Our Team

CCRP team group photo

Staff

Dawn Arledge

Dawn Arledge

Executive Director

Dawn was born and grew up in Colorado, south of Denver, in a rural community. She received her BA degree in Sociology and Human Services from Fort Lewis College in Durango, Colorado and her M.A. in sociology from Humboldt State University. After graduate school she worked for four years as a senior research analyst for the Center for Applied Sociological Analysis & Education (CASAE), a research and evaluation institute at Humboldt State University. She worked on evaluation and research for the Humboldt County Probation Department and several of the local AmeriCorps programs. In 2006 she joined the Public Health Branch for the Humboldt County Department of Health & Human Services, where she worked for the next seven years. She worked on multiple grants and projects, including youth traffic safety, injury prevention, and alcohol and other drug prevention. She then joined CCRP in 2014 as the Director of Health Research. At CCRP, she has worked on multiple research and evaluation projects that focus on the health and well-being of rural populations. She is the evaluator for multiple community-based and university-based projects. She is focused on topic areas such as children’s oral health, tobacco and other drug prevention, suicide prevention, building healthy communities, access to healthy food and physical activity, preventing adverse childhood experiences, promoting resilience, and improving service delivery to vulnerable populations. 

Barbara Browning

Barbara Browning

Associate Director

Barbara has been with CCRP since 2013 and since then has been involved in a variety of projects, and has been trained in Collaborative Innovation to help facilitate projects that bring about significant community change. Prior to joining CCRP she spent 10 years running her own professional organizing, training, and facilitation business, OrderWithin. Her background includes serving as Operations Director in the non-profit sector, and before that she enjoyed a 20-year career as a massage therapist. She brings her unique blend of skills together to help keep operations flowing smoothly at CCRP, as well as leading and facilitating projects with our community partners.

Barbara has a B.A. in psychology from HSU and graduated in 1988. Some of her favorite things to do when she’s not working are gardening, playing the ukulele, studying Romance languages, and hanging out with her labradoodle, Paco.

 

Alannah Smith

Alannah Smith

Director of Operations

Alannah Smith was born and raised in Humboldt County. In 2012, she moved to Los Angeles where she received a BA in International Development Studies with a minor in Anthropology from the University of California Los Angeles, graduating in spring of 2016. Alannah worked with the Dean’s Office at the UCLA Graduate School of Education & Information Studies during her time as an undergraduate and following her graduation. She returned to Humboldt County in the summer of 2017 and joined CCRP as an Office Manager. Her role has since transitioned to a Program Manager as she manages multiple research and evaluation projects, oversees the day to day operations of the organization, and works closely with community partners and grant funders. 

Outside of her work with CCRP, Alannah is currently pursuing a Masters degree in Healthcare Administration, serves on the Board of Directors for Hospice of Humboldt, and volunteers as a core staff member North Star Quest Camp. Some of her hobbies include hiking, cooking, and spending time with family and friends. Alannah can be reached at (707) 826-3427 or Alannah.Smith@humboldt.edu.

 

Amanda Peçanha Hickey

Amanda Peçanha Hickey

Director of Research and Policy

Amanda Peçanha Hickey is the Director of Research and Policy at the California Center for Rural Policy. Prior to joining CCRP she worked for a decade as a research coordinator and project manager on initiatives related to food, sustainability, family farming, and land tenure; at home and across the Global South. Most recently Amanda worked for the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations researching policies to support Small and Medium Enterprises in Sub Saharan Africa, and in Washington DC for an Indigenous People's coalition advocating land and forest rights. Amanda holds a BA in International Relations from SUNY New Paltz and a MRP from Cornell University. Hailing from a rural community in Upstate New York, she is delighted to be exploring the North Coast's hiking trails and beaches, and getting to know the vibrant communities that call it home.

Connie Stewart

Connie Stewart

Executive Director of Initiatives for HSU & Chief Policy Advisor for CCRP

Connie Stewart is the Center's former Executive Director, but stepped down in 2020 to take on a new role at HSU.  She now serves as the Executive Director of initiatives for the University but remains involved with CCRP as Chief Policy Advisor.  Connie moved to Arcata to attend Humboldt State University 37 years ago and has never left. She graduated in 1988 with a B.A. in speech communication.

After graduating, she got a local job at the Northcoast Environmental Center, where she worked for 14 years until she was recruited by former Assemblymember Patty Berg to work for the state legislature covering one of the largest rural districts in the lower 48. She was elected to the Arcata City Council in 1996 and was re-elected in 2000, serving as mayor for two years. Connie received the 2017 Rural County Representatives of California President’s Award, for her work to bring broadband to rural California communities. She also was honored with the 2014 “Nonprofit Leader Achievement Award” from the Northern California Association of Nonprofits and the 2014 “Innovations in Networking Award for Gigabit/Broadband Applications” from the Corporation for Education Network Initiatives in California (CENIC). State Senator Mike McGuire named Connie "2016 Humboldt county Woman of the Year."

Connie is currently a member of Aspen Institute Community Strategies Group’s Rural Development Innovation Group – a leadership group of seasoned rural economic development practitioners from across the country. Connie also serves on the Board of Directors of Redwood Acres Fairground and the Open Door Community Health Center’s Board of Directors. Her personal passions are paper crafting, cooking, gardening and watching sports. She’s the kind of woman who might make a man complain, “Honey, you never talk to me during half-time anymore.” 

Sky  Kirsch

Sky Kirsch

Senior Research Analyst

Schuyler “Sky” Kirsch is a Research Analyst at the California Center for Rural Policy. He holds a Master of Arts degree in Economics from Cal State Fullerton and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics from Cal Poly Humboldt. Prior to working at the CCRP, Sky worked in financial services and taught economics at Cal Poly Humboldt and College of the Redwoods. At CCRP he is committed to leveraging technology to produce impactful and thought-provoking analyses and visualizations that enable informed and productive policy decisions.

Crane  Conso

Crane Conso

Research Analyst

Crane Conso is a research analyst at the California Center for Rural Policy (CCRP), where they conduct community-based research. Currently, Crane is working on two regional projects focused on young people’s connection to school and work, in partnership with Humboldt Area Foundation and The Aspen Institute. They completed their M.A. through the Social Identity and Social Influence Lab at Cal Poly Humboldt, earning the Patricia O. McConkey Outstanding Graduate Student award in 2022. In their previous role, they led a county-wide survey on policing and policing oversight. In addition to their position at CCRP, Crane serves as a Youth Outreach volunteer with Project Rebound, working with incarcerated youth at the Humboldt County Juvenile Corrections Facility. Crane was born and raised in San Francisco, and has lived in the North Coast for 8 years. Crane's passions are not limited to the workplace. They love to cook with friends and family. They revel in the natural world, and can be found soaking up the sun (or fog) at the beach, plunging into the cool waters of the river, wandering among the trees of the forest, and at night, gazing at the stars and the moon from the deck of their tiny home.

Nick  Ortiz

Nick Ortiz

Research Analyst

Nick Ortiz is a Research Analyst at CCRP. He obtained his BA in Psychology (2014) and MA in Academic Research in Psychology (2019) from Cal Poly Humboldt. Nick worked at Imoyase Community Support Services (Los Angeles) as a research analyst prior to coming to CCRP. His professional interests include research methodology, survey design, data management, and statistical analysis.

Devin Flynn

Devin Flynn

Research Analyst

Devin Flynn was born in Walnut Creek, California. Before moving to Humboldt County, he worked closely with his local high school’s special education program as a special education assistant. In 2018, he moved to Arcata and received his B.A. in psychology with highest honors from Humboldt State University. During his time as an undergraduate, he joined CCRP as a student research assistant before joining the team as a full-time analyst. His professional interests include administrative work, organizational work, and report writing. His hobbies include cooking, mindfulness meditation, discovering new music, and spending time with his cat, Willow.

Sydney Lyons

Sydney Lyons

Program Associate

Sydney Lyons is a program associate at the California Center for Rural Policy. Hailing from rural Appalachian Georgia, she comes to CCRP with a strong passion for supporting rural communities and making educational institutions more accessible and equitable. Sydney graduated from Cal Poly Humboldt in 2022 with a bachelor’s degree majoring in English Literature and a minor in Ethnic American Literature. Before coming to CCRP, Sydney worked in various nonprofit positions related to student support and education, including as a college counselor, academic tutor, literacy coordinator, and teaching assistant. In her role at CCRP, Sydney mainly works on two education grant projects. The Health Career Pathways project seeks to address the shortage of healthcare workers in Del Norte and Tribal Lands (DNATL) with educational programming from preschool to the college and community levels. 3Read23 & Beyond is a literacy initiative aiming to increase kindergarten readiness, bolster access to a quality preschool education, and to have all students reading on grade level by third grade. For both of these projects, Sydney collaborates with local partners to build inclusive curriculum, design outreach materials, and plan enrichment activities. Sydney also assists other CCRP projects through copy editing and formatting reports. Outside of work, Sydney loves to go to the beach with her dog, garden, and play pinball. 

 

Alisha Hammer

Program Associate

Alisha Hammer is a Program Associate at the California Center for Rural Policy. Born and raised in the East Bay Area, she moved to Humboldt to attend Humboldt State University, where she received her Bachelor of Science in Natural Resources Interpretation and a minor in Soil Science. Prior to working at CCRP, Alisha was able to combine her enthusiasm for helping others and making connections with her community at Coast Central Credit Union, and before that, at the North Coast Co-op. She loves spending time outside hiking, gardening, walking her dogs, and riding her bicycle. Other hobbies include cooking, reading, playing games, and spending time with family and friends.

Nino Dzotsenidze

Dr. Nino Dzotsenidze

Senior Research Analyst

Nino is a research analyst at the California Center for Rural Policy. Her professional background ranges from a decade of work in international non-profit sector, to public and private higher education institutions in Georgia, Kuwait, and the United States. She has been involved in various research projects studying minority groups, marginalized and vulnerable population, internally displaced people, and refugees.

Nino holds an M.Ed. in International Education Policy and Management from Vanderbilt University, and a Ph.D. in Comparative and International Education from Lehigh University. She has authored dozens of academic publications in the field of education. Nino is a passionate researcher who loves to explore innovative ideas and pioneer thrilling practices.

Leoni Esmee Fohr

Leoni Esmee Fohr

Communications Associate

Leoni Fohr is the California Center for Rural Policy’s Communications Associate. Born and raised in the Netherlands, Leoni and her partner moved to Humboldt in 2019. After many years in the wonderful yet dense city of Amsterdam, life here—nestled between the Redwoods and the Pacific—has been a breath of fresh air for Leoni. With a BA in Interdisciplinary Social Sciences, a MSc in Sociology (Social Problems and Public Policy), and over six years' experience in various communications positions for an international non-profit providing evidence-based mental health care for children in war-torn countries, Leoni is passionate about combining the forces of social research and strategic communications to make a positive impact in people’s lives.

Before joining CCRP, Leoni’s hands-on mentality, eye for detail and collaborative attitude has been essential in co-creating and growing Pairagraph, her independent translating and editing company. As Welocalize’s Senior AIE Linguist, she became adept in creating localized, engaging content that resonates with diverse audiences. When Leoni is not working, you can find her biking around town or on her way to the beach or forest for a hike. Other hobbies include cuddling with her guinea pigs Oscar Wilde and Benjamin Button, emerging herself in craft projects, and perfecting her jalapeño-cheese sourdough recipe. Leoni is thrilled to use her skills to advance CCRP’s mission: improving the lives of rural people in California through community-based, innovative research.

Leigh Pierre-Oetker

Leigh Pierre-Oetker

Senior Research Analyst

Leigh received her BA in English from Seattle University and her MA in Applied Sociology from Cal Poly Humboldt. Leigh has spent her professional career in Humboldt County working in the philanthropy and nonprofit world developing programs and projects that have benefitted our local community.  She started her career cultivating and directing local community resource centers as part of California’s “Healthy Start Initiative” grants and then moved on to work in the development, philanthropy, grant writing and fundraising fields. 

She helped establish and worked as the founding Executive Director for the local McLean Foundation for 12 years and was part of a leadership team of local funders and nonprofit partners who led many collaborative efforts to approach big problems in the community during that time. After her tenure at the Foundation she began work as an independent project consultant most notably with Humboldt County Public Health developing their local oral health program and assisting in securing multi-million-dollar Department of Health Care Services funding for the program. Her experience in working for Public Health and the Department of Health and Human Services included work within complex systems and research. 

Leigh has served on many local, state and national nonprofit boards and committees including: United Way, the Headwaters Fund, Access Humboldt, the Community Health Alliance, California Association of Nonprofits (CAN), Northern California Association of Nonprofits (NorCAN), Northcoast Grantmaking Partnership (Co-Founder), North Coast Funders Network, 211 Humboldt Steering Committee, Greater Eureka Chamber of Commerce and the Association of Zoos & Aquariums Development Committee. She is currently a board member on the newly created Redwood Coast Chamber Foundation as well as serving on the Board of the Humboldt Senior Resource Center and is a Soroptimist with the Humboldt Bay Club. 

Rhiannon Crimmins

Rhiannon Crimmins

Research Analyst

Rhiannon Crimmins is a Research Analyst for CCRP. She was born in New York, but grew up in Sacramento, California. She obtained her BA in psychology from Sonoma State University in 2019, and worked with people with physical disabilities at a center for equine assisted therapy. She later became a behavior therapist for children with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Rhiannon moved to Arcata and obtained her MA in Academic Research, with an emphasis in neurology, from Cal Poly Humboldt in 2023. Outside of work, she enjoys horseback riding, playing video games, and scrapbooking.