Meet the Marinites Who Are Enacting Change On Every Level – Marin Living

Doreen Gounard (Photo by Amy Thompson Photography)

by Amber Turpin

These four Marinites are making our community better, one intentional action at a time.

Doreen Gounard

Town of Residence: Sausalito

Occupation: Aide to Marin County District 3 Supervisor Stephanie Moulton-Peters

Changemaking Work: First African American woman to complete a westbound circumnavigation on a 33-foot sailing catamaran while homeschooling two children.

When Did You Know You Loved Boats?

I was born and raised in Springfield, Massachusetts, and started going to a sleepaway camp when I was 9. At Camp Mishnoah I was on the lake for hours a day, six weeks a summer, swimming, row-boating and canoeing. I loved any and every opportunity to be in or on the water.

What Is It Like Living On A Catamaran?

I love living aboard our cat IMANI and can’t imagine living any other way. Our homeport is Galilee Harbor, a cooperative, affordable, live-aboard community of maritime workers and artists. My husband and I built the boat behind the West Oakland flat we rented during a four-anda- half-year period from a pile of western red cedar planks and two 55-gallon drums of West System epoxy.

Most Memorable Adventures From Circumnavigating The Globe?

Our first landfall after 21 days at sea, crossing directly from San Francisco to Hiva Oa island in French Polynesia, is definitely one. The island appeared as a small hump on the horizon as the moon illuminated its existence. We watched the land grow before our eyes as the scent of ylang-ylang, frangipani and Tahiti tiare flowers tickled our senses. We sailed into the new millennium on January 1, 2000, and our circumnavigation had officially notched its first country.

How Is Your Community, And Your Role Within It, Breaking Boundaries?

By sailing more than 60,000 nautical miles over the last 20 years and having sailed through over 25 countries, I show my greater community what is possible and encourage all who want to do the same.

Howard Kornfeld, MD

Town Of Residence: Mill Valley

Occupation: Diplomate In Pain Medicine

Changemaking Work: Addiction medicine and pain medicine specialist, with a broad interest in integrative approaches to physical and mental health.

What Is Your Background?

In 1979, after the Three Mile Island nuclear accident, I became aware of the risks to humanity of the nuclear fuel cycle and the escalation of nuclear armaments. I became part of a medical movement and delivered 70 talks on the medical consequences of nuclear war. I was a delegate at the First Congress of the International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War in 1981, and the organization’s efforts led to a Nobel Peace Prize in 1985. The following decades witnessed a welcome de-escalation of the nuclear cold war that has unfortunately been dangerously renewed. I then accepted the invitation of Dick Price, co-founder of Esalen Institute, to become a visiting physician in residence at the beautiful Big Sur retreat. There I met numerous visionaries including Ann and Sasha Shulgin, who had become the godparents of the emerging science of psychedelic medicines. With their network, I co-convened the Pacific Symposia on Psychedelic Drugs, which led to the groundbreaking work at Johns Hopkins 10 years later, and eventually to Michael Pollan’s influential and more recent bestselling books. As a practitioner of addiction medicine at that time, I was immersed in the response to the growing problem of opiate misuse, as well as poorly managed chronic pain. I became an early adopter and published author regarding the medication called buprenorphine (or Suboxone) and built our Mill Valley practice Recovery Without Walls to address these needs.

In Addition To Your Addiction Recovery Work, What Are Some Of Your Humanitarian Interests?

During the 1990s, when the state of California resumed using the gas chamber for capital punishment, I teamed up with a leader at the S.F. poison control center to highlight the inhumane nature of this practice. The ACLU and others took up the case, mounted a heroic effort, and within a year a federal judge ordered the California attorney general to immediately cease the practice.

What Are You Currently Doing To Raise Awareness About Nuclear War?

I see the emergence of psychedelics now as linked to the regrowth of the nuclear arms race, but also with the intense sentiment that these weapons need to, once and for all, be banished. Recently, military leaders have stepped forward to advocate for the FDA approval of MDMA for the treatment of PTSD, ever growing in our veterans, first responders and survivors of sexual, and other, trauma. I plan to reach out to military leaders around the prevention of the ultimate trauma, aptly termed the “Final Epidemic” that would follow a nuclear war.

What You Would Tell Your 30-Year-Old Self?

You are on the right track, stay in tune with your spiritual foundation and keep integrating the various parts of yourself in service to the people you love and to your community.

Leigh Weinraub

Town Of Residence: Mill Valley

Occupation: Founder Of Humanleigh And Get Your Mind In Motion

Changemaking Work: “What Changes A Life More Than Anything Is A Deeply Human Relationship And This Is At The Heart Of All I Do.”

How Did You Get Into Your Line Of Work?

It all started when my parents handed me my first tennis racket when I turned 4 years old. I couldn’t get enough of smacking yellow fuzzy tennis balls and began to discover what it felt like to find a flow state. I ultimately became fascinated with human motivation. I decided to take my passion for studying human behavior to the next level and pursued a graduate degree in counseling psychology at Northwestern University. But along the way I lost sight of that simple but profound truth I learned as a kid: Moving your body in nature is the most powerful way to calm the mind. This epiphany led me to pioneer the idea of “walk and talk therapy.”

What Is Your Favorite Thing About Working So Closely With People?

The mysteries of human nature will always intrigue me. When my clients begin to open up to me about their life experiences, it ignites the most profound sense of purpose. The humans I work closely with amaze me, challenge me, inspire me and make life more meaningful than I could ever put into words.

What Is The Biggest Challenge?

Deep growth is a process that is often slow and uncomfortable. It can be challenging to be so passionate about helping people help themselves, and also to accept that they might not be ready to do the consistent work necessary to evolve.

What Is One Thing We Can Do To Be Better Humans?

Two simple tools that are always available to all of us: practice gratitude and generosity.

Omar Carrera

Town Of Residence: Corte Madera

Occupation: Nonprofit Executive

Changemaking Work: “As CEO Of Canal Alliance, I cultivate strong partnerships to lead strategic initiatives that address the critical needs of Marin’s Latino and immigrant communities and result in a more equitable and thriving community.”

How Did You Get Into Your Line Of Work?

I immigrated to Marin County in 2002 due to political and economic instability back home. Despite a professional background as a CPA in the corporate sector in Ecuador, once here in Marin I had to rebuild my career entirely. Because I did not yet speak English, this included enrolling in ESL classes at Canal Alliance and working at a local pet food store stocking shelves and cleaning floors. This experience of career rebuilding is not unique to me but, rather, often the norm for immigrants arriving in this country. While I studied English, I also volunteered for Canal Alliance, discovering a passion for the organization’s mission and for the social sector work more broadly. Becoming CEO in 2016 was the culmination of a journey marked by personal resilience, professional growth and a deep commitment to serving the Latino and immigrant community.

What Is Your Favorite Thing About Your Job?

The unique opportunity it affords me to catalyze positive change while working at the intersection of community needs, government policy and capital. What truly sets apart my role — and the approach we take at Canal Alliance — is the intentional process of collaborating with residents and community leaders to drive change from the ground up. What is the biggest challenge? Keeping up with the rapid pace of change while making sure that low-income residents have a strong voice in shaping our future. We face monumental challenges. My biggest worry is that we will not have enough time or resources to make sure that the voices of low-income community members are included as we plan for these changes.

What Is Your Ultimate Goal For The Neighborhood Vision Plan?

To create a road map that empowers Canal residents to shape the future of their community. We believe that strong, complete neighborhoods are essential to breaking the cycle of generational poverty, which is ultimately Canal Alliance’s mission.

What Are Some Other Things You Are Doing Within The Marin Community That You Feel Strongly About?

The lack of affordable housing. It is a problem that affects everyone. I believe we need a new approach to address this crisis, which is why I’m working with other nonprofit leaders to build a cross-sector housing coalition.