COL Staff
Ali Meders-Knight - Executive Director
Ali Meders-Knight is a Mechoopda tribal member, mother of five, and traditional basketweaver based in Chico, CA. She has been recognized by the Mechoopda Tribe as a Master TEK practitioner, and works to form partnerships for federal forest stewardship contracting and tribal restoration programs on public lands. She has been a Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) practitioner for over 20 years, collaborating on environmental education and land restoration projects with Chico State University, the City of Chico, Tehama County Resource Conservation District, and more. She serves on the Tribal Relations Strategic Planning and Implementation committee for the US Forest Service in Region 5. In March 2022 she testified to the U.S. House of Representatives Environmental Oversight Subcommittee on the merits of TEK and Tribally-led workforce development to restore California forest resilience and address the problem of catastrophic wildfires. In 2009 she helped plan and establish Verbena Fields, a unique 17-acre interactive food forest and interpretive park in North Chico, to educate about the rich ecological heritage of the Mechoopda people through weekly community tending workshops.
Meleiza Figueroa - Conservation Director
Mel Figueroa brings nearly 15 years of expertise and experience in traditional ecological knowledge and community-based natural resource management to COL. A PhD Candidate in Geography at UC Berkeley, she has conducted fieldwork with traditional communities in North and South America, including in the lower Amazon River basin studying traditional agroforestry and burning practices to create the carbon-rich, biochar-based anthropogenic soils known as terra preta. For the last three years in Butte County, she has worked closely with Ali Meders-Knight to create a Tribal TEK certification and workforce development program, as well as partner with local and federal agencies on planning, project development, and contracting for Tribally led restoration, fuels management, and climate adaptation projects throughout the northern Sierra Nevada region. Mel and Ali are strong policy advocates for the inclusion of TEK and Tribal co-stewardship in public lands management throughout California, serving on an advisory committee for the US Forest Service Tribal Relations Strategic Planning Team in Region 5, which collaborates with Tribal practitioners and agency staff to expand opportunities for Tribal co-stewardship on National Forest lands in California.
Dewey Barnes - General Foreman
Dewey Barnes is a certified C-faller, hazard tree removal specialist, and a Wildland Type 2 firefighter. He has worked as Mechoopda TEK Crew Foreman for Calaveras Healthy Impact Product Solutions (CHIPS) since 2019, working on fuels reduction contracts in Concow, Magalia, Yosemite National Park, El Dorado National Forest, Tahoe National Forest, and Collins Pine Timber Reserve. Previously, he worked in logging and fuels reduction for five years at the Quartz Valley Indian Reservation. He also works on prescribed burning through the Butte Cal-TREX program, and in forest restoration through the Chico Traditional Ecological Stewardship Program.
Alex Zubia - Program Director, Food, Fiber & Medicine Program
Alex Zubia, also known as “Xef,” is a chef and food justice advocate born and raised in Fresno, CA (Yokuts Land). He attended The California Culinary Academy in San Francisco (Ramaytush Ohlone land) in 2007 and discovered his passion for cooking through his love of eating. From 2008-2015, Xef opened his own food truck, focused on providing healthier, farm-to-fork versions of familiar foods.
In Fresno, Alex works to fight for food justice, mentor young fathers, system impacted youth, and created the Food Sovereignty & Medicine Program at Fresno Barrios Unidos. His goal is to promote food sovereignty and bring his community back to cooking and eating their indigenous foods, which are abundant in the Central Valley. Alex adopts certain principles like ITEK Indigenous Traditional Ecological Knowledge and Indigenous Permaculture Design as a way to combat the problems of soil erosion and lack of biodiversity, which will be crucial to climate restoration for our next seven generations. Xef and his community literally plant seeds for the next seven generations.
COL Board of Directors
Yoseb Afsharzadeh - Board President
Yoseb Afsharzadeh brings a wealth of experience in process improvement, data analysis, and project management to his role with California Open Lands. With a background in public sector work, including his time with the State of Hawaii and Butte County Behavioral Health, Yoseb has consistently demonstrated his ability to optimize workflows, enhance operational efficiency, and foster collaboration across departments. His expertise in overseeing complex systems and his proactive approach to problem-solving have earned him a reputation as a reliable and resourceful professional.
At California Open Lands, Yoseb is committed to leveraging his knowledge to support the organization's mission of protecting and preserving natural habitats. His background in data-driven decision-making and systems management will be invaluable in improving operational processes and ensuring efficient project completion. Known for his attention to detail and collaborative leadership style, Yoseb is dedicated to advancing California Open Lands’ goals while contributing to sustainable land management practices across the state.
Herb Votaw - Board Member
With over 38 years of experience in the field of land surveying and has extensive knowledge in land surveying principles and surveying law. He is currently the President of Rolls, Anderson & Rolls in Chico, California; he is also a member of the California Land Surveyors’ Association. Herb loves fishing and hunting and is an advocate for open spaces.
Melissa Thiede - Board Member
Bio coming soon