Shirley, David, Rochelle, Jonathan

ROCHELLE BECKER

Rochelle Becker has been active on nuclear safety issues in California for 28 years. As the past Mothers for Peace spokesperson and project director, Rochelle testified before the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC), the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, the California Energy Commission the Regional Water Quality Control Board, the state legislature and Congress.

Rochelle was instrumental in gaining the support of California’s Attorney General and the County of San Luis Obispo for a federal appeal filed in December 2003 addressing the Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s refusal to allow hearings on post 9/11/01 security before licensing an expanded high-level radioactive waste facility on California’s vulnerable earthquake active coast.

Rochelle has also worked with organizations on safety issues at the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station (SONGS). She is currently working with California Earthcorps in legal proceedings to address the safety concerns of replacing steam generators at the Southern California nuclear plant before the CPUC.

Rochelle Becker has been quoted in articles and published Op Ed’s in local, state and nationwide newspapers. She is often interviewed by many radio outlets including NPR’s California Report, KPFA, KPFK. Rochelle was recently interviewed by David Brancaccio on nuclear security post 9/11/01, on the PBS program NOW. Producer Peter Meryash lauded Ms. Becker’s interview “You were such a good voice of reason and I know viewers really responded well to your thoughtful and non-wonky insights”.

Rochelle Becker is the first member of the public from California to be invited to speak as a panelist at the Nuclear Regulatory Commission's annual conference in March 2005.

Rochelle has won several environmental awards and for several years was the President of the Board of the Environmental Center of San Luis Obispo. Rochelle’s non-environmental community activism includes: founding the birthday program for homeless children at the Santa Barbara County’s after school program in Santa Maria, worked on Child Abuse issues in Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo County, president of the Camp Fire Board and Executive Director of the March of Dimes in Santa Maria.

When not working directly on nuclear power safety concerns, Rochelle has helped to guide the board of directors, as the president of The Utility Reform Network (TURN) on issues that influence our state’s utility customers. She represented TURN at community hearings in San Diego during the state’s energy “crisis.”

Rochelle Becker graduated from the University of San Francisco. She lives with her husband of 37 years in Grover Beach and San Diego where her daughter, son-in-law and granddaughters live full time.

DEIDRA O'MERDE

Deidra O’Merde opened a small floral and wine shop in 1980 which has grown into one of the most recognized and award winning floral businesses in San Francisco. Her floral, wine and gourmet business expanded by adding a wine-tasting bar in 2002. Involvement in small business politics over the years has provided the vehicle for which she can promote her progressive values, often somewhat at odds with business owners.

Deidra has gained national attention; Working Women’s Magazine declared Rosebowl Florist one of the top 15 florists in America in 1998; both of Rosebowl’s designers win virtually every contest they enter; and last year, the San Francisco Bay Guardian Reader's Poll voted Rosebowl Florist and Wine Shop the best flower shop in the Bay Area. This year, designer Tamara was selected top 10 designer in the state by the California State Floral Association.

Current organizational involvement:

Lower Polk Neighborhood Association – a small business and building manager group addressing all neighborhood issues actively with city officials.

Past organizational involvement:

Opera Plaza Homeowners Association: headed every committee for years to get San Francisco’s first multi-use (residential and commercial) building running smoothly;

San Francisco Floral Association board member

TURN board member

Opera Plaza Neighborhood Association founder-meeting frequently with local officials

JONATHAN PARFREY

Jonathan Parfrey is executive director of Physicians for Social Responsibility-Los Angeles. Mr. Parfrey currently serves on the Environmental Protection Agency workgroup overseeing the cleanup of the Santa Susana Field Laboratory. He is co-chair of the Southern California Environmental Executives Roundtable, and this past year served on Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger's Environmental Policy Team, and, before that, on Governor Davis's advisory committee on radioactive waste disposal. He has published in the Los Angeles Times and other publications. In 1992, he received the Paul S. Delp Award for Outstanding Service, Peace and Social Justice, and in 2002 he was awarded a Durfee Foundation Fellowship.

SHIRLEY VAINE, REALTOR

Shirley's professional activities include: Founder of the Real Estate Information/Education Center, Past Governor South of the NAR of Women’s Council of Realtors, Mediator for San Diego Association of Realtors, Lecturer/Educator, Past State President of Women’s Council of Realtors/California, co-author of ‘Here Comes the Sales Trainers,’ and member of the National Association of Realtors since 1971.

Shirley has been active in community efforts, including: Founder of the San Onofre Citizens Council, Past Ombudsman for the Elderly, Past President of PQ Rotary Club, Founder of the Professional Women’s Center, Co-founder of Sunshine Village/Battered Women & Children’s Center, Co-founder of the National Association of Federal Women’s Contractor, and delegate to the 1st White House Conference on Small Business. She has served on the California Small Business Advisory Board, on Vice President Bush’s Advance Team, and as President of the Professional Women’s Center, and is the creator of Women’s Opportunity Job Fairs.

Shirley have been acknowledged for her efforts, receiving the Omega Tau Rho Award/ Real Estate, and been named “Woman of the Year Finalist,” 78th Assembly District, California; as a “ Woman Making a Difference” Soroptomist, San Diego; and “Women in Business Advocate,” Region IX, SBA.

DAVID WEISMAN

David Weisman has been producing award-winning educational documentary and non-fiction film and video works since 1982, specializing in issues of social awareness and environmental concern. In the late 1980s and early 1990s he created a series of videos focusing on shelter and environmental issues in the developing world, including “ON BORROWED LAND,” set amid the shantytowns of Manila, and executive produced by Oliver Stone. Following this he co-produced a series of award-winning videos for U.S.A.I.D. on community development in the newly democratic South Africa and the old city-centers of Morocco. In 1994 he produced "AT HOME WITH MOTHER EARTH", an exploration of “earth architecture” building techniques narrated by Eartha Kitt. This experience was later expanded during the period from 1995 through 1999, when Mr. Weisman produced and directed a 28 part environmental education series, “PRESERVING THE LEGACY” for PBS and their distance learning affiliates. The subjects of these videos included environmental history and regulation as well as pollution prevention and radioactive waste storage. Mr. Weisman's films were funded and sponsored by the National Science Foundation which resulted in the delivery of the $1.5 million dollar series. The completed programs, in addition to airing over PBS affiliates, garnered a 1997 Silver Screen Award at the US International Film and Video Festival and a 1998 Cindy Gold Award for science and math programs.

Moving into the realms of electronic information delivery, Mr. Weisman is currently directing the video portion of the TEXAS LEGACY project of the Conservation History Association of Texas. This compilation of oral history interviews with prominent Texas environmentalists like Jim Hightower, Diane Wilson and author Daniel Quinn is being achieved by using digital video technology, and delivering the completed segments over the Internet as well as on CD ROM and DVD. There is also a companion website at www.texaslegacy.org where the streaming video clips can be viewed and studied.

His years of global travel and experience have given Mr. Weisman an insight into many of the environmental and social justice issues facing humanity. In 1999, he joined the Oaks Project, a division of the Santa-Monica based Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights. Among the successes of the Oaks Project during this period were the passage of local campaign finance reform laws in five California cities, as well as a the blocking of a legislative, taxpayer-funded “bail-out” of the California Edison utility in the wake of the energy deregulation fiasco. Mr. Weisman also provided video services and media assistance to such organizations as Physicians for Social Responsibility and the Committee to Bridge the Gap. Mr. Weisman became involved in assisting local activists on issues involving safety at the Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant.

Most recently, Mr. Weisman has been appointed by the Morro Bay city council as the newest member of his city's Community Promotions Advisory Committee."