About Regenerate Whidbey
Whidbey Island is a 37-mile-long island in the heart of the Salish Sea, forming the northern boundary of Puget Sound between the Olympic Peninsula and mainland Washington. It is a place of rich ecological diversity and deep cultural history —home to coastal prairies, coniferous forests, seasonal wetlands, and nearshore eelgrass beds that once supported abundant salmon, orca, and shellfish populations. Our landscape includes not only Whidbey itself, but its interconnected watersheds and ecological neighbors—including Camano Island and the Skagit River delta.
The Whidbey regeneration community began informally gathering in 2023, catalyzed by conversations around climate, water, food systems, and cultural healing, yet our roots go deeper. Many of us have worked for years in organizations dedicated to ecological stewardship, mutual aid, indigenous solidarity, and community preparedness. Recognizing the limits of siloed work, we have come together now to launch Regenerate Whidbey—not as a new initiative but as a shared container for coherence, collaboration, and long-view regeneration.
Our group’s purpose is to support a bioregional way of life on Whidbey Island—one that is ecologically grounded, culturally inclusive, and intergenerationally wise. We face challenges: aquifer stress, habitat loss, waste infrastructure failures, and the trauma of colonial disconnection. But, we also hold tremendous potential. Our island is alive with grassroots energy—from neighborhood resilience teams and indigenous justice work to community compost initiatives and ecological restoration projects. Regenerate Whidbey exists to weave this energy into a whole-system movement of renewal.
Core Team
David Haskell
David moved on to Whidbey three years ago. He is married to Kiki La Porta. David, since his early days at the University of California, Berkeley, has aligned himself with the philosophy of bioregionalism. David is a lifelong professional environmentalist—with a specialty in harvesting natural energy and promoting zero waste. He attended Joe Brewers’ original tour talk and has been biding his time until it was right to move. The time has arrived. David’s strength will be in networking/weaving the organizations and individuals on Whidbey that presently do such good work for community and Mother Earth, guiding them to appreciate their context and their capacity to contribute to the greater Regenerate Cascadia movement.
Geoff McNeely
Geoff is married with three teenagers. He lives with his wife and family in the Scatchet Head area of South Whidbey. Geoff is highly skilled in software applications. He has a deep understanding of the ways and means within the bioregeneration sphere. Geoff has been a good friend of both Joe Brewer and Brandon Letsinger for years. Geoff’s strengths will be in weaving the multifaceted iterations supporting the Bioregional 3.0 Web structure—both qualitatively and quantitatively.
Becky Porter
Becky was born and raised on Whidbey Island. She is a descendant of the Snohomish Tribe of South Whidbey. Becky is active in Tribal Affairs and sits on the Tribal Council. More recently, she organized the welcoming and programs associated with the arrival of the Blue Heron Canoe in Langley Harbor. Becky currently lives in the Renton area, although her intention is to move back to Whidbey in the very near future.
Tom Buxton
Tom has lived on Whidbey Island for the past 20 years. Tom is married to Terra Anderson, and they have a home on Mutiny Bay Road above Bush Road. Tom and Terra blessed their home in a sacred ceremony during construction with the intention that it would be a place where community gathers and works together. Tom specifically asked for Regenerate Whidbey’s first formal gathering to take place in their home. It was so done. Tom has a work history as one of Boeing’s senior managers. Tom and Terra are key thought leaders in the Whidbey community. Joe Brewer lived with Terra and Tom during his extended stays on Whidbey. Tom’s contribution to the groups is multifaceted, to say the least. He has deep connections on Whidbey. He is a life-long student of bioregionalism in its many forms. Tom and Terra’s connection to the land is reflected in the design and care of their own property on Mutiny Bay Road.
Kiki La Porta
Kiki moved to Whidbey three years ago. She is married to David Haskell and is a mother of two boys. Together, David and Kiki share eight grandchildren. Kiki owns and manages Descom Studios, a design communication business that provides marketing and graphic design services to not-for-profit community-based organizations. Currently, Kiki is on two “core organizing teams” of Whidbey Climate Action, i.e., Whidbey Prepares and Community Conversations. Kiki’s contribution to the group is her unique skill of distilling complex concepts into easy-to-understand communications.
Jon Ramer
Jon’s family has lived in the Maxwelton Watershed on Whidbey Island for multiple generations. Jon attended Joe Brewer’s original tour presentation and has kept contact with Regenerate Whidbey over the past two years. Jon is best known via his ONE WORLD internet platform. Jon’s LinkedIn page has the following description: Jon Eliot Ramer is an American entrepreneur, civic leader, inventor, and musician dedicated to uniting humanity and restoring Mother Earth.