Seaside About Us

Kay Cline founded Sustainable Seaside in April 2008.   Her love of Seaside, its people and environment, and her desire to pursue more sustainable economic development opportunities for the city compelled her to run for mayor of Seaside in 2016.  A Michigan transplant, Kay enjoys the beauty of the Monterey Peninsula, the diversity of the people, the closeness of neighbors and the possibilities afforded by the proximity of California State University Monterey Bay and the Fort Ord National Monument.  Her work with Sustainable Seaside has led to improvements in local parks as well as strengthened relationships among Seaside residents who share the vision of a vibrant, sustainable economy that is balanced and strengthened by local environmental resources. 

Catherine relocated from Texas to the Monterey Bay area in 1998.  She joined Sustainable Seaside in 2009 and has served as chair of the steering group since 2016.  She retired from her position at HSBC Bank in 2013, ending her thirty-two years in the field of Information Technology.  Her commitment to environmental activism was inspired in the early 1970s by the writings of Rachel Carson and Frances Moore Lappé, whose work is guided by an understanding of the interconnectedness of all living systems and the impact of our individual choices on the Earth's web of life. She earned her B.S. in Business Computer Information Systems from Wichita State University in Wichita Falls, Texas, where she grew up.  She has been a board member of the Monterey Peace and Justice Center since 2012 and has served as board president since 2015.  

Bertrand grew up in Alsace, France where at a young age he experienced sustainable farming practices at his grandparents' farm and thus became aware of sustainability and the environment.  He moved to the Monterey Peninsula in 1987 and joined Sustainable Seaside in 2009.  He works in Hospitality and is passionate about food and wine. He holds a Culinary Arts degree and is a certified Sommelier.  He is active in his union and as a Delegate, he advocates for social and environmental justice.

Matt’s diverse background gives him a wide latitude of experience to draw upon.  From Virginia to Indonesia, Colombia to California, his work and travel have come to shape his outlook on life.   He likes to describe himself as an obstinate optimist who strives to help people live in a better world.  He welcomes the opportunity to share his world view with burgeoning activists and invites them to meet over a cup of coffee and learn more about his vision.  Moreover, he encourages others to start volunteering with CSMC!  His message is:  “You can make a difference if you really want to.”  Matt serves as CSMC's Treasurer.

Tom joined Sustainable Seaside in 2009 after attending a couple of meetings that were devoted to water issues in Seaside.  He focuses primarily on sustainable practices at home, such as rainwater collection and storage, using greywater, rooftop solar, growing pollinator-friendly plants, and backyard vegetables. He is also a beekeeper and a member of the Monterey County beekeepers group, ABC.  Tom is an avid biker and vigorously advocates for a bicycle-safe, bicycle-friendly, and bicycling positive Seaside.

Encouraged by positive results of action by Sustainable Seaside in blocking Monterey Downs and promoting sustainable living with their home tour, Donna joined the Steering Committee several years ago.  Her love of hiking the trails of the Monterey Peninsula and elsewhere in California stem from her days as a Girl Scout, camping, canoeing and sailing on the Adirondack lakes of upstate New York.  After having grown up in suburban New Jersey followed by college spent in North Carolina, she arrived in northern California in her VW bug and has never left.  Donna believes in making the Earth a better place every day in every way, a goal she happily shares with her colleagues in Sustainable Seaside.   

An environmentalist since the early 1970's, Cathy returned to her native California from Austin, Texas with husband Tom Hughes in 2009 when they purchased a home in Seaside. In that first year, they sought out a meeting of Sustainable Seaside that concerned wise water use. There they found kindred spirits who were also working towards a more sustainable community and world. Retired now from two careers (Plant Biotechnology and Music Therapy), Cathy serves on the Boards of Communities for Sustainable Monterey County and Orchestra in the Schools.  She still finds time for organic gardening, outdoor adventures, music, and the beauty of the Central Coast with Tom and the grandchildren. 

Bill Weigle is a founding member of Sustainable Seaside, serving on the steering committee since it was formed in 2008.
He is an active member of Keep Fort Ord Wild, a community coalition dedicated to the preservation of trails, recreation, wildlife and habitat on the former Fort Ord lands. He continues to be an outspoken advocate for preserving and protecting the biologically diverse, natural resources and open space on and around the former base. Bill is an avid hiker and bicyclist. He bicycled solo across the northern tier of the United States and he hiked the rim of the Grand Canyon not once, but twice!  He is Professor Emeritus of Mathematics and Environmental Studies at the University of Maine at Machias where he taught for 25 years. He also holds a Ph.D. in meteorology from the University of Michigan. 

Roelof Wijbrandus has been involved in sustainable living solutions for as long as he has lived on the Monterey Peninsula. He moved to the area in 1977 and has lived in Seaside for over 30 years. While living in Monterey, he was actively involved in the "Window on the Bay" project that now serves the region with a hiking and biking trail that runs from Castroville to Pebble Beach. In Seaside he serves on the Sustainable Seaside steering group, advocating for revitalized and safer parks, school safety programs, improved of biking opportunities, and sustainable designs for housing and business development. He currently chairs the Mescal Neil Park Neighborhood Association which he founded in 2003.