Meet Dionne
Dionne Ybarra arrived in Pacific Grove as a young mother in the early 90’s to raise three sons with her then husband. She graduated just before the birth of her third son from Chapman University with a degree in Liberal Studies. She quickly pursued a Teaching Credential and became a Parent Educator. With a job offer at the University of Monterey Bay the family moved to live on campus. Dionne moved back to Pacific Grove as a single mother a few years later.
Intent on keeping her boys in the community where they could thrive, Dionne continued her work as a Parent Educator and assisted mothers through childbirth, attending over 100 births in a 17-year span. All the while being a community activist, working on campaigns in the 90’s through the present and working for the rights of families. Especially for the rights of her own family. As a single mother she relied on Social Services to see her family through living on one income.
Dionne has worked for the largest environmental non profit in the world where she was and Operations and Finance Manager. She is experienced in creating and working with budgets as well as in creating contracts to manage global and local work through funding partnerships.
As a non profit founder, Dionne has employed and managed 100’s of diverse staff members and volunteers over the last 15 years.
In 2020 during the first year of Covid, Dionne opened her first brick and mortar store front in Sand City, Alma del Mar. Alma del Mar, meaning soul of the sea, was inspired to decrease our dependency on plastic. Her store is a full service refill store where Monterey Peninsula residents can use previously used containers to refill their everyday home, bath and body products that are better for humans and better for the environment.
In 2022, Dionne purchased her second business from retiring long time business owner of Wild Thyme Botanicals, a small batch soap company. That same year, Dionne was presented with the National Women's Small Business Month Resolution by Monterey County Supervisor Wendy Root Askew.
In 2023, Dionne opened her next store that brought together both business under the same roof. You can find Wild Soap and Alma del Mar as part of the Old Downtown Monterey Business Association.
To further her commitment in serving and strengthening community, Dionne fulfilled her lifetime dream of completing her Master’s in Social Work from Tulane University. She is currently working to add a team of clinical therapists to her local non profit, The Wahine Project.
Dionne is steadfast in adding a mental health program to their work to provide participants and families with services that can be billed through insurances.
Always drawn to the empowerment of underserved communities, it was in 2010 that Dionne founded The Wahine Project, an international non-profit whose mission is to eliminate the barriers that prevent a diversity of girls from a relationship with the ocean and with one another.
In 9 years, it has served thousands of youth throughout the world and was recognized by the Non-Profit Alliance of Monterey County as Non-Profit of the Year for Youth, Children and Families in 2017.
Last year, Dionne was recognized by the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary Foundation and awarded a prestigious Sea Star Award in honor of her contributions to Business, Recreation and Tourism.
Dionne is deeply committed to community. As a second generation Mexican-American and Gold Star Family member, she believes the pride and hard work of her grandparents and parents has given her the drive to want to be a leader in her own community.
Serving on Boards of Directors over the last 25 years, participating in leadership trainings , participating in County and City Government and working in international non-profits has given Dionne the experience to understand a broad scope of business, environmental, civic and fiscal challenges that our City faces.
Dionne and her husband Dave are raising their 9 year old son. Inviting a daughter into their life as a late teenager has grown their family to 4 adult children. There is nothing they like more than traveling together and having big family meals where they can all cook and make lasting memories together.
As a 29 year resident of Pacific Grove, Dionne is deeply committed to the well-being of Pacific Grove. She is a strong leader who brings all stakeholders to the table so their voices can be heard. She strives to build community among diversity in Pacific Grove and Driven by YOU she will leverage that diversity to inspire grassroots, bottom up solutions.
