Executive Director

Peter Deneen is an award-winning writer, educator, nonprofit leader, and actor native to Ojai. He first came to know the Sespe as a high school student doing trailwork. Today, he spends most of his Sespe time running trails all across the wilderness, but nothing fills his heart more than a trip down The Gorge with condors soaring overhead. Peter is a veteran of the United States Coast Guard, where he served as an officer for over a decade. He holds a Bachelor of Science from the U.S. Coast Guard Academy, a Master of Arts in Climate and Society from Columbia University, and is currently an Executive MBA candidate at UCLA’s Anderson School of Management. Peter serves on several other local and regional nonprofit boards, including The C.R.E.W., Ojai Raptor Center, Tierra Sol Institute, and Ojai Valley Defense Fund, where he serves as board president. He is an ultramarathoner, co-founder of the Sisar Canyon Run Club, and is an Ambassador for Runners for Public Lands.

Conservation Director

Devlin Gandy

Treasurer

Born and raised in Scotland, David studied Biological Sciences at Edinburgh University and graduated with a Ph.D. in Medicine.  After conducting research at Cornell Medical school and the University of Idaho, he moved to Ojai to work in nature-based education and organic land management. He currently consults on soil health and regenerative practices.  He has worked with numerous environmental groups, including the Keep the Sespe Wild, Food for Thought Ojai, White Buffalo Land Trust, the Captain Planet Foundation and the Ojai Valley Green Coalition, as well as Taft Gardens and Lotusland. David co-founded the Center for Regenerative Agriculture in 2002 and worked as its Executive Director for twenty years. Since 2010 David has directed the Once upon a Watershed education program which currently serves 26 public schools in Ventura County. In 2020, he brought the Oaktober initiative to Southern California. With a focus on connecting children to nature, David loves composting and planting trees with kids.