Preston is an educator, nonprofit leader, and longtime yoga teacher, Preston has spent more than a decade creating experiences that invite people of all ages to slow down, build confidence, explore their creativity, and feel more connected to themselves, their communities, and the natural world.

Preston’s path as an educator began while teaching English in Thailand after college and has since taken her from classrooms and community centers to rivers, trails, and backcountry wilderness. Through L.O.C.A.L., she develops and leads youth programs throughout Richmond that integrate outdoor education, mindfulness, movement, creative expression, and play, with a particular focus on expanding access to meaningful outdoor experiences.

Beyond L.O.C.A.L., Preston is the co-founder of Awaken Retreats, where she leads immersive wilderness and international retreats rooted in adventure, mindfulness, creativity, and connection. She is also a professional photographer and storyteller. You can explore more of her personal work here.

Preston’s life mission is to inspire joy and help people build the tools, relationships, and experiences that allow them to access more of it in their everyday lives.

Her joy body activities include hiking, paddling, biking, hanging out at the river and practicing yoga.

Cidney “Birdie” Oleniacz is a Richmond-based artist and arts educator whose work explores the intersection of creativity, nature, community, and self-expression. With a decade of experience working with learners of all ages, she creates spaces where young people can experiment, build confidence, and discover their own creative voice.

As L.O.C.A.L.’s Lead Artist Educator, Cidney develops and leads arts-based programming that integrates mindfulness, movement, nature, and creative exploration. She is the program lead for Mindful Art + Media and brings extensive experience in ceramics, visual art, collaborative public art, and community mural projects throughout Richmond.

Cidney is especially passionate about using public art as a tool for youth voice, mentorship, and community connection. Through projects like the Wallflower Mural Project, she guides young people through the full creative process—from developing ideas and learning from working artists to collaboratively creating large-scale work within their own communities.

At the heart of Cidney’s work is the belief that creativity belongs to everyone, and that art can give young people a powerful way to understand themselves, connect with the world around them, and make their voices visible.

Cidney’s joy body activities include painting, hosting in her beautiful backyard and walking by the river with her dog Cornelius.

For over ten years, Beth was the Executive Director of the Virginia Capital Trail Foundation (VCTF), a 501(c)(3) organization partnering with the Virginia Department of Transportation in the development of the Virginia Capital Trail. She is also the Director of Growth at the Richmonder. After the Trail’s completion in 2015, she focused on enhancement and promotion of the 51.7-mile trail into an award-winning destination and one of the most visited attractions in the region. In 2016, the Trail won the Tourism Impact Award from Richmond Region Tourism, who recognized it as a major game-changer in the regional tourism landscape. It also captured the Urban Land Institute’s Best Community Impact Project as well as the Best Overall Project. Beth was recognized a Person of the Year honoree by the Richmond Times Dispatch for her success in guiding the Virginia Capital Trail project to completion.

Beth graduated from the University of Virginia, has two grown sons and lives with her husband in Richmond.

The activities that light up her joy body include being in the woods for all things—sleeping, walking, running, or riding a bike. She loves her dog, according to her family, more than her humans, and she likes kitchen dancing—a lot. 

Katie Guerin is a strategic growth and development consultant with more than 15 years of experience in sales, fundraising, and nonprofit leadership. She has held development and growth roles with organizations including First Tee and City Kids Wilderness Project, as well as Capital One, where she developed a strong foundation in relationship-building, strategic growth, and revenue generation.

Katie is passionate about helping mission-driven organizations turn big ideas into sustainable growth. She brings a particular interest in fundraising strategy, donor relationships, and building the systems and stories that help organizations connect their work to the people who want to support it.

As a mom of three, Katie is especially drawn to L.O.C.A.L.’s work creating opportunities for young people to build confidence, connection, and joy through mindfulness, creativity, and the outdoors.

Katie’s joy body activities include exploring outside with her family, traveling, being on the water, hiking, and discovering good food and good cocktails with friends.

Holly is a wellness educator, creative facilitator, and entrepreneur with over a decade of experience supporting mental health and well-being through mindfulness, art, and community-based programs. She is the founder of Connect Wellness and host of the podcast How the Wise One Grows, where she cultivates spaces for intentional living through meaningful conversations, creative exploration, and accessible wellness tools.

Holly brings extensive board experience with organizations that empower youth and advocate for mental health through creative practices. She has served on the Virginia Governor’s Board for Art Therapy, Art 180’s Programs Committee, and the Young Women’s Leadership Alliance of Richmond. Her approach to leadership is rooted in compassion, collaboration, and a commitment to fostering resilience and connection through creative and mindful practices. Learn more about Holly here.

Temple Basham has spent over twenty years working to support and advocate for the emotional wellness of children, teens, and families through various roles at Head Start, Summit Emotional Health, and other local non-profits. Temple currently works in the Development Department at Shineforth Child and Family Services, a nonprofit serving Virginia's kids and families through programs including foster care and adoption, specialized education, and therapeutic residential services.

Outside of work, Temple’s joy body activities include volunteering, travel, and spending time with family and friends on the East River in Mathews County, Virginia.

Sarah Thompson is a Richmond native and nonprofit leader with more than 10 years of experience leading mission-driven programs and advancing opportunities for underserved communities. She currently serves as Director of Programs at Commonwealth Autism, where she provides leadership for programs and initiatives that support the autism community across Virginia. Sarah’s professional experience is grounded in trauma-informed practices, inclusive problem-solving, building community partnerships, and creating meaningful opportunities for neurodivergent youth and adults.

Sarah’s joy body activities involve adventuring in the woods with her ecologist husband and their two young children, swimming and kayaking the James, hiking and biking, and finding any opportunity to be active outdoors. Her love of the outdoors reflects her belief that everyone should have access to adventure, connection, and the many benefits of being active in nature. She is passionate about helping create a Richmond where everyone has the opportunity to participate, belong, and thrive.