The Board of Directors monitors the financial condition of the credit union, insures compliance with bylaws and state and federal regulations; develops short- and long-term objectives. These objectives while meeting the needs of the PCU members should also reflect credit union philosophy.

Message to the Board

The board of PCU welcomes your anonymous comments, messages and suggestions. Simply click here to get in touch. If you would like a response, please include your email address or phone number.

PCU Board Members:

Mary Lynn Collins: Long before permaculture and sustainability became trendy buzzwords, I was interested in our connection to each other and to the Earth. To me, permaculture is more than backyard gardening. How do we maintain people and cultures while sustaining the planet? Is it possible to convince people that they can have rich, full lives without destroying the environment? Do we tell them or do we show them?

My formal education includes a Bachelor’s degree in Marketing from the University of Connecticut and a Master’s degree in Mass Communication from Emerson College in Boston. While in graduate school, I worked at a mutual fund company and learned about the financial markets and how to explain them in easy to understand language. This led me to my current career.

Professionally, I consider myself a financial educator. I have over 15 years of experience training on a variety of topics in the corporate world. I’ve spent many years teaching the pre-licensing training for a variety of stock broker licenses. I have banking experience through my position as training director of First National Bank of Santa Fe. I’ve taught college courses on public speaking. Now I’m focusing on financial literacy and feel I have found my true calling.

I enjoy working with the PCU board and members to help us all reach our financial goals while living the principles of permaculture…and showing others that they can do it too.

Carrie Freeman: In addition to holding an MBA in environmental policy, I have been studying and collaborating on how business can be a key contributor in an ever-advancing civilization for 15 years and strongly believe that it is the purpose and responsibility of business to improve society. As the director of sustainable business innovation in Intel’s Eco-Technology Office, I am able to put my passion to work in a leading corporation, and am responsible for developing the business opportunities to use Intel technology to solve major environmental problems. In my previous role as corporate sustainability strategist, I directed corporate wide strategic sustainability efforts working with stakeholders across the company to ensure that Intel continues to build upon its industry leadership in sustainability. Since joining Intel in 1998, I have been a regional environmental relations manager working to drive corporate and community initiatives, as well as an engineering manager and technical program manager in the most technically advanced manufacturing facility in the world. Although, never my core job responsibility, I have been known for my work in the areas of diversity, personal mastery, leadership and career development and am passionate about creating a sustainable world, learning and exploring.

My husband, of 12 years, and I enjoy being outdoors kayaking, rafting, skiing, cycling, rocking climbing and traveling. When not on the go I’m usually reading, volunteering or immersed in all things related to plant foods.

Brendan Miller: My personal mission is to promote permaculture and sustainable communities. I currently work for the New Mexico Economic Development Department as its first Green Economy Manager. In this role, I promote the growth of clean energy and clean technology business in New Mexico and staff Governor Richardson's Green Jobs Cabinet.

I have worked with a hydrogen fuel cell company and real estate development company focused on energy- and location-efficient projects here in New Mexico. I have experience working for industry, government and the non-profit sector and I am interested in business and government collaboration to improve quality of life.

As a Director of the Permaculture Credit Union, my priorities are to 1) grow our membership base and assets to give more loans, and 2) ensure that PCU stays a national leader in providing innovative loans for permaculture and sustainability that mainstream banks are not providing. A variety of banks are starting to provide "green" loans, which is wonderful and certainly partly a result of the work done by PCU. PCU may not be big, but the ripples effects of its leadership are. That is why it is important to keep pushing the boundaries of what is possible.

I have a business degree from MIT, and a public policy degree from Harvard. I have been a student of permaculture and sustainability for a long time. I have taken a permaculture course from Scott Pittman at EcoVersity, as well as a course on raising goats, and look forward to talking more courses there. I was born in New Jersey but moved to Santa Fe after getting engaged to my wife, Tamara Bates, who went to the College of Santa Fe. We live in a house with passive and active solar heat and hot water and I drive a VW Jetta using only B20 biodiesel. I have lived in the Northeast, the Southeast, the Northwest and now the Southwest and love the variety of landscapes and people across the United States.

Wesley Roe: I was born in Hamilton, Canada in 1950 to parents who were environmentalists, union members and supporters, political activists and credit union members. I was encouraged at an early age to be involved in community service.

I studied Urban Planning at McMaster University. I opened an Alternative Health Clinic in Santa Barbara, CA in 1981. I then moved to Hawaii and lived in Waa Waa on the Big Isle working in this small community growing food.

I moved to Los Angeles in 1993 and took Permaculture Design Courses with Bill Mollison and Scott Pittman. I moved back in Santa Barbara in 1997 and, with a group of people from the Design Course in Ojai, CA, launched the South Coast Permaculture Guild.

I was involved in organizing the Santa Barbara Permaculture Network, a nonprofit organization that runs educational programs in the community and organize grassroots book tours for Permaculture and Natural Building authors.

I opened a health clinic totally renovated using non toxic green building products in Santa Barbara in June, 2003 . As soon as I found out a Permaculture Credit Union was being formed, I offered to volunteer.  I have been an active board member for the last 3 years. I am married to Marge Erickson, who has provided amazing financial and emotional support to allow me to do this important community work.

Andrew ‘Drew’ Tulchin: I am Managing Partner of Social Enterprise Associates, a management consulting company focused on the triple bottom line and a registered ‘B Corp’. I bring more than fifteen years professional experience advancing sustainable initiatives.

My consulting spans 35 countries, throughout the U.S. and in Indian Country. Recent clients include the SEEP Network, Environmental Defense Fund, City of Santa Fe, U.S. Dept. of Treasury CDFI Fund, and Fort Apache Heritage Foundation on the White Mountain Apache Indian Tribe.  Current business clients include Eldot, LLC making furniture from sustainably harvested wood, and Emvolution, a medical ideas company.

Previously, I was Program Officer for the microfinance institution Grameen Foundation, serving as founding staff person on the Capital Markets Group. I led a US microfinance institution catering to immigrants and refugees in the Washington, DC metro area. My work has generated more than $100 million for socially motivated efforts leveraging the power of the marketplace. Prisma Microfinance's co-written plan was a Global Social Venture Competition award winner.

I began my career in National Community Service, as a VISTA (US domestic Peace Corps) providing Red Cross post disaster assistance after Los Angeles’s Earthquake.

I completed my MBA at University of Washington and my BA, Cum Laude from Washington University. My studies included a year abroad at Sussex University in the UK.

In my free time, I play ultimate Frisbee, hike, and enjoy bad puns.