Building Community Resilience is Who We Are
Join us in creating solutions that empower communities to collaborate effectively and thrive.
Our Values
Partnership
We partner with local and regional organizations to create resilient communities from the inside out.
Resilience
We work with communities that have experienced or are vulnerable to disaster to foster self-reliance and resilience.
Self-Reliance and Cooperation
We work to remove obstacles and foster self-reliance and cooperation.
Meet the SSCRA Team
Dedication. Expertise. Passion.
Meet the SSCRA team—dedicated professionals committed to serving, supporting, and empowering our community.
Executive Director
Melanie Garrett
We are delighted to announce that Melanie Garrett, a dedicated member of SSCRA’s Board of Directors, is stepping into the role of Interim Executive Director!
Melanie brings 30 years of "boots on the ground" experience driving rural business development, entrepreneurial startups, and community-focused economic recovery across Northern California.
As the Managing Director of The Raven’s Mouth, her career has centered on empowering rural communities and finding sustainable solutions where individuals, local groups, and the natural environment all thrive together.
Program Director
Jessyca Lytle
Jessyca is an educator, consultant, California Naturalist, and longtime Cobb Area community organizer with more than 20 years of experience in teaching, project management, program development, and consulting for small businesses in the area of organizational management. She holds an M.S.Ed. in Curriculum and Instruction, and her current focus is on the development of sustainable citizen science programs for youth and adults.
She is a founding member of the Cobb Area Council, the founder of the Cobb Area Disaster Assistance Recovery Center after the Valley Fire, and previously served on the Calpine Community Development Committee. She is a current member of the Cobb Area (LAPAC) Local Area Plan Advisory Committee for the 2025 Lake County General Plan, and the Lake County Land Trust Stewardship Committee.
Administrator
Shasta McBride
Shasta is a nonprofit administrator with a diverse background in UX strategy, digital marketing, and operational leadership, bringing years of experience in community engagement, strategic planning, and technology-driven solutions.
Her work includes overseeing digital initiatives, streamlining processes, and developing user-centered programs that enhance impact through storytelling. With a strong foundation in research, stakeholder collaboration, and content strategy, Shasta has successfully led projects across nonprofit education, financial services, and community development.
Intern
Micah Starr
Micah is joining the SSCRA team as an intern to support our watershed restoration and community outreach efforts.
Driven by a passion for fire recovery, environmental stewardship, and community building, Micah brings a deep interest in fostering strong, respectful relationships with local Tribal communities in Lake County.
In this role, Micah will work directly under the guidance of Program Director Jessyca Lytle, providing vital coordination and administrative support across both our Watershed Education and Restoration Program (WERP) and Community Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP) initiatives.
Board of Directors
Commitment. Knowledge. Enthusiasm.
Our board is dedicated to fostering collaboration, innovation, and impact in our mission to serve our community and beyond.
Chairman
Steve Reed
From 1977 to his retirement in 2005, Steve Reed started and managed several natural food companies. Since retiring, he has focused on supporting nonprofits as a board member, committee adviser, and business mentor, while also advising for-profit startups.
Treasurer
Christopher Nettles, Ph.D.
Christopher D. Nettles received his Ph.D in Clinical & Community Psychology from George Washington University, where he taught for several years. He consults on community health & well-being (especially marginalized communities) and hyperlocal community development. He was elected to the Cobb Area Council in 2020.
Director
Eliot Hurwitz
Eliot is co-founder of SSCRA. He was the managing member of Bright Village LLC, a cooperative fire-recovery affordable housing project in Lake County, CA. Previously, he served as Planning Manager for the Napa County Transportation and Planning Agency and as a Senior Policy Advisor to the San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission.
Director
Patrick Lambert
A Lake County native, Pat has been the Farmers Insurance agent in Lakeport for the past 25 years. Pat also has an extensive background in retail management with national chain stores and has a sharp eye for local economic dynamics, workforce development, and community service. As steward of 50 acres of Cobb forestland, Pat has a deep commitment to the land and to the community.
Director
Magdalena Valderrama
Magdalena is co-founder and former Operations Director for SSCRA. She has worked across a range of community issues with nonprofit organizations, including the Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation and the American Red Cross. Magdalena sits on the board of directors for the South Lake Fire Safe Council.
Journey: Our Timeline To Resilience
2015
2020
2024 - Present
2015 - 2019 SSCRA is founded in the aftermath of the Valley Fire. Initially we focus on core recovery issues. Our first funding is from the American Red Cross, helping distribute $100K in disaster assistance to affected families. We begin to meet with local groups to understand long term recovery efforts. Further funding from Cal Fire helps us hold large scale community workshops prior to and after each fire season and to help homeowners improve their fire safety. We start organizing FireWise communities and building active relationships throughout Lake County on full spectrum community resilience strategies. We are invited to Paradise to consult with community organizers there following the catastrophic Camp Fire.
2020 - 2024 A major grant from the Federal Home Loan Bank of San Francisco allows us to create a first of its kind post-wildfire Community Resilience and Development Strategy (link). We continue to cultivate active partnerships within the Cobb Mt. community and throughout Lake County. We receive funding from the California Natural Resources Agency and PG&E's Nature Positive Innovations Fund to promote restoration of local watersheds and creeks guided by Tribal members, building working partnerships with local landowners. We help other communities throughout Lake County organize Firewise communities. We play a key role in the 2023 update of the Lake County CWPP.
2024 - Present Continuing to support local Firewise communities, we receive a US Forest Service grant to create a comprehensive Cobb Mt. Community Wildfire Protection Pl
Community
Partners
SSCRA collaborates with various organizations, local authorities, and stakeholders to amplify the impact of our work. Together with our partners, we strive to create sustainable solutions that benefit the entire community and foster a sense of collective responsibility towards long-term growth and resilience.
The (Cobb Area) strategy presents a comprehensive path to recovery that can be embraced by the community and serve, additionally, as direction and motivation for other agencies and organizations in Lake County to follow a similar path.
Wilda Shock, Past President, Lake EDC