STAFF

Susan Adams, Executive Director, has over 20 years of executive management,  policy development, facilitation and negotiation experience with private, public and nonprofit organizations working on natural resource issues. Prior to Washington Water Trust, Susan managed natural resources education, outreach, communications and public relations for Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife. While in Oregon, she also worked on regional water supply planning for Clackamas River Water in collaboration with diverse stakeholders throughout the Portland metropolitan area to help ensure sustainable water resources for future generations. Susan developed her expertise in marketing communications, operations, fundraising and board relations during her years with Honeywell Marine Systems, United Way, and private consulting in both Washington and Oregon. She holds a B.A. Communications and Business from Michigan State University and has pursued graduate studies at the University of Washington and Antioch University with an emphasis on systems design, leadership and change management.

Amanda Cronin, Project Manager, is an Olympic Peninsula native who joined Washington Water Trust in 2006. Amanda's background is in watershed management, stream and wetland restoration, and collaborative decision-making. As Watershed Program Coordinator for the Moscow, Idaho based Palouse-Clearwater Environmental Institute, Amanda planned and implemented urban and rural stream restoration projects with an emphasis on community involvement. She also designed restoration and monitoring plans for degraded stream and wetland sites. Amanda has a B.A. in Biology and Environmental Studies from Whitman College and a M.S. in Environmental Science and Policy from Northern Arizona University. Her Master's research explored the role of tribes in Collaborative Watershed Management of the Desert Southwest and Pacific Northwest United States.

Greg McLaughlin, Project Manager, came to Washington Water Trust in 2006 after working for the Natural Resources Conservation Service in Fort Collins, where he provided technical and design support for improved irrigation systems and conservation technical assistance for Farm Bill programs including the EQUIP, the Wetlands Reserve Program, the Wildlife Habitat Improvement Program, and the Conservation Reserve Program. Greg's career has emphasized the development of collaborative, locally-driven conservation projects, including work as a Peace Corps Volunteer for natural resources in rural Thailand, development of sustainable design and land use demonstration site in Colorado. He has an M.S. in Environmental Management with an emphasis on Social Ecology and Community Development from the Yale School of Forestry and Natural Resources.

Kelly McCaffrey, Project Manager, joined Washington Water Trust in 2005. Prior to her work with Washington Water Trust, her focus was strategic planning and development for the Network for Business Innovation & Sustainability/Future 500. She also has previous experience as a policy associate on environmental and recreation issues for The Mountaineers, followed with assistance to the Governor’s Sustainable Washington Advisory Panel and Earth-Economics.  Kelly holds a Masters from the Evans School of Public Affairs, University of Washington and a Bachelors in Zoology from Colorado State University.  Her current volunteer time is spent with Seattle’s Inner City Outings, The Interra Project and Partnership for Water Conservation.

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Gareth Green, PhD, President, currently teaches Economics at Seattle University. He received his PhD in Agricultural and Resource Economics in 1995 from the University of California at Berkeley and his BA in Economics at the University of Washington. Prior to joining Seattle University, he taught micro and macroeconomics at Western Washington University and natural resource economics and microeconomic theory at Washington State University. Green's research interests include natural resource and environmental economics, investment theory, the economics of technology adoption, and statistical modeling. Specific examples of his research include designing water purchase programs for the Bureau of Reclamation for salmon habitat restoration in Idaho and Washington, developing and instituting water pricing policies in California irrigation districts, estimating the technology-adoption response to water pricing regulations, and examining the potential for environmental water marketing and leasing in Washington.

Patricia L. Olson, PhD,  Vice President,  holds a double major in International Relations and Geography, an MS in Physical Geography from the University of Calgary and a PhD in Hydrology from the University of Washington.  Her dissertation research focused on groundwater-surface water interactions, with emphasis on aquatic relationships. She was formerly director of the Pacific Watershed Institute an organization dedicated to integrating ecosystem science with management in aquatic systems.

Between obtaining her advanced degrees, Ms. Olson worked for the Division of Waters, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources.  As statewide Instream Flow Program manager, she developed partnerships among tribal, federal, state and local governments that led to implementation of Minnesota’s instream flow program.

At the Pacific Watershed Institute, Ms. Olson  developed watershed assessment, monitoring and restoration strategies for tribal and federal governments and other partnerships.  She has also provided scientific and technical advice and testimony on water rights issues in Washington, particularly in relation to effects of groundwater appropriations on stream flow and aquatic habitat.  She is currently works with Washington Department of Ecology in Olympia.

Wick Dufford, Secretary,  is a lawyer who represented Washington State in water resource matters for many years as Assistant Attorney General.  He is a former chairman of the Washington State Pollution Control Hearings Board, the trial forum for most water resource cases in the state.  He has taught water law as a member of the Gonzaga University Law School faculty, and he has written a number of articles on the topic of water law. Mr. Dufford currently serves as a land use Hearing Examiner for San Juan County and for the cities of Bellevue and Tacoma.  He is a graduate of Princeton University and the University of Washington School of Law.

Ron Larson, Treasurer ~ more to come.

Dale Bambrick  is the Eastern Washington Habitat Branch Chief for the National Marine Fisheries Service. A professional fisheries biologist with 24 years of experience working on salmon habitat issues, he also has an extensive background in water policy, and helped author Washington's "Trust Water Rights Program" guidelines. His previous professional history includes stints as the Regional Director for the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife's Region 3 in Yakima, and as the Habitat manager for the Yakama Nation Fisheries program. He is a native of Washington state, and has lived in the Yakima River Basin since 1979. The Bambrick family spend as much time as possible together floating, swimming, fishing and gazing at the lakes, rivers and streams of Washington. Dale is a graduate of Central Washington University.

Lara Fowler is an attorney with the law firm of Gordon, Thomas, Honeywell, Malanca, Peterson & Daheim LLP. Lara's practice involves working with public and private clients to resolve environmental and natural resource issues. She is currently helping to develop agricultural water management plans that address both the Endangered Species Act and Clean Water Act in Walla Walla; researching protection of instream flows across state boundary lines; developing permits for shallow aquifer rechard projects and investigating possible instream flow transaction as and water rights valuations.   Lara graduated JD, with Honors from University of Washington School of Law and holds a BA in Asian Studies from Dartmouth College.

Steve Jansen is an insurance and financial advisor based Buckley, WA.

Greg Phillipi is a third generation orchardist from Wenatchee.

Tom Ring is a hydrogeologist with the Yakama Nation.

Pat Spurgin is an attorney, Yakima, WA

Gayle Rothrock, has been involved in public interest work for the past 35 years in the public, private and nonprofit sectors and in higher education.  For five years she was Foundation Administrator for the Northwest Fund for the Environment, and sat on the Board of Directors for the Washington Foundation. Ms. Rothrock has served on many commissions in Washington State including representing the commissioner of Public Lands on Washington’s Energy Facility Site Evaluation Council. She was an Interim Director and a Commission member for the Columbia River Gorge Commission, and member of the Shorelines and Pollution Control Hearings Boards of Washington.  For several years, she has been a training specialist serving public agencies and small businesses and has taught at Evergreen State College and community colleges in western Washington and Oregon. Ms. Rothrock graduated with a BA in American Studies from Mills College, and a MA in Public Administration from the University of Washington.

Steve Suagee is an attorney who has represented Native American Tribes up and down the West Coast.   Mr. Suagee has worked with the Hoopa Valley Tribe on the Trinity River in northern California, and for the past five years, with the Colville Tribes as a reservation based attorney on the Columbia, Okanogan, and San Poil Rivers in north central Washington.  He has worked on instream flow issues for 14 years and much of the work he has done in both California and Washington has involved protection and restoration of stream flows. Mr. Suagee is a graduate of the University of Michigan, and received his JD from the University of Oregon School of Law in 1986.  Mr. Suagee also is a member of the Board of Trustees for the Indian Law Section of the Washington State Bar Association, and member of the Cherokee Nation.

ADVISORS

Norman K.  Whittlesey, PhD, is Professor (Emeritus) of Agricultural Economics at Washington State University, where he has been since 1963.  During his tenure at WSU, he has been heavily involved in research and teaching related to production agriculture, irrigation development, water policy and environmental economics throughout the West. Mr. Whittlesey has authored over 200 publications related to water value, allocation and conservation.  In 1987, he won the prestigious Award for Professional Excellence from the American Agricultural Economics Association in recognition of his distinguished policy contribution for work in water policy related to irrigation development in the West.  He has been involved in many consulting efforts, including as lead economist on a U.S. Supreme Court case evaluating economic benefits and damages in Texas and New Mexico involving long-disputed allocations of the Pecos River.  He is currently serving a similar role for a similar case involving the Arkansas River.  He has served on numerous regional and national committees and task forces engaged in policy development for solving environmental and natural resource management problems.

Tyler Krutzfeldt, is Founder and Managing Director of Mont Vista Capital, a leading provider of investment banking services to the low-carbon economy.  Mont Vista Capital clients represent the full spectrum of alternative energy industries from biofuels and ethanol to bioenergy, wind energy, biomass, waste to energy, and CleanTech sectors. He received a Bachelor's of Science degree in Applied Agricultural Economics from Texas Tech University. He is a 3^rd generation Montana rancher involved in agribusiness.