Dennis DeRyke was a longtime volunteers and supporter of BAA from the early days through to the Acterra days. He coordinated an internship program, helped maintain an early membership database, and helped produce the newsletter.

In July 1993 Dennis organized a highly successful Leadership Series for BAA members covering grant writing, press relations, desktop publishing, and organizing a successful campaign for change.

Dennis wrote an article about the hazards of residential wood burning for the Nov–Dec 1991 BAA newsletter, and an article about food irradiation for the Jul–Aug 1992 issue. In the Aug–Sep 1993 issue he wrote the article “Lethal brew bubbles under Bay Area” about the Bay Area’s toxics sites largely caused by the semiconductor industry, and about the slaughter of wolves in Alaska. He told us about Food Not Bombs in the Mar–Apr 1994 issue.

A talented artist, Dennis drew many of the early illustrations for newsletters, most of which are still in use today on this website.

He also participated in many of BAA’s hands-on activities, from creek clean-ups to the Living Christmas Tree sales, and was a regular at Decadent Dinners.

Dennis was one of around 40 individual donors who generously contributed to the 1998 matching grant challenge which allowed BAA to meet a year-end fundraising goal of over $25,000 for Youth Environmental Programs, which was matched by the Barbara Delano Foundation to come to $50,000.

Dennis served on the BAA Council from 1990 to 1995+.

Post BAA

Dennis has had a long career in high tech, at Bay Area companies such as Sun Microsystems, Electronic Arts, Dreamworks, and Unity.