MEET OUR BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Tom Durkin, Chair & Executive Director

A lifelong activist, Tom Durkin believes in social justice – and respect – for everyone. A graduate of UCLA with a B.A. in psychology and a dual-major M.F.A. in TV production and screenwriting, Tom’s peripatetic career has ranged from screenwriting to government reporting to investigative journalism to political campaigns to public service documentaries to arts & entertainment interviews to legal/legislative analysis to technical writing and editing. For the last 16 years, he has used his lived experience of bipolar disorder and homelessness to work with and advocate for the people on the fringes of society.  He brings a lifetime of experience, creativity and passion to the No Place to Go Project.

Kathleen (Kathy) Ferguson, Treasurer

Kathleen Ferguson is a seasoned financial and nonprofit professional with over three decades of professional experience. After earning her Master of Science in Accountancy from Western Michigan University in 1991, Kathy began her career in the nonprofit sector before moving into county government. She enhanced her expertise with a Master of Public Administration. As Treasurer of the No Place to Go Project, she oversees financial reporting, manages compliance with state and federal regulations, and led the successful incorporation and 501(c)(3) certification—enabling tax-deductible fundraising. Kathy also supports website development and ensures seamless communication by managing email systems for board members and staff.

Donn Harris, Secretary

Donn Harris served as Director of Creativity and Principal of the Ruth Asawa School of the Arts in SF, and as Executive Director of Gov. Jerry Brown’s Oakland School for the Arts. He writes for medium.com on equity and other issues, and serves on the boards of the Nevada County Arts Council, Color Me Human and the SF African-American Shakespeare Company’s Advisory Board. Donn is also an Air Force veteran, author, bona fide Dead Head (fan of the Grateful Dead), and former, two-term Chair of the California Arts Council.

Jennifer Morrill is the executive director of the SPIRIT Peer Empowerment Center in Grass Valley. The center is the first point of contact for homelesss people experiencing mental health issues, substance abuse disorders, legal problems, disease & disability challenges, and other homeless difficulties caused by the critical lack of affordable housing. Jennifer brings her own lived experience to her positions with SPIRIT and the No Place To Go Project, which gives her “street creds” with chronically homeless people, law enforcement, social workers and city/county officials.

Matt Osypowski

Matt Osypowski is a Certified Financial Planner™, a writer, a father, and a lifelong resident of Nevada County committed to preserving the land and the community of this very special corner of the Earth. He has seen that those who have contributed the most to this community are often the least resourced, and that those struggling to stay housed are often those with the deepest connections to this land. As the local demographic shifts to wealthier arrivals from farther away, his hope is to contribute to a conversation that allows our various populations to see, hear, and understand each other, building a deeper, more resourced community in which everyone has a place to thrive.