Boards of Directors

The Green Burial Council is comprised of two distinct nonprofit entities. Both work together to further the movement toward more sustainable burial practices and to support those who are actively engaged in green burial activities. Board members share a strong commitment to volunteer service and dedicate their skills and experience to further the mission of the Green Burial Council.

The 501(c)6 certification and provider support organization oversees certification conducted by independent third-party experts, and maintains up-to-date certification standards for cemeteries, funeral homes, and product providers. The 501(c)3 educational and outreach organization develops educational materials and opportunities for providers and the public to learn more about natural burial.

Certification and Provider Support
501(c)6 GBC

Ed Bixby, President, is the owner and operator of Steelmantown Green Burial Preserve in Steelmantown, New Jersey, as well as Purissima Natural Burial Ground in Half Moon Bay, California. Ed’s extensive background in land use and development includes being a licensed New Jersey real estate broker and the owner of Fox and Fox Builders, LLC. Ed’s experience in the development industry has provided keen insight into better land use practices and drives his passion for the natural burial movement and the benefits it provides to the present and future generations. Ed has led presentations on natural burial for numerous organizations and has provided educational training for both funeral directors and cemeterians alike. Ed resides in southern New Jersey with his two daughters Ava and Mina. Term expires June 2021

Kate Berdan, Secretary comes to the GBC with experience in conservation with The Nature Conservancy, Woodstock Land Conservancy, Vermont Land Trust, Otsego Land Trust, and the Adirondack Land Trust, among others. She is currently earning her doctorate at the University of Vermont from the Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural Resources. Kate is committed to advocating for and supporting conservation burial. Term expires June 2023

,Doug Renfield-Miller, Treasurer Following a long career in international finance, Doug now devotes most of his time to volunteer and philanthropic activities, especially GoodEnding, Inc., a nonprofit he founded to improve end-of-life outcomes and reduce societal costs. In addition to GoodEnding, Doug currently serves on the board of and volunteers at Regional Hospice and Palliative Care. He has previously served as board chair of School Year Abroad, as a director of Habitat for Humanity—New York City, and is a Trustee Emeritus of Connecticut College. Doug majored in French and philosophy at Connecticut College, earned an MA in International Affairs at George Washington University, and an MBA from Stanford University. In 2015 Doug was appointed an Advanced Leadership Fellow at Harvard University. Term expires June 2021

Shawn Lavalleur Adame, Director, is a wife, mother, Sacred Passages death midwife and funeral celebrant, notary public, licensed funeral director, and owner and founder of DIY DYING, a licensed funeral establishment in Long Beach, Caloifornia. Shawn started her career in the funeral industry in 2006. She began as a DC Specialist and office manager at the Omega Society, in Orange County, California, where she worked for six years. She was then recruited to area manager for Smart Cremation, Accu-Care Cremation Centers, and Gateway Crematory serving So Cal. She then opened Argos Funeral Services, in Torrance, California. Her current business, DIY DYING, offers before- and after-death care services, living and home funerals, green burials on land and at sea, as well as cremation services. Term expires June 2021

Baxley Andresen, Director, hails from the world of prop design and puppetry. In an effort to change her career trajectory, she began to volunteer at the Los Angeles Arboretum, discovering a love of plants and nature. Through that, she discovered land conservation and green burial, and has since been searching for ways to collaborate with land conservation trusts and habitat restorers to bring about a natural burial ground and conserve open green spaces. In 2019 she completed her Horticulture Certificate at UCLA. She worked with Alua Arthur of Going with Grace in 2018 and 2019, and currently works as a funeral arranger at FRIENDS Funeral Home in Venice, California. Baxley is currently looking to establish more green burial space in Southern California. Term expires June 2023

Steve Berkoff, Director, is on his second career as owner/operator of Memorial Reefs, a Hawian memorial service company that restores marine life similar to Eternal Reefs on the Eastern seaboard. Steve’s first career spanning forty years has been in communications, giving him expertise in nonprofit management, business plan development, financial management, strategic planning, fundraising, public speaking, training, and education. He is dedicated to helping heal the damage to the planet and embraces green alternatives. Term expires June 2022

Darren Crouch, Director, is president and co-founder of environmentally responsible funeral product company Passages International, Inc., and is also the founder of agreenerfuneral.org, a website designed to educate consumers about alternatives for greening their funeral. He has been featured in The Director Magazine, The American Funeral Director Magazine, Funeral Business Advisor, The Cremationist, the ICCFA Magazine, the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal, and has spoken at several national and international conventions, including the Asia Funeral Expo, the National Funeral Directors Convention, and the ICCFA Convention. Term expires 2021

Education and Outreach
501(c)3 GBC International

Darrell Hill, President, is founder and CEO of EternityGardens.com—a technology platform that engages and educates families about laying to rest cremated remains. Darrell has a professional background in marketing and brand building, having spent more than twenty years as a marketing and branding leader in healthcare, financial services, and strategy consulting. He has served on the following boards: Advocate Charitable Foundation, The English-Speaking Union of the United States, and Chicago Jesuit Academy. After earning his MBA from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management, Darrell and his wife settled in Chicago with their three children. Term expires June 2021

Jane A. Black, Secretary, has written for a daily newspaper with a circulation of 100,000; curated scores of exhibitions; managed international artist residencies and major public art installations; facilitated conferences and public events; written millions of dollars of funded grant applications; and developed participatory practices for a variety of institutional partners. Her studio practice is in mixed media, fiber, and surface design. Following this varied career as a writer, artist, nonprofit executive leader, and business owner, she began her studies at the San Francisco Zen Center and the American School of Thanatology. She is engaged in spreading the message that, while we do not know when our time on earth will end, we can express our desire for a beautiful death through acceptance, documentation, and preparation. Term expires June 2023

Liz Dunnebacke, Treasurer, began her career over twenty-five years ago in the entertainment industry where her experience ranged from property development for Comedy Central to free-lance work on PBS documentaries. Since moving to New Orleans in 2004, Liz’s work has toggled between television production and nonprofit administration. As the executive director of New Orleans Video Access Center, Liz saw the quintupling of the organization’s operating budget and built workforce development programs that put New Orleanians back to work in the burgeoning film industry in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. Liz has followed the growth (return) of the green burial and home-funeral movements with passion, and is committed to providing resources to the community for sustainable end-of-life care. Liz holds a BA in Theatre Arts from Brown University. Term expires June 2023

Sabrina Dorfman, Director, is a copywriter and communications specialist for a hospital system in Los Angeles, California. With a background in marketing and advertising, Sabrina is helping to find new ways to educate the public and relevant organizations about green burials. She holds a fiery passion for sustainability and environmental conservation. Sabrina volunteers her time for local trash clean- ups and tree planting. She believes in the future of green burials and is excited to help create a shift in today’s culture and burial practices. Term expires June 2022

Susan Greer, Director, honed her communication skills during her earlier career days in the advertising world. For over a decade, she’s been with a design agency that supports non-profit organizations, where her role is to help clients develop strategically sound communications. Susan's concern for the planet, coupled with the frustration that there aren’t enough green options at death, motivated her to advocate for natural burial grounds. Susan is executive director of the Natural Burial Association, helping to create natural burials throughout Ontario. A strong believer in the power of ceremony and ritual, Susan is also a funeral celebrant. She lives in Toronto, Ontario, with her husband and dog. She bikes all around town, takes Gracie for her daily walk in the ravine, and hogs the hammock in the backyard. Term expires June 2021

Caitlyn Hauke, Director, holds a PhD in Microbiology and Immunology, and a BS in Biology, with a concentration in forensic science. She is a biological safety officer with the Dartmouth College Office of Environmental Health and Safety in Hanover, New Hampshire, and serves on her local town cemetery commission. Caitlyn aims to use her extensive experience encompassing published work, public speaking, teaching, and research to compile, communicate, and promote scientific research related to green burial and deliver that body of knowledge to the general public. Term expires June 2023

Jeff Hodes, Director, has forty-plus years of experience in the cemetery industry, with key positions in major cemetery organizations, and has provided consulting services to cemeteries across the United States for over ten years. As an active leader in cemetery development, training, and volunteering with multiple industry associations, Jeff has served in leadership roles on the boards of directors for six different cemetery associations, and earned the Certified Cemetery Executive and the Certified Supplier Executive distinction from the International Cemetery Cremations Funeral Association, and a MS degree with an emphasis in environmental studies. Term expires June 2022

Hannah Palko, Director, is a doctoral student in the Department of Geography and Earth Sciences at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, with a specific research interest in sustainable funeral practices and management of urban burial grounds. She holds an MA in Ecology and a BA in Biology and has served as a science and environmental educator and research assistant. She is interested in completing a comprehensive survey of green cemeteries and aiding in research development. Term expires June 2022

With deep gratitude to all who have served the Green Burial Council

Former Board Members

Matthew Alcide
Brad Angell
Paul Bauman
Katey Bean
Sara Brink
Billy Campbell
Doug Carroll
David O. Carter
Rob Caughlin
Holly Chan
Stephen Christy
Ernest Cook
Candace Currie
Bob Fertig
Brian Flowers

Sharon Hermanson
William Jordan III
John Lovasco
Diane Miller
Mike Mitchell
Barb Milton
Father Charles Morris
Stephen Olson
Robert Prout
Joel Rabinowitz
Paul Rahill
Roxanne Walsh
Lee Webster
Anne Weston

Volunteers

Juliette Armstrong
Sam Bar
Jim Benito
Aleta Cardinal
Candace Currie
Matt Dolkas
Kate Kalanick
Donna Larsen
Sam Perry
Jon Eric Rolfstadt
Merilynne Rush

Joe Sehee
Shannon Shoup
Joshua Slocum
Joe Smolenski
Kim Sorvig
Lindsay Soyer
Monica Varona
Lee Webster
Anne Weston
Shari Wolf