Marni Sanders’ passion for the Yuba Sutter community has been evident in her most recent role as CEO for the Yuba Sutter Chamber of Commerce, where she devoted her attention to helping Yuba Sutter businesses grow and thrive. The opportunity to lead Blue Zones Project has allowed Marni to take her passion for community and her many community connections and put them to use in building momentum and engagement towards better health and well-being for Yuba Sutter.  Marni’s deep sense of commitment to her own overall health and well-being perfectly aligns with the Blue Zones Project efforts.  

In addition to Marni’s leadership at the Chamber she has over 20 years of experience in fundraising and community engagement. In her down time, she loves to spend time outdoors, running, hiking and practicing yoga. She also enjoys volunteering in the community and serves on the board of directors for the Yuba Sutter Salvation Army and is a member of Early Risers Kiwanis.  Marni is dedicated to helping the community make the healthier choice the easier choice.  

Marni graduated from the University of Minnesota with a Bachelors in sociology.  

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Eric Paredes joins the Blue Zones Project Yuba Sutter team as the Public Policy Advocate. He brings over ten years of advocacy experience and is excited to work with community members, stakeholders and local representatives to advance equitable policies and transform well-being. Eric most recently worked at the California Primary Care Association (CPCA) as the Associate Director of Grassroots Advocacy. At CPCA, he led federal and state legislative and budget advocacy efforts on behalf of community health centers. Previously, Eric worked for the ACLU of Northern California and SEIU Local 2015, where he helped lead community organizing and grassroots advocacy efforts that advanced racial, social and economic justice.

Eric attended California State University – Chico, where he received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science and a minor in Chicano Studies. He grew up in Live Oak and now lives in Yuba City. In his spare time, he enjoys outdoor activities, playing golf, and watching sports.

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Jennifer Jelavich joins the Blue Zones Project® – Yuba Sutter team as the Organization Lead. Jennifer has been a teacher for over 20 years, specializing in online learning and community engagement. A few of her proudest moments include being the first Online Teaching Specialist at San Francisco State University in 1998; developing the first online preschool directory in the East Bay of California beginning in 2003; and most recently, creating an online community during COVID-19 through storytimes with her dog, Pinky, reaching families across the United States and Canada. Born and raised in the Yuba Sutter area, Jennifer is passionate about supporting our local organizations and businesses. She is a wife and proud mom of three sons. Her goals have always been to support heart-centered projects and maintain a healthy work-life balance.

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Courtney Finstad joins the Blue Zones Project® – Yuba Sutter team as the Organization Lead. She comes to us most recently from the Yuba-Sutter Chamber of Commerce, where she served as the Membership Director. Previously, she had an array of work experience spanning from advertising at Yahoo, Inc., to directing after-school programs and adventure camps, to creating a community garden and bike safety program as well as performing community relations and event management in the Parks and Recreation sector, to being a small business owner herself.

She was born and raised in Yuba City, California, and attended an all-girls boarding high school in Monterey, California, where she was an avid golfer and left her legacy by creating their very first golf team. She then went to Oregon to follow her love of the outdoors and attend the University of Oregon. While there, she participated in color guard, lived abroad in Rosario, Argentina, to study Spanish, and completed her degree in Sociology.

Courtney has always been curious about what makes people “tick” and how communities function. She has been told that her superpower is as a “connector,” which has not only helped her connect with like-minded people in her own tribe, but also connect with businesses and community organizations. She is a proud Rotarian and certified yoga instructor who dreams of one day hosting her own yoga retreat abroad. As an active outdoor enthusiast and adventure-seeker, Courtney can usually NOT be found in her off-time because she’s likely in some remote wilderness area camping and enjoying all things nature. She’s excited about helping transform well-being in her community through Blue Zones Project!

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Alex joins the Blue Zones Project® – Yuba Sutter team as the Engagement Lead. She is excited to be a part of the health and wellness transformation of the community where she was born and raised. Prior to Blue Zones Project, Alex worked for CBS Radio, Fox40 News, and KTXL, and created magic for families from all over the world at Walt Disney World Resort in Florida and Disneyland in Anaheim. Alex has incorporated her passion for the arts while promoting physical and mental health by performing in numerous tours with the Power of One and Adventist Rideout Healthy Kids assemblies. Through song, dance, and humorous skits, these assemblies encouraged thousands of elementary and middle school students in the Yuba Sutter and surrounding communities to eat healthy, get moving, and be kind.

Most recently, Alex worked as a Health Education Specialist for Yuba County Health and Human Services in the Public Health Division. She is a graduate of California State University, Sacramento with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communication with an emphasis in Mass Media. In her spare time, Alex enjoys her role as the Yuba Sutter Arts and Culture Applause Kids! Youth Arts Director, singing in various cover bands throughout the Sacramento region, riding her Peloton, and hanging out with her fiancé and their two Persian cats.

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Cristina Espinoza joins the Blue Zones Project® – Yuba Sutter team as the Senior Events and Office Specialist. Prior to joining Blue Zones Project, Cristina worked for nearly three years for Yuba County. While working with homeless families to find and retain housing, she inevitably fell in love with the community. Her short time as a Health Education Specialist strengthened her admiration for the Yuba Sutter area and helped her to see the community’s potential to flourish. Cristina attended California State University, Sacramento, where she obtained a Bachelor of Science degree in Health Science, Community Health Education, and hopes to attain her master’s in Public Health Communication. 

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