OASTL Oregon Advocates for School Trust Lands
Our Board — at the Coalition Table

Volunteers, accountable to the beneficiaries.

OASTL is governed by volunteers dedicated to enforcing Oregon’s constitutional duties to public schools. The board brings together expertise in constitutional law, forestry science, trust management, and education policy.

Board of Directors

Named members of the OASTL board.

Dave Sullivan

Dave Sullivan, Ph.D.

President

Dave brings a background in systems analysis and public service. Co-author of Oregon’s Constitutional Duties to Schools (2025). Dave and his wife Barb are small woodland owners who live on their 200-acre tree farm in Kings Valley.

drdavesullivan@gmail.com · 541-791-6470
Barb Sullivan

Barb Sullivan

Treasurer

Barb oversees the non-profit’s financial compliance and resource management. Dave’s wife and co-owner of the 200-acre family tree farm in Kings Valley. Barb created the OASTL logo.

Laura D. Cooper

Laura D. Cooper

Board Member, Attorney · OSB# 863589

Decades of high-level legal experience in civil rights and complex litigation. Former General Counsel for the Pain Relief Network. Counsel for additional civil rights organizations.

“As an attorney, you rarely see a constitutional question this clean and ready for adjudication.”
Margaret Bird

Margaret Bird

Board Member · School-trust-lands scholar

Economist and nationally recognized school trust lands expert based in Utah. Co-founder of national Advocates for School Trust Lands. Co-author of Oregon’s Constitutional Duties to Schools (2025) with Dave Sullivan. Led the historic reform of Utah’s school trust lands.

Bob Zybach

Bob Zybach, Ph.D.

Secretary

Forest and wildfire historian. Maintainer of the ORWW (Oregon Websites and Watersheds Project) archive, which keeps Jerry Phillips’s Elliott book online and free. Co-founder of Phoenix Reforestation. Decades of research on Pacific Northwest forest history.

In Memoriam
David Gould

David Gould

1942–2024 · Past President

In Memoriam · 1942–2024

The heart and soul of OASTL, David served as its president throughout 2023. A great-grandchild of an early Oregon homesteader, he carried the history of the land in person.

Join Our Coalition

We invite inquiries from prospective board members.

OASTL seeks to represent a diverse cross-section of Oregonians.

  • Education

    Students, Teachers, School Board Members, and Administrators.

  • Forestry & Industry

    Foresters, Tree Farm Owners, and Forest Industry Professionals.

  • Government

    Current or former employees of the Department of Education or Forestry.

Contact Us

Dave Sullivan, President.
Email: drdavesullivan@gmail.com
Phone/Text: 541-791-6470

Governance note. OASTL board members are volunteers. They receive no compensation. Bylaws are modeled after the bylaws of Advocates for School Trust Lands (ASTL) National. See Governance & Founding Documents for the IRS 501(c)(3) determination letter and the bylaws PDF.