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Meet the team behind Save the Tiles
ERIC GARLAND, CO-FOUNDER
My role in Save the Tiles to preserve what’s left of old Altadena is my favorite role in life: sometimes coach, always cheerleader. I have described myself as an instigator, organizer and hacker for as long as I can remember. Over three decades I have worked professionally in New York theater, the music industry, Hollywood, and Silicon Valley. My grandfather’s purposeful life showed all of us that people are everything and everything is people. My first priority is spending time with family, but my interests are mostly excuses to nurture connections with all kinds of passionate and creative people. I’m a longtime supporter and advisory board member of USC’s Annenberg School, I am on the National Council of the Couse Foundation, with a focus on the art of the Taos Society and the Native American art of Northern New Mexico, and I am an enthusiastic (amateur) preservationist who has restored homes in Altadena for nearly two decades. My grandparents settled here in the 1940s. They raised my mother here and I raised my children here, practically on the same street. And while I can go on about the splendid natural and architectural beauty here, it is the community that makes Altadena the best place I’ve ever been. This town is full of everyday angels and I feel like I am getting to know every last one of them. Lucky me.
STANLEY ZUCKER, CO-FOUNDER
I am one of those bi-coastal NY and LA guys. My drivers license says I live in NYC – and that’s true. But an equal part of my heart resides here in Altadena where I have not owned a home since 2006 – and that house, on Braeburn Road, burned down. But since Jan 7th, I can say with full-throated clarity, “I LIVE IN ALTADENA.” I am the old guy on our team. My career was in the film production business in LA and NY, beginning with a casting facility business and growing into a commercial and documentary production company. My “Give Back” life for the past forty years has been centered in the disability sports, visual impairment and guide dog worlds, with board memberships in Achilles International and InTandem Cycling in NYC and Guide Dogs of America in Sylmar. My present mission is as an ambassador and guide-dog-puppy raiser for the Israel Guide Dog Center in Beit Oved, Israel. My current charge is Peggy, an eleven-month old German Shepherd puppy-in-training who accompanies us to all our homesites where we are rescuing tiles. Two months ago, I would not have known the difference between a Batchelder tile and a tuna fish sandwich. Now I can spot a Batchelder from a Claycraft from the sidewalk. But the real reward is the daily confirmation of what a special community Altadena is and the gratification derived from knowing we are playing a meaningful part in keeping it that way.
MAURA HUDSON, COO
My 20+ years in commercial real estate leadership compliments my operational efforts for Save the Tiles. My most recent stint as Head of Brand, Insights, and Innovation for the U.S. and LATAM divisions of Colliers allowed me to lead strategic initiatives in marketing, research, GIS and innovation that helped corporations and communities grow and thrive. I most recently launched Humanity Associates, a marketing consultancy that build brands for the greater good. I’m also very passionate about community impact and sustainability, leading CREW’s Fire Recovery Task Force and serving as board president of IAOP. Altadena is deeply woven into my personal history, growing up in the area. I learned my first instrument, the piano, at Harlow Mills’ house in Altadena Country Club (now gone), my dad recovered from a stroke at a local nursing facility in town (also gone), and I hike Eaton Canyon (now damaged). For over 50 years, Altadena has been a magical place where I’ve played, worked, and admired its rich history and architecture. The best part of this job is meeting the wonderful homeowners we serve. I’m inspired by how neighbors have supported each other. It’s healing to see “my LA” come together to architect a positive future after this tragedy.
MEG PINSONNEAULT, CREATIVE DIRECTOR & FILMMAKER
I’m a passionate weirdo with too many passions. I’ve spent the last two decades building a diverse background in creative direction, photography, filmmaking, content creation, social media, graphic design, and loads of other things. My photography has been published on Spotify, Adobe, Yahoo!, VICE, Marie Claire, Outside Magazine, and others, and my first feature documentary, Bizarre: A Circus Story, is streaming on AppleTV, Amazon, and Roku. It won the Audience Award for Best Documentary at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival. I live for telling important stories with my own unique twist – stories that evoke and inspire in all the right ways. That’s exactly what Save the Tiles means to me. Working on this project has been incredibly cathartic. In an ever-increasing chaotic world, Save the Tiles has allowed me to focus locally on an effort that will actually have an impact for generations to come. Pasadena has been my home for more than 15 years and I’ve spent so much time getting to know the magical oasis that is Altadena. Everyday, I find myself even more inspired by how my ‘Dena community is coming together, finding hope in each other, and building beauty from the ashes. I’m honored to serve my neighbors and to help tell their incredible stories of perserverance and hope.
KIRSTEN UNDERWOOD, PUBLICIST
I've spent the last 15 years in strategic communications, advising organizations from Fortune 500 companies, to startups and VC firms. I specialize in helping companies find their unique story and then tell it to the world! As the daughter of a city planner and city attorney, I literally grew up in planning offices and city council meetings across Southern California. This background has given me a deep appreciation for preserving community character, keeping art alive, and maintaining a city's history for generations to come. The community in Altadena is just special. I'm constantly in awe of how neighbors are rallying around each other's needs, even more so than their own. The genuine compassion and care people have for their community in Altadena is unlike anything I’ve ever seen.
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