Linda “Howie” Cort was fortunate enough to stumble upon The Valley, with her sweetheart, Dave, in 1978 as a twenty-one year old after meeting in Chicago and moving west. Howie and Dave raised their children Daley and Sadie in the San Geronimo Valley and now are the loving grandparents of Logan and Ada who live in West Marin. Howie has a B.A. in Environmental Studies from Sonoma State University and had a fifty year career working with children, youth, and teens starting at fifteen years old at the Wilton Recreation Department in Connecticut. After moving to California she worked at the Woodacre Teen Center, which was located at the Woodacre Improvement Club, Zoila Berardi’s Daycare, the West Marin YMCA, the San Geronimo Valley Community Center and the Lagunitas School District. Howie coached youth sports teams in basketball, soccer, softball and track. On occasion, you can find her sitting behind her 1966 Ludwig drum set playing with her favorite Valley musicians. She believes we need to continue to create affordable housing options for emerging young adults, families, and seniors to keep our schools and communities vibrant and healthy!