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. 

Before joining the National Conservation Funding Project, Hannah Clark served as the Regional Director for the American Farmland Trust and prior to that she was 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.

A 14 year politica, Olgy works by day as the Government Affairs Director for Forterra – advocating for land conservation, innovative policies, and sustainable rural and urban development. She is deeply devoted to the Forterra mantra of Land for Good from our Washington farmlands and river canyons to our estuaries and forests and urban settings in between. Outside of work, she spends her spare time building up future leaders through her roles as a board member for the National Women’s Political Caucus of WA and the Institute for a Democratic Future. She is also a gubernatorial appointee to the state’s Pharmacy Quality Assurance Commission and knows more than the average bear about pharmacy and pharmacist licensing. She ran for office back before it was hip for young women of color to do so, can tell you the WA legislative or congressional district at any moment on a road trip, and worked in the WA State House and Senate for 5 years in addition to a couple month stint as a Congressional intern back when Nancy Pelosi was Speaker of the House, the first time.

When she’s not helping electing more women and people of color to public office, you can find Olgy soaking up the sun (for the two months it visits WA) with her Chiweenie Pepita in Tacoma, repotting and propagating houseplants, or hitting a body of water, preferably tropical but with a good sweater a PNW beach or river. Like all Washingtonians, she lives for when the mountain is out.

Kundtz is the former Washington State Executive Director for The Trust for Public Land. Prior to that position, Paul spent 28 years at the law firm of Riddell Williams, rising to the level of Principal and specializing in commercial litigation, real estate and product liability litigation.

He is also well known in the conservation community as a founder and former director and president of the Bainbridge Island Land Trust, an elected Commissioner of the Bainbridge Island Park and Recreation District and board member of the Seattle Aquarium Society. He currently serves on the board of the Great Peninsula Conservancy.

David is the Northwest Area Director for the Trust for Public Land leading a team that protects the places people care about in Washington and Oregon and creates parks close-to-home. He has worked in the “for impact” sector for more than 15 years, primarily focused on conservation and public lands protection. Specifically, he worked for the National Parks Conservation Association advocating for the protection and improvement of our national parks both in the northwest and across the nation. He also worked with Forterra, a NW regional land trust, improving the quality of life for communities in both urban and rural areas to ensure a sustainable future. In addition, he has spent the last 3 ½ years working with the YMCA expanding programs and services that address social justice, education, and health equity issues across the Greater Seattle community.

When not at work, David enjoys hiking and camping with his wife, Sarah, and two kids, Jane and Sam. He has a goal to visit every National Park with his family. He also enjoys playing, coaching and advocating for organized sports including coaching his 9-year old daughter’s ice hockey team.

Terese (T.C.) Richmond has over 30 years’ experience representing state and local governmental agencies in Washington and Arizona. She currently serves as general counsel for Cascade Water Alliance, a municipal corporation composed of Puget Sound cities and special-purpose districts, and other public and private organizations. T.C. was Senior Counsel for the Attorney General’s Office-University of Washington Division and also represented the Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife and the Washington Department of Ecology. She served as the Vice-Chair of the National Climate Assessment Development and Advisory Committee where she led the 60-person Federal Advisory Committee that oversaw the development of the Third National Climate Assessment. T.C. also serves on the Board of Advisors of the Dividing the Waters Program of The National Judicial College and on the City of Edmonds Mayor’s Climate Protection Committee.

When she is not at work or volunteering, T.C. enjoys kayaking, biking, hiking, and supporting local distilleries and wineries with her family.

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.

Cathy works with The Nature Conservancy’s Washington Chapter, advancing conservation policy and funding priorities at the federal and state level. She has over 20 years of experience in legislative affairs, environmental policy, and public fundraising for conservation. Before joining TNC in 2005, Cathy worked as a policy analyst with the Washington State Legislature and the Seattle City Council. She is deeply familiar with the Washington Wildlife and Recreation Program having worked with the program in several different capacities during her career, including as community activist, legislative staffer, and grant writer. Cathy has served on the board of the Washington Association of Land Trusts and on the Natural Heritage Advisory Council. A former backcountry ranger with the National Park Service, Cathy still enjoys hiking, backpacking, and exploring wild places whenever she gets a chance.

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 is the Senior Strategic Advisor to Commissioner of Public Lands, Hilary Franz. Tom formerly served as the State Legislative Director for The Nature Conservancy of Washington, where he built 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.

Jason Callahan serves as the Director of Government Relations for the Washington Forest Protection Association, a trade association representing Washington’s private forest landowners, where he advocates for sustainable forestry as a preferred land use. Prior to coming to WFPA, he was a senior committee counsel with the Washington State House of Representatives where he was non-partisan legislative staff assigned to the Environment Committee and the Agriculture & Natural Resources Committee. A native of the great state of New Jersey, Jason has an undergraduate degree in Wildlife Resource Management from the West Virginia University College of Forestry, and a law degree from Florida State University. He has worked for or around the Washington State Legislature, and has been a member of the Washington State Bar, since the year 2000.

Bill Chapman is a founding board member of the Washington Wildlife and Recreation Coalition and the Mountains to Sound Greenway Trust, and served in leadership roles including Treasurer and President of each. For nearly a decade, and under three of Washington’s recent governors, Bill served on the Washington State Recreation and Conservation Funding Board, including 5 years as Chairman. The Board approves grants to buy conservation lands for habitat, and to build new parks and trails for hiking and biking, through the WWRP program. In his day job Chapman was a partner with Preston Gates and Ellis and then the K&L Gates law firm for more than 20 years, where he was recognized by Chambers and the International Who’s Who of Business Lawyers for his work in environmental law. He advised corporations and municipalities in permitting and environmental compliance matters in the energy, technology, manufacturing and real estate development sectors. He guided clients through brownfield redevelopment, cleanup and capital development projects throughout his career. Bill also served as President and Chief Executive Officer of Millennium Bulk Terminals–Longview from 2014-18, a working port in Longview, WA. Taken together, Chapman has contributed more than 100 years of cumulative service to the boards of directors of solution-oriented conservation organizations including the WWRC, the WTA, the Mountains to Sound Greenway Trust, the Environmental Coalition of South Seattle (ECOSS) and the Northwest Environmental Business Council. Chapman has an A.B. degree from Harvard University where he studied environmental engineering sciences before earning a law degree from the University of Virginia. I love the outdoors and have climbed peaks on all 7 continents with good friends and family.

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.

Mary has over 32 years of experience developing comprehensive park and recreation systems in Pierce County. Her current team manages over 600 acres of park and open space areas, maintain street and roadway infrastructure, develop program opportunities for youth and senior citizens, create special programs or events for up to 40,000 visitors and collaborate with human service agencies to support our most vulnerable populations. Mary believes in the benefits of parks and recreation and how it can create a healthy and vibrant community. She is thankful for the many residents and organizations always willing to share resources, solve problems and work together to improve their communities. She is a graduate of Central Washington University (Go Wildcats) and loves to travel, wander around the northwest and play in her garden!

Mark Eliasen served 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.

Clayton hails from Roseburg, and grew up in Oregon with a family of avid outdoorspeople.  He worked and studied in Spain, Texas, and Washington, D.C. before settling in Seattle with his wife and starting a family that now has four kids as well as many pets.  Clayton is a partner in Davis Wright Tremaine’s Seattle office, where he focuses his practice on land development and real estate.  He has had the good fortune of working on some of the most interesting development projects in the Puget Sound Region, including major infrastructure projects and essential public facilities, as well as private development projects.  Outside of work, he enjoys spending as much time as he can in the outdoors, showing his kids all that our beautiful region has to offer.

Ephraim Froehlich was born and raised in Juneau, Alaska. He holds a bachelor’s degree in government from Dartmouth College and a law degree from the University of Maryland School of Law. Froehlich worked for United States Senator Lisa Murkowski in Washington, D.C. as lead policy advisor on fisheries, wildlife, maritime transportation, ports and harbors, environmental change, and the Arctic. Froehlich also worked for Alaska Governor Bill Walker’s administration as senior advisor on fish and game and as the deputy director of federal relations. Froehlich served on the board of the Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute in 2018. In 2019, Froehlich moved to Seattle with his family and founded AKWA-DC LLC, a policy consulting firm focused on fisheries, maritime, and the environment. He enjoys getting outside whenever possible with his sons, partner, and dog to camp, hike, and fish. He is an avid soccer and basketball player.

Paul Graves served in the Washington State House of Representatives from 2017-19, where he was the ranking member on the Judiciary Committee. He now works as an in-house lawyer for a family-owned trucking company and serves as president of Enterprise Washington, the campaign arm for the state’s business community.
Paul is an engaged community member. He maintains an active pro bono legal practice, representing foster youth in legal proceedings. In 2011 he was named the pro bono attorney of the year by the Court Appointed Special Advocate organization, which represents the interest of foster children in court. He served as a board member of both an innovative college-prep non-profit for low income kids, and on one of Washington’s first public charter schools, a high performing school with a computer science focus on Kent’s east hill. He chaired the board of the Washington State Institute for Public Policy (a bipartisan group doing cost-benefit analysis of government programs) and currently serves on the board of HopeLink (a community action network serving homeless and low-income children, families, seniors, and disabled people in East King County) and as one of four members of the 2021 Washington redistricting commission.

Jon leads the Greenway as Executive Director, working with the Board of Directors, staff, and partners to collaboratively conserve the Mountains to Sound Greenway landscape. Jon brings to the Greenway a unique blend of scientific understanding, strategic problem solving and communication skills. Before joining the Greenway Trust, he served as Chief Scientist for the World Wildlife Fund, and led a variety of strategy and conservation initiatives at The Nature Conservancy. While Jon enjoys traveling around the world to explore wild places, he always loves coming back home to Seattle and the Greenway landscape that he and his wife have called home for 20 years.

Andrea Imler is the advocacy director at Washington Trails Association, where she leads WTA’s work to protect trails and public lands through grassroots advocacy, coalition-building and partnerships. She works closely with policymakers, land managers and other organizations to advance hikers’ interests in local, state and federal policy and planning initiatives. Previously, Andrea worked for six years at The Wilderness Society in Seattle. Andrea currently serves on the Teanaway Community Forest Advisory Committee and is on the board of the Big Tent Outdoor Recreation Coalition. A Washington native, Andrea grew up in the Olympia area and is a graduate of the University of Washington.

While she lives in Seattle, Andrea prefers a tent in the backcountry to her home in the city. In addition to trail running, mountain biking, cross-country skiing and snowshoeing, she loves backpacking with family, friends, and her partner Todd. She loves to explore Washington, visiting much of the Pasayten wilderness, as well as the Olympic Peninsula and Mount Rainier, which she has climbed twice! Andrea continues to revel in Washington’s wild areas, and eventually, she’d like to hike the Pacific Northwest and Pacific Crest trails.

Since 2021, Atlanta/Seattle-based environmental and outdoor recreational leader who is dedicated to promoting accessibility and representation of African Americans. James has over ten years of experience coordinating environmental stewardship throughout the U.S. and has engaged and inspired people to be active in outdoor recreation, sustainability, and environmental justice issues.

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).

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.

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.

Adrian Miller has worked at Olympic Resource Management, Pope Resources since September 2013; first, as the Manager of Policy and Environment, and now as the Director of Administration and Corporate Affairs. Before that he worked as the Manager of Policy and Sustainability with Longview Timber, LLC for two years, developing and implementing a government and community relations strategy in Washington and Oregon. From April 2007 to February 2011, Adrian worked with the Washington Forest Protection Association as their Director of Forest Management. From 1999 to 2007, Adrian worked as a forester for the Pacific Lumber Company in Northern California. Adrian got his B.S. in Forestry from Humboldt State University and his Masters in Forestry from University of Missouri-Columbia.

Alyssa is currently a partner at K&L Gates, where she focuses on water law, renewable energy, carbon management and climate change. She works with a wide variety of clients, including forestland owners, agricultural holdings, traditional and renewable energy sources, and industrial and municipal clients.
Originally from Minnesota where she paddled, hiked, camped and portaged, and after a collegiate rowing career at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and a year of working for Outward Bound in East Africa, Alyssa moved to Washington State in 2001 to teach outdoor environmental education and lead wilderness trips. After teaching and directing youth-centered programs for two years, Alyssa attended law school at the University of Washington, while also working for Landesa (formerly the Rural Development Institute).

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.

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.

Past 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; past chair of the San Juan Islands National Monument Advisory Committee; former 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.

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.

Tom joined The Mountaineers with more than 20 years of general management, marketing leadership, and capacity building experience with a variety of organizations, including REI, The Clymb, Redfin, and Dell. A graduate of Harvard Business School, Vogl brings extensive experience in the outdoor industry, including six years as senior vice president for marketing at REI from 2006 to 2012. Over the last four years, he’s worked in executive roles in Seattle’s start-up community. His expertise has also impacted several nonprofit organizations. He has served on the board of directors of The REI Foundation, and the Chief Seattle Council of Boy Scouts of America as well as a committee of the National Parks Advisory Board. A passionate climber and outdoor adventurer, he has explored many wilderness areas of the Pacific Northwest since moving to Seattle with his family 10 years ago. Tom enjoys backcountry skiing, mountaineering, rock climbing, backpacking, cycling.

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.

Before joining the Partnership, she worked for Cascadia Consulting Group, Inc. and her own consulting firm for five years. Blackmore also worked as a water quality planner for King County Department of Natural Resources and Parks. Blackmore has a master’s in environmental management from Duke University and a bachelor’s in geology from Williams College.

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.

Duffy, of Olympia, has more than 20 years of experience working in natural resources in Washington. She has served as the department supervisor for the Washington Department of Natural Resources, where she oversaw the daily operations of the agency and its 1,500 employees. Duffy also was the executive coordinator of the Governor’s Salmon Recovery Office, which is housed in RCO and charged with implementing the state’s salmon recovery strategy. She started her career with Ross Strategic, where she helped local, state and federal agencies develop policies and programs related to a diverse set of environmental issues. She currently is the deputy director of the Washington Liquor and Cannabis Board.

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.

Mayer previously served as the Deputy Executive Director of Metro Parks Tacoma, where he was responsible for governance, strategic direction and overall business operations. During his time there, the organization received the prestigious National Recreation and Park Association’s Gold Medal award.
Prior to joining Metro Parks, Mayer helped lead Snohomish Health District, Vancouver-Clark Parks and Recreation, and Mercer Island Parks and Recreation. He even spent time as a seasonal park aide and interpretive assistant at Fort Casey Historical State Park and former state park, Chief Timothy.
Mayer has also served on a number of boards and commissions, including the Washington State Recreation and Conservation Funding Board and the Vancouver USA Regional Sports Commission.
Mayer, 52, holds a master’s degree in parks and recreation administration from Washington State University, where he also earned his undergraduate degree. He completed the Cascade Public Executive Program through the University of Washington’s Daniel J. Evans School of Public Affairs.

Since 2011 Christine has been the state senator from the 23rd Legislative District, which includes North and Central Kitsap County. She was first elected to the House of Representatives in 2006, and prior to that served two terms on the Bainbridge Island City Council. She is a member of the Senate Agriculture, Natural Resources, and Parks Committee and is the Chair of the Senate Ways and Means Committee, where she is responsible for leading the Senate in the development of the two-year $60 billion state budget.

She has a BA in Economics from the University of Virginia and a Master’s degree in Public Administration from the University of Washington with a concentration in environmental policy.

Christine has worked for the Kitsap County Department of Community Development as an open space program coordinator and watershed planner, and for the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), managing environmental and economic development projects mostly in Russia. As a legislator she has passed laws to restore Puget Sound’s marine ecosystem, prevent oil spills, protect Orca Whales, reduce the use of dangerous chemicals, and promote sustainable forestry practices.

Christine lives in an historic farmhouse on Bainbridge Island with her husband Leonard, where they raised their two daughters and care for a small flock of hens. She is an avid backpacker, paddler, and hiker and a fierce lover of all wildlife.

Carol was appointed as Executive Director in May 2019. She previously worked for the Washington State Conservation Commission from 1998-2014 managing the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program — Washington’s largest streamside habitat restoration program for salmon — and science-related issues. She returns to the Conservation Commission after spending the last four and a half years at the Washington State Department of Ecology where she managed the Environmental Assessment Program, which is the science-arm of the agency. Smith also has worked for the Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife, Morehouse School of Medicine, and she directed a chemistry laboratory in California. Smith grew up near McCleary, Washington. She worked for Simpson Timber Company for several years while attending college at Saint Martin’s University. She has a B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. in various biological sciences from the University of Hawaii.

Kelly Susewind joined the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) as director in August 2018, after spending 28 years at the Washington Department of Ecology. A lifelong outdoorsman and longtime resident of Washington, Susewind oversees 1,800 employees throughout the state, tasked with fulfilling WDFW’s mission of conserving fish and wildlife and providing sustainable recreational and commercial opportunities. Susewind grew up in Aberdeen, and graduated from Grays Harbor College with an associate’s degree in engineering before receiving his bachelor’s degree in geological engineering from Washington State University. After spending several years working in the private sector in Alaska and Seattle, Susewind joined the Department of Ecology in 1990. Susewind served in numerous roles during his time at Ecology, including as manager of the Water Quality Program and, most recently, as director of administrative services and environmental policy.

Representative Steve Tharinger was first elected to the House of Representatives in 2010 and serves the 24th 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 Port Townsend.

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.

Ron Muzzall is a fourth generation resident of Whidbey Island – a husband, father, grandfather and farmer After graduating from Washington State University (the third generation to do so) he returned to the 10th legislative district with his wife Shelly to farm with his parents. Being involved in industry associations as well as county boards and committees, he has a passion for service. Working with the North Whidbey Fire and Rescue for twenty years, he served as firefighter, officer and for 11 years as fire commissioner.

He has served on committees for the Darigold and the National Council of Farmer Cooperatives. He served 15 years on the board of Skagit Farmers Supply, 5 years as chairman. He served 8 years on the corporate board of Land O’Lakes cooperative where he put his expertise to work on governance, board performance, audit and political action committees. He is the managing partner at 3 Sisters Family Farm.

Ron, his wife Shelly and two daughters, Jennifer and Roshel own and operate their family’s grass-fed beef and lamb, barley-fed hogs, and free range eggs and fryers for 3 Sisters Market and other grocery stores on Whidbey Island. A lifelong member of Oak Harbor Lutheran Church he currently serves as council president.