Abby comes to Forterra with a background in all things plant related. As a student at Whitman College, she spent two summers studying plant ecology in the grasslands of Eastern Washington, using the data she collected to write her senior thesis. She also participated in Semester in the West, an interdisciplinary environmental field program. On the program she met ranchers, biologists, politicians, and writers who exposed her to the importance of collaboration and critical thinking in conservation. After graduating in 2020 with a degree in Biology and Environmental Studies, Abby worked in the horticulture industry before taking a position with the Washington Conservation Corps to restore salmon habitat.

Abby is passionate about deconstructing the concept of “pristine wilderness” and hopes to spend her career fostering a healthy connection between people and the landscape around them. She is excited to join Forterra this year with these efforts in mind, while also taking classes in wetland science at the University of Washington. In her free time she’ll probably be backpacking, climbing, sewing, or reading.

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 .

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.

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.

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.

Chloe grew up in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, enjoying the natural beauty of the lakes, trees, and wildlife in the Midwest. She moved to Washington to pursue her bachelor’s degree at the University of Puget Sound, where she received a B.A. in Environmental Policy and Decision- Making as well as Sociology/Anthropology and a minor in Global Development Studies. Chloe’s thesis work centered around issues of equity and accessibility regarding urban green spaces and the impacts and implications of green space development within the United States. Along with her studies, Chloe is deeply passionate about environmentalism in the Pacific Northwest and has spent time working within various sectors of the environmental field in the South Sound community. Previously, she has focused on habitat restoration and water quality with the Pierce Conservation District, worked in environmental education as an instructional assistant in collaboration with her professors in the Environmental Policy and Decision-Making department, and served as an advocate for sustainability, waste reduction, and environmental awareness through her employment with Sustainability Services at the University of Puget Sound. Chloe is excited to be a member of the Forterra team and looks forward to fostering connections, spending time outdoors, and engaging with the South Sound community as a Stewardship Coordinator. In her free time, Chloe enjoys hiking, crafting, laughing with friends, collecting crystals, playing guitar, and taking care of her houseplants.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Emilene has lived in various cities throughout the Western Coast of the United States. She first discovered her love for the outdoors and the PNW, growing up in Portland, OR. She graduated from San Francisco State University with a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Science. During her undergraduate years, she was the Assistant Director of the Environmental Resource Center: a student-led organization that coordinated sustainability and environmental justice programs and events. Emilene is passionate about connecting people to nature through equitable community-based solutions. After graduating, she worked for the National Park Service in Golden Gate National Recreation Area, where she led outdoor education/interpretation programs for K-12 school groups.

Emilene joined Forterra in 2021 as an AmeriCorps member, supporting the Green Cities, Lands, and Riparian Restoration teams in on-the-ground ecological restoration. Emilene believes in protecting and preserving the planet through responsible land management and restoration: stewardship and education; and scientific research. She loves working with the community to solve issues facing the world and is excited to continue doing this work as a Stewardship Coordinator for the Green Seattle Partnership.

Emilene enjoys exploring new places, going on foodie adventures, and creating art. In her free time, she enjoys reading self-development books, watching anime, and playing video/board games.

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 Stewart joins Forterra with a strong background in Office Management, bookkeeping and customer service. A lifelong theater artist, Erin holds a BFA from Seattle’s own Cornish College of the Arts. She has written, produced and performed around the Pacific Northwest for over 20 years. Born and raised in Seattle, her attachment to the land, sea and mountains is undeniable. Erin loves exploring the outdoors with her partner and their Wheaten Terrier, often going on weekend adventures to the Washington coast. Erin also enjoys true crime podcasts, making up new recipes and a good campfire.

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.

As a program manager with Forterra’s impact investment team, Hillary develops and implements community engagement and government relations strategies for pipeline projects. She is committed to expanding thoughtful relationships with community-based organizations, tribes, investors, and government agencies and enjoys finding and implementing community-driven solutions to ensure long-term success and sustainability. Over the past four years at Forterra, she has managed a large portfolio of real estate and conservation projects, including launching a successful grassroots campaign to raise $3.5 million to conserve over 3,000-acres on the Kitsap Peninsula and facilitating the acquisition, predevelopment financing, and community stakeholder engagement for transit-oriented developments in Seattle, Tukwila, and Tacoma. Prior to Forterra, Hillary conducted research and analysis for impact assessments and nonprofit due diligence at Williamsworks, a women-owned consulting firm. She holds a Bachelor of Science in liberal studies from Montana State University. Hillary likes to trail run and take on home improvement projects.

Jackie uses her professional training and expertise to advocate for the affordable housing market and the education of children with disabilities. Her extensive experience in land use planning includes seven years with Thurston Regional Planning Council, implementing the Growth Management Act as an associate planner, and three with Thurston County Development Services, developing long-range land use planning policies and regulations. In these roles, she was able to see front-line democracy in progress — the way that public involvement can shape the development practices adopted by communities. Her equally extensive experience in law includes ten years at Futurity Legal Services, focusing on estate planning and special education advocacy, in particular fighting abusive disciplinary practices targeting children with complicated disabilities such as autism. She has written on shoreline armoring in Thurston County and written comprehensive, sub-area, and urban growth area plans for Thurston County, Olympia, Lacey, and other local municipalities. She holds a bachelor’s from The Evergreen State College and a JD from the University of Washington. Jackie likes to putter outside with podcasts in her ear, read, and travel. Someday she will rejoin the Olympia Peace Choir, the League of Women Voters, and the women’s Ultimate Frisbee league.

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.

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.

Jeff is a glass-half-full guy who works outside of the box. He is dedicated to fostering inclusive, equitable financial solutions to aid in the massive remediation and healing our society deserves, particularly in communities of Black, Indigenous, and other people of color who have historically been underserved. Before becoming a nonprofit community development professional and Accredited Financial Counselor®, he spent decades honing a career in business banking and real estate finance for Fortune 500 companies, working in a variety of subfields, including underwriting, lending, and wealth management. Jeff attended the University of Washington where he earned a bachelor’s in urban studies emphasizing community economic development with a minor in law and policy, followed by a master’s degree in community planning. His current work at Forterra is centered in community-driven design, attainable home and business ownership, as well as innovating restorative economic mobility models that bridge the Racial Wealth Gap. Away from work, Jeff likes soulful music, reading Chinese wuxia novels, cooking, and dreaming.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Malia was born in Hawaii, where her love of beauty, nature, and the land began.  She spent her youth on the beaches, rivers, and trails there, in Santa Barbara, Sun Valley, Taos and the Northwest. She completed a teacher training in Early Childhood Education, while living and working on a Biodynamic Commercial Farm in New Zealand. Her previous career was dedicated to creating environmentally friendly aesthetically pleasing retail spaces.  One of her designs was the first of its kind in the U.S., utilizing reclaimed barn wood slats for paneling. Malia has an extensive background in floral and interior design in private and corporate sectors. She was also the lead designer for one of the Williams-Sonoma, Inc. brands and initiated re-brand/product design to handmade, Euro and Eco-friendly goods. She has a Domestic Violence Advocacy Credential and was a Client Care Coordinator for two Seattle based treatment centers. Malia has always aspired to being part of a Non-Profit. Joining the Forterra movement to assist the planet and humanity is her greatest occupation.

Most recently, Margaret was the chief financial officer at the Frye Art Museum where she oversaw all business operations and managed the commercial real estate and foundation investment portfolios. At Qualis Health, where she also acted as chief financial officer, she developed and managed all finance, accounting, contracting, compliance, administrative, and facilities functions for the $40+ million healthcare consulting nonprofit. She provided financial, compliance, and facilities oversight for expansion to three new offices, while maintaining the six existing ones. At PhenoPath Laboratories, Margaret, again as CFO, developed and managed the finance, accounting, and administrative functions (including human resources and information technology) for an innovative, rapidly expanding national medical diagnostic laboratory and contract research firm. Prior to these positions, she ran her own consulting business, offering expertise and assistance to nonprofit and municipal clients in strategic planning, financial analysis, and capacity and credit building. Margaret holds a bachelor’s in business administration with a concentration in accounting and a bachelor’s in foreign languages and literature (French and German) from Washington State University. She is a passionate advocate for global healthcare access, climate change action, and the rights of people over corporations. She loves to be outdoors, at her lake cabin in the woods, in the garden, or out on walks, or else occupied indoors at the theater or a museum.

Mary brings over 20 years’ experience in accounting and finance. She received her bachelor’s from Indiana University in 1995 and earned her Certified Public Accounting (CPA) license in 2009. Mary has worked in a variety of industries including a bank (HomeStreet), a brewery (Redhook), people search (Intelius), automobile PR (STI Fleet Services) and healthcare (Providence Health). But joining Forterra has brought her work closer to her love for the outdoors. In her free time, she likes to volunteer, try new restaurants, travel the world or just hang out with her family.

May has a bachelor’s in accounting from the University of Houston. Prior to Forterra, she spent eight years as a person banker at Wells Fargo, where she received the regional sales award. She was also a senior accountant and accounting manager at Houston Foodbank and a staff accountant at HIMA Americas and GBH CPAs. May volunteers with her church and in the community. Away from work she likes to travel and listen to TED Talks.

Michael believes in the power of people coming together to create genuine change and build a more sustainable, equitable, and just society. Michael is a writer, strategist, and national communications leader. He has a B.A. In Visual and Media Arts from Emerson College. He has spent nearly two decades developing communications strategies to motivate people and mobilize movements to make democracy work for all of us, protect our water, tackle the climate crisis, and increase access to affordable housing and greenspace in our cities. Most recently Michael spent 11 years as the Director of Communications at Clean Water Action, a national organization, fighting for strong health and environmental protections through issue expertise, solution-oriented thinking, and by building people power. In this role he also led the communications and media efforts of broad coalitions focused on protecting clean water for all communities. Michael lives in Seattle with his partner of 20 years. When he’s not working, you can find usually find him mixing cocktails for friends, digging for books and records at shops across the city, or in a darkened theater watching movies, dance, or music.

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.

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.

Nick 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 a bachelor’s in geological sciences and French from the University of Michigan. At Forterra, Nick collaborates with communities 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 across the region, including shaping two state laws creating a regional marketplace that has protected over 60,000 acres of farm and forest land. Nick has published extensively on the transfer of development rights and conservation and authored technical and policy reports for cities and counties in Washington. He serves as a board member of the Everett Station District Alliance. Nick is an avid adventurer and world traveler, having visited 30 countries and lived abroad for seven years. He is 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 and civilians missing around the world. Previously, Nick was a manager and designer at Feathered Friends, a Seattle-based sporting goods company. He was co-founder of Adventure Professionals, Inc. and worked as a mountaineering guide with Alpine Ascents, an instructor with National Outdoor Leadership School, and rafting and canyoneering 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.

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.

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.

Rebecca Davis comes to Forterra as an Executive Assistant on the People & Culture team from Shunpike, a non-profit fiscal sponsor of small arts organizations in Western Washington. While at Shunpike, Rebecca helped out 60+ clients do everything from applying for grants to acquiring banquet and event licenses. Previous to entering non-profit life, Rebecca worked for various tech companies as an Executive Assistant. Originally from Oregon, she moved to Seattle after graduating from U of O. In her other pre-COVID life, Rebecca enjoyed theatre, cabaret, and traveling to the UK.

Rebecca earned a JD from Seattle University in 1996 and worked as a criminal defense attorney, primarily in Tacoma, for 15 years. She also worked as a renovation project manager for rental properties and managed rental properties for 10 years. Following the completion of a Master of Science in Real Estate from the University of Washington, she has been working on real estate acquisition, entitlement, financing, and development of affordable housing projects, as well as the community engagement work surrounding those projects. Rebecca lives on Mercer Island with her husband and two children and enjoys hiking, running, and reading a good book.

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.

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.

Susan brings extensive experience in conservation and community development and creating partnerships rooted in trust and understanding. She feels successful when she’s included varied voices, found common ground, and showcased the best of a community or effort. Susan was deputy director of Washington Wild for the three years prior to joining Forterra. She co-led the organization with emphasis on staff leadership, administration, fundraising, and strategic direction. For nine years, she was the executive director of West Seattle Junction Association, a small neighborhood-focused organization which collected funds from area businesses to support neighborhood programs. As a program manager at Washington Wilderness Coalition, Susan led an activist-driven conservation program that coordinated wilderness advocacy groups in a campaign to protect National Forests from logging, road building, and other destructive activities. Before that, as a program manager at Adopt a Beach, she oversaw citizen monitoring programs on Puget Sound shoreline to better understand and protect the marine environment. Away from work, Susan enjoys cooking with friends and family, exploring the mountains on foot, bike or skis, dabbling in the garden, plotting her next adventure, and laughing with her family.

Coming soon.

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.

“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.

Vanessa is originally from Florida and spent a decade in Austin before relocating to the Pacific Northwest to be closer to family.  She has built a career blending her legal experience and real estate expertise with her passion for protecting undeveloped spaces and the communities who depend on them.  Most recently she conducted a feasibility study around bringing a farmland preservation program to a rapidly developing corridor in Central Texas, and before that she served as a Project Manager at The Conservation Fund, where she assisted with land acquisitions and managed the disbursement of $5 million in funding for the preservation of bat habitat in Arkansas and Oklahoma.

Her additional nonprofit experience includes her work with Black Fret, an Austin-based music nonprofit that is dedicated to enriching the art of live music through support and mentorship of local musicians. In her time with Black Fret, she directly assisted the Founder and President in developing organizational infrastructure to grow and manage the scaling of the nonprofit. This included project work related to refining the business model as well as identifying and building strategic partnerships.

On weekends she finds various ways to get outside by either backpacking, mountain biking, paddling, or running her favorite local trails. She can often be found at her local martial arts studio, training hard to earn her next belt.