Just returning from a meet-and-greet with the Board of Directors of the Community Foundation of Sonoma County, 39-year-old Aiko-Sophie Ezaki spoke with the Sun's Anna Pier about her path in the nonprofit world. You have just joined the Board of Directors of the Community Foundation. ... Continue

The president of the Sonoma Valley Historical Society talks with the Sun's Anna Pier about her background, and why history matters.  You're a Sonoma native.  Yes, first generation one. My Irish father came to Sonoma just prior to WWII from Borneo, where he worked for... Continue

The Sun's Anna Pier finds out more about the co-founder of Wake Up Sonoma, artist and designer Veronica Napoles. What brought you to Sonoma? While I was living in Marin, sharing a studio in San Rafael with 20 other artists there and working in the... Continue

A life coach now deeply and humorously informed by becoming a father, Jay founded the ‘Gonzo Parenting’ website, cartoon, and podcast. His book Gonzo Parenting The Comic Book comes out later this month. Here, he chats with The Sun’s Val Robichaud. First, the backstory. Where... Continue

The Sun's Anna Pier talks with Sonoma pilot and global adventurer Yayoi West.  You were raised in Japan. How long have you been in Sonoma?  For thirty years. I first came here to take classes to be a glider pilot. I wanted to be a... Continue

The Sun’s Anna Pier sat down to talk with architect Norman Gilroy about his accomplishments for communities here and around the world.  You are deeply involved in the SDC Next 100 Years proposal.  A core group of six of us from the Glen Ellen Historical... Continue

As CEO of the Sonoma-based nonprofit After The Fire USA, Thompson, influenced by the 2017 wildfires, is a leader in the emerging field of megafire disasters across the American West. Her path to leadership took several turns: she was a high school dropout, a homeless... Continue

The Sun's Anna Pier talked with Maria Colín at Homeless Action Sonoma's (HAS) Open House, and again at her job at QuickHaven Tiny Homes.  You helped build this tiny home?  Yes. I'm the shop lead. I supervised the work on building 27 of them for... Continue

The work of Noemí Vázquez has been displayed recently by folkloric dancers at various celebrations of Mexican Independence Day, during Hispanic Heritage month. The Sun's Anna Pier sat down to speak in Spanish with the talented seamstress for Quetzalén, our local folkloric dance troupe and... Continue