OUR TEAM
Get to know our current onsite full time and seasonal staff. The BBRC community includes a diverse and eclectic group of individuals from various personal and professional backgrounds dedicated to caring from the retreat center, guests, and our surroundings. Learn more about who are.
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Kelsey Vicars Lead Cook -
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Nadine Gonzalez Retreat Cook / Housekeeping
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Luis Rosales Facilities & Maintenance
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Barb Harnish Guest Services Manager
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RETREAT MANAGERS
AT BIG BEAR RETREAT CENTER
AT BIG BEAR RETREAT CENTER
I grew up in Southern California. International travel was a large part of my life growing up, with family in Greece, Ecuador and Germany. Professionally, most of my experience comes from project management in the nonprofit / social enterprise sectors. I also currently teach graduate courses online for American University. Meditation and Mindfulness are close to my heart. I’ve been sitting retreats for over 10 years and am a certified yoga teacher, reiki practitioner, and life coach.
I’ve been at BBRC since 2020 running our programming and marketing. My favorite part of being here is the land. I absolutely love living and spending time submerged in this beautiful forest, especially after spending most of my life living in large cities.
Eric James Truelove
EJ Truelove
I grew up in Northern California in the Napa Valley area. I come from a professional background in the food and beverage industry: restaurants, corporate, food-tech, CPG – including working at Apple and Juicero. I believe an organization’s most important asset is the people in it. Achieving our goals as an organization is more fulfilling to me when supporting our team members’ growth and development in the process.
I’ve been working with BBRC since July 2019 and am our General Manager. We have a great team here. We went from a traditional meditation retreat center model to a socially distanced model in just a few months. I know that we will continue to grow and thrive as an organization and team, and I am very grateful to be a part of it.
Lauren Milliken
Lauren Milliken
I am from New Orleans, Louisiana. Growing up, I worked at my family’s restaurants as a teenager and continued my culinary journey for the next two decades in culinary hubs including New Orleans, San Francisco, and Atlanta. I went back to school in 2019 for two graduate degrees in Social Work and Public Health-Epidemiology at the University of Georgia. My professional work centered on COVID-19 prevention, disability-led research, program development, systems creation, and LGBTQI+ studies.
Here at BBRC, I work on trauma-informed, evidence-based professional development training and provide on-site management and guest services. I am a partner, outdoor enthusiast, kayaker, researcher, and mindfulness practitioner.
Eric Owings, Retreat Chef
Eric Owings
I grew up in Nashville since I was about 6 years old. My first restaurant job was at 16 working at a fried chicken spot. I’ve worked in various restaurants doing everything from dishwashing to being a waiter. I finally settled down in the kitchen when I got to Thistle Farms Cafe. Working for a good cause was really motivating to me. After that I wanted to explore different kinds of cuisine and push myself as a chef. Working in two of Nashville’s best restaurants (Husk and Rolf & Daughters) has given me a great understanding of technical cooking and effective kitchen systems.
I love to cook with seasonal vegetables and Southern classics, putting together unique and creative dishes. My favorite part of Big Bear so far is how peaceful and beautiful it is up here.
General Manager
Assistant General Manager
Retreat Chef
Andreas Vailakis
Andreas Vailakis
I grew up in Southern California. International travel was a large part of my life growing up, with family in Greece, Ecuador and Germany. Professionally, most of my experience comes from project management in the nonprofit / social enterprise sectors. I also currently teach graduate courses online for American University. Meditation and Mindfulness are close to my heart. I’ve been sitting retreats for over 10 years and am a certified yoga teacher, reiki practitioner, and life coach.
I’ve been at BBRC since 2020 running our programming and marketing. My favorite part of being here is the land. I absolutely love living and spending time submerged in this beautiful forest, especially after spending most of my life living in large cities.
Bill Resnick
Bill Resnick
After years of wishing to see a Southern California meditation retreat center, I started Big Bear Retreat Center in 2018 with Robb.
I am a psychiatrist and philanthropist. I have worked as a community psychiatrist at AIDS Healthcare Foundation and Venice Family Clinic, where I continue to volunteer. Since 2010 I have been a dedicated meditation practitioner and am a certified mindfulness teacher. Currently I chair the board of InsightLA and am a trustee at American Jewish World Service and the Aspen Institute. A Los Angeles area native, I grew up primarily in Culver City and currently live in West Hollywood and Big Bear. My philanthropy is focused on community building, racial equity, criminal justice reform, and international human rights.
Robert (Robb) Turiumi de Forest
Robert (Robb) Turiumi de Forest
I co-founded Big Bear Retreat Center in 2018 with Bill and continue to help guide and implement the overall vision and operations. I am the founder and principal of The Pinyon Group—a real estate investment, development, and advisory firm that exclusively focuses on projects that aim to leave the world in a better place than which we found it.
A loving husband and father of two, I am also an ardent mindfulness practitioner, currently serve as the board treasurer of InsightLA, and am a graduate of Spirit Rock Meditation Center’s Dharma & Yoga Teacher Training Program.
Programming and Marketing Manager
Co-Founder
Co-Founder
Maria "Maruka" Morales
Maria Maruka Morales
I lead my life as an “Interdisciplinary Sociologist.” I was born in Mexico and my ancestral origins are with the Mayo-Yoremes natives of the North of Mexico, which has provided me with tremendous respect for global indigenous and marginalized communities in the world.
I joined BBRC in 2021 as the onsite volunteer artist in residence. As part of one world, the land and community of BBRC provides me the peace and foundation of my own research. Most importantly, I am a “Sociologist of the world” who seeks to understand the inner dynamics of our societies, and this led me to social justice and community activism. I am eager to continue engaging the mind, body, language, and feelings to contribute to global society.