Our People

We are a team dedicated to the people and places of the Pacific Northwest. Together we work to make a lasting impact.

You are likely to find us in communities across the region, in our forested lands and along our shorelines. 

Interested in joining the team?

Ann Baunach Profile picture

Anne Baunach

Position: Vice President, Advancement
Email: abaunach@forterra.org
Categories: Staff

After being born in Michigan and living in California, Anne fell in love with the Pacific Northwest when she moved here with her family as a teenager. She has more than 25 years experience helping philanthropists match their giving interests with the missions of the organizations that she has served. Her entire career has been focused on the betterment of community and she is thrilled to have joined the Forterra staff to do just that.

Anne graduated from Western Washington University with a degree in business administration and a concentration in marketing. She has a certificate in Fundraising Management from the University of Washington and gained her Certified Fundraising Executive certification (CFRE) in 2009. She has been involved in her community both as an elected school board member and a member of several non-profit boards. In her own time, Anne enjoys exploring the Puget Sound region with her husband, her two adult children, and her Cavalier King Charles dog and Husky granddog .

Anne Baunach

Vice President, Advancement

After being born in Michigan and living in California, Anne...

Ash Lehto

Ash Lehto

Position: Stewardship Coordinator
Email: alehto@forterra.org
Categories: Staff

Ash grew up on a tree farm in southwest Washington and from this developed a love for the forests of the PNW. She received her B.S. from the University of Washington, majoring in natural resource management. Ash has worked in environmental education, at places such as Discovery Park in Seattle and the Red Butte Garden & Arboretum in Utah, as well as in urban forestry with the City of Vancouver. Ash has also volunteered and traveled with the International Forestry Students’ Association for several years, where she worked with forestry students from around the world on professional development and education.

Ash started as an AmeriCorps on the Restoration & Stewardship team with Forterra, where she now works full-time as a Stewardship Coordinator. She loves that she gets to work both with people and outside in the field, bringing attention to environmental issues and engaging with communities. In her free time Ash enjoys curling up with a good book, rafting, hiking, camping, game nights with friends, and making bad puns.

Ash Lehto

Stewardship Coordinator

Ash grew up on a tree farm in southwest Washington...

Brooke Maxson, Forterra, Digital marketing Manager

Brooke Maxson

Position: Digital Marketing and Content Manager
Email: bmaxson@forterra.org
Categories: Staff

Brooke has always been an avid nature lover. She grew up in the Adirondacks of upstate NY and spent most of her childhood in the woods bird watching and learning about the plants and animals in her area.

Brooke attended SUNY Plattsburgh where she graduated with her double BA in Broadcast Journalism and TV video production. Shortly after graduation, she moved to NYC where she spent 8 years working as a consultant with several of the largest television networks in the country. Through this work she built an extensive knowledge in content creation, video production and audience engagement.

In January of 2020, Brooke traded in her bustling city life for a calmer, nature based one in the PNW. Since moving here, she’s transitioned into living a more sustainable and minimalist lifestyle. She’s particularly passionate about more accessible and sustainable housing and joined the tiny home movement while learning how to grow her own food, minimize water waste and practicing a less consumerist way of living.

When Brooke isn’t working on sharing Forterra’s mission in the digital world, she spends her time on outdoor adventures with her partner and cat, Forrest. You can also find her practicing yoga, learning how to cook plant based meals, expanding her knowledge about local plants and animals or reading a good book with a warm cup of homemade cacao.

Brooke Maxson

Digital Marketing and Content Manager

Brooke has always been an avid nature lover. She grew...

Cheri Marusa

Cheri Marusa

Position: Senior Director, Community Development
Email: cmarusa@forterra.org
Categories: Staff

Cheri was born and raised in the Upper Kittitas County-Cle Elum area, where she still lives today. Her lifelong familiarity with the unique issues and opportunities facing central and eastern Washington were foundational in her role as a lead project consultant in community relations with One Washington Outreach in the 14 years before joining Forterra. Cheri has always been active in her community. She founded and is president of Life Support I-90, a nonprofit to improve EMS response to the stretch of I-90 between Snoqualmie Pass and Cle Elum.  Cheri serves on the Roslyn Downtown Association Board and facilitated the Northwest Improvement Company Store building purchase and historical renovations in Roslyn, Washington, and recruited business tenants.  Cheri also serves on the board of USO NW and oversees the Jermaine Kearse USO NW Gold Star Kids program.  A former board member of Junior Achievement (JA), she championed building the JA Learning Center in Yakima. She is a Rotarian and engaged with numerous other organizations. Rural community development, conservation, attainable housing, and a clean, healthy environment are passions that energize her current role. Cheri seeks solutions that strike the best balance between preserving the integrity of what exists while propelling progress. With her husband Rob, she enjoys the outdoors year-round, sports, performing arts, travel, and cherished time with family and friends.

Cheri Marusa

Senior Director, Community Development

Cheri was born and raised in the Upper Kittitas County-Cle...

Christopher Walter

Christopher Walter

Position: Director, Geospatial
Email: cwalter@forterra.org
Categories: Staff

Christopher is fascinated with patterns in the landscape–why things appear where they do, how they interrelate, and how we might make our own habitats more harmonious with nature. He uses spatial modeling to identify and evaluate considerations relevant to issues such as wildlife habitat, land use, urban growth, and social equity across neighborhoods. He has been geospatial director at Forterra since 2006, where he developed the organization’s first geospatial program and enterprise GIS. As lead geographer he provides communication, documentation, and decision-support resources for the full range of operations. He designed possibly the largest reference map of Washington State, currently displayed on an entire wall of Forterra’s Seattle office conference room. In 2011, he was awarded first place in the social impact category in the Esri/Society for Conservation GIS International Conservation Mapping Competition for his Green Seattle Partnership outreach map. Christopher has a master’s in environmental policy analysis from College of Charleston and a bachelor’s in conservation ecology from Purdue University. When he’s not sitting in front of a computer, you can usually find him indulging in anything automotive; working with, loving and learning from dogs; or immersing himself in one of his many interests, such as architecture, interior and landscape design, botany, human history and evolution, or speculative fiction.

Christopher Walter

Director, Geospatial

Christopher is fascinated with patterns in the landscape–why things appear...

Collette MacLean

Collette MacLean

Position: Program Manager, Lands
Email: cmaclean@forterra.org
Categories: Staff

After growing up in South Florida and attending college in New England, Collette set her sights on the Pacific Northwest and has lived in Seattle ever since. She is thrilled to be helping steward Forterra’s diverse lands and protecting the incredible natural bounty of the Pacific Northwest. She first came to Forterra as a natural resources fellow on Forterra’s real estate transactions team. Previously, she monitored rare plants as a volunteer with the RareCare program at the University of Washington Botanic Gardens, worked with the Washington Native Plant Society, trained as master native plant steward, and acted as an environmental consultant specializing in plant and wetlands ecology with David Evans and Associates. She holds master‘s degrees in environmental horticulture and forest science and biology from the University of Washington, as well as a bachelor’s from Smith College. When she’s not working, she’s likely outdoors hiking, running, skiing, walking, and gardening. She also enjoys baking and traveling.

Collette MacLean

Program Manager, Lands

After growing up in South Florida and attending college in...

Courtney Harris

Position: Associate Director. of Phil., Institutional Relations
Email: charris@forterra.org
Categories: Staff

Courtney was born and raised in Seattle, and though she has moved away periodically for brief employment opportunities, she always returns to Western Washington, drawn back to the Cascades, the Puget Sound, and the region’s gorgeous rivers and forests.

After receiving a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Science and Wildlife Ecology, she worked as an educator at a wolf sanctuary, a sea kayak guide in the San Juans, and as a field biologist working with California Condors. Over time, Courtney shifted her focus to grant writing and connecting the interests of foundations and corporate partners to the mission of the organizations she’s worked for. Courtney loves sharing each organization’s story, and finds securing grants and sponsorships to fund critical conservation work particularly fulfilling.

Courtney’s interest in outdoor activities expanded in college, where she had easy access to the North Cascades, which allowed endless exploration and inspiration. Outside of work, Courtney can be found snowboarding, hiking, listening to podcasts, and has recently begun trail running and mountain biking – mostly to keep up with her very active young kids.

Courtney Harris

Associate Director. of Phil., Institutional Relations

Courtney was born and raised in Seattle, and though she...

Forterra default profile image

Dan Grausz

Position: Senior Director of Strategic Projects
Email: dgrausz@forterra.org
Categories: Staff

Dan has a background that includes substantial work in legal, business and community issues. On the legal side, Dan spent 10 years in private practice both in New York City and Seattle, where he was a partner with Helsell, Fetterman, Martin, Todd & Hokanson in the 1980s. After leaving the Helsell firm, Dan served as Vice President and General Counsel with Holland America Line until when he took over responsibility for Fleet Operations at Holland America Line. From 2011 to 2013, his role was expanded to include Seabourn Cruises. Dan has served as a member of the Mercer Island City Council in 1999. His tenure included four years as Deputy Mayor. Dan counts as some of his most significant accomplishments on Mercer Island the addition and preservation of park land and other green spaces. Prior to moving to Mercer Island, Dan served on the Queen Anne Community Council and was involved in the Seattle rezoning that was occurring in the 1980s. Dan has a B.S. Degree in Industrial and Labor Relations from Cornell University, his Law Degree from the University of Pennsylvania and a MBA from The Wharton School.

Dan Grausz

Senior Director of Strategic Projects

Dan has a background that includes substantial work in legal,...

Forterra default profile image

Dan Murdoch

Position: Director, Special Projects
Email: dmurdoch@forterra.org
Categories: Staff

Dan Murdoch

Director, Special Projects

Forterra default profile image

Dan O’Connor

Position: Director, Database & Systems
Email: doconnor@forterra.org
Categories: Staff

Dan O’Connor

Director, Database & Systems

Dan Weisbeck headshot

Dan Weisbeck

Position: Manager, Website and Digital Marketing
Email: dweisbeck@forterra.org
Categories: Staff

A lifelong Washingtonian, Dan has always had a deep love and appreciation of the Pacific Northwest. Growing up in the shadow of the Cascades, he quickly came to love the region’s incredible natural environment—caring profoundly that it is protected and preserved for future generations.

Dan graduated from the University of Washington with a B.A. in Political Science and promptly got his start working digital communications in the food justice moment as well as state politics. After several election years, Dan joined YWCA Seattle | King | Snohomish where he spent almost a decade in a progressive series of communications roles for the storied organization.

While website management has been a constant through-line in his career, Dan has been fortunate to have worked in every aspect of digital communications—graphic design, email marketing, video editing — you name it. He believes strongly in using his skills and experience for the creation of a more just and equitable society.

Dan lives in Seattle and can often be found walking the city streets and nearby trails, picking through used bookstores, or checking out a nearby farmers market. He’s an avid runner, amateur photographer, and feels deeply at home in the drizzle.

Dan Weisbeck

Manager, Website and Digital Marketing

A lifelong Washingtonian, Dan has always had a deep love...

Forterra default profile image

Dana Delgado

Position: Revenue Stream Staff Accountant
Email: ddelgado@forterra.org
Categories: Staff

Dana Delgado

Revenue Stream Staff Accountant

Daniel Hachet

Daniel Hachet

Position: AmeriCorps, Stewardship Associate
Email: dhachet@forterra.org
Categories: Staff

Daniel earned a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics, and a Bachelor of Arts in Environmental Studies from Pacific Lutheran University. While a student at Pacific Lutheran University, Daniel served a Sustainability Director for two different campus organizations where they educated fellow students. After graduating, Daniel did two service years with the Washington Conservation Corps, where they worked on a crew sponsored by the King Conservation District. Daniel and their crew did riparian habitat restoration work, erosion control, and de-fishing on private land across King County.

Daniel is ecstatic to be joining the Forterra team as a Stewardship Associate, where they can work collaboratively with volunteers to restore native ecosystems. Growing up in Orient, Ohio Daniel was surrounded by privately owned corn fields. So, Daniel hopes to conserve green spaces across King County for everyone to use. In their free time, Daniel enjoys cycling, reading, watching movies and hiking.

Daniel Hachet

AmeriCorps, Stewardship Associate

Daniel earned a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics, and a...

David Leon

David Leon

Position: VP, Real Estate Transactions
Email: dleon@forterra.org
Categories: Staff

David has participated in the development of over 1,900 units of residential housing throughout the Puget Sound region, including townhomes, single-family homes, and mixed-use apartment buildings. He has experience as an analyst, a project manager, and an acquisitions manager for development companies including Intracorp Real Estate, Taylor Morrison, and StoryBuilt.

Prior to working in real estate development, David was a practicing attorney for the City of New York, and a human resources manager at Eddie Bauer and the Port of Seattle. He holds a master’s degree in real estate from the University of Washington, a law degree from the University of Miami, and a bachelor’s degree from the University of California at Berkeley.

David enjoys travel; he has visited 20 different countries and 45 U.S. states. He also enjoys rowing, cross-country skiing, and bike rides with friends and family.

David Leon

VP, Real Estate Transactions

David has participated in the development of over 1,900 units...

Erin-Kindall_Controller-ForterraStaff

Erin Kindall

Position: VP, Finance
Email: ekindall@forterra.org
Categories: Staff

Erin has over ten years of Controller experience most recently at Ad-West Realty Services, a Property Management company that specializes in multifamily affordable housing. While there she recruited, led, and coached a team of ten, led an ERP Implementation with multiple integrations and coordinated audits. Other accounting experience includes as Accounting Manager at CallisonRTKL Architecture, Construction Accountant at Whole Foods Market and as an Audit Senior with a Big Four Accounting firm where she worked on the Sealaska Heritage Institute. Growing up in Issaquah, Washington, Erin earned her Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration with a concentration in Accounting from the University of Washington and has been a licensed CPA in Washington State for several decades.

Erin is at her best when outdoors, enjoying gardening, hiking, mountain biking, and when forced to remain inside, creates quilts and bakes. When the opportunity arises, she will also climb into an airplane with her dad in search of the best pie. She lives in Maple Valley, WA with her husband and two kitties.

Erin Kindall

VP, Finance

Erin has over ten years of Controller experience most recently...

Genna-Marie Kilduff profile image

Genna-Marie Kilduff

Position: Philanthropy Officer
Email: gkilduff@forterra.org
Categories: Staff

Genna grew up around the Charter Oaks of New England but fell in love with the mossy giants of the Pacific Northwest, where she began volunteering for Forterra’s Green City Partnership.

With a B.A. in Anthropology from Central Connecticut State University, she has developed a commitment to conservation solutions through both natural and cultural perspectives.

Genna spent four years teaching English in rural Shiga, Japan, where she fell in love with hiking and the teeming life in the local rice fields and lakes. Her favorite memory is of wading out into rivers deep in the forests of Tottori to help track down and measure endangered Japanese Giant Salamanders.

While overseas she volunteered for several nonprofit and community events, including presenting bilingual speeches on waste reduction and educating Elementary school students on their community’s successful efforts to clean Japan’s largest and most valuable freshwater lake.

When not face-to-face with gentle river giants, Genna spends her free time badly singing karaoke, birding on Washington trails, reading, and saving cats as a board member and volunteer for Japan Cat Network International.

Genna-Marie Kilduff

Philanthropy Officer

Genna grew up around the Charter Oaks of New England...

Forterra default profile image

Heidi Taffera

Position: Sr. Managing Director, Communications
Email: htaffera@forterra.org
Categories: Staff

Heidi grew up in Southern California where she appreciated the natural coastline finding a true sense of peace in the rolling waves. Since moving to the Pacific Northwest she discovered the tranquility forested areas offer and quickly realized she could have the best of both worlds- water and forested land!

Heidi has 20 years of experience as a consultant in corporate communications, public affairs and community relations with extensive experience in issues management, media relations and internal and external relations. She previously worked with a global public affairs agency where she worked with clients across a variety of industries on a local, national and global scale. Prior to that she worked alongside the principal of a local PR firm where she learned the ins and outs of strategic communications and the importance of internal and external relations.

In her free time, she likes to volunteer, travel and spend time with her family. Heidi can generally be found either on a beach or in the stands cheering on her boys playing whatever sport is in season.

Heidi Taffera

Sr. Managing Director, Communications

Heidi grew up in Southern California where she appreciated the...

India Clark

Position: Sr. Managing Director, Community Development
Email: iclark@forterra.org
Categories: Staff

India Clark has over 15 years of experience in commercial real estate. She has spent her career helping investors, owners, and funds to build, manage and acquire commercial real estate portfolios. During her undergrad at Wesleyan, she lived abroad in Barcelona, Spain where she studied European Business Management and Spanish. After Graduation she moved to Paris, France to learn French and launch her commercial real estate career on the EMEA Industrial and Logistics team at CBRE.

Since then, her work now spans all asset types and classes with over 1 million square feet of transations to her credit. India held prior roles as an investment sales advisor, multifamily asset manager, property manager, and ground-up industrial developer. India has participated in organizations such as NAIOP, CREW, Master Builders Association, and JLL’s Young Professionals. During her free time India enjoys spending time with her family. You can find her on a family picnic at a local park, hiking miles to a mountain lake, biking along a scenic route, or enjoying a game of chess

India Clark

Sr. Managing Director, Community Development

India Clark has over 15 years of experience in commercial...

Jacob Childers

Jacob Childers

Position: Conservation Associate
Email: jchilders@forterra.org
Categories: Staff

Growing up surrounded by the beautiful landscape of eastern Washington, with its scenic farmland ad staggering canyons, Jacob has always loved and appreciated the outdoors. He moved to Seattle to receive a B.S. in geology form the University of Washington, and it was there that he fell in love with the cool weather and the lush forests of the Puget Sound.=

Jacob has since finished two service years with AmeriCorps, serving first with King County DNRP to restore wetlands and riparian habitat. He served his second year at Forterra, where he supported the work we do in out Green Cities, Riparian, and Conservation Lands programs. He’s now transitioned full time at Forterra, where he supports the Conservation Lands and Conservation Transactions teams, helping to manage and support the lands Forterra has protected over the decades. When he’s not working to restore and steward natural habitat, Jacob enjoys hiking, camping, or staying in and having game nights with his friends.

Jacob Childers

Conservation Associate

Growing up surrounded by the beautiful landscape of eastern Washington,...

Jason Walsh, Forterra Staff

Jason Robert Walsh

Position: Project Manager, Community Development
Email: jwalsh@forterra.org
Categories: Staff

Jason was born and raised in the region of the Salish Sea and on the traditional lands and waters of the Duwamish, Tulalip, Muckleshoot and Suquamish tribal nations. He first developed his love for the treasures of the region as a wee one snowplowing his plastic skis between his mom’s legs and riding in her backpack through the Olympic Forest with his brother and sister, not all in the same pack of course.

Jason graduated from Gonzaga University, go Zags, with degrees in political science and communications, and parlayed that into a stint as an agroforresty volunteer with the Peace Corps in Niger. He earned his master’s in education while teaching in Washington DC and went on to teach in Honduras, Brazil, Venezuela and Poland. He has a passion for learning languages, and doing as much as he possibly can, be it block prints, trail running or volunteering with social justice focused organizations. Jason moved back to the Seattle area to earn master’s degrees in urban planning and public health, with an aim to help create just, equitable and healthful communities.

Jason Robert Walsh

Project Manager, Community Development

Jason was born and raised in the region of the...

Jillian Hostenske headshot

Jillian Hostenske, CPA

Position: Payroll & Special Projects Accountant
Email: jhostenske@forterra.org
Categories: Staff

Jillian’s career has focused primarily on accounting and finance in non-profit organizations and local governments throughout the Seattle area. She enjoys serving the public and making the world a better place.

Jillian volunteers with The Sophia Way, an organization that provides shelters, supportive services and resources for women experiencing homelessness on the Eastside.

Living on Cougar Mountain gives Jillian many opportunities to fulfill her passion of hiking with friends.

Jillian also enjoys public speaking and has presented on the importance of organizational culture throughout the US.

Jillian Hostenske, CPA

Payroll & Special Projects Accountant

Jillian’s career has focused primarily on accounting and finance in...

Joe Sambataro

Joe Sambataro

Position: Sr. Managing Director, Conservation Transactions
Email: jsambataro@forterra.org
Categories: Staff

Joe got his start at Forterra from 2005 to 2008 where he rapidly learned the art and strategies of land conservation. In those early years, he collaborated with landowners, agencies, tribes, and nonprofit partners to conserve critical working farm and forestland, salmon habitat, and public land inholdings. Joe recently joins Forterra from Access Fund, the national advocacy and conservation organization that protects climbing areas. As access director, Joe launched a revolving loan program and worked in over 35 states to employ conservation strategies and multi-year financing and fundraising models. Here in the Northwest, Joe supported land managers and partners with recreation policy, nonprofit management, and stewardship initiatives. He grew up in Western Washington and graduated from Cornell University in 2005, with a bachelor of science specializing in environmental economics and sustainable business. Joe has a lifelong passion for climbing and can often be found hanging from a rope at the Index Town Walls. He lives in Edmonds and loves getting the entire family outside to hike, fish, ski, and paddle together.

Joe Sambataro

Sr. Managing Director, Conservation Transactions

Joe got his start at Forterra from 2005 to 2008...

Forterra default profile image

Kari Riley

Position: Executive Assistant
Categories: Staff

Kari Riley

Executive Assistant

Katherine Nechaeva

Katherine Nechaeva

Position: Staff Accountant
Email: knechaeva@forterra.org
Categories: Staff

Katherine earned a bachelor’s degree in accounting, economic analysis, and auditing from Kuban State Agricultural University in Krasnodar, Russia. She worked for eight years in accounting and auditing in Russia before moving to Seattle in 2015, when she temporarily changed careers and became a floral designer. Her stint in the floral business, together with the fascinating landscapes of her new home, fostered in her an appreciation for all plant life. Katherine is in the process of earning her CPA license. In her free time she enjoys flamenco, salsa, and Seattle theater.

Katherine Nechaeva

Staff Accountant

Katherine earned a bachelor’s degree in accounting, economic analysis, and...

Kelsey Bray profile pic

Kelsey Bray

Position: Coordinator, Marketing and Communications
Email: kbray@forterra.org
Categories: Staff

Kelsey is a recent transplant to the Pacific Northwest. Originally from Wyoming, she visited her sister in Bellingham and fell in love. She moved out here a year later. 

In particular, Kelsey loves how passionate residents are about land and wildlife conservation. The PNW is packed with breathtaking mountains, lakes and forests, and it’s important they remain accessible to everyone.

She graduated from the University of Wyoming with a B.A. in Journalism. Kelsey worked as a reporter in Montana and Wyoming, covering local government, public works and criminal justice. She then transitioned to digital marketing. For the past eight years, Kelsey has specialized in writing, editing, SEO and social media. 

In her free time, she enjoys relaxing in Bellingham’s beautiful parks, reading, playing video games and creating elaborate backstories for her Dungeons and Dragons characters. Kelsey has also been a volunteer at no-kill cat rescue for the past four years – her inbox is currently full of pictures from happy adopters.

Kelsey Bray

Coordinator, Marketing and Communications

Kelsey is a recent transplant to the Pacific Northwest. Originally...

Kristi England

Kristi England

Position: Chief Governance, Policy & Innovations Officer
Categories: Staff

Kristi grew up in rural Idaho where appreciation of the outdoors is a way of life. She has more than 20 years as a consultant in corporate communications, campaigns, public affairs and community relations with extensive experience in reputation management, external and internal relations, as well as stakeholder and community mobilization.

Kristi first came to work with Forterra back when it was Cascade Land Conservancy as a consultant for a small neighborhood project in West Seattle. From there, she continued working to organize The Cascade Dialogues and The Cascade Agenda. She’s worked with clients on a number of local, national and global environmental initiatives; and was fortunate to lead Seattle Climate Action Now, an initiative of former Mayor Greg Nickels that asked city residents to take small steps toward stopping climate change. She received her B.S. in Political Science. Kristi is currently the President of the Board of Trustees for The Seattle Public Library and has served on the boards of Water 1st International, the Trade Development Alliance of Greater Seattle and Seattle Works.

Kristi England

Chief Governance, Policy & Innovations Officer

Kristi grew up in rural Idaho where appreciation of the...

Laura Bailey

Position: Accounts Payable and Payroll Specialist
Email: lbailey@forterra.org
Categories: Staff

Laura has an extensive background in accounting in finance in both the non- and for- profit sectors over the past 40 years, with a preference for the meaningfulness, accomplishments, and rewards of non-profit.

As a lifelong resident she has hiked many of the Cascade trails, fished the lakes and rivers, explored Mounts Rainier and Baker, and enjoyed everything the beaches have to offer.  Although she has left the state on 3 separate occasions she has always been drawn back to the area.

Laura enjoys all of the benefits nature has to offer, spending time with family, pets, gardening, and Seahawks football.  GO HAWKS!!

Laura Bailey

Accounts Payable and Payroll Specialist

Laura has an extensive background in accounting in finance in...

Leanne Weiss

Leanne Weiss

Position: Director, Conservation Transactions
Email: lweiss@forterra.org
Categories: Staff

Leanne has over ten years of experience managing environmental projects in Washington, Oregon, and California in both the non-profit and public sectors. She has worked with a wide variety of stakeholders, both from industry (commercial fishing and municipal waste water management) and government (state, federal, and local). Most recently, Leanne worked at the Washington Department of Ecology where she collaborated on water quality projects and managed grants and loans. Previously, she spent six years at Ecotrust, in Portland, Oregon, mapping commercial fishing grounds for state planning processes.

Leanne has a master’s in Environmental Management form the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies and Bachelors from Willamette University. She grew up fishing the Hanford Reach in Eastern Washington where she developed her passion for Washington’s waters and landscapes. Leanne enjoys cross country skiing, backpacking, climbing, gardening, and spending time with her family and friends.

Leanne Weiss

Director, Conservation Transactions

Leanne has over ten years of experience managing environmental projects...

Libby Hart

Libby Hart

Position: Director, Donor Engagement & Venture Philanthropy
Email: lhart@forterra.org
Categories: Staff

Libby Hart has worked in fund raising for more than fifteen years in Seattle and Bay Area, California. She has supported causes both domestic and international, working to raise awareness and funds for the environment, international global health, women’s rights, and equity in education, serving most recently as Director of Development at SIFF. With an MBA in Marketing, she is a believer in the power of storytelling to create lasting impact and connect donors to the world’s most challenging problems. Since her first job at a Bay Area land trust, she has been passionate about combating climate change and working to protect the environment where we live, work, and play. Libby has a background in all areas of fundraising from major gifts, sponsorship, and grants to events and launching capital and crowdfunding initiatives. She has won a SPOT award for Innovation in a crowdfunding campaign from UC Berkeley. In her spare time, she enjoys the theater, cooking, traveling the world, and playing with her rescue puppy, George.

Libby Hart

Director, Donor Engagement & Venture Philanthropy

Libby Hart has worked in fund raising for more than...

Forterra default profile image

Matthew Langsenkamp

Position: Sr. Financial Analyst, FP&A
Email: mlangsenkamp@forterra.org
Categories: Staff

Matthew Langsenkamp

Sr. Financial Analyst, FP&A

Michael Storace

Michael Storace

Position: Program Manager, Forestland, Conservation Transactions
Email: mstorace@forterra.org
Categories: Staff

Michael’s diverse passions include forest ecology and plant identification, finding a sense of place and fostering community, collecting maps, and drinking coffee. He holds a Master of Forestry from the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies and a Bachelor of Science from the University of Vermont. He brings to Forterra experience in conservation, natural resources, regional planning, forest management, and community outreach, along with an enthusiastic and outgoing personality. From 2015 to 2018, he worked at the Two Rivers-Ottauquechee Regional Commission in Woodstock, Vermont, as a planner helping small communities in central Vermont adapt and become more resilient to the impacts of climate change, such as increasingly irregular precipitation patterns. In the summer of 2019, he worked with the Palmer Land Trust in Colorado Springs to develop communication tools to engage community members with conservation planning in Southeastern Colorado. He enjoys exploring new trails, reading, visiting craft breweries, and biking around new neighborhoods.

Michael Storace

Program Manager, Forestland, Conservation Transactions

Michael’s diverse passions include forest ecology and plant identification, finding...

Michelle Connor

Michelle Connor

Position: President & CEO
Categories: Staff

Michelle Connor has worked to steward the well-being of people and nature through how land is owned and being managed throughout her 28-year career at Forterra. She has played a part in more than 400 transactions worth ~$500M and provided executive leadership in all phases of public policy, community engagement, negotiations, fundraising and innovative finance (notably the Forterra Strong Communities Fund).

Highlights of her leadership include successful completion of the 4,000-acre Kitsap Forest and Bay Campaign, conserving the Wayne Golf Course in Bothell so that it can become a large public park, protecting waterfront on Maury Island from being developed as a gravel pit, restoring the culturally important Duwamish Hill Preserve, adding the scenic Moolak Lakes to the Mt. Si Natural Area, negotiating a community stake in coming redevelopment at 23rd and Union in Seattle’s Central District, and laying the groundwork for Wadajir, a micro-enterprise hub in Tukwila together with the Abu Bakr Mosque.

Michelle is a third-generation Washingtonian, with an M.S. from the University of Washington’s College of Forest Resources and a B.A. from the Evergreen State College.

Michelle Connor

President & CEO

Michelle Connor has worked to steward the well-being of people...

Natalie Cheng

Position: Assistant Controller
Email: ncheng@forterra.org
Categories: Staff

Natalie Cheng

Assistant Controller

Nick Bratton

Position: Senior Director of Policy
Email: nbratton@forterra.org
Categories: Staff

Nick collaborates with communities across the region to balance growth and conservation of resource lands in ways that meet local needs. He has designed market-based conservation programs in counties and cities around the Puget Sound, including shaping two state laws creating the country’s first voluntary regional transfer of development rights program that has protected over 100,000 acres of farm and forest land. Nick has published extensively on the subjects of transfer of development rights and land use, and has led technical and policy studies for cities and counties in Washington State. He has a Master of Public Administration from the University of Washington’s Evans School of Public Policy and Governance, A Master of Science from the University of Washington’s College of Forest Resources, and bachelor’s in geological science and French from the University of Michigan. Nick is an avid adventurer and traveler, having visited 30 countries and lived abroad for seven years. He also serves as COO of Global Exploration and Recovery, an international team of scientists and wilderness professionals dedicated to the research, recovery, and repatriation of U.S. service members missing around the world. Prior to joining Forterra, Nick worked as a mountaineering guide in the Cascades, an instructor with the National Outdoor Leadership School, and a rafting guide in South Africa. Nick is also a published travel writer whose work has been featured in the Boston Globe, The Guardian, Hidden Compass, and Overland Journal.

Nick Bratton

Senior Director of Policy

Nick collaborates with communities across the region to balance growth...

Paul Kraegel picture

Paul Kraegel

Position: Grants Director
Email: pkraegel@forterra.org
Categories: Staff

Paul strongly believes in the interdependence between people and land. His ultimate professional and volunteer aspiration is to help foster humility and respect for lands that we manage.

He holds Master degrees in Environmental Horticulture and in Social Work from the University of Washington and has a certificate in project management. He has more than two decades of experience in social service, academic, and non-profit settings. His areas of expertise include urban ecology, project management, and building organizational capacity.

Paul’s personal passion is to help increase outdoor opportunities for people with disabilities including recreation, restoration, and leadership opportunities. He has organized restoration work parties and plant sales for youth and young adults with disabilities and has helped launch a garden program for neurodiverse teens and young adults.

He is a citizen scientist with the Washington State Rare Plant Care and Conservation program, is a long-time board member of the Children’s PlayGarden, and founded a Ryther League program dedicated to supporting neurodivergent youth and young adults.

Paul and his family live in the Ballard neighborhood of Seattle, where he tends to a garden of over 150 plant species and more than thirty species of indoor plants.

Paul Kraegel

Grants Director

Paul strongly believes in the interdependence between people and land....

Rachel Valdez

Rachel Valdez

Position: Chief People, Culture & Technology Officer
Email: rvaldez@forterra.org
Categories: Staff

Rachel Valdez has over 20 years of people & technology management experience, along with teaching experience in higher education. Rachel was born and raised in Washington State, majored in Communications & Social Sciences at the University of Washington (UW) and earned her bachelor and masters’ degree in Communications from UW.  She is a doctoral student at Fielding Graduate University earning a PhD in Psychology with an emphasis in Media Technology. She comes from a multi-cultural background of Spanish(Iberian), Native American (Blackfeet), Irish, Italian and is a member of the LGBTQIA family. She is an entrepreneur and has successfully managed her own company. She has volunteered and served on several boards including The Pride Foundation, Pat Graney Dance Company, YWCA Dress for Success and Casa Latina. In her own time, she enjoys the outdoors with her family, friends and two golden retrievers.

Rachel Valdez

Chief People, Culture & Technology Officer

Rachel Valdez has over 20 years of people & technology...

Rosie Llewellyn

Rosie Llewellyn

Position: AmeriCorps, Stewardship Associate
Categories: Staff

Rosie was born in Haiti and raised in the Pacific Northwest. Her passion for the outdoors was first discovered through writing inspired by our natural world. Following her Associate of Arts degree at Olympic College, she pursued the practice of yoga completing a 500 Hour RYT, with a focus on mind-body connection to the earth. Rosie grew her entrepreneurial career in Seattle building community engagement in studios, writing nature-based articles for the Rasa Yoga Collective, and self-publishing works of poetry. After nearly a decade, she relocated to Haiti for several years to volunteer in Agroforestry & Syntropic Agriculture efforts, where she worked with local communities to restore land and improve food security. She also dedicated her time to completing a Forest Ecology course with Guardians of the Forest awarding her an experiential Cultural Forest Placement in Slovakia. Rosie is thrilled to be on the Forterra team as a Stewardship Associate, and aims to bridge the elements of community advocacy, forest restoration, and climate awareness to speak for a sustainable balance with our planet. In her free time, she loves hiking, backpacking, camping, and being a proud plant parent.

Rosie Llewellyn

AmeriCorps, Stewardship Associate

Rosie was born in Haiti and raised in the Pacific...

Skip Swenson

Skip Swenson

Position: Senior Director, Special Projects
Email: sswenson@forterra.org
Categories: Staff

Skip develops policies, tools, and programs to achieve expansive community and conservation goals throughout Washington’s central Cascades and Olympic Peninsula. Working with stakeholders and elected officials in a variety of jurisdictions and across landscapes — from wildlands to urban centers — he specializes in land use policy, conservation markets, and incentives creation on local and regional scales. Prior to joining Forterra, Skip served as director of analytics for Information Resources, Inc., a multinational research and consulting company. When he’s not tinkering on an endless supply of projects, Skip is often found skiing or biking in the Cascades backcountry.

Skip Swenson

Senior Director, Special Projects

Skip develops policies, tools, and programs to achieve expansive community...

Suzanne Evans

Position: Director, Recruiting + People Ops
Email: sevans@forterra.org
Categories: Staff

Suzanne Evans

Director, Recruiting + People Ops

Forterra default profile image

Suzanne Skinner

Position: Of Counsel
Email: sskinner@forterra.org
Categories: Staff

Suzanne Skinner

Of Counsel

Tim Dang

Position: Accounting Manager
Email: tdang@forterra.org
Categories: Staff

Tim Dang

Accounting Manager

Tyler Mesman

Tyler Mesman

Position: Coordinator, Board and Special Projects
Email: tmesman@forterra.org
Categories: Staff

Originally from Grand Rapids, Michigan, Tyler gained his appreciation for nature and protecting our precious resources through many summers spent on Lake Michigan. Tyler earned a B.A. in Political Science and Philosophy from the University of Michigan. After graduation, he was awarded an inaugural Bonderman Fellowship to travel independently for 8 months to engage with new cultures, different people and remote places around the world. Prior to Forterra, Tyler worked as a fundraiser and consultant for campaigns and progressive ballot initiatives across Washington. His proudest achievements were helping to approve comprehensive, inclusive sex education for Washington’s youth and working with a historic BIPOC coalition to pass police reform and accountability measures. Outside of work, you can find him testing new recipes in the kitchen, checking a book off his list, camping near an alpine lake, or showering affection on his two flat faced kitties.

Tyler Mesman

Coordinator, Board and Special Projects

Originally from Grand Rapids, Michigan, Tyler gained his appreciation for...

Valerie Gray

Valerie Gray

Position: Executive Assistant to the CEO
Email: info@forterra.org
Categories: Staff

“I am a nature girl at heart. I love the waters, mountains, parks and farms of the Pacific Northwest.”

Forterra’s mission inspires Valerie; she wants to help make long-lasting positive changes for all citizens as well as for the environment. She says the organization’s work to restore and conserve lands for future generations is particularly critical as the population grows and climate change unfolds. Outside the office, Valerie enjoys writing poetry, taking long quiet walks in Seward and Lincoln parks, swimming and playing basketball.

Valerie Gray

Executive Assistant to the CEO

“I am a nature girl at heart. I love the...

Our board includes leaders in real estate, public policy, finance, farming, business and the environment. They bring decades of experience to Forterra, sharing our vision for making this region a sustainable place.

Andrea Ostrovsky, Board Forterra

Andrea Ostrovsky

Position: Chair | COLOR
Categories: Board

Andrea Delgadillo Ostrovksy is the Chief Operating Officer and General Counsel at COLOR, a Seattle-based creative agency. Previously, she was a partner at a highly regarded Seattle litigation firm. Andrea received her law degree from the University of Michigan Law School and her B.A. in environmental studies from the University of Chicago.

Andrea has been a Forest Steward in the Forterra and City of Seattle-sponsored Green Seattle Partnership for over ten years. Andrea is the co-founder of the Friends of Cheasty Greenspace at Mountainview, a volunteer community group dedicated to restoring Cheasty Greenspace, a 43-acre greenspace in the Rainier Valley. In 2013, Andrea received a Denny Award for Conservation and Environmental Stewardship.

When not working or pulling ivy, Andrea enjoys running and skiing up big hills and spending time in the mountains with her husband and daughters.

Andrea Ostrovsky

Chair | COLOR

Andrea Delgadillo Ostrovksy is the Chief Operating Officer and General...

Beth Birnbaum, Forterra board

Beth Birnbaum

Position: Past Chair | Strategic Advisor
Categories: Board

Beth Birnbaum is the current board chair. She is a senior product executive with significant experience in digital products, general management, operations, and strategy at high-growth companies. She currently serves as an independent board director at Wiley (NYSE: JW.A), Fandom, Ripl, Bridge Legal, and Recycle Track Systems and as an advisor to early-stage companies.

Previously Beth served as Chief Operating Officer at PlayFab, the SaaS backend platform for online games; earlier in her career she served as Senior Vice President of Product at GrubHub and as Vice President of Product and Connectivity at Expedia. Beth loves spending time outdoors with her family and is a hike leader at the Mountaineers; she is also a trustee with the nonprofit Partners in Health.

Beth Birnbaum

Past Chair | Strategic Advisor

Beth Birnbaum is the current board chair. She is a...

De'Sean Quinn Headshot, Forterra Board

De’Sean Quinn

Position: Vice Chair | Councilmember, City of Tukwila
Categories: Board

De’Sean Quinn has served on the Tukwila City Council since 2008. De’Sean developed his lifelong passion for community service and the environment at a very young age, volunteering alongside his father at the local Boys and Girls Club, other nonprofits, and on environmental restoration projects.

De’Sean also works as the Interim Assistant General Manager for Strategy and Partnerships for King County Metro. He came to Metro from past external relations roles in the Executive Offices of Ron Sims and Dow Constantine and equity work within the Wastewater division at the Department of Natural Resources & Parks.

De’Sean is in his 6th year on Forterra’s Board and is also a member of the Forterra Strong Communities Fund, a tool to accelerate the strengthening of our communities by pooling, leveraging and directing social investment capital. He served as the co-chair of the Conservation Futures Tax committee where he was a champion for creating the Open Space Equity Initiative.

He lives in Tukwila with his wife Nichole and their two boys.

De’Sean Quinn

Vice Chair | Councilmember, City of Tukwila

De’Sean Quinn has served on the Tukwila City Council since...

Ruth True, Forterra Board

Ruth True

Position: Secretary | Nube USA
Categories: Board

Native Seattleite, Ruth True, wants everyone to live their best life. This belief is central to her work as a trailblazing people gatherer/connector, environmental advocate, arts supporter, and champion of mindful consuming. She is the founder of two companies that blended these pursuits: NuBe Green, a mercantile for ecologically responsible apparel and home goods; and Nube9, a social purpose company that put recycled, US-made uniforms on student-athletes. Out of Nube9 came the current iteration of these companies – Nube USA – which is focused on sustainable activewear. In addition to her passion of environmental sustainability, Ruth co-founded Seattle’s Western Bridge, a renowned public exhibition space dedicated to making contemporary art accessible to all. The space provided opportunities to commission new works by internationally recognized as well as local artists. Today, she works as a founder and advisor of RTI, an emerging regenerated textile company. She is on the board of Word Theatre and Forterra. Her grand babies, adult daughters, and dogs keep her dancing.

Ruth True

Secretary | Nube USA

Native Seattleite, Ruth True, wants everyone to live their best...

Allan Steinman, Forterra Board

Allan Steinman

Position: Treasurer | Bader Martin
Categories: Board

Allan Steinman is a retired CPA and a founding partner of the Seattle public accounting firm Bader Martin, P.S. His practice emphasized tax and business planning for closely held and family-owned companies and their owners. He also assisted clients in developing their philanthropic strategies.

In addition to Forterra, Allan has served on the boards of many not-for-profit organizations. Most recently he is a past chair of the board of directors of the Kline Galland Center (aging services) and Puget Sound Public Radio (KUOW).

Allan and his wife, Diane, reside in Seattle and devote much of their time to serving on several not-for-profit boards both locally based and international. Love of outdoors and the ability to assist underrepresented communities motivated Allan to join the Forterra Board.

Allan grew up in Aberdeen, Washington and received a BA and MBA from the University of Puget Sound.

Allan Steinman

Treasurer | Bader Martin

Allan Steinman is a retired CPA and a founding partner...

Michelle Connor Headshot Forterra CEO

Michelle Connor

Position: President & CEO, Forterra
Categories: Board

Michelle Connor has worked to steward the well-being of people and nature through how land is owned and being managed throughout her 28-year career at Forterra. She has played a part in more than 400 transactions worth ~$500M and provided executive leadership in all phases of public policy, community engagement, negotiations, fundraising and innovative finance (notably the Forterra Strong Communities Fund).

Highlights of her leadership include successful completion of the 4,000-acre Kitsap Forest and Bay Campaign, conserving the Wayne Golf Course in Bothell so that it can become a large public park, protecting waterfront on Maury Island from being developed as a gravel pit, restoring the culturally important Duwamish Hill Preserve, adding the scenic Moolak Lakes to the Mt. Si Natural Area, negotiating a community stake in coming redevelopment at 23rd and Union in Seattle’s Central District, and laying the groundwork for Wadajir, a micro-enterprise hub in Tukwila together with the Abu Bakr Mosque.

Michelle is a third-generation Washingtonian, with an M.S. from the University of Washington’s College of Forest Resources and a B.A. from the Evergreen State College.

Michelle Connor

President & CEO, Forterra

Michelle Connor has worked to steward the well-being of people...

Chris Lloyd, Forterra Board

Chris Lloyd

Position: Hey Advertising
Categories: Board

Chris Lloyd is the Managing Partner of Hey Advertising a digital-first, creative marketing firm he started in 2010. Hey works with a variety of clients including Microsoft and United Healthcare and local clients Heritage Bank and the University of Washington.

Prior to starting Hey, Chris was the President of the Northwest office of global advertising agency DDB one of the largest agencies in the region. DDB clients included Holland America Line, Microsoft, McDonald’s and The North Face. DDB’s cause-marketing practice provided marketing services to organizations like the Kaiser Family Foundation, ONE.org and the Robert Wood Family Foundation.

A graduate of Bucknell University and originally from the NYC area, Chris relocated with his family to the PNW 20 years ago. When he’s not working, he’s active and outside cycling, running, hiking and generally enjoying all the PNW has to offer.

Chris Lloyd

Hey Advertising

Chris Lloyd is the Managing Partner of Hey Advertising a...

Dan Nordstrom, Forterra Board

Dan Nordstrom

Position: Outdoor Research
Categories: Board

Dan Nordstrom is CEO Emeritus and minority owner of Outdoor Research Inc., one of the world’s leading manufacturers of technical clothing and accessories for human-powered adventure. Prior to that, he spent 17 years at Nordstrom Inc. Dan earned a B.A. in Economics and an M.B.A. from the University of Washington. He’s also served as past President of the Board of Directors of the Access Fund, which represents rock climbers in the United States. Dan currently sits on the board of Evo.com and Truewerk.com and is past Board Chair of Nuun Inc. Outside of work he spends as much time as he can climbing and skiing along with the occasional round of golf as a reminder that life is supposed to be hard.

Dan Nordstrom

Outdoor Research

Dan Nordstrom is CEO Emeritus and minority owner of Outdoor...

Dennis Madsen, Forterra Board

Dennis Madsen

Position: Retired Retail Executive
Categories: Board

Dennis Madsen is the past CEO of REI, where he worked for nearly 40 years. Since retiring in 2005, Dennis has redirected his decades of business leadership and experience as a board member and advisor to numerous for profit and not for profit organizations. Past and board memberships include Alaska Airlines, Performance Bicycle, Evo.com, Western Washington University, Islandwood, Pivotlink Software and West Marine Inc. Growing up in Seattle, Dennis has a unique appreciation for the role access to nature and outdoor recreation can play in a child’s development and in maintaining a thriving urban community. His desire is to ensure this place remains special for generations to come. He earned a B.S. in Engineering from Seattle Pacific University and attended Pacific Lutheran University MBA evening program.

Dennis Madsen

Retired Retail Executive

Dennis Madsen is the past CEO of REI, where he...

Dorian Waller. Forterra Board

Dorian Waller

Position: King County
Categories: Board

Originally from the Midwest, Dorian Waller has called Washington State home for more than 20 years. He is a Government Relations Officer for King County. He is also a business owner of 11 years where he consults on economic development nationwide. Dorian received his BA in Urban Planning and his MPA from the Evergreen State College where he was Alumni Board President and a member of the Board of Trustees.

Dorian currently serves on the Washington State African American Affairs Commission. He is a mentor for the Tacoma Urban League Male Involvement program and stays active in his community as a volunteer with local organizations, such as United Way and The Tacoma Black Collective. Dorian is also a senior fellow with the American Leadership Forum. Outside of work Dorian loves to spend time with his wife and two children exploring the outdoors, going on hikes and many road trips.

Dorian joined the board as an extension of his passion for community and the outdoors and he sees Forterra as a very important confluent conduit for both.

Dorian Waller

King County

Originally from the Midwest, Dorian Waller has called Washington State...

Gigi Coe, Forterra Board

Gigi Coe

Position: Civic Leader
Categories: Board

Professionally, Gigi Coe spent most of her career in the energy and telecommunications field. She served as the Director of Strategic Planning at the California Public Utilities Commission where she prepared policy papers and recommendations on utility rates and planning in that state. Before that she served as the Assistant Executive Director for Policy and Programs at the California Energy Commission and as an advisor to a commissioner. She also worked for Governor Jerry Brown as Deputy Director of the Governor’s Office of Appropriate Technology and served as the Manager of Strategy for MCI’s Western Public Policy Group. She is the author of several books on energy conservation and renewable energy sources.

Following her professional retirement, Gigi co-founded The Bay School of San Francisco, and has continued to give back to her communities through service on many non-profit and advisory boards. Gigi and her husband have a ranch near Cle Elum, Washington. She maintains a strong interest in land preservation, particularly as the area’s economy shifts from cattle and grazing to second home development.

Gigi Coe

Civic Leader

Professionally, Gigi Coe spent most of her career in the...

Board Member Gina Klem

Gina Klem

Position: Amazon
Categories: Board

Gina Klem is the Sustainability Director for Global Real Estate and Facilities at Amazon where she is developing the strategies and tools to meet Amazon’s commitment to The Climate Pledge, a commitment to reach net zero carbon emissions by 2040, and further integrate sustainability into the global corporate office portfolio. Gina joined Amazon in 2015 to develop a physical store development team for Amazon Go. Prior to Amazon, Gina spent ten years at Starbucks in Store Development, her final role as the director of design & construction support & sustainability. Gina earned a master’s in Architecture from University of Colorado and B.A. in Sociology from Gonzaga University.

Born and raised in Seattle, Gina spent her childhood hiking and camping throughout the Pacific Northwest. These days, Gina still loves to get outside in the mountains or on the lakes and explore new places near and far with her husband and two young adult children.

Gina Klem

Amazon

Gina Klem is the Sustainability Director for Global Real Estate...

Kelly Ogilvie

Kelly Ogilvie

Position: DeepCell Industries
Categories: Board

Kelly currently serves as CEO of DeepCell Industries. As a long-time entrepreneur and lover of science and technology, Kelly has both founded and led a variety of Seattle-based companies throughout his career, from Blue Marble Biomaterials (an organic biomass to renewable specialty chemicals firm), Quemulus (a social saving and payment platform), to full-service digital marketing agency Milli.

In addition to entrepreneurship, Kelly has a background in policy and politics previously serving as Senior Policy Advisor to Washington State Governor Jay Inslee, in Seattle’s Mayor’s Office under Greg Nickels, as Director of Government Affairs for the Greater Seattle Chamber of Commerce, and has worked on numerous national and local campaigns.

Kelly has been a TEDx speaker, a Puget Sound Business Journal 40 under 40 awardee, a 2013 Delegate for the US-Japan Council, and has served on community boards such as the Woodland Park Zoo, Seafair, Washington State University’s CEREO, and athlete foundations such as th Earl Thomas and Bradley McDougald Foundations.

Kelly Ogilvie

DeepCell Industries

Kelly currently serves as CEO of DeepCell Industries. As a...

Larry Hood, Forterra Board

Larry Hood

Position: CHFC
Categories: Board

As CHFC-President/CEO, Larry Hood’s primary function is to serve as lead adviser to the firm’s high net worth individuals and families, foundation and endowments, and select retirement plan clients. Larry has 30 years of experience working with individual and fiduciary clients to develop financial and investment plans that best fit their goals, objectives, and risk tolerance. Larry has extensive experience in construction and oversight of global asset allocation strategies as well as portfolio construction utilizing appropriate managers. In addition, he serves as chairman of the firm’s Investment Committee, which guides the investment process for Pacific Portfolio and ensures the firm provides consistent, effective advice and counsel to clients.

Since founding the firm in 1992, Larry has served as President and CEO of Pacific Portfolio Consulting; he also currently serves as President and CEO of Pacific Portfolio Trust Company which was formed in 2006. Barron’s acknowledged Larry as one of the top 100 independent financial advisers in the U.S. in 2015-2021.

Larry holds degrees in Business Administration and Economics from the University of Puget Sound.

Larry Hood

CHFC

As CHFC-President/CEO, Larry Hood’s primary function is to serve as...

Laurie McDonald Jonsson, Forterra Board

Laurie McDonald Jonsson

Position: Stellar Holdings
Categories: Board

Laurie McDonald Jonsson is a 4th generation Seattleite who combined a successful travel and business career with a personal commitment to empowering women around the world. Her education includes a B.A. from the University of Washington, M.S.W. from the University of Michigan and attendance to the Stanford Executive Program. She was a founding director of Expedia, Commerce Bank, and the Puget Sound Bank and co-founded/managed Sundance Cruises, Admiral Cruises and Stellar Travel. Laurie founded Stellar International, the Center for Women and Democracy (University of Washington) and Stellar International Networks. She was awarded a Presidential appointment to the Board of the National Women’s Business Council and served on Harvard University’s Women’s Leadership Board. Laurie is a founding president and member of the Washington State Women’s Forum and a member/director of the Swedish Women’s Forum.

Laurie is a principal/board member of sustainable real estate companies ByggVesta (Sweden) and Stellar Holdings (Seattle). She’s a founder of the McDonald Jonsson Foundation and co-founder/board member of Yalla Rinkeby (Sweden), a social enterprise empowering foreign-born women.

Laurie McDonald Jonsson

Stellar Holdings

Laurie McDonald Jonsson is a 4th generation Seattleite who combined...

Linda Neunzig, Forterra Board Member

Linda Neunzig

Position: Snohomish County
Categories: Board

Linda Neunzig is the Agriculture Coordinator for Snohomish County. In this role Neunzig leads Snohomish County’s agriculture initiatives, which have received national recognition for their innovative approaches to revitalizing the agriculture sector. She spearheads several initiatives including agriculture sustainability programs; 5G Food Resiliency project; Nourishing Neighborhoods emergency produce program, the Snohomish County Food and Farming Center; and the Snohomish County Focus on Farming conference, the largest agriculture conference in western Washington.

In addition, Neunzig is the owner of Ninety Farms, a 50-acre sustainable farm in Arlington. There she raises grass fed Katahdin lamb for direct marketing to consumers and to Seattle area restaurants. Ninety Farms lambs are regularly exported to the Philippines and Thailand as breeding stock and the farm is home to the “Ninety Farms Sunflower Festival”. Linda has attended “Terra Madre” in Turin, Italy—one of the world’s leading agriculture symposiums—three times as a U.S. delegate for Slow Food USA., was featured in Gourmet magazine and was awarded the “Women Who Inspire” award by the National Women’s Chef and Restaurateurs’ Association.

Linda Neunzig

Snohomish County

Linda Neunzig is the Agriculture Coordinator for Snohomish County. In...

Michael Ford, Forterra Board

Michael Ford

Position: Microsoft
Categories: Board

Michael Ford is the Corporate Vice President of Microsoft’s Global Workplace Services organization, He leads a global team responsible for delivering connected, accessible, sustainable global workplaces in a secure environment, for the best employee experience. This accountability spans the entire real estate life cycle from planning, delivery, operations, and security for Microsoft’s worldwide real estate portfolio — over 40M square feet across approximately 113 countries supporting 175,000+ global employees. Michael also leads Microsoft’s global security functions, including operations, investigations, risk mitigation, crisis management, executive protection, strategy, and intelligence.

In this role, Michael brings his passion for Microsoft technology together with Global Workplace Services to create innovative solutions that increase operational efficiencies, improve the employee workplace experience, and further reduces the company’s environmental impact.

Prior to his current role, Michael held several positions within Microsoft Finance. Michael joined Microsoft as the Director of Finance Operations in 2005.

Michael holds a Bachelor of Science in Finance from Alabama A&M University and a Master of Business Administration from Florida Metropolitan University.

Michael Ford

Microsoft

Michael Ford is the Corporate Vice President of Microsoft’s Global...

Natasha Rivers, Forterra Board

Natasha Rivers

Position: BECU
Categories: Board

Dr. Natasha Rivers is the Senior Sustainability & Measurement Manager at BECU where she is developing an ESG strategy and framework around environmental sustainability metrics and tracking, carbon governance, and short- and long-term initiatives. Natasha has served on the boards of the Seattle Children’s Theatre, Seattle Urban League Young Professionals, and Treehouse for Kids. She is a Leadership Tomorrow alum and Partner with Social Venture Partners (SVP). Natasha is a trained demographer who earned her PhD in Geography from UCLA with a focus on contemporary sub-Saharan African migration. She completed two doctoral research appointments, one at the Minnesota Population Center, and a second at the University of Washington’s Center for Studies in Demography and Ecology.

Natasha Rivers

BECU

Dr. Natasha Rivers is the Senior Sustainability & Measurement Manager...

Patrick Miller, Forterra Board

Patrick Miller

Position: Snap Inc
Categories: Board

Patrick Miller is currently the Senior Director of Global Workplace Services at Snap Inc, where he is responsible for managing Snap’s global real estate portfolio, design & development of all buildings and campuses, managing global food service program, and day to day operations of all workspaces.

He was formerly the Global Director of Real Estate and Facilities for Amazon’s corporate office space in the Puget Sound Region. Some of his expertise includes leading real estate, project, and facility teams through strategy, negotiation, design, construction, and facilities management. Patrick has expertise in both the office and industrial sectors and has successfully worked with numerous clients on projects around the globe.

Patrick Miller

Snap Inc

Patrick Miller is currently the Senior Director of Global Workplace...

Tracy Newman

Categories: Board

Tracy Newman

Vanessa Pegueros, Forterra Board

Vanessa Pegueros

Position: Technology Leader
Categories: Board

Vanessa is a technology leader with over 30 years of experience, 18 of those years in Security. She has been the CISO at Expedia, DocuSign, and OneLogin. Vanessa is Directorship Certified through NACD. She currently serves on the Audit Committee for BECU and is a board member for Prisidio and a Board Observer for Vouched.id. She is also a venture partner with Flying Fish Partners in Seattle and has recently become more active in the Angel investment community focusing on funding diverse founders. She has an MBA from Stanford University, a MS in Telecommunication from the University of Colorado, and a BS in Engineering from UC Berkeley.

Vanessa was formerly on the board of Washington Trails Association where she had the honor of serving with Ira Spring. She has also been very active in the Carnation/Duvall community, advocating for disaster preparedness, safety, and mental health.

Vanessa Pegueros

Technology Leader

Vanessa is a technology leader with over 30 years of...

We know one thing for certain: It takes a collective approach to keep this place special for generations to come. Here are some of our valued partners; not an exhaustive list by any means. We hope to keep forging partnerships.

Scroll to Top

Make your impact in Washington today and double your impact.


Hurry before time runs out!

Make your impact in Washington today so that people and nature can thrive together in a place where everyone belongs.

Get your gift in early and double your impact!

STAY CONNECTED

Sign up for our newsletter and follow us to stay connected, keep up with our work and secure the places you love.