The TWOG

Transition Whatcom, an all-volunteer, grassroots group, was started early in 2009 by seven local residents who called themselves the TWIG - the Transition Whatcom Initiating Group. As planned, in August 2010 the TWIG gave way to the TWOG - the Transition Whatcom Operating Group.

We are excited about the potential of this group, which we think displays an excellent diversity and a great mix of skills, as per the "mandate" from the following paragraph of the TWIG to TWOG document:

"Organizational Core Group: A group made up of TW members selected by their peers through an application process. The Core is to be made up of 8 people - the intent is for a balance of representation - at this time we will focus on urban and rural, male and female, elders and youngers. At a later time the Core Group and Council may decide to seek a broader spectrum of representation as the priority."

From left to right: Warren Miller, Paul Kearsley, Emily Farrell, Kyler Boyes, and Tom Anderson

The TWOG, in alphabetical order...

Tom Anderson
Tom is the lone carryover from the TWIG. He is a mechanical engineer and a former Public Utility District manager, and brings extensive knowledge about the local electrical power system and local water issues. Tom also has a good background in NVC (Non-Violent Communication), mediation, and the Acorn model of organization. Before the TWIG, Tom served on the city and county appointed Energy Resource Scarcity/Peak Oil Task Force.

Kyler Boyes
Kyler was born and raised in the Pacific Northwest. Although Kyler hails from Sandpoint, ID, home of the 2nd official Transition Initiative in the U.S., he didn't discover Transition until after moving to Bellingham. He has had a long standing passion for reading, thinking, open-mindedness, and experimentation. He has experience as a Laborer, Carpenter, Cashier, and recently a 2 year stint at Community College (where is favorite subject was just about everything). Kyler is now a pssionately Immersed Student of the Growing Transition Culture and hilosophy.

Emily Farrell
Emily is a psychotherapist in private practice with many years of experience in collaborative teams - creating community and ceremonial events, as well as professional treatment teams. She has a long-term interest in ecopsychology, has trained with Joanna Macy, and has an appreciation for the emotional and spiritual dimensions of Transition and of community efforts. After participating in an intensive training in permaculture in 1993, at the site that is now Bellingham Co-Housing, she created a Backyard Wildlife Sanctuary at her home in town, where she lived for about 13 years.

Paul Kearsley
Paul is a sustainable design professional, recenly having co-founded Homestead Habitats, LLC. After receiving his degree from WWU, Paul interned for two seasons at the Bullock Brothers Permaculture homestead on Orcas Island, and has worked as a consultant for their Exos Design business, and has taught numerous Permaculture workshops. Paul brings a systems thinking perspective to the TWOG, and good visual and verbal communication skills. Paul was the designer of the Transition Whatcom logo, by the way.

Warren Miller
As a filmmaker, consultant, and an engineer, Warren brings many skills to the TWOG, including: organizing, writing, communicating, marketing, fund raising, public speaking (many conferences and training sessions) and hard working.  Warren did camera work for Transition Whatcom's Great Unleashing, and also participated in the recent TWIG to TWOG meetings.