Our Team: Board of Directors

Board of Directors

Linda Ruffing, Board President

Linda Ruffing has been involved with the Noyo Center since its inception - first in her capacity as the City of Fort Bragg’s Community Development Director, and then as City Manager. Linda is a professional land use planner with decades of experience on the Northern California coast. She currently has a private planning practice. Linda joined the Noyo Center Board of Directors in December 2019 and became Board President in 2023. 

Wendi Felson, Board Vice-President and Volunteer Coordinator

Wendi Felson knew before she moved to Fort Bragg in 2016 that she wanted to be part of the Noyo Center. In December of that year, she started volunteering as a docent at the Crow’s Nest once a week. She also volunteers with the Beach Survey Program, Science Talk presentations and other events. Wendi currently works as the Volunteer Coordinator and has contributed greatly to the growth of our volunteer program. She is a retired UCSF Clinical Laboratory Scientist after 27 years at San Francisco General Hospital.   

Ginny Feth-Michel, Treasurer

Ginny has lived on the Mendocino Coast since 2010. Prior to calling Mendocino home, she frequently vacationed in Mendocino, camping, hiking and biking in and around Fort Bragg. Ginny is a Certified Public Accountant. During her career, she has worked at large public accounting firms, as a sole practitioner and held the position of Vice President of Finance and Human Resources with a national natural foods distributor. Prior to retiring, Ginny worked with the City of Fort Bragg, most recently as the Assistant City Manager.  Ginny currently serves on the County of Mendocino Civil Service Commission and as a Board member for the West Company, a not-for-profit economic development organization.

Donna Worster, Board Secretary

Donna has been a strong supporter of the California Coast since moving to Fort Bragg in 1966. Her background has been in the insurance industry, in tax preparations, a board member of four non-profit organizations, and a young female fraternal organization leader. She has served as a Mendocino County Grand Juror for three terms. Her focus as a Board Member is working to assure that the Ocean Science Center is built as both a place of ocean research and community pride.  And as a home for "Betty" the blue whale bones to rest into perpetuity.

Robby Bruce

A longtime resident in Elk, Robby spends a good portion of his year as a commercial fisherman based in Sitka Alaska. As a active member of the United Fishermen of Alaska, Robby has participated in many negotiations regarding regulation of our fisheries and creating sustainable harvest measures.

Monique Larsen Jensen, CPA

Monique is a Certified Public Accountant with over 30 years of experience. Currently she is a consultant with RGP, a global consulting firm, serving Fortune 500 companies in the Technology and Life Sciences industries.  In 1987 Monique and her husband Marc fell in love with the Mendocino Coast, and in 2015 they built their retirement home in Fort Bragg. Her focus as a board member is to help build a sustainable economic future for this amazing stretch of coastline. The Noyo Center, being a hub for knowledge-sharing, exploring and educating the public, can act as a catalyst for the new blue economy opportunities. 

Mark Ruedrich

North Coast Brewing Company co-founder and president, Mark Ruedrich, a Zoology graduate from NC State University, moved to the Mendocino coast to pursue a career in marine biology and ended up starting the brewery instead. Though as a brewer he applies his biology training to solve a different set of problems than he might ever have anticipated while a student, he has never lost his fascination with the sea and over the last 35 years has spent countless days exploring Northern California’s rich intertidal zone in his spare time.

Dania Stoneham

Paul Sweigart, Fundraising Committee Chair

Paul is graduate of California State University, Chico. He began his career with Edward Jones over five years ago in Oroville, CA, and has been in the financial industry for 13 years. He is married to his wife of 16 years, Tara Sweigart, and has three children: Asa, Ella and Logan. Active in the community, he is a board member of the Rotary of Fort Bragg and The Symphony of the Redwoods. He is also a supporter of the Mendocino Coast District Hospital Foundation. 

Emeritus Board Members

David Alden

Cynthia Doll

Linda Francis

Doug Hammerstrom

Elias Henderson

Peter O’Donohue

Dave Turner

OUR TEAM