OUR BOARD
Community Rebuilds is fortunate to be supported by an amazing Board of Directors. Each board member brings value and expertise to the table, which we are incredibly lucky to lean on as we work towards accomplishing our mission.
BOARD MEMBERS
Abby Scott
President
Community Rebuilds is an organization that is near and dear to Abby. Many of her friends and acquaintances have been the recipients of CR homes, her sister was a CR intern, and for more than a year, she shared an office with CR in the basement of the MARC. Abby started living in Moab during the summers in college and has been here full time since 2009. She loves hiking and trail running in the desert and getting on the river whenever she can. While in Moab, Abby has worked in restaurants, non-profits, small businesses, and volunteered with important community organizations. In 2017, she joined the Grand County Planning Commission, serving as Vice-Chair in 2019 and as Chair for 2020 until May, when she started working in the Grand County Community and Economic Development Department.
Kathy Byrnes
Living at Old La Sal Utah for the past 46 years. Worked for USDA Rural Development specializing in housing loans, repair loans and grants, multifamily apartment complex oversight applying Federal regulations that govern these areas for twenty years. Retired now, occupying my time with organic gardening, hiking, hunting, cross country sking, snow shoeing, a little stained glass work and a little felting. Helped my husband build our own home from scratch applying solar passive techniques, and adding active solar to the home.
Jessica Manderfield
Jess began developing her career in natural building with CR since joining us as an intern in the Spring of 2014. She has built homes in Moab, Crested Butte, CO, and was the assistant supervisor for our Bunkhouse build. She joined the administrative side of CR as Program Director from 2014 - 2020. She is now working at Grand County High School as the Woodshop teacher!
Valencia Miller
Valencia has been a resident of Grand county since 2012. She and her husband have been in Moab since 2015 and they have two beautiful children. She enjoys being a member of the Moab community and especially enjoys being a part of the CR family as a homeowner. In the fall of 2018 her family was able to build a hybrid home in the community and have offered support to CR whenever they can. She often enjoys lending a helping hand and exploring with her family along the Colorado River, in the many adventure spots amongst the rocks and deep in the Manti-La Sal Mountains.
Ed DeFrancia
Ed was born and raised in Colorado, and is a graduate of the University of Colorado, Boulder. He retired from a successful 30-year teaching career in 2014 which was peppered with coaching, river running, and construction. He and his family were long interested in alternative home building methods and attended several workshops in Colorado and New Mexico. They built their own straw bale home in Spanish Valley, completing it in 2006. Ed enjoys being in the outdoors, traveling, building & growing things, and running rivers.
Tara Benally
Tara has strong connections to the Navajo Nation in southern San Juan County. Her upbringing, influenced by both the Bible and traditional Dine teachings, has had a profound impact on who she is today. One of her main concerns has always been the need for more housing for members of her community. From 2013 to 2016, she worked for the Utah Navajo Trust Fund, where she completed homes that had been sitting unfinished for years due to limited resources and lack of effective leadership. This also involved building new homes. After her time with the Trust Fund, she wanted to find new ways to serve her communities. she currently works at the Rural Utah Project, where they focus on fostering positive relationships through civic engagement, advocating for important issues, facilitating voter registration, and ensuring fair elections.
ADVISORY COUNCIL
Shannon O'Donoghue
A stint in the diplomatic corps of the Canadian Foreign Service didn't help Shannon become particularly diplomatic, nor did her twelve years at the Banff Mountain Film Festival help her beyond some marginal photography skills. But she brought both those experiences with her when she left Banff, Canada in 2013 to make her home in Castle Valley, UT.
Sandy Mailliard
Sandy began her love of volunteering with an organization in San Francisco helping drug addicted moms and their babies. She also serves as a firefighter and EMT. Sandy has held board positions such as Director of Development for the Access Fund, and Board President for Community Rebuilds, helping build straw bale homes. She has had a myriad of work opportunities from teacher to construction clean up crew boss, house builder, hospice care giver, store owner, and landscape designer.