Mary Keehn is the founder of Cypress Grove Cheese, inventor of Humboldt Fog™ and several other internationally known products. She is the past Chair and is on the Board of Directors of the Humboldt Area Foundation, and volunteers for Life Care Humboldt, Women for Wellness, and Resolution Care. She was the first Chair of Humboldt Harvest (now Humboldt Made) and past board member of The American Cheese Society.

Mary has four daughters, one step daughter, nine grandchildren, and is the guardian for her granddaughter who is on the autism spectrum.

Jolene Konnersman is an attorney who practiced in the area of employment law for many years before transitioning to immigration law. She currently works with clients from all over the world to secure their immigration status in the United States and reunite families. Jolene also provides pro bono legal services to the Alliance for Children’s Rights, the Los Angeles County Bar Association’s Immigration Legal Assistance Project, and OneJustice. Jolene is a graduate of UC Santa Barbara and UCLA School of Law.

Tory Starr is the President/Executive Officer for the Open Door Community Health Clinics. The ODCHC network serves a large two county area on the north coast of California providing high quality, patient centered primary care to a diverse population for more than 51 years. ODCHC is the largest provider of primary care services for more than 60,000 patients in a predominately rural setting. His professional focus has been on organizational development and change management as his organizations have navigated the turbulent waters of health care transition.

Shannon Maciel has years of leadership experience in banking and community development.  She currently works at Redwood Capital Bank as an AVP/Commercial Loan Officer.  She was born and raised in Humboldt County.  She lives in McKinleyville with her husband, Travis.  She is the proud mom of two adult sons, including one with autism.  She is passionate about using her skills to strengthen the mission of We Are Up. 

Jeanne Gordon has dedicated her career to making a difference in the lives of children and families. She has over 25 years’ leadership experience in a pediatric hospital setting as well as a non-profit organization where she has led and mentored teams and created innovative and high-quality programming for vulnerable populations, such as children with developmental delays and mental health needs and youth experiencing foster care. Most recently, she served as the Executive Director at CASA of Humboldt. Jeanne’s work is guided by a holistic perspective recognizing that the strongest results are attained through a balanced focus on supporting the people who are the heart of the work and the processes that are in place to support clear, efficient, and effective operations. 

Jeanne is honored to serve on the Board of Directors and support the mission of We Are Up. Through her professional and personal experiences, she has seen firsthand the vital role a positive environment plays in helping children, teens, and young adults reach their fullest potential. Through supportive relationships and a strengths-based focus, people can envision a future of hope and possibility.