Mention the word “architecture” and Nancy Fee glows. She lifts her elbows. She extends her arms. She broadens her smile. Then, our new board member says something bound to linger with her listener, like: “the Bay Regional style? It’s particularly residential, making the boundary between interior and exterior more permeable.” A self-described “design buff,” Nancy can’t help but gaze at a structure and consider what its features suggest of “builders and users.” Yet, this San Francisco native undoubtedly has the credentials to back up her conclusions. Nancy earned a PhD in Art History from Columbia University before teaching architectural history at several colleges and universities, including Mills College and UC Davis. Having returned to San Francisco, Nancy now ponders a question most relevant to the place where she grew up: “one of the most interesting challenges we face is how to deal with the intersection of the built environment and the natural environment.”For Nancy, this dynamic was on full display during the breach of San Pablo Bay wetlands. She found it truly captivating to watch a crew open up a dike, digging and digging until bay water came “gushing in.” In the same vein, Nancy remembers well when Crissy Field was opened up significantly to the public during her childhood. She recalls how excited she and her friends were at the time; they “would go down there and put our feet right in.” Now, as Save The Bay’s newest board member, Nancy wants to ensure people of all backgrounds and from all parts of the Bay Area can relish the beauty of our Bay – up-close. Her vision is to reach people who “don’t really have access to it, can’t see it from where they are, don’t necessarily understand how their lives are so connected to it.” Nancy, after all, is a firm believer that small acts can spark major change.

During her strolls in San Francisco, she sometimes finds herself “picking up pieces of soft plastic on the street.” She brings them to Recology or Trader Joe’s to ensure they don’t harm wildlife. Nancy says she can’t help but: “think about [them] ending up in the digestive tract of a bird or fish or a sea lion down on Pier 39.” She’s optimistic that with exposure to Save The Bay’s programs, communities around the region can develop the same drive to protect our awe-inspiring Bay, bit by bit. Indeed, it’s why she puzzled over friends in New York expressing a mix of curiosity and bewilderment over her leaving Manhattan: “What is it about San Francisco?” “Nothing happens in San Francisco.” Nancy’s epiphany came on Treasure Island shortly after her return to the Bay Area – it was the bay. “I find the Bay grounding, uplifting. I breathe a little deeper when I’m near it. It makes me feel hopeful.” Now, she wants everyone who calls the Bay home to experience the same sensation.