Tyler Turkle

To Habitat for Humanity of Sonoma County

Serving as the new Executive Director of Habitat for Humanity of Sonoma County (HfHSoCo) requires considerable communication skills, and Tyler Turkle is clearly up to the task.  His extensive experience as Executive Director of Big Bend Habitat for Humanity in Tallahassee, Florida, as well his career as an artist, a filmmaker and university professor brings a new dimension to HfHSoCo.

“The heart of Habitat for Humanity is its volunteer base, and I look forward to collaborating with the thousands of Sonoma County volunteers that make Habitat for Humanity of Sonoma County the vibrant, growing organization that it is,” Turkle commented upon his arrival.

Turkle takes over the helm of HfHSoCo from former Executive Director Kathy Fong, who has guided the organization over the last two years.

Turkle also is excited to build on the growing popularity of the Habitat for Humanity ReStore in Santa Rosa.

ReStores are the discount home improvement outlets run by Habitat for Humanity affiliates. The ReStores sell donated merchandise ranging from building materials to furniture at deeply discounted prices to help fund Habitat home building and renovation projects in their communities. The Sonoma County ReStore is located on the north side of 1201 Piner Road in Santa Rosa, in the same building as Rancho Mendoza Supermercado and Harbor Freight Tools. 

After graduating with a degree in history in 1970, Turkle went on to study cinematography at Kent State University, where he began creating short documentary films focusing on uniquely American subjects, ranging from Duncan Yo-Yo champion Lance Lynch to the iconic Southern writer Harry Crews. Turkle’s films have appeared in national and international film festivals as well as at the San Francisco MOMA, and are distributed by Amazon, Canyon Cinema, IndieFlix and Fandor.

His paintings and sculptures have been exhibited in museums and galleries throughout the world.  He was selected for the 41st and 44th Biennial Exhibitions of Contemporary American Painting at the Corcoran Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C. Turkle is known for his ground-breaking technique of controlled pouring of liquid acrylic to create large scale paintings and sculptures, and has been cited for applying the term “Plastometry” to a theoretical framework connecting life and art.

Turkle taught art, photography, video and filmmaking at Florida State University from 1975 to 1987, and most recently conducted graduate seminars in the Florida State University College of Motion Picture Arts.

 His community service record is as varied as his talents. He was a founding board member of the Habitat for Humanity of Florida state support organization and was Chairman of the Board and later Executive Director of the Leon County Schools’ Foundation.  He’s also served as a volunteer filmmaker for Steven Spielberg’s Survivors of the SHOAH, which documents the stories of Holocaust survivors.

Habitat for Humanity of Sonoma County exists to provide decent, affordable housing for low-income working families in Sonoma County.  Since the inception of the H4HSC in 1984, the nonprofit organization has built and renovated 33 homes in the county, with more currently under construction.  Complete details on how to donate to Habitat for Humanity of Sonoma County, how to volunteer, or how to apply to become a Habitat partner family is available at www.HabitatSoCo.org or by calling (707) 578-7707.