Lee Carlson
Lee Carlson is the Habitat Section Coordinator at the Yakama Nation Fisheries. Lee graduated from Colorado State University with a Bachelor of Science, Biological Science, and Fisheries Biology from the University of Nevada – Reno. Lee Participates in collaborative endeavors such as the Okanogan-Wenatchee NF Resource Advisory Committee, Gifford Pinchot NF Resource Advisory Committee, Upper Columbia Salmon Recovery Board, North Central Washington Forest Health Collaborative, Okanogan-Wenatchee NF Provencial Advisory Committee, WRIA 29A Planning Unit, Upper Columbia Habitat Restoration Project (UCHRP) and the Status and Trends Annual Report.
Barbara Carrillo
Barbara Carrillo has over 20 years of experience in media relations, events, office management and HR primarily with nonprofits and state and government entities. She received her Associates of Arts & Sciences degree from Wenatchee Valley College and her Bachelor of Arts degree in Communications with Grand Canyon University. Barbara also has expertise and experience as an independent consultant in media relations, writing, marketing and communications. She is a member of the Wenatchee Valley College Foundation Board, and assists on the Executive Committee and Chair of the Outreach and Events committee working on fundraising and event planning. Barbara’s hobbies include reading historical fiction, running, hiking, snow skiing, boating and spending time in the great outdoors of North Central Washington with family and friends.
Cathy Dowd
Cathy Dowd joined the Forest Service in May 2009 as a policy analyst in Research and Development in Washington D.C. She worked for several years as a natural resource specialist for the Climate Change Advisor in the Chief’s Office and for a year on a National Forest in Arizona as a public affairs officer, forest planner, and staff officer covering engineering, recreation, archaeology, GIS, and lands and minerals program areas before becoming the public affairs officer on the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest. She has a Master’s of Public Policy with a focus on environmental policy from the University of Maryland and an M.S. in Physical Geography from Northern Illinois University in DeKalb. In her previous career, she taught physical and regional geography, cartography, and GIS at a few liberal arts colleges in the Midwest.
Melody Kreimes
Before coming to the UCSRB in 2013, Melody maintained a private practice as an environmental facilitator and mediator. She worked on a variety of issues, such as watershed planning, underground petroleum contaminations, public workshops on numerous contentious Draft Environmental Impact Statements, and marine fisheries impacts from power plant operations. Melody obtained a Bachelor of Science in natural resource sciences from Ohio State University, and a Master of Science in natural resource sciences from Washington State University with a research focus on collaboration and multiparty dispute resolution. Her home is nestled at the base of the mountains in Leavenworth, where she skis and hikes with her husband and two rambunctious children.
Amanda Levesque
Amanda Levesque manages the education and outreach programs for Cascadia Conservation District including a quarterly newsletter, managing social media, coordinating the Kids in the Creek outdoor education program, hosting river clean up events, managing the Firewise program, conducting fire risk assessments and working with forest landowners, coordinating the Chelan County Clean Water Campaign as well as the campaign’s photo contest and stewardship calendar, managing the Rolling Rivers watershed model, coordinating public meetings and community events throughout Chelan County, as well as participating in many outreach and education events throughout the year, such as: Ardenvoir Swallow Fest, the Wenatchee Schools Shrub Steppe series for K-5th graders, Entiat and Leavenworth Earth Day Fairs, the Upper Wenatchee Watershed Fair, the Chelan County Fair, the Wenatchee River Salmon Festival, and other events that come up throughout the year. Amanda has been with Cascadia for almost five years.
Dale Swedberg
Dale Swedberg is a lifelong resident of Washington State. Dale grew up on a farm near Ellensburg,Wa. Dale attended WSU and received a BS in Wildlife Management in 1972 and a MS in Environmental Science in 1981.
Beginning in 1976 Dale’s career has spanned 3 agencies – “Game Department”, Department of Wildlife and Department of Fish & Wildlife and 6 positions – Fish & Game Tech Aide, Game Biologist, Wildlife Control Agent, Fish and Wildlife Officer, Wildlife Area Manager and now Lands Operations Manager. In his newest position he oversees management of Sinlahekin, Scotch Creek, Methow, Wells Wildlife Areas and the Access Program.
Dale’s philosophy on wildlife habitat management can be summed up as “Process Centered Management/Restoration” meaning that he advocates protecting, restoring and managing ecological processes that create and sustain wildlife habitat such as fire. As such he has developed a passion for restoring fire including fire by-products and fire effects to fire dependent wildlife habitat.
Pete Teigen
Pete’s interest in resource management started while fighting fires on the Idaho City Hotshot Crew, which allowed him to work and explore unique landscapes and ecosystems throughout the West. He saw both the destruction and utility wildfires can have on these landscapes in addition to the challenges that land managers and agencies face while balancing various interests. This experience prompted him to get his Master of Public Administration from University of Washington where he focused on the role non-governmental organizations play in shaping the landscape and helping achieve positive environmental and conservation outcomes. Currently, he serves on the Board of Directors for Wenatchee Outdoors and volunteers in a variety of capacities in the community. In his free time, he loves exploring North Central Washington by foot, bike and ski with his wife, young son, and dog (Smokey).
Susan Thomas
Susan Thomas is the Partnership Coordinator on the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest. Susan works closely with the North Central Washington Collaborative to help bridge the US Forest Service with partners and stakeholders. Susan has a B.S. from Flagstaff, Az and her Masters in Natural Resources from Central Washington University. She is passionate about building strong collaborative relationships in natural resource management. In her free time she loves to back-county ski, travel, be a soccer mom, and enjoy the beauty that surrounds us in North Central Washington.
Jen Watkins
Jen Watkins is a conservation associate and I-90 Wildlife Corridor Campaign coordinator with Conservation Northwest. Jen began working with Conservation Northwest in 2001 as part of the outreach team for The Cascades Conservation Partnership. She continues to work on connectivity issues in the Central Cascades with the I-90 Wildlife Bridges Coalition and with our national forests program on the Okanogan-Wenatchee and Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forests. Jen graduated from the University of Washington’s College of Forest Resources and has a strong interest in community collaborations and wildlife connectivity.