer to them while sharing life with the members of the Rachel Carson Ecovillage.
Elizabeth is a native of Pittsburgh’s South Hills with a love for nature and the outdoors. She graduated in 2017 from Duquesne University with a degree in Classical Civilizations and English Literature with a minor in German. Having been interested from a young age in the German Wohngemeinschaft form of living but concerned about the lack of privacy in full communal living, the Rachel Carson EcoVillage embodies her dream of living as one with nature, while fostering the human connection that is so often missing from modern living. She is extremely excited to learn everything there is to know about putting permaculture into practice and living lightly on the planet with likeminded people.
When she’s not out kayaking, hiking, gardening, biking, practicing yoga, walking barefoot, or reading on a hammock, you might find her traveling (still working on making that more eco-friendly) or spoiling her pet rabbit.
Judy Trupin currently lives in New York City (specifically in Kew Gardens, Queens). Her work experience has been varied – starting as a performing artist creating movement theater pieces and simultaneously working as fitness instructor and writer in the field of health and nutrition. While continuing her work in performance, she earned her Master’s in Teaching English to Speakers of Other languages, and became an ESOL teacher. Currently, Judy is a yoga teacher and professional developer for teachers of adult immigrants. She also writes and performs her original poetry.
Other interests for Judy include dancing of any kind, bike riding, reading, walking, and vegan cooking. On her wish list is the chance to garden outdoors instead of on an apartment windowsill. She loves learning new things and finding a balance between quiet time and time with friends.
Judy is looking forward to living in a community that takes care of the earth and values living sustainably. And of course, she’s very excited about living, laughing and spending time with her new RCE neighbors.
Kelly (he/they) is originally from Indiana but currently lives in Georgia with his spouse and two dogs. He’s passionate about finding or creating connections, especially regarding people. He enjoys hosting events but is happiest when he’s part of a team that comes together to collaboratively solve a problem or create something beautiful. He also enjoys genealogy, which has led to many collaborations with relatives and others interested in the topic. Kelly thrives on studying science and contributing to science, whether it be natural sciences or physical sciences. He’s been an amateur meteorologist, cartographer, photographer and naturalist all his life and is now a strong supporter of citizen science by sharing data online related to weather and wildlife at his Georgia homestead. He was described as a “sponge for knowledge” when he was younger. He has a passion for education. He loves to teach others and share skills. Kelly loves to travel, especially in the Northeast US and Northwest US. He has been a strong advocate for diversity, inclusion, equity and belonging in his career. This passion led Kelly to sociocracy and eventually to find us at the Rachel Carson EcoVillage. At RCE, he looks forward to building new friendships, building community and interpersonal solidarity, practicing nonviolent communication, sociocracy, social gatherings, learning cooking and gardening, volunteering to support sustainability goals and perhaps hosting game nights to bring everyone together for some light-hearted fun.
Dick spent part of his childhood in a household that lacked indoor plumbing, but raised and grew most of its own food, and he remains a committed home gardener. Along the way he earned a Ph.D in Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics and an MBA and is retired from a career involving air pollution monitoring instrumentation. A life-long learner, he reads wide-ranging topics from philosophy to the social sciences to the latest in medicine, astrophysics, and quantum science. During the pandemic, he took advantage of CMU’s Osher Zoom courses.
Marilyn grew up in Carrick, a neighborhood in the South Side of Pittsburgh of small lots and close neighbors. She is a Pittsburgher through and through and likes the idea of a neighborhood where neighbors interact. Her degree is in Fine Arts and she has been an Art teacher to all ages from kindergarten to those in assisted living facilities. In retirement she teaches watercolors and drawing.
Always an environmentalist, she was a charter Board member of GASP, (Group Against Smog and Pollution} and Environmental Chair of the Allegheny County League of Women Voters.
Classical music is one of her passions—in fact she met Dick, her husband of 30 years through music! She is one of the founders of the Edgewood Symphony, where she continues as Personnel Chair and plays in the violin section. She is also nuts about accordion music.
Dick and Marilyn have long been active in several local orchestras – he as a violist and she as a violinist. Between them, they have four children, eleven grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren – none living close-by, alas.
Dick and Marilyn are attracted to the RCE project as a viable option for their final stage of life: as a way to live in a supportive, intergenerational setting and within a lifestyle that embraces their values. Although they have no expectation of living at RCE in the near future, they consider themselves friends and supporters of the project, and Dick is heavily involved is the Community Life and Governance Planning Group.
David Clapp was born in Birmingham, AL, but spent all his public-school years in a suburb of Chicago. I loved going to Eufaula, AL where his grandfather was the County farm agent and had a farm with cows he could explore. He also has strong and pleasant memories of going on long walks with his great-grandfather in Birmingham. He his obsessed about searching for and finding good answers to real life problems and arcane research questions. He excelled as a reference librarian and as a manager and administrator by working successfully around roadblocks and dead ends through other channels.
He’s been collecting family autobiographies (60+ years) as part of a massive genealogy project and studying the effects of religion on communities from ancient times to the present (55+ years). An important tangent of the latter project has been studying the effect of art (art, literature, dance, and film) on identity, morality, and culture. His collection of books and media is designed to support these three book projects.
As a teenage artist, his interest in religion and communities included drawing a self-sufficient city with crops on roofs under one of Fuller’s geodesic domes. That led to a fascination with Gerald O’Neil’s space colonies and more practical energy-efficient structures. He loves the work done on passive home design in this community as well as the support for sustainable gardening. He also loves the access Pittsburgh provides to trains we can use for research trips.