John Thompson moved to Bellingham about 15 years ago to take a job running the Bellingham Business Journal.  After spending about 10 years as the editor and publisher of the journal, he took a job as the marketing manager at Western Washington University.  Despite his extensive experience in journalism and marketing, John traces his professional roots back to fish.  He received a bachelor's degree in fisheries biology from Unity College in Maine in 1990 and worked for the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife and Delaware Fish & Wildlife before embarking on his journalism career.  A past NSEA Volunteer of the Year, John joined the board of directors in 2009 and enjoys helping NSEA continue the momentum it has gathered during his 15-plus years with the organization.

 

Mike McRory is an individual in the Bellingham and Whatcom County communities who has dedicated the past twenty five years of his life changing attitudes and practices on how we treat our streams. As a founding board member of Nooksack Salmon Enhancement Association, Mike has put his time, talent, and life resources toward getting on-the-ground stream restoration projects up and running. When most people would get burned out or give up after doing project after project, Mike continues to inspire our community to keep working to improve the environment.

 

Mike has led the effort to systematically turn Whatcom Creek, a trashed-out stream in the middle of Bellingham, into a living classroom for stream restoration, environmental education, and fish recovery. Salmon sulptures, trails and native plants now line pedestrian trails leading from Bellingham Bay through the heart of Bellingham's civic center. Mike has involved himself in community-based watershed restoration and salmon recovery as a life-long commitment. His home is a model for using native plants in a residential setting. All of the projects that he concieves and executes have tremendous care in all planning, planting, and maintenance aspects. He has expermented with finding the most successful methods of riparian restoration, which are now a model for other projects. Mike is mentor and inspiration to countless youth and citizens of all ages in Bellingham. He is a true conservationist and his work will live on for decades to come.

 

Kati Reid - Vise President

Kati Reid graduated from the MBA program at Western Washington University.

Phil Humphries,  Retired Boeing Engineer/Marketing A nalyst

Phil was born and raised in Wales and graduated with a degree in mechanical engineering from Birmingham University (England). In 1966 he was hired by Boeing Seattle, where he worked 18 years as an engineer, followed by 15 years in marketing. Phil took early re

tirement in 1999 and moved to Bellingham in 2002 with his wife, Cynthia St. Clair, who retired from the UW in 2008, and their Australian shepherd of a certain age, Miss Annie. Phil enjoys pickleball, paragliding, singing, driving Miss Annie, and partaking of good local beer and food.  He also takes a photo a day for his blog http://www.blipfoto.com/pilipo.

Analiese Burns - Biologist, PWS

Northwest Ecological Services, Inc.

Analiese is a Professional Wetland Scientist (PWS) and a partner of Northwest Ecological Services. She has a degree in ecology and conservation and is a LEED® Accredited Professional knowledgeable in sustainable landscape design. Analiese has over eleven years of experience in public speaking, facilitation, and project management. Her management experience includes projects throughout Western Washington involving wet delineations, mitigations, mitigation design, ESA assessments, shoreline review, and critical area ordinance compliance, and construction monitoring.

Jeremy Brown - RFEG Coalition Representative - Commercial Fisherman

Jeremy Brown has trolled for salmon since the early 1980’s and has been involved in salmon recovery for almost as long. A Food and Society Policy Fellow, much of his work is focused on the integrity of healthy locally based food systems and the ecosystems on which they depend.

Phelps McIlvaine - Principal, Saturna Capital

Phelps McIlvaine is the Director and Vice President of Saturna Capital. Phelps was born in Illinois and has a BA in economics from the University of Denver. Phelps entering the investment business in 1976; his extensive experience in investments makes him a valuable asset to NSEA’s Board of Directors. Phelps currently serves on the Endowment Committee.

Dorie Belisle - Bellewood Acres, Owner

Dorie Belisle is NSEA’s newest board member and owner of BelleWood Acres.  She has been deeply involved in salmon habitat issues in Whatcom County since 2000, often working in partnership with NSEA.  As a farmer, a wholesaler, a retailer, and a streamside landowner, she plans to share her passion to leave our world a better place for our grandchildren.

Bret Simmons - Attorney at Law - Roy, Simmons, Smith & Parsons

Bret grew up in Arizona and moved to Bellingham in 1995.  He is a partner with the Bellingham law

firm Roy, Simmons, Smith & Parsons.  His wife, Gretchen, is a teacher in the Bellingham School District.  They have two boys, Toby and Quen, who have been participating in NSEA work parties most of their lives.  Bret is one of the founding Board members of the Liam Wood Flyfishers and River Guardians.

Ken Carrasco holds a Master's degree from the University of Washington (Dungeness crab ecology). He worked for the Alaska Dept. of Fish and Game, NOAA Fisheries where he did research on the effects of chemical pollutants, the Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission, and King County where he was a senior ecologist. Ken and his wife live on Blue Mountain Farm, a retreat site for environmental education and personal growth groups, near Acme along the Noocksack River's South Fork. He holds a charter-boat captain's license, and also serves on the Whatcom County Marine Resources Committee.

Leif Embertson - River Engineer, GeoEngineers

Leif is a practicing engineer at GeoEngineers in Bellingham, WA.  He has a B.S. and M.S. in Civil Engineering, is a registered professional engineer, a Certified Floodplain Manager, and a member of the Association of State Floodplain Managers.  His background can best be described as having extensive experience in riverine hydraulics

coupled with significant cross training in fluvial geomorphology and founded upon intimate personal experiences within the river environment.  He spent his youth tromping around North Umqua, McKenzie, and North Santiam drainages. He now spends an awful lot of his spare time up on the North and Middle Fork Nooksack playing in high gradient streams and systems.

Gregg Dunphy - Fisheries Biologist, Lummi National Natural Resources Dept.

Gregg received a B.S. in Fisheries

in 1982 from the University of Washington. He has worked for 23 years in the field, including 20 years as a biologist with the Lummi Natural Resources Department.

Jerry Smith - Controller, Seafood Producers Cooperative

Jerry  graduated for the University of Kansas with a degree in Business and Accounting.  He has over 30 years of financial experience in the seafood industry, and has bee

n with S.P.C. for 20 years. In his years with S.P.C., Jerry has been instrumental in establishing methods and procedures for successful identification and tracking of job costing for the various operations at our Sitka, Alaska processing facility. Jerry enjoys golfing and home brewing beer.

Kelly Martin - Student Board Member, W WU

Kelly Martin is a freshwater ecology student at the Huxley College of the Environment at Western Washington University. Kelly has always been intrigued by marine and freshwater ecosystems and has taken many courses on both subjects. In 2009 she participated in a fly-fishing river stewardship class, and gained more of an appreciation for salmon and trout habitat.  The class introduced her to NSEA, where she volunteered to help restore river ecosystems so that salmon and trout can sustain healthy populations.  When the class was over, Kelly continued to volunteer with NSEA by participating in restoration work parties.  She completed the advanced fly-fishing course and has become even more dedicated to helping sustain wild salmon populations.

Jordan Head is a freshwater ecology student at Huxley College of the Environment at WWU. Jordan has always enjoyed fishing for salmon and steelhead and is dedicated to helping restore wild runs of both. Jordan plans to get his masters in fisheries managment after he graduates from Western.