Meri joined the West County Health Centers board in 2013. She and her husband and two children moved to Sebastopol in 2009. After obtaining her Ph.D. from UC Santa Barbara in 2001, Meri joined the faculty at Sonoma State University. She is currently an adjunct faculty member in the Psychology and Counseling Departments. Meri teaches a variety of courses, with her work emphasizing risk and resiliency in children and adolescents. She is especially interested in community mental health services for children and families.