Meet Our Team
SARAH ALTEMUS-POPE
Executive Director
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. Since 2014, Sarah has guided the SWFC (SWS's other project) and founded Oakridge Air in 2019.
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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.
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Margaux Allen
Administrative Assitant
Margaux, originally from the Willamette Valley,
moved to Oakridge three years ago with her
family. She's studying psychology at Southern
Oregon University. A former competitive horse rider, Margaux now enjoys small-town life, raising her son, and baking. With 20 years in the medical field behind her, she's eager to contribute to Oakridge Air's vision for the
community.
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August Reed
Outreach Coordinator
August Reed was born and raised in the midwest. She has spent the last 9 years in Oakridge working in various roles throughout the community. August has a passion for helping others which she has shown through her work in the medical field, as well as teaching and leading local youth and volunteering for community organizations. Her favorite part of Oakridge is the sense of community and the wonderful outdoors. August is excited to connect members of the community with needed resources in her position as the Outreach Coordinator. When she isn’t working, you can find her training at Hidden Village Dojo & Studio, walking local trails, or bowling at Willamette Lanes.
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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). Prior to working with Oakridge Air, Mariah taught at Oakridge Elementary School. Since then, she has worked as both an Outreach Coordinator and Project Assistant for Oakridge Air. Mariah loves working with Oakridge Air so she can 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!
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Guen DiGioia
Community & Climate Resiliency Coordinator
Guen DiGioia has returned to Oakridge as the Community and Climate Resiliency Coordinator. 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.
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Dustin Rymph
Collaborative Coordinator
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.
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