Board and Committees

Daniel Jackson Evans was born in 1925 in Seattle and attended the University of Washington, receiving a Bachelors of Science in civil engineering and a graduate degree. After serving in the United States Navy for seven years of active duty, Evans was elected to the Washington State House of Representatives as a Republican before becoming Washington’s sixteenth governor in 1965. Evans spent 12 years leading Washington state as governor. In 1983, Evans replaced Henry M. Jackson in the United States Senate, where he served until 1989. This was the same year when Evans co-founded the Washington Wildlife and Recreation Coalition with Mike Lowry. Throughout his career, Evans has proven his dedication to the great outdoors and the Evergreen State through service and action.

Michael Edward Lowry was born in St. John, Washington in 1939 and graduated from the University of Washington in 1962. Lowry was elected to the King County Council in 1975, becoming the youngest member of the council at age 36 and swinging it to give the body a Democratic majority. In 1978, Lowry was elected to the United States House of Representatives on the Democratic ticket, where he served until 1989. Also in 1989, Lowry co-founded the Washington Wildlife and Recreation Coalition with Dan Evans. After leaving Congress, Lowry became the twentieth governor of Washington state in 1992, serving until 1996. Lowry stayed active in state politics well beyond his term as governor. On May 1, 2017, Washington lost a great champion for conservation with Lowry’s passing. 

Marc Berejka is REI’s Director of Government Affairs and Community. Berejka guides the co-op’s engagement in federal, state and local issues. This includes advocacy on matters that affect retailers in the outdoor recreation sector, such as main-street business regulation, Internet sales and international trade. And it includes efforts to assure REI’s current and future members can continue enjoy outdoor recreation – whether that be recreating close to home or at the nation’s many outdoor destinations. Berejka also oversees the co-op’s community grants program. The program annually distributes several million dollars to hundreds of local, regional and national organizations that help sustain and promote the country’s inspiring places to recreate. Before joining REI, Berejka served as technology policy advisor to then-Secretary Gary Locke at the US Department of Commerce. Prior to that, he worked for 12 years in various public policy roles at Microsoft, both in Washington D.C. and in Washington State. He spent the first part of his career as a telecommunications attorney. He holds a J.D. from Georgetown University and a B.A. from Princeton University.

Tom Bugert currently serves as the State Legislative Director for The Nature Conservancy of Washington, where he builds coalitions across political and ideological lines with corporate leaders, elected officials, government agencies and community organizations to affect natural resource policy and funding. Prior to his work at the Conservancy, Tom served as the State Policy Director for the Washington Wildlife and Recreation Coalition. In addition to the Coalition board, Tom is also a board member for Earth Ministry, the Washington Association of Land Trusts and the Big Tent Outdoor Recreation Coalition. A Wenatchee native and graduate of Whitman College, Tom can be found in the great outdoors enjoying the beauty that Washington State has to offer.

Chair of The Trust for Public Land’s National Board; past chair of The Trust for Public Land’s Washington State advisory board; past president of the board of the Washington Wildlife and Recreation Coalition; Chair of the San Juan Islands National Monument Advisory Committee; member of the national council of the Land Trust Alliance; 18-year veteran of Microsoft, managing teams focused on consumer software, internal tools, international software versions, the Works business, media production, and the MSN.com portal site; avid traveler and outdoorsman; bachelor’s degree from Harvard University; lives with his family on their Lopez Island farm, which they protected by conservation easements.

Lincoln Bormann is the Director of the San Juan County Land Bank. Before joining the Land Bank staff in 2005, he previously directed the Southwest Florida Program for the Nature Conservancy and oversaw acquisitions for the Sarasota County Environmentally Sensitive Lands Protection Program. His background includes marine and forest conservation work for the Pew Charitable Trusts and private consulting in forest biodiversity. Lincoln did his post-graduate study at the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies and the University of Minnesota. He is passionate about the outdoors and enjoys hiking and kayaking, as well as catching spot prawns and crab.

Bob Bugert previously served as both the Partnerships Director of the Chelan-Douglas Land Trust, and as its Executive Director. Bob has worked on a number of issues related to land and water conservation and restoration, with particular focus on salmon recovery.  Prior to his work with the Land Trust, Bob served for nine years as a policy advisor in the Washington Governor’s Salmon Recovery Office.  He is a graduate of the Washington Agriculture and Forestry Education Foundation, and has Master’s and Bachelor’s degrees in fishery and wildlife biology.  Bob and his wife Carolyn have lived with their three boys in the Wenatchee Valley since 1990.

Leda Chahim is the Government  and Community Relations Manager – Central Corridor at Sound Transit. Previously, Leda worked as the GovernmentAffairs Director at Forterra. In addition to the Coalition’s board, Leda also serves on the boards of Washington Bikes, and the Washington Association of Land Trusts. She is a member of the International Living Future Institute’s inaugural Cascadia Congress and is an appointed member of the Forest Resources Coordinating Committee, a federal advisory committee to the Secretary of Agriculture. Leda holds degrees in Political Science and Conservation Biology from the University of Washington.

Bill Chapman joined Millennium Bulk Terminals–Longview in June 2014 as President and Chief Executive Officer. For three years prior, he served as Millennium’s legal counsel. Chapman is a former partner with the K&L Gates law firm, where he was recognized by the International Who’s Who of Business Lawyers for his work in environmental law. Over the past thirty years Chapman has advised corporations and municipalities in permitting and environmental compliance matters in the energy, technology, manufacturing and real estate development sectors. He has been engaged in brownfield redevelopment, cleanup and capital development projects throughout his career. Taken together, Chapman has contributed more than 100 years of cumulative service to the boards of directors of successful, solution-oriented conservation organizations including The Washington Wildlife and Recreation Coalition, the Mountains to Sound Greenway Trust, the Environmental Coalition of South Seattle and the Northwest Environmental Business Council. For nearly a decade, and under three of Washington’s recent governors, Chapman served on the Washington State Recreation and Conservation Funding Board. The Board approves grants to buy conservation lands for habitat, and to build new parks and trails for hiking and biking. Chapman has an A.B. degree from Harvard University where he studied environmental engineering sciences before going on to earn a law degree from the University of Virginia.

Before joining the American Farmland Trust, Hannah Clark served as the Executive Director of the Washington Association of Land Trusts. Previously she worked with the Coalition for almost three and half years as the Land & Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) Campaign Director. In 2010 Hannah was a Policy Specialist for the Michigan Land Use Institute where she conducted policy research and organized coalitions of disparate interests to promote a transportation infrastructure in Michigan with diverse choices, including walking, biking, public transit or access to a well-maintained road network. Hannah received her BA in Environmental Policy and Sustainable Development at the University of Michigan, Ford School of Public Policy.

Dow Constantine was re-elected King County Executive in 2013. Since his first election as Executive in 2009, Constantine has been working to instill a culture of performance that changes the way King County does business and forging partnerships with residents, cities, employees, and other County leaders to craft real, sustainable reforms.

A Seattle native, Constantine graduated from West Seattle High School and the University of Washington, where he also earned two post-graduate degrees in law (1989) and urban planning (1992). Today, Constantine lives in the same West Seattle neighborhood where he grew up.

A two-term state representative (elected 1996 and 1998) before being elected to the 34th District’s senate seat in 2000, Constantine was co-chair of the House Judiciary Committee and vice-chair of the Senate Ways & Means Committee.

He was appointed to the King County Council in January 2002, and won election to the office four times—in November of 2002, 2003, 2005, and 2007. Constantine served as County Council Chair in 2009 and led the panel that wrote the 2007 King County budget.

In addition to the Coalition, Constantine is also a current board member of the Washington Trust for Historic Preservation, and was a founding board member of the West Seattle High School Foundation.

Throughout his public service career, Constantine has been an outspoken advocate for environmental protection, public transit, and government reform. As King County Executive, he is working to make King County the best-run government in the nation, and focusing on the great generational challenges of our time: building equity and opportunity, and confronting climate change.

Brenna Davis is PCC Community Market’s Vice President of Social & Environmental Responsibility.  Brenna leads PCC’s strategic initiatives related to sustainability, supply chain quality and community engagement. Prior to joining PCC, she worked for 20 years advising businesses on sustainability in a variety of roles.  She is the chair and a co-founder of Washington Business for Climate Action, and has spoken on the nexus of climate and business in many forums – including at the Obama White House, COP 21, and on a panel with Al Gore at the Climate Reality Project. Brenna is engaged in the community on advisory boards of Huxley College of the Environment, Foster School of Business Net Impact, and GoGreen Seattle. She holds an M.S. in Business Management from Antioch University and a B.S. in Environmental Science at Huxley College of the Environment at Western Washington University.

Charley Dickey is a retired financial executive with separate treasury, banking, and investment background. Dickey serves on the boards of numerous nonprofits in the Seattle areas. He previously worked with the Juniper Foundation, as the Board Chairman of Development for the Student Conservation Association from 2007 to 2014, and as the President of Wyco, Inc. from 2000 to 2008. Dickey taught finance as an adjunct professor at the undergraduate and graduate level. He is a retired naval officer and holds a MPA in Accounting and a MBA in Finance.

Mark Doumit is the Executive Director of the Washington Forest Protection Association (WFPA), a trade association representing private forest landowners in Washington State. He is a former a state legislator who represented the 19th District (D-Cathlamet) for ten years.

A Washington native, farmer, commercial fisher and a business administration graduate of Washington State University, Doumit served as Wahkiakum County Commissioner for eight years before serving in the Washington State Legislature. Six of those years were spent in the House and four in the Senate where he chaired the House Natural Resources Committee and was Vice Chair of the Senate Natural Resources Committee. He is also a volunteer fire fighter.

Mark Eliasen serves as Vice President – Finance and Treasurer of the Alaska Air Group. Previously, Eliasen held the position of vice president of finance at Alaska Air Group subsidiary Horizon Air. Eliasen has more than 25 years of corporate and consulting experience. Before joining Alaska, Eliasen practiced in the Puget Sound area as an independent corporate finance consultant. He previously served as assistant treasurer for WRQ (now Attachmate), a high-ranking connectivity software company with headquarters in Seattle, and as director of finance for Intermec Technologies, a leading manufacturer of barcode systems based in Everett, Wash.

A certified public accountant, Eliasen earned a bachelor’s degree from Pacific Lutheran University in Tacoma, Wash., and a master’s degree in business administration from the University of Washington.

Kevin Godbout is the Director of External and Regulatory Affairs at Weyerhaeuser, one of the world’s largest private owners of timberlands. It owns or controls more than 6 million acres of timberlands, primarily in the U.S., and manages another 14 million acres under long-term licenses in Canada.

Joe Hyer is a Principal at the Percival Consulting Group. Hyer has also served as Olympia City Council Member, Thurston County Treasurer, and Mayor Pro Tem of Olympia. Previously, Hyer founded and co-owned The Alpine Experience, a retail store dedicated to Mountain Sports Equipment. Born and raised in the Olympia area, Hyer graduated from Tumwater High School in 1991 before spending 2 years in Washington DC, studying International Politics at The George Washington University.  In 1994, he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in English Literature from Pacific University in Oregon. He enjoys fishing, hiking, and numerous other outdoor pursuits.

Patricia T. Lantz, WA State Parks Commissioner, is a retired lawyer and former legislator in the Washington House of Representatives. She practiced law in the areas of land-use planning and environmental law, served on the House Natural Resources Committee, and chaired the Heritage Caucus, comprised of state parks, arts, cultural resources, civics and historic preservation organizations, and advocates from around the state. Her many memberships also include the Washington State Trust for Historic Preservation, founding member Great Peninsula Conservancy and Tahoma Audubon. She has received numerous awards for her work in historic preservation, arts advocacy, and promotion of criminal and civil justice. She believes that parks are essential to people for recreation, renewal, and for the preservation of the state’s history and culture. Commissioner Lantz and her husband John live on Raft Island near Gig Harbor, where they raised their three children. They enjoy spending time with their grandchildren, as well as hiking, bicycling, kayaking, and exploring the backroads of Washington. A State Park is a likely destination!

Martin LeBlanc has been an active voice in the conservation movement for more than two decades. Throughout his career, LeBlanc has successfully used the outdoors as a platform to empower military families and veterans, underscore the importance of science education, and close persistent opportunity gaps for culturally-diverse, at-risk youth. At the heart of his work is a unique skill set that includes organizing and convening, fundraising, advocacy, and strategic planning.
LeBlanc has helped lead advocacy efforts at the federal and state levels in California, New Mexico, Texas, and Washington. Most recently, LeBlanc served as Director of Innovation at Sixkiller Consulting and as the Senior Vice President for External Affairs at IslandWood, a national leader in the effort to strengthen communities through outdoor engagement. In 2014, he created the No Child Left Inside Alliance, a coalition of nonprofits, businesses, and government agencies that successfully advocated to establish a $2 million program focused on outdoor education and recreation programs. With the support of the Obama Administration, LeBlanc brought together diverse stakeholders to launch Fresh Tracks, a shared leadership experience for young adults from Compton, California and Alaska Native Communities. Fresh Tracks culminated in a December 2016 roundtable on Outdoor, Youth, and Diversity convened in the Roosevelt Room of the White House.
He is also the former National Youth Director for the Sierra Club, where he successfully built bridges to new audiences, including military families and veterans, the Los Angeles Unified School District, the YMCA, and Boys & Girls Clubs of America.
Martin is the founding board member of the Children & Nature Network and the Cofounder of the Outdoor Alliance for Kids (OAK).

Kari Leitch is Senior Vice President of Communications and Corporate Affairs for Ste. Michelle Wine Estates, which is the third largest premium wine company in the U.S.

Ste. Michelle is the third largest premium wine company in the U.S. Its portfolio includes wineries located in Washington – Chateau Ste. Michelle, Columbia Crest, 14 Hands, Northstar, Spring Valley, and Col Solare – Oregon and California. Ste. Michelle also imports wines from prestige estates located in Italy, France, Spain, New Zealand and Chile.

Ms. Leitch began her career at Ste. Michelle in 1996. During her tenure, she has been responsible for corporate and branded communications initiatives, state and federal government affairs policy, and the hospitality centers, direct-to-consumer programs and eCommerce businesses for the wineries located in Washington and Oregon. She most recently managed the $8M renovation of Chateau Ste. Michelle’s Visitor Center in Woodinville.

Ms. Leitch serves on the board of the Women of the Vine & Spirits, and she is a member of the California Wine Institute’s State Relations Subcommittee and Program Committee Chair for Les Dames d’Escoffier.

Prior to joining Ste. Michelle Wine Estates, Ms. Leitch managed communications and community affairs programs for nonprofit associations based in Washington and Illinois.

A native of Illinois, Ms. Kari earned her BA in English from the University of Illinois at Urbana- Champaign.

Mamie Marcuss is Director of Programs at Challenge Seattle. She previously served as Chief of Staff to Washington State’s Attorney General Bob Ferguson, overseeing operations, communications, policy, and government affairs. Marcuss also served as chief of staff to Ferguson on the King County Council, where she managed his District Office.

Marcuss launched her career in public service at the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston, where she was a senior research analyst for the Economic Research Division.  She later served as editor of Communities and Banking, the Boston Fed’s quarterly magazine on regional economic development issues. She holds her Bachelor’s degree in Economics from Dartmouth College and a Master’s in Public Policy from the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University.

Marcuss lives with her husband, Aidan, and their son, Luke, in the Montlake neighborhood of Seattle. They enjoy hiking, camping, and snowshoeing in the Cascade and Olympic Mountains and sailing on Lake Union.

Elliot Marks led the creation and was a founding Board member of the Washington Wildlife and Recreation Coalition, and served as its President for a number of years. He is a former attorney who served as Special Assistant for Natural Resources to Governor Daniel J. Evans, and also served as Natural Resources Policy Advisor to Governor Christine Gregoire. Previously he opened the Washington State office of The Nature Conservancy in 1977, and served as its state director and Northwest regional vice-president for 27 years. Elliot also led efforts to create the state Trust Land Transfer program in 1988, and led drafting, and lobbying efforts to create and fund the Natural Resource Conservation Area system, State Natural Area Preserve System, conservation easement enabling legislation, and a state stewardship account. He lives in West Seattle, has two adult children, and is delighted to have more time in retirement for outdoor pursuits.

John McGlenn is a native of Montana who started fishing and hunting at a very early age and recalls after moving to Washington catching his first steelhead on the Bogachiel in 1963.

He is currently a Principal with Tetra Tech, a consulting engineering and architectural firm. Prior to entering the engineering field, he served as a line officer in the U.S. Navy.

John’s entire family is devoted to fishing, hunting and conservation. He is a founding board member and past president of the Washington Wildlife and Recreation Coalition and the Washington Wildlife Federation; a former Vice Chairman of the Intermountain West Joint Venture (North American Waterfowl Plan); and has served on the boards of the Izaak Walton League, the Washington Environmental Council, the Wild Salmon Center and Western Rivers Conservancy. He also served 12 years on Washington’s Fish and Wildlife Commission (four as Chairman). John and his wife Ronni reside in Bellevue, WA.

Joe Mentor, Jr. is a founding partner of the Mentor Law Group, where he concentrates his practice in the areas of water resources, land use, and natural resources development. Joe works with private sector businesses, public agencies, and Indian Tribes to achieve their legislative, policy, business and environmental compliance objectives. Joe also advises private and public sector clients on funding issues and water-related legislation before the Washington State Legislature. Since 2001, Joe has been recognized as a “Super Lawyer” by Washington Law & Politics magazine.

Michael Orbino is a Managing Broker with Avenue Properties in Downtown Bellevue. Michael brings over 16 years of real estate sales, marketing and consulting experience, and holds numerous REALTOR designations including Council of Residential Specialists, Accredited Buyers Representative and Graduate Realtor Institute. He was recognized as the 2015 REALTOR of the year by Seattle King County Realtors which is the highest honor they can bestow on only one of over 6,000 members. Real estate specialization
areas include land development, pro-forma analysis, marketing plans, and sales team training.

Industry leadership includes 2017 SKCR Vice President of Governmental Affairs, Young Professionals Network Founding Chairman, and Federal Political Coordinator for the National Association of Realtors. Michael is also passionate about community and philanthropic involvement. He currently serves on the boards of the YMCA of Greater Seattle, Teach for America, and the Washington Wildlife & Recreation Coalition. Individually he works to inspire and encourage young men who may be experiencing temporary challenges through his mentor role in the Bellevue School District’s VIBES program.

Michael’s proudest role is maintaining the rank of Sergeant after serving 6 years in the United States Army Reserve with one year of active duty mobilization to support Operations Noble Eagle and Iraqi Freedom. His mission in the Finance Corps was maintaining solider readiness for overseas wartime deployments. The respect and awe for individuals who give up everything on a moment’s notice to serve our county and the humbling responsibility to make sure they don’t have to worry about their family’s finances while in harm’s way is something that will stay with Michael forever.
On a personal level, Michael enjoys spending his free time with family and friends. Hobbies include skiing, boating, reading, traveling, and intense conversations. Recent trips include India, Italy, Switzerland, French Polynesia, and Nicaragua with plans to visit Japan, Korea, or China soon.

Lisa is the director of Washington Water Project for Trout Unlimited, and has over two decades of experience working collaboratively on water and natural resource issues. In addition to the Coalition Board, she serves on the boards of Columbia River Advisory Group and the Washington Environmental Council. Past experience includes serving on the Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission, a Governor appointed position representing hunting, fishing and conservation organizations to the Washington Fish and Wildlife Department. Lisa attended both the University of San Diego, California and the University of Washington in Seattle.  She has extensive experience completing innovative instream flow transactions working with water right holders, tribes, governmental agencies and others to enhance stream flows in Washington State.

Charlie Raines is the Forest Conservation Director at Forterra and the Cascades Checkerboard Project Director for the Washington State chapter of the Sierra Club. Raines is a life-long resident of the state and is very passionate about protecting our forests and natural spaces.  Raines hold degrees in biology and art and enjoys hiking, birding and international travel.

Jon Soine is managing broker at Windermere Real Estate in Bellingham, with over 35 years as a full time real estate broker dealing with residential, development, and commercial real estate. Throughout his career, Jon has been active with the Washington Association of Realtors, serving on its Land Use Committee, Legislative Committee, and Government Affairs Task Force.

Jon’s other civic and community involvement includes the Naval Reserve Officers Association, the Whatcom County Chamber of Commerce, the National Federation of Business, and is an active member of his church.

Wendy Tyner is the Development/Publicity Director of the Wintergrass Music Festival. She previously worked as the Executive Director of Friends of Farms on Bainbridge Island for over four and a half years, and for five years as the Development Director at the Mountains to Sound Greenway Trust. Wendy has a Master’s in Education from California State University-Fullerton.

Fred Wert is a founding board member of the Coalition and helped in crafting the enacting law. He has served on several of the Recreation and Conservation Office’s evaluation committees and assisted several communities participate in the Washington Wildlife and Recreation Program. He is the former Washington Chapter Coordinator for the Rails to Trails Conservancy, is the author of Washington’s Rail Trails and continues to work on rail-trail development throughout the northwest. He is a former board member of the Methow Conservancy, the Evergreen Mountain Bike Alliance, and currently is on the board of the Palouse to Cascades Trail Coalition. An avid cyclist, he served on the Government Affairs Committee of the Cascade Bicycle Club for 25 years.

Mark Clark has been the Executive Director of the Washington State Conservation Commission since December 2002. Prior to becoming director, Mark served as the agency’s Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP) coordinator and field operation manager for conservation districts in the Puget Sound region. Mark is a Thurston County native and has a Bachelor of Science degree in Agricultural Engineering from Washington State University. He has been involved with the horticulture wholesale industry for 18 years and also was a research engineer for the Food and Agriculture Section of Battelle Pacific Laboratories. He currently lives in Olympia where he and his wife own and operate Bush Prairie Farm.

Kaleen Cottingham was appointed to lead the Washington State Recreation and Conservation Office in 2007. Over her career, she has worked for four Governors and the elected public lands commissioners in a variety of management and advisor positions. She got her start in Olympia serving as legal counsel for several Washington State Senate committees. She also practiced law and provided strategic advice on natural resource and land use issues.

Cottingham received her Bachelor of Science degree in forest resources from the University of Washington and her law degree from the University of Puget Sound, School of Law. Cottingham, who was born and raised in Washington, resides in Olympia.

Hilary Franz is the Commissioner for Public Lands at the Washington Department of Natural Resources. A Northwest native, Hilary Franz has lived for 20 years in Washington State. Hilary was raised by her father and grandparents with close connections to the land. She instilled her family’s passion and commitment to the land in her own children by raising her three boys for the last 15 years on a small historic farm on Bainbridge Island.

Hilary has committed 20 years of her career to working on environmental, local government, and public policy issues and most recently served as Executive Director of Futurewise, the state’s leading voice for smart, sustainable land use and transportation policies. In that position, Hilary represented local governments, non-profit organizations, and citizen groups on a broad range of land use and environmental law issues. From 2008 to 2011, she served as a Bainbridge Island city councilmember and government leader.

Hilary sat on the Puget Sound Regional Council Growth Management Board, the Puget Sound Regional Council Economic Development District Board, the Puget Sound Salmon Recovery Council, and the Puget Sound Transportation Futures Task Force. She was appointed by Governor Gregoire to Washington State’s Climate Action Team IWG on the State Environmental Policy Act. She has served on numerous boards, including Conservation Northwest, the Washington Environmental Council, the Center for Environmental Law and Policy, and Friends of the Farms.

Hilary has worked across the state on behalf of the farming community protecting farmland and growing the farm economies in Skagit, Pierce, Okanogan, Spokane, Snohomish, Kittitas, Whatcom, King, and Benton counties. She has worked on aquatics lands issues throughout the Puget Sound and in Pacific and Grays Harbor counties – with a focus on protecting the marine economy and environment so communities are stronger and the environment is healthier.

Hilary is a graduate of Smith College and Northeastern University Law School.

Don Hoch was appointed the Director for the Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission in 2010.  Prior to his appointment, he served as the Southwest Region Director and earlier as the Puget Sound Region Director for Washington State Parks.

Before coming to Washington, Director Hoch was a county recreation Director in Georgia for 10 years and worked for the Georgia Department of Natural Resources for over 20 years.

His park and recreation experience includes stints with several federal agencies, including the National Parks Service, the U.S. Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management in Georgia, Florida, Arizona, Utah and Nevada.  He holds a degree in Recreation Administration from California State University at Chico.

Drew MacEwen was first elected to the House in 2012, and quickly emerged as a leader on issues including tax reform and education funding reform. Drew is the assistant ranking member on the House Appropriations Committee, and also serves on the House Capital Budget and Health Care and Wellness committees.

Drew served in the United States Navy for six years. Serving in the submarine force, Drew graduated from the Navy’s Nuclear Propulsion Program. Drew was stationed at Naval Base Kitsap, where he developed a strong bond with western Washington. He went on to complete undergraduate studies at the State University of New York, earning a Bachelor of Science degree.

Drew is also active in several community organizations, including Rotary, Love, Inc., Mason General Hospital Foundation, Kitsap Medical Society, and is a past president of the Shelton-Mason Chamber of Commerce. Drew is an active member of the St. David’s parish community in Shelton.

Christine is the state senator from the 23^rd Legislative District, including the Kitsap County communities of Hansville, Kingston, Poulsbo, Bainbridge Island, Keyport, Silverdale, and East Bremerton. Before her election to the House, Christine served two terms on the Bainbridge Island City Council.

After earning a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics from the University of Virginia and a Master’s in Public Administration from the University of Washington, Christine worked for the Kitsap County Department of Community Development as an open space program coordinator and watershed planner.

She later moved to the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), where she counseled Northwest businesses and organizations on humanitarian assistance and commercial opportunities overseas. Also for USAID, Christine spent time working out of the U.S. Embassy in Moscow, Russia, managing environmental and economic development projects.

Christine lives on Bainbridge Island with her husband Leonard, and their two school-aged daughters.

Sheida R. Sahandy was appointed by Washington Gov. Jay Inslee in January 2014 as executive director of the Puget Sound Partnership, the state agency leading the recovery of Puget Sound.

Previously, Sheida spent eight years as Assistant to the City Manager for the City of Bellevue where she led strategic initiatives and was responsible for creating the City’s first city-wide environmental stewardship initiative. Prior to joining the public service sector, Sheida spent seven years as a corporate attorney.

Sheida earned her Master of Public Administration from Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government where she concentrated her studies on climate, energy and the environment. She also earned a Juris Doctorate from Columbia University’s School of Law, and a Bachelor of Arts from the University of California at Berkeley, where she studied environmental design and the biological sciences.

Representative Steve Tharinger was first elected to the House of Representatives in 2010 and serves the 24^th Legislative District, which includes all of Clallam and Jefferson counties and a portion of Grays Harbor County. Steve is a former small business owner and past three term Clallam County Commissioner who lives in Dungeness with his wife, Yvonne.

He is a member of the Sequim Sunrise Rotary and a state-certified, volunteer mediator with the Peninsula Dispute Resolution Center. He received his Bachelor of Arts from Colorado College.

As chair of the House Capital Budget Committee, he helps write the state’s capital investment budget, which builds schools, colleges, parks and other state facilities plus making investments in our natural resources.

His community involvement includes past service on dozens of boards and commissions, including the Clallam County Economic Development Council, the state insurance commissioner’s Health Care Reform Revitalization Committee, the Clallam County Board of Health and the Dungeness River Management Team.

At the state level, Steve served on Salmon Recovery Funding Board from 2002 to 2010 and as chair from 2008-10.

 Joe Stohr is the acting director of the Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife. Previously, Joe served as deputy director of the agency for more than a decade.

Prior to joining WDFW in 2007, he spent 21 years at the state Department of Ecology, and four years at the state Department of Health.

Hans Zeiger served three terms in the Washington State House of Representatives for the 25th District (Puyallup, Fife, South Hill, Summit, Waller, Midland and Parkland) before his recent election to the Senate.

For his work to complete Highway 167 from Puyallup to the Port of Tacoma, the Associated General Contractors named Hans its 2013 Legislator of the Year. A champion for students and an advocate for youth civic engagement, Hans was the 2012 Washington Student Association legislator of the year. And for his work to promote collaboration in the legislative process, Hans was named the co-recipient of the Gabrielle Giffords Award for Civility in State Governance in 2015.

Hans holds appointments to the Puget Sound Regional Council Transportation Policy Board, the Washington State Institute for Public Policy Board, and the Joint Committee on Veterans’ and Military Affairs.

Outside of the Legislature, Hans leads the Chapman Center for Citizen Leadership at the Seattle-based Discovery Institute, and he is an officer in the Washington Air National Guard. In addition to the Coalition, Hans’ civic and volunteer activities include the boards of Puyallup Cares, the Boy Scouts of America Pacific Harbors Council, and the William D. Ruckelshaus Center. Hans is a member of the Kiwanis Club of Puyallup. He is also an Eagle Scout.

Hans holds a B.A. from Hillsdale College and a master’s degree in Public Policy from Pepperdine University. He undertook further graduate studies in political science from Claremont Graduate University.

Hans is married to Erin and they have a daughter Clara. Hans also has two stepsons, Cullen and Kannen. Hans and Erin enjoy hiking throughout Washington.