Unite to Light - Team - Unite to Light

Volunteers

The Unite to Light team is made up of a very small staff with two interns, but we rely greatly on our volunteers. No one is more cherished in the world than those that lighten the workload of others. We want to thank all the many volunteers that work behind the scenes tirelessly to bring light to others in the world.

Here is a small list of some of our ongoing volunteers: Johnny Sarena, Emmett Perl, Jon Magnani,Merritt Miller, Daniel Becerra, Carl Bycraft, Brendan Welch, David Scully, Dave Schmidt, Jordan BenShea, Mary Lou Kravetz, Nancy Hofbauer, Louise Keeler, Jan Traphagen, Art Fisher, Ariel Bowers, Ann Blanton.

Our Executive Team

John E. Bowers, Founder

John E. Bowers is Director of the Institute for Energy Efficiency and a professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of California, Santa Barbara. He is also CTO and cofounder of Calient Networks and Chairman of the Board of BioIQ. His research interests are primarily concerned with silicon photonics, optoelectronic devices, optical switching and transparent optical networks. Bowers is cofounder of the Center for Entrepreneurship and Engineering Management, and founder of Terabit Technology (sold to Ciena). Bowers received the M.S. and Ph.D. degrees from Stanford University. He worked for AT&T Bell Laboratories and Honeywell before joining UCSB.

Dawn O'Bar, President

Current President of Unite to Light; started as a volunteer for the organization in November of 2010 and was the first paid employee in May 2011, then promoted to President in December of 2012. Dawn has extensive experience working with various non-profit organizations in Santa Barbara for over 25 years. She has worked on International Mission and relief projects and was the chair for the Mission and Peace committee for Goleta Presbyterian Church. Dawn is also a charter member of One World Rotary E-Club.

Mariana Zimmermann, Executive Assistant

Mariana Zimmermann is currently the Executive Assistant for Unite to Light. Mariana started out at Unite to Light as a volunteer, became an intern, and then an employee. She has been with Unite to Light for close to three years. She graduated from UC Santa Barbara with a B.S. in Environmental Studies in September 2012. She also works part-time for the Institute for Energy Efficiency at UCSB. Prior to her current positions, Mariana worked at Lawrence Berkeley National Lab collecting and analyzing home energy data.

Bin Liu, Volunteer - Vice President of Production

Bin Liu is currently Vice President of Engineering with Cyoptics Asia. Prior to joining Cyoptics, he has held a variety of engineering and supply chain management positions within Source Photonics and Calient Networks in the industry of fiber optical communications. Bin Liu holds a bachelor degree from Zhejiang University, China; a master degree from Shanghai Institute of Optics and Fine Mechanics, Chinese Academy of Science; and a Ph. D. from University of California, Santa Barbara.

Marty Jenkins, Volunteer - Vice President of Manufacturing and Quality

Marty Jenkins was a part of the creation of Silicon Valley in the 60’s, 70’s and early 80’s – including being the Father of the Floppy Disc for Memorex Corporation, where he worked for 17 years. His start was in the technical end then he moved into Marketing, Program Management, Strategic Planning,and New Business Development. He came to Santa Barbara in 1983 to be Worldwide Director of Sales for a company that made recording heads for disc drives. He has had experience in the Non-Profit sector serving as Executive Director of the Las Positas Park Foundation (now Elings Park) in Santa Barbara. Marty has been the volunteer Vice President of Manufacturing and Quality for Unite to Light since its inception.

Jock Bovington, Volunteer - Vice President of Research and Development

Jock Bovington received bachelors degrees in Physics and Electrical Engineering (Spec. Computer Engineering at Seattle University in '06 and an M.S. in Electrical Engineering at the University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB '09). This was followed by an internship with Intel Labs working on the advancement of Si Photonics related to Light Peak. He is currently working towards a PhD at UCSB. He is also an NSF GSR Fellow and continues to support Engineers Without Borders UCSB and Unite to Light, working to provide sustainable lighting and development solutions to the 1.5 billion people who live without clean reliable electricity.

Mythili Richards, Volunteer - Finance Analyst

Mythili Richards works full time for Nasif, Hicks, Harris and co., LLP where she specializes in trust and estate accounting. A native of India, she spent twenty years in New York before moving to Santa Barbara, California.

Scott O'Bar, Shipping and Logistics Intern

Scott began interning for Unite to Light in November 2011. He handles all domestic orders and shipping. He is a graduate from University of Nevada, Reno and has extensive international experience. He is fluent in Spanish and Basque. He is also a published author. His book is called, Alternative Crops for Drylands.

Cora Kammeyer, Intern

Cora Kammeyer has been working as an intern at Unite to Light since October of 2012. Her primary contributions to Unite to Light are social media management, production of promotion materials, and event tabling. She has additional experience working with nonprofits from a 2-year volunteer position on the Peninsula YMCA Board of Managers. Cora is an undergraduate Regents scholar in Environmental Studies at UC Santa Barbara. Her interests are focused on alternative energies and environmental justice.

John Goedert, Intern

John Goedert began interning for Unite to Light in October of 2012. Before starting his work at Unite to Light, John worked in patient services and as a computer technician for a behavioral optometry office. He has also worked as a medical laser technician, trained in Chromogenex's equipment. In addition, John has volunteered summers at Turtle Bay Exploration Park in his hometown, Redding, California. John is a pre-medical student, and is currently majoring in Biochemistry in the College of Letters & Science Honors Program at UCSB. His work with Unite to Light primarily consists of responding to international inquiries, conducting small research projects, and representing Unite to Light at events.

Our Board of Directors

John Bowers

Dawn O'Bar

George Holbrook

George Holbrook has assisted with 87 different start-up companies. He is the managing partner of Bradley Resources Company, LLC, a private investment company which organizes and finances ventures in technology, medical devices, and natural resources and power plant development, and manages a portfolio of public companies. He holds positions on several advisory boards and is the director for the Holbrook Science Foundation. His career is long and varied and he is a Cornell University graduate and 1st Lieutenant in Air Force.
George's wife Tara graduated from Vassar College and was a healthcare analyst and portfolio manager with GE pension fund. They have five very successful children following in their parents footsteps. Few people have been involved in so many new ventures, and few people take such interest in cultivating great leadership.

Howard Chase

Howard Chase graduated from Harvard College in 1958 and from Harvard Law School in 1961. After some 35 years in a corporate and securities law practice, he became president of Trident Rowan Group, a U.S. publicly traded holding company, which owned several Italian companies, including Innocenti, Maserati, Moto Guzzi, and Benelli. Subsequently, Mr. Chase served as president of Carret Holdings, a private equity-owned holding company, which acquired high net worth asset management firms. During his career, Mr. Chase served on several publically traded and privately owned corporate boards.

Wade Nomura

Wade Nomura is a local business owner, but brings much experience in International Relations. He has been involved with Rotary since 1998 and was the District Governor for area 5240. He has participated in over 20 International project missions including one to India because of a special passion and a bout with polio as a child. His Board affiliations include: Past Board of Director for Safe Water International and President of Carpinteria Boys and Girls Foundation. He developed an Adopt a Village model in Central Mexico based on a 5 Point Plan to eliminate Poverty that included,drinking water and sanitation, health and hunger,education,vocational training and education, and micro credit-lending.Wade is married and has two children and two grandchildren. In January 2013, he was elected City Council member for Carpinteria, California.

Eric Bowers

Eric Bowers is an associate in the Santa Barbara office who practices in the area of corporate securities law, with a special focus on Life Sciences. Eric received his J.D. in 2008 from the Indiana University Maurer School of Law - Bloomington. He received his B.A. in Political Science and Molecular and Cell Biology, with an emphasis in Immunology, in 2004 from the University of California, Berkeley. Eric was a summer associate for Stradling Yocca Carlson & Rauth in 2007.