Officers and Board of Directors
The Sacred Earth Foundation is a non-profit 501(c)(3) corporation. Our operations and activities are overseen by a dedicated Board of Directors and core group of commited volunteers under the passion, vision and leadership of our founder, Patricia J. Turner.
Patricia J. Turner
Founder + CFO
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Patricia J. Turner is Founder and CFO of Tierra Sagrada, The Sacred Earth Foundation. For 20 years her entrepreneurial skills served her business, Visual Concepts which grew to a successful Visual Merchandising firm with accounts in 5 western states. Seeking a new way to assist the earth, she received her degree in Biological Anthropology at the University of California, San Diego in 1998 and worked in Marine Science at Scripps Institution of Oceanography, at the Center for Reproduction of Endangered Species at the San Diego Zoo and at The University of California in Santa Cruz and Santa Barbara. She is co-author of 14 scientific papers. Feeling that science was not helpful to healing the earth, she began to travel to indigenous tribal communities and became dedicated to their well being after realizing the wisdom of healing modalities, animal migrations and sustainability they embody. She has been sharing this wisdom and leading her community in sweat lodge, ceremony and programs of initiations for nearly 20 years.
Art Cisneros
CEO
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Art Cisneros is a Chumash Elder and firekeeper. The Chumash People are the original native peoples of the central California Coast. Art holds the sacred space for their annual Tomol crossing to Limu on the Channel Islands. His spiritual name means "Earth Man with a Good Heart" and he truly embodies these virtues. Art also speaks throughout the US for the indigenous voice and for those who have no voice. He offers fire ceremonies at his home for the Santa Barbara community and also offers healing and cleansing ceremonies. LISTEN to Art speak on the importance of sacred places.
Virginia Lee
Secretary
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Virginia Lee, a licensed paralegal, offers her skills in the legalities of The Sacred Earth Foundation. Her most profound power arises in her healing and ceremonial work. She has many years of experience in Massage and energy work and also in sharing her knowledge gained through her work in the traditions of India. She is also a student of Malidoma Some', initiated Elder and Diviner of the Dagara Tribe of West Africa.
Advisory Board
Dr. Juliet Rohde-Brown
Advisory Board Member
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Juliet Rohde-Brown, Ph.D. is a founding board member of Tierra Sagrada, The Sacred Earth Foundation. She is passionate about advocating for indigenous ways of knowing and for supporting marginalized individuals and groups of individuals in society. Juliet is currently a professor at Pacifica Graduate Institute in the Clinical Psychology program and she is also serving as the program's Director of Clinical Training. She has co-facilitated restorative justice workshops, in which she has introduced role play, trauma education, mindfulness and compassion-based imagery practices to inmates at Corcoran Prison and she has facilitated workshops and retreats at La Casa de Maria and other venues. Read more on Juliet here.
George Huitrado (Red Bear)
Advisory Board Member
George Huitrado (Red Bear) is a Chumash Elder and Administrative Director. He brings to the Advisory Board of The Sacred Earth Foundation a desire to be of service to all of Earth's brothers and sisters, and the knowledge that all truth can be found in nature,