Cathy Handzel
Officer - Vice President
Cathy has always loved the experience of night-time and gazing up at the moon and stars in the sky. She began researching light pollution after noticing excessive light trespass at her home from streetlights and neighbor’s lighting. Cathy is a graduate of the Mid-City CAN Leadership Academy and works in Information Technology as a Business Systems Analyst. She thoroughly enjoys being immersed with like-minded, dark sky advocates at the IDA annual conferences and stays abreast of IDA’s work by reading Nightwatch and attending monthly IDA Advocates meetings. As a breast cancer survivor, Cathy is committed to raising awareness about light pollution and its potential effects on human health.
Paul K. Ericson, PE, IALD
Officer - Treasurer
Design Principal, Electrical, Stantec Consulting Services Inc.
Paul has over 40 years of continuous involvement in the consulting engineering profession with broad design experience and a special interest in lighting design. Paul is responsible for project management including overall concept designs, specifications, and supervision of design personnel.
He is actively involved with the Illuminating Engineering Society of North America (IES) at the Society level and has received lighting design awards from the IES. He currently chairs the Society’s Computer Committee.
He is a member of the International Dark-Sky Association and a past member of their Board of Directors. He is currently the Chair of the IDA San Diego Section and helped Borrego Springs achieve their Dark Sky Community designation. He is currently working with the Julian Dark Sky Network to help the Julian community achieve a Dark Sky Community designation.
Chip Fox
Board Member
Chip is Manager of Residential Energy Efficiency Programs at SDG&E.
Sally Theriault
Board Member - Anza Borrego Desert Representative
Sally is a California State Park Interpreter and member of IDA. She has managed the Visitor Center at Anza-Borrego Desert State Park since 2010, and is a charter member of the Borrego Springs Dark Sky Coalition. Responsible for much of the Park’s night-sky interpretation, Sally also wrote and submitted the Park’s application for International Dark Sky Park recognition, which was granted by IDA at the Silver Tier level in January 2018.
Betsy Knaak
Board Member - Borrego Springs Representative
Betsy is the Executive Director of the Anza-Borrego Desert Natural History Association, and a charter member and current chairperson of the Borrego Springs Dark Sky Coalition. She served as Honorary Mayor in 2009, the year Borrego Springs was designated the world’s second IDA International Dark Sky Community and the first, and still only, Dark Sky Community in California.
Doug Sollosy
Board Member - Julian Representative
Doug is the Treasurer and Member of the Board of Directors for The Julian Dark Sky Network, which promotes the enjoyment and preservation of Julian's dark skies, through astronomy related public outreach programs and activities.
Dorothy Wood
Board Member
Dorothy is active in semi-retirement as a Docent at Palomar Observatory, and doing Astronomy Outreach in various National Parks. She is very interested in the various facets of light pollution from affecting our night vision to the effect of light pollution of various animals