SJPT - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Caretaker on Waldron Island
- Island Caretaker
These formative experiences eventually drew him back to a quiet life among the trees, lichens, and pebbles on Waldron. "As caretaker for the Waldron Island preserves," Alden says, "I feel privileged to support the beings and processes that hold space for the semi-feral children of the present and future."
Alden's stewardship responsibilities include all SJPT-protected land on Waldron Island.
Angela Anderson joined the San Juan Preservation Trust staff as Executive Director in February of 2018.
Prior to joining SJPT, she served as Kauai Island Director of the Hawaiian Islands Land Trust (HILT). An attorney, she also maintained her own private law practice, specializing in real estate transactions, estate planning, mediation, and environmental law.
Angela holds a law degree from the University of Hawaii's William S. Richardson School of Law, with graduate certificates in environmental law and conflict resolution. She received her bachelor's degree from Columbia University, where she designed a dual concentration in Environmental Science and Economics.
Barbara is an advocate for protecting the San Juan Islands, which are local, regional, national and international treasures. Serving as a San Juan Preservation Trust board trustee and being part of the efforts to preserve areas of the San Juans in perpetuity is of special interest to her.
In 2000, after retiring from a career at Microsoft, Barbara and her husband, Tye, moved to Orcas Island. Having grown up in the Midwest, Barbara wanted to better understand the uniqueness of the San Juans and to know more about the local marine environment and local flora and fauna. She completed the Whale Museum's Marine Naturalist Training and then volunteered as the Education and Outreach Coordinator for the SeaDoc Society for several years.
Barbara was hired as the Lead Entity Coordinator for salmon recovery for San Juan County and worked in that role for 10 years. She was actively involved in salmon recovery work at the regional and state level, representing San Juan County at the Puget Sound Partnership regional meetings and served as Vice-Chair and Chair of the statewide Washington Salmon Coalition. Barbara was also a member of the Science and Monitoring Subcommittees for the San Juan County Marine Resources Committee. She is a graduate of the University of California, Davis.
Barbara considers Robert Moran to have had great foresight over 100 years ago in donating his land to create Moran State Park on Orcas Island. She hopes that, 100 years from now, people will look back at the San Juan Preservation Trust's efforts to protect special areas of the San Juans and will consider our efforts to be just as prescient.
Ben Hallowell was born on Long Island, New York where he grew up fishing, surfing, and boating in the surrounding waters. Many balmy summer evenings were spent exploring the unique ecosystems where coastal oak forests and spring-fed streams meet salt marshes and crashing ocean waves.
Charles Givens is a lifelong learner who retired with his wife, Nancy, after a varied career as a mechanical draftsman, industrial photographer, printer and publisher, and model railroad retail business owner. The magazine he co-founded, The Narrow Gauge and Short Line Gazette, is still going strong today. His interest in trains and photography led to a passion for history and then for the environment. He watched California's Santa Clara Valley evolve from the "Valley of Heart's Delight," with thousands of acres of orchards, into Silicon Valley, where not a single orchard remains today.
In 1997, Charles and Nancy moved to a forested site on Lopez Island and began their commitment to the Preservation Trust, donating an easement on their property and volunteering in the Preservation Trust office until Charles joined the board in 2005. He also has served on the board of the Lopez Island Historical Society, including terms as vice-president and as treasurer. More recently he has served on the board of the Lopez Island Hospice & Home Support, including three years as treasurer.
Job Titles:
- Director of Communications & Outreach
Craig Canine moved to Orcas Island from Palo Alto, California, in 2007. Prior to joining the San Juan Preservation Trust, he worked as a magazine journalist for 25 years, starting as a writer/editor at Newsweek in New York. His work has also appeared in Smithsonian, The Atlantic, Eating Well, OnEarth, and other magazines. He is the author of Dream Reaper, a critically acclaimed nonfiction book about agriculture and invention. He's an avid hiker and boater, and is sometimes seen on the roads around West Sound riding a tandem bike with his wife. He holds a B.A. degree from Princeton and an M.A. from Oxford University.
David Duggins was raised in a family with a strong conservation ethic, and he pursued an academic career in line with those values. He earned both his bachelor's degree (in zoology) and Ph.D. (in wildlife biology) at the University of Washington. He worked as a research scientist at UW's Friday Harbor Laboratories for 40 years before retiring in 2016.
David's academic expertise centers on the effect of disturbance on ecological communities. While his work has focused on marine communities, the principles extend to terrestrial communities as well.
In addition to his academic research and teaching at the university level, David has long advocated introducing marine science to children in the primary grades. He created and supervised the Friday Harbor Labs' Marine Science Outreach Program, a partnership with UW, public and private schools, and government agencies for K-12 science education and stewardship.
He and his wife, Megan Dethier (also a scientist at Friday Harbor Labs), have been enthusiastic supporters of the San Juan Preservation Trust since its inception. Now that he's retired, David says, "I am able to put ‘my mouth where my money is' and contribute to the Preservation Trust's Board as a working board member.
"I am a strong believer in acting locally," he says, "and while global conservation challenges are daunting, local issues seem like the place to begin."
Dean Dougherty, Director of Stewardship, holds a Master's Degree from the University of Washington with a specialization in invasive plant control. He started working full time with the San Juan Preservation Trust in 2002 after escaping from the computer industry. He now lives in Olga with his wife on a small farm and volunteers with the Orcas Island Fire Department.
Dean leads our stewardship team, and directly monitors protected properties on the following islands:
Job Titles:
- Volunteer & Outreach Coordinator
Jack was raised on Orcas Island and developed his childhood connections to nature by hiking on Turtleback Mountain Preserve and other green spaces around the San Juans. After graduating from Orcas High School, he moved to Seattle to attend the University of Washington, where he graduated with bachelor's degrees in Journalism and International Studies.
In the years after college, Jack traveled internationally to explore postgraduate opportunities before returning to Seattle to work as a landscaper and an independent reporter. His journalism work has appeared in The Seattle Times, the South Seattle Emerald, InvestigateWest, and the Islands' Sounder, among other publications. Jack's stories primarily focused on human impacts on the natural world, social and racial equity, environmental justice, public policy, and land-use issues, topics that will help inform his work at the SJPT.
When the COVID-19 pandemic began, Jack made plans to leave the city and return to Orcas Island. Since settling back into island life, Jack's free time includes hiking, kayaking, bicycling, exploring mountains on the mainland, playing soccer, or helping steward his family farm.
"I spent my childhood exploring these islands, always knowing that I wanted to go off and experience other parts of the world," Jack says. "After visiting many corners of the globe, I learned that the islands of the Salish Sea already had just about everything I could ever want: a conscientious community, beautiful landscapes, and a hearty-yet-tranquil lifestyle."
Job Titles:
- Preservation Trust Staff Member
- Special Projects Director
Kathleen Foley Lewis has been a Preservation Trust staff member since 2005. She is a Washington native with a long history of exploring the San Juan Islands by boat, kayak and foot, and enjoys a wide variety of outdoor pursuits. Prior to working for the Preservation Trust, Kathleen worked for a number of years as both a wildlife rehabilitator and the volunteer coordinator for PAWS Wildlife Center in Lynnwood, WA. Kathleen has a B.S. in Wildlife Science from the University of Washington and a B.A. in Business/Marketing from Washington State University. She is a resident of San Juan Island.
As Special Projects Director, Kathleen straddles the Preservation Trust's Stewardship, Conservation, and Outreach programs. She manages SJPT's species-specific projects, including the San Juan Islands Western Bluebird and Island Marble Butterfly Habitat Expansion projects.
Kathy joined the Preservation Trust in July 2022 as IT & Project Specialist, bringing a wide array of IT Project Management experience with her.
Previously, Kathy's 25-year career spanned a variety of project leadership roles in the corporate IT arena. She got her start as a Systems Engineer right out of college, and soon found that the "people side" of Project Management was her passion. After 12 years at Intel Corp. managing large-scale IT projects, she moved into a consulting role specializing in cloud-based workflow-management software.
Kathy was born and raised in southern California, where she and her family enjoyed the beach and a variety of outdoor activities, including camping, backpacking, and motorcycle riding. She was raised to love and care for nature and has passed down those values to her children. She and her husband followed a family member to the San Juan Islands, and Friday Harbor became their permanent home in 2015.
Kathy holds a bachelor's degree in Business Administration Information Systems from San Diego State University and a master's certificate in Commercial Project Management from George Washington University. She volunteered as PTO Treasurer at her kids' school and was a Girl Scout leader for 10 years.
"I'm excited to support the SJPT staff in the important work they do," Kathy says, "while also giving back to this very special community!"
Kristin grew up on Orcas Island-raised, as she says, "among the wonder of the madrone, seabirds, tide pools and serene vistas." She attended the University of Washington and began a long career in nonprofit fundraising and development while living in Seattle. Most recently, she served as Director for Advancement for the College of the Environment at U.W. Prior to that, she raised funds for the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center and the American Red Cross.
In early 2020, Kristin and her husband returned to live full-time on Orcas Island, where they continued their years-long support of the Preservation Trust as fieldwork volunteers and donors, and even became Preserve Stewards. She joined the staff as Director of Philanthropy in the fall of 2020.
"I am thankful for the land that the Preservation Trust has protected in the years since I was a kid living at the base of Turtleback Mountain and riding my horse to what is now the Frank Richardson Wildfowl Preserve," Kristin says. "It's exciting to return to these treasured landscapes and join in the work of expanding SJPT's positive impact throughout the islands."
Troy has been a regular visitor to the San Juan Islands for decades and has always been impressed with the natural beauty during all seasons and weather conditions. In 2014, Troy began rolling up his sleeves at Preservation Trust work parties, and after moving to Orcas Island full time, he began volunteering regularly as a Preserve Steward at Turtleback Mountain and Turtlehead Preserves in 2020. He distinguished himself as a volunteer, winning our 2020-21 Volunteer of the Year Award. He joined the staff as a part-time Land Steward in July 2021.
Liz Doane joined the Preservation Trust in April 2022 as the organization's first Education Specialist. Previously, she worked as Program Director at the Funhouse Commons on Orcas Island, overseeing core Funhouse programs, including its After School, Summer Camp, Teen, Education, Mentor, and Volunteer programs.
Liz grew up in central Minnesota, where she spent most of her free time outdoors biking, hiking, and enjoying the multitude of lakes with family and friends. It was not until during college, however, that she experienced the pristine beauty of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness by invitation of a childhood friend. This trip proved to be the catalyst for her career.
After graduating with a BS in Biology from Doane University in Crete, Nebraska, Liz was accepted into the Graduate Naturalist Program at Wolf Ridge Environmental Learning Center in Finland, Minnesota, receiving her Masters Certificate in Outdoor Environmental Education in 2011. She pursued various seasonal outdoor education jobs after Wolf Ridge and found herself on Orcas Island at YMCA Camp Orkila in 2013. She fell in love with the San Juan Islands and moved to Orcas full-time in 2016. Since then, Liz has been deeply involved with the Orcas Island community through Orcas Center and Actors Theater productions, the Orcas Dance Collective, and as an executive chair for the Coalition for Orcas Youth.
Liz is excited to expand her work with youth in the San Juan Islands as Education Specialist, fostering and strengthening connections to the land for the next generation of community scientists, conservationists, and land stewards.
Marianne joined the Preservation Trust in August of 2021 as Office Manager, bringing with her a broad range of organizational, technological, and human-resource skills.
For almost two decades, she maintained a private healthcare practice in Mukilteo, WA, as an acupuncturist before relocating to San Juan Island in the spring of 2020. Prior to her career in healthcare, Marianne held administrative and managerial positions in a variety of industries, including accounting, event management, real estate, and hospitality.
Marianne received her B.S. from the University of Massachusetts Amherst in Hospitality Management and completed her graduate work at the New England School of Acupuncture. She has participated in Spiritual Ecology courses offered through the Kalliopeia Foundation and is a certified Marine Naturalist. She is a member of the Salish Sea Association of Marine Naturalists (SSAMN) and volunteers with Friends of Lime Kiln Society (F.O.L.K.S.).
"I had a fulfilling career for 20 years helping to maintain the health and balance of individual body systems," she says. "I am excited about working as part of the team at SJPT and spending the next 20 years doing the same for the diverse ecosystems of these beautiful islands."
Meghan Howard joined the Preservation Trust as a Land Steward in June 2021. A recent transplant to the San Juan Islands, she grew up along the rivers and lakes of North Carolina's coastal plains, exploring and loving all things wild. Since then, she's been seeking through her work to better understand ecological communities and what it means to be a good citizen of them. Prior to joining SJPT, she has held positions with the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences and the Smithsonian Neighborhood Nestwatch Program, conducted ecological research in Costa Rican cloud forests, and stewarded Sucia Island and seven other local marine parks with Washington State Parks. She holds a B.A. in Anthropology from UNC-Chapel Hill and an MSc in Ecology & Evolutionary Biology from Stanford University.
Meghan's stewardship responsibilities include SJPT-protected properties on Orcas Island.
Job Titles:
- Vice President Lopez Island
Olivia was born and raised on a farm in Michigan. Watching the land produce food for her community and swimming in Lake Michigan until she turned blue informed her love of place-based work. In college, Olivia participated in student organizing for sustainability projects and studied environmental science at Northern Michigan University.
Olivia acquired database-management skills from her work as a local-food organizer in Iowa and the San Juan Islands-bringing this experience to the Preservation Trust when she joined the staff in March 2022 as Philanthropy Coordinator. When Olivia isn't at SJPT's Friday Harbor office, you can find her reading, cycling, hiking, or wrangling her 12-year-old diabetic cat, Roger.
Job Titles:
- Curator / Interpretive Specialist
By her own admission, Ruthie has held "the best jobs in my field" during a career that has spanned 35 years. As a State Park Ranger at Spencer Spit and James Island, Manager of the Anacortes Community Forest Lands, Nature Conservancy San Juan Preserves Manager, and Land Steward with both the Preservation Trust and the San Juan County Land Bank, her work has focused on land preservation, environmental education, and habitat protection throughout the San Juan archipelago. An ecologist by training, she is motivated by E. O. Wilson's prediction, "Man will not be defined by what he has created, but by what he has chosen not to destroy," and strives each day to advocate for nature.
Job Titles:
- Secretary San Juan Island
Shannon hails from Michigan's Upper Peninsula, where she spent her youth building forts in the woods and riding her one-speed bike down endless gravel roads, often leading to spectacular wipeouts.
Shannon first experienced the magic of the San Juan Islands under the glow of Hale-Bopp Comet in 1997 and got married at San Juan Island County Park later that same year. When she is not in, on, or around the water, you can find Shannon on her sailboat in Friday Harbor, sometimes doing a crossword puzzle in a hammock strung between the mast and the forestay.
After working for many years as an international educator at UW, Shannon's growing interest in youth wellness, community advocacy, and environmental preservation led her to the nonprofit sector. Over the last 10 years, she has served in philanthropy, leadership, and educational programming roles in Washington nonprofits, advancing missions related to community wellness.
"I'm grateful to the San Juan Preservation Trust and its partners for their vision in preserving the wild and beautiful places I have treasured for many years," Shannon says. "I'm looking forward to deepening my connection to the community through the important work of the Preservation Trust."
Job Titles:
- Director of Operations
- Finance
Tom joined the Preservation Trust in February of 2021 as Director of Operations and Finance, bringing a wide array of experience in nonprofit management with him.
His career spans a variety of leadership roles with nonprofits and trade associations. He got his start in youth development and environmental education, which led to teaching middle school science and managing Boys & Girls Club facilities. Tom served as the Executive Director of the Washington Recreation & Park Association, and most recently worked at CoMotion, the University of Washington's Innovation Hub.
Tom was born and raised in Florida, where he fell in love with the water as a child through scuba diving, kayaking, and boating. One of his most transformational experiences was an environmental studies internship at Channel Islands National Park in California, followed by a staff role in the U.S. House of Representatives to work on environmental policy. He came to the Pacific Northwest in 2009 and moved to the San Juans in 2020 after exploring the islands for years by both land and sea.
Tom holds a bachelor's degree in Political Science and Environmental Policy, and a master's degree in Interdisciplinary Ecology, both from the University of Florida. He remains a community leader by volunteering with multiple nonprofits and serving on the board of Leadership Tomorrow (our region's largest civic leadership organization) and as a Director for the Recreation Boating Association of Washington.
Job Titles:
- Conservation Director
- Preservation Trust As Conservation Director
Vickie joined the Preservation Trust as Conservation Director in November 2020, after working in the natural-resources field in western Montana for 20 years-most recently at Five Valleys Land Trust in Missoula.
Prior to six years of serving in various conservation and stewardship capacities at Five Valleys, Vickie worked for the state of Montana as a wildlife biologist, implementing wildlife management and land conservation programs over 1.8 million acres in the Missoula area.
Her previous work included monitoring and studying mountain lions, building working relationships with landowners to gain access to private lands to conduct research.
Working for the USDA Forest Service and U.S. Geological Survey, she supervised 30 crew members and managed logistics for a million-acre study area in the Blackfoot River drainage on private and public lands to obtain a population estimate on grizzly bears.
Vickie also served as a Wildlife Conflict Specialist, responding to emergency calls involving conflicts between humans and bears, mountain lions, moose, and assorted other big-game species.
But Vickie wasn't always a Montana girl. She acquired her love of nature while living in south Florida, where she spent as much time as possible on the water fishing, kayaking, and viewing wildlife. Her studies at the University of South Florida focused on human impacts on avian species, particularly on spoil islands in the intracoastal waterways of the Gulf of Mexico.
Now that she lives on San Juan Island, she has developed an equally strong fascination with orcas, harbor seals, bald eagles, trumpeter swans, and all the other wildlife and plant species-as well as the people-that make these islands such an amazing and conservation-worthy place in the world.