Raised in Queens, New York, doreen came to California in her early 20s after living in Ireland, Japan, and Central America while attending Friends World College. Those experiences sparked a lifelong commitment to community, equity, and public service. doreen later earned master's degrees in Fine Arts and Landscape Architecture.

Driven by a passion for public transit and a belief that access to opportunity is one of society's greatest equalizers, doreen began her career in transportation at L.A. Metro as a GIS analyst before helping plan a fareless transit system—a project she still calls her dream job. When it concluded, she was ready for a new challenge in public service and joined Caltrans, first at Headquarters in Sacramento and now with District 4.

Over the years, road trips to West Marin—including camping trips to Samuel P. Taylor State Park and visits to Spirit Rock—deepened doreen’s connection to the San Geronimo Valley. In 2024, she found a home in the Valley (through Craigslist) and finally made the move. She first joined TVCLT as a member and later accepted an invitation to serve on the Board of Trustees.

“Transportation and housing are deeply connected, and community land trusts are an important model for building community wealth. I hope to contribute to the meaningful work of TVCLT” she says.

Her favorite place in the Valley is Roy's Redwood Preserve, where she helped plant native species during the recent restoration and loves watching the full moon rise from Moon Hill Trail. “It's a quiet joy to see the understory plants thriving where I helped plant them, then hike up Moon Hill Trail to watch the full moon rise over the Valley. It reminds me how deeply connected we are to earth and sky.”

One detail people often notice is that doreen spells her name with a lowercase "d." It's an intentional aesthetic choice rooted in her time at CalArts, where she developed an appreciation for typography and printing. "In typographic terms, I was drawn to the balance of the lowercase 'd'—its strong vertical stem and graceful, rounded bowl. To me, it was simply more beautiful than the capital ‘D.’”