Team Members

Sarah Altemus-Pope

Executive Director & Facilitator

Sarah convened the SWFC as a University of Oregon master’s degree project in 2014 and was hired as the SWFC coordinator in 2016.

Sarah grew up in Oakridge and attended the University of Oregon where she graduated with a JD/MA Conflict Resolution. Sarah was a smokejumper in Missoula, MT for ten years and spent the last three years of her forest service career in Washington D.C. working for International Programs. For the past five years, she has guided the SWFC’s growth with the assistance of a ten-person steering committee. Sarah has secured all SWFC funding through grants from the Oregon Department of Forestry, the National Forest Foundation and the Willamette National Forest. Sarah has also helped to secure funding for SWFC partners to implement work that the SWFC supports.

Dustin Rymph

SWFC Program Manager

Dustin graduated in 2020 with an MS in Conflict Resolution from UO with a Land Use specialization. He did his graduate internship with SWFC, conducting a food systems analysis for the Oakridge area and helping to found the Westfir-Oakridge Local Food Hub (WOLFH). Dustin worked for SWFC as a RARE AmeriCorps member from 2021-2023. Before moving to Oregon, he worked in Nebraska as a horticulturalist, ecologist, and high school debate coach. He is currently working as Project Manager for SWFC, coordinating Firewise, Fuels Reduction, and recreation related projects. In his off time Dustin can be found exploring the quieter trails in the Willamette National Forest with his partner and their chihuahua.

Thaddeus Carter

Home Heating Upgrades Project Manager

Thaddeus was raised in Oakridge, graduated from Oakridge High School and attended Lane Community College. He spent the past 17 years in the automotive industry working for Kendall Auto Group and the last 11 years creating their Paint Protection Department. Joining the SWS team provides him a way to live and work in his hometown community. His favorite thing about Oakridge is, well everything! The amazingly beautiful forest surroundings, the clear night skies, the lakes, the rivers, and last but not least the many different people from all walks of life that the Oakridge community is made up of.

Mariah Hull

Business Operations Manager

Mariah was raised in Oregon, and has called Oakridge home since 2021. She studied at Utah State University, where she graduated with a BS in Health Education and Promotion (Public Health). Her previous year was spent working at Oakridge Elementary School. Her favorite part of Oakridge is being surrounded by the beautiful Willamette, and having the opportunity to explore and enjoy the outdoor world. She is excited to work with Oakridge Air to continue to offer improvements to the community and help to cultivate a clean and safe environment for individuals and families. She is especially passionate about decreasing health disparities, and about fostering this prosperous environment for the youth of Oakridge and Westfir to grow up in!

Margaux Allen

Administrative Assistant

Margaux was born and raised in the Willamette Valley and moved to Oakridge 3 years ago with her husband and son. She is currently pursuing a degree in psychology at Southern Oregon University.Margaux spent her years growing up riding and showing horses at a competitive level until she moved to Oakridge. Since then, she has settled into small-town life and is happily raising her son who attends elementary school, baking cakes and other assorted treats. Margaux spent 20 years in the medical field and is now looking forward to helping achieve the vision Oakridge Air has for the community and is both excited and thankful about the opportunity to be a part of something so incredibly beneficial to our community.

Avery Pearson

Outreach Project Manager

Avery grew up in Paradise, California and moved to Oakridge in 2021. Avery is a proud "platypus", or a mix of Beaver and Duck, as she graduated from both Oregon State University (B.S. in Botany) and the University of Oregon (M.S. in Management). Avery spent three years in project management at a software company before moving to the nonprofit world. Her favorite thing about calling Oakridge home is the sense of community. She is enthusiastic for the opportunity to connect community members of all ability levels to the outdoors and to improve health outcomes for local families. In her spare time, Avery can be found hiking with her partner plus Australian Shepherds (Elsa and Sunny), or relaxing and reading at the library.

Guenevere (Guen) DiGioia

Community Resilience Program Manager

Guen DiGioia has returned to Oakridge as the Community Resilience Program Manager. Guen has a Master’s in Sustainable Forest Management and extensive experience in climate and environmental research and community engagement. She is uniquely equipped to work with the Oakridge community to advance projects that make our community more resilient . When she’s not working, she likes to bake with sourdough and run in the woods with her dog, Sukki.

Matt Hull

Oakridge Air Project Manager

Matt grew up in Union, Oregon and moved to Oakridge in 2021. He attended Utah State where he graduated with a BS in Exercise Science. Prior to working with Oakridge Air, Matt taught Health and P.E. to 7th through 12th graders. He continues to coach football and track at Oakridge High School. Matt enjoys being able to work within the Oakridge community and to be a part of creating a cleaner environment for all. When he’s not working, Matt enjoys going on walks in the woods with his wife, their daughter, and their dog Arlow.