Jared Dubin: Executive Director

Jared’s passion for community and the environment inspired him to found The Beacon Network in 20XX. Initially, this organization was intended to create an authentic way for people to connect with important issues in their local community and come together in the face of many disasters. After Hurricane Helene hit Western North Carolina, Jared pivoted the organization to focus on the South Toe River Valley and supporting his neighbors. Jared has a background in psychology and has studied permaculture and computer programming. 

In Philly in 2013, he helped start the Ahimsa House, a still thriving center for peace and mindfulness offering donation-based classes in yoga, meditation, community gardening, and more. He participated numerous times in the Move Mountains Project, a Colorado-based youth program fostering cultural connection and professional skills in students of the San Luis Valley (founded by fellow board member and longtime ally Miguel Huerta). He attended many critical teach-ins and discussions during the Occupy movement as a student in Philly. 

Jared has lived in the South Toe River Valley since 2018.

Keira is a self-taught herbalist and botany enthusiast who has returned to her Appalachian roots. She began studying Biology at Virginia Tech with a focus on Animal Sciences and worked extensively in the animal field before shifting her focus to teaching and performing dance. Her travels across the country exposed her to a wide range of communities, cultures, and ecosystems, deepening her appreciation for the mountains she calls home.

Now homesteading and raising a child, Keira is passionate about growing her own food and living in harmony with the land. While her love for animals remains, she has found her true calling in plants and continues to study the rich biodiversity of the region. She dreams of establishing a native plant nursery with educational and community-growing programs.

Keira also brings years of experience in event planning and staffing for corporate team-building programs centered on community service. She is excited to apply those skills locally in her role as Beacon’s Volunteer Coordinator. Committed to sharing her love of native plants and ecology, she believes in the power of education and community care—and looks forward to building opportunities for youth and neighbors alike.

Miguel Huerta is a social worker and community organizer with 10 years of experience in community-led program design and implementation. He specializes in building, scaling, and evaluating education programs for youth and young adults. Miguel spent five years at the Student Care Center at Metropolitan State University of Denver, where he helped lead response efforts during the pandemic and co-created Rowdy’s Corner, a student-led space providing free, high-quality food to over 1,000 students weekly. 

He is excited to bring this experience to organizing disaster recovery work and building stronger ties in the community he is newly calling home. Miguel moved to the South Toe River Valley after years in his hometown Denver and Philadelphia. Miguel currently spends his time working on various community projects like Beacon.