Cascadia Conservation District

pears in pear orchard

Meet Our Staff

Committed to Conservation

MEET OUR STAFF

The Cascadia Conservation District is self-governed by a volunteer Board of Supervisors who oversee the work of dedicated staff members with a broad range of expertise. Both are committed to the wise use of natural resources and understand the value of voluntary, locally-led conservation in our communities.

Members of the Board of Supervisors serve three-year terms and work to establish priorities, set policy and supervise District staff. The Board consists of three members elected by District voters and two members appointed by the Washington State Conservation Commission through an application process. The Board may also consist of associate members appointed by current Board members. Associate members may attend board meetings and weigh-in on issues, but are not granted voting rights.

Administration

Kathleen Deason Administrative Assistant

Kathleen Deason
Administrative Assistant

Valerie Hampton Financial Coordinator

Valerie Hampton
Financial Coordinator

Nada Wentz Office Assistant

Nada Wentz
Office Assistant

Agriculture

Elizabeth Jackson Program Director

Elizabeth Jackson
Program Director

Marcy head shot

Marcy Bartelheimer
Resource Specialist I

Kelly-L

Kelly Luebbering
Resource Specialist I

Archaeology

Mark Amara Archaeologist

Mark Amara
Archaeologist

Kim Lancaster Archaeologist

Kim Lancaster
Archaeologist 

Education & Outreach

Kirk Beckendorf Environmental Educator

Kirk Beckendorf
Environmental Educator

Amanda Newell Education & Outreach Specialist

Amanda Newell
Education & Outreach Specialist

Laura-

Laura Rivera
Bilingual Education & Outreach Specialist

Forestry

Patrick Haggerty Forestry Program Manager

Patrick Haggerty 
Forestry Program Manager

Joe Hill Forest & Community Resilience Specialist

Joe Hill
Forest & Community Resilience Specialist

Isobel Woolner Forest & Community Resilience Specialist

Isobel Woolner
Forest & Community Resilience Specialist

Management

Ryan Williams Executive Director

Ryan Williams
Executive Director

Stream Restoration

Alex Harwell Resource Specialist II

Alex Harwell
Resource Specialist II

Mark Ingman Resource Specialist II

Mark Ingman
Resource Specialist II

Lucas Lachica Resource Technician II

Lucas Lachica
Resource Technician II

Seasonal Technicians

Bio pic Chace-sm

Chace Whitmer
Seasonal Technician

"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has."
- Margaret Mead

Mark Amara

Archaeologist

[email protected]

Bio coming soon!

Mark Amara Archaeologist

Valerie Hampton

Financial Coordinator

[email protected]

Playing in the woods, riding horses, fishing, and outdoor science classes in grade school gave Valerie an early appreciation for nature. Education at Central Washington University in Journalism/Public Relations and experience in bookkeeping formed the backdrop to Valerie’s introduction to resource conservation. In 1996, Valerie started with the District as a part-time secretary. Her interesting and varied tasks now include assisting with grant invoicing, financial reporting, payroll, benefits, budgeting, contracting, staff support and policy development. Married, with two adult children and one grandson, Valerie enjoys family time, cooking, and word games.

Valerie Hampton Financial Coordinator

Nada Wentz

Office Assistant

[email protected]

Cascadia Conservation District hired Nada 11 years ago for the position of Office Assistant. As an Office Assistant her duties included receptionist, clerical, filing, taking meeting minutes, Board meeting schedules and prep, and mailing of correspondence. She has held clerical and bookkeeping positions prior to becoming a mom, but she chose to stay home with her four children until they were grown. While at home with her family, in-home daycare and piano lessons helped with the family income. She enjoys canning fruit, sewing, card making, knitting and baking. “Raising a family has deeply ingrained the need for good stewardship practices, not just financially, but in taking good care of all that we need and enjoy. She considers herself blessed to be allowed to work for Cascadia Conservation District and with the staff.”

Nada Wentz Office Assistant

Elizabeth Jackson

Program Director

[email protected]

Originally from the East Coast, Elizabeth moved to the Wenatchee Valley in 2014 with a passion for fish and wildlife and working with people. Elizabeth has over ten years of experience in resource management at non-profit, state, and federal levels and five years of experience in conservation planning. She earned a BA in Environmental Science from Clark University in 2009 and a master’s certificate in Wildlife Management from Oregon State University in 2019. Elizabeth enjoys the beauty of North Central Washington and devotes herself to preserving our natural resources for future generations. In her spare time, she enjoys traveling with her husband, hiking with her dogs, and opening her home to foster animals.

Elizabeth Jackson Program Director

Marcy Bartelheimer

Resource Specialist I

[email protected]

Marcy has experience working with both youth and adults in agriculture and education settings. She earned a Bachelor’s in Animal Science with a minor in Spanish, and a Master’s in Agriculture from Washington State University. Prior to Cascadia, Marcy has worked with youth as an Assistant Preschool Teacher and through volunteering with 4-H organizations. She has worked with adults in the food service and hard cider industries, on farms, and through her master’s program. Additionally, Marcy is an intermediate-level Spanish speaker, actively practicing and learning to improve her fluency.

Marcy head shot

Kelly Luebbering

Resource Specialist I

[email protected]

Kelly grew up in Cincinnati, Ohio where she found a passion for the outdoors through horseback riding, camping, and hiking. She earned a B.S. in Environmental Science and Ecosystem Restoration from The Ohio State University. After graduation, Kelly worked various seasonal positions allowing her to gain experience in aquatic habitat management, environmental education, winter backcountry wilderness management, and urban entomology and agriculture research. She is excited to have the opportunity to join the Cascadia Conservation District team where she can combine her various backgrounds and learn more about Central Washington and the Pacific Northwest. Outside of work, Kelly enjoys backcountry skiing, mountain biking, hiking, and crocheting.

Kelly-L

Kim Lancaster

Archaeologist

[email protected]

Recipient of the 2023 Conservation District Partner of the Year from WA Association of Conservation Districts.

Kim Lancaster Archaeologist

Kirk Beckendorf

Environmental Educator

[email protected]

He grew up on a dairy farm and small ranch in Texas- where he earned a B.S. in agronomy and a secondary science education certification from Texas A&M University. Since then he has lived in Wyoming, Alaska, Oregon, Washington D.C. and Tennessee (where he earned a M.S. in science education). He has taught middle school science for 20+ years in rural and suburban schools. In Washington D.C., Kirk helped develop education programs, resources and grants for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. He is thrilled to be out west again. He loves to travel and enjoy the outdoors.

Kirk Beckendorf Environmental Educator

Amanda Newell

Education & Outreach Specialist

[email protected]

Amanda Newell manages the education and outreach programs for Cascadia Conservation District. Some of these efforts include: a quarterly newsletter, coordinating the Kids in the Creek & Kids in the Forest outdoor education programs, managing the Firewise program, as well as participating in many outreach and education events throughout the year, such as: Earth Day Fairs and the Wenatchee River Salmon Festival. She also coordinates our annual photo contest and creates the natural resource stewardship calendar. Amanda has a Bachelor’s degree in Communication with a Minor in Latin American Studies from San Diego State University. She also enjoyed study abroad terms in Costa Rica and Italy. In her free time Amanda enjoys world travel, outdoor recreation, spending time with family & friends, especially her daughters and husband. Amanda has been with Cascadia since October 2010.

Amanda Newell Education & Outreach Specialist

Laura Rivera

Bilingual Education & Outreach Specialist

[email protected]

Laura’s family legacy of farming and environmental stewardship instilled in her a deep respect for the land. Growing up exploring the outdoors – biking, hiking, swimming, and stargazing by the river – fostered a deep appreciation and connection with nature. For the past five years, Laura has empowered Latine communities in North Central Washington. Her work focused on cultivating education and respect for the region’s unique fire-adapted landscapes, while fostering leadership and preparedness for wildfires. In her current role, Laura brings her passion for nature and restoration to this role. She’s excited to collaborate with Cascadia’s kind-hearted team to create healthy and resilient landscapes for both the environment and the communities it sustains.

Laura-

Patrick Haggerty

Forestry Program Manager

[email protected]

Patrick Haggerty began his career on a dairy farm, and after pursuing an education in natural resource management he found himself exploring the world through work as a commercial fishermen, wildlife biologist, fisheries biologist, wildland fire fighter and forester. At Cascadia he utilizes his diverse experience to provide technical assistance and conservation planning for landowners to assist them in the wise stewardship of their natural resources based on sound science. His work currently focuses on improving forest health across landscapes, and helping communities prepare for and recover from wildfire.

Patrick Haggerty Forestry Program Manager

Joe Hill

Forest & Community Resilience Specialist

[email protected]

Joe Hill comes to Cascadia with 12 years of wildland firefighting, fire, and forest management experience, with work spanning forest resiliency, fire suppression, and prevention. Joe’s work has taken him across the country, from being a Hotshot crew member in Idaho, to being part of a Wildland Fire Module in Colorado, to helping run a prescribed fire engine in South Carolina, to collecting forest inventory data for an environmental consulting firm in Oregon. Most recently, Joe served as a Fire Engine Operator on the Wenatchee River Ranger District and has been based in the Leavenworth area since 2017. Joe holds a degree in Forest Management from Oregon State University, with a focus in Wildland Fire Management. As an avid outdoor enthusiast, Joe enjoys skiing, rock climbing, trail running, and road biking, and is excited to spend more time developing a fire resilient property outside Leavenworth and building a home from the ground up with his partner.

Joe Hill Forest & Community Resilience Specialist

Isobel Woolner

Forest & Community Resilience Specialist

[email protected]

Isobel is originally from Portland, OR but has lived and worked all over the West. She has experience working in Timber and Silviculture for the Forest Service on the Willamette, Mt. Hood, and Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forests – mostly recently on the nearby Cle Elum Ranger District. She’s excited to bring her forestry experience and love for beautiful Central Washington to Cascadia, where she hopes to foster sustainable stewardship of our natural resources while serving the community. Isobel is honored to engage in creating healthier and more resilient ecosystems. She enjoys birding, hiking with her dog Bandit, gardening, and foraging for wild edibles.

Isobel Woolner Forest & Community Resilience Specialist

Ryan Williams

Executive Director

[email protected]

Ryan has a combined 17 years of experience with Washington State Conservation Districts working on conservation programs. This includes 11 years at Snohomish CD, 2 years at Mason CD and 4 at Cascadia CD. Ryan began at Districts in water quality and riparian restoration and worked into management of Districts. He is the co-chair of the Center for Technical Development and is a graduate of the AgForestry Leadership program (class 40). At Cascadia CD he serves as the District’s Executive Director working to build impactful conservation programs with sustainable funding mechanisms. In his free time you can find him mountain biking, fly fishing, skiing or working in his garden.

Ryan Williams Executive Director

Alex Harwell

Resource Specialist II

[email protected]

Originally from bluebonnet and hurricane-rich gulfcoast Texas, Alex originally began working seasonally in the Pacific Northwest in 2008. Jumping around raft and sea kayak guiding, trail building, and teaching, Alex followed her passions and went back to school to graduate in 2015 with a Master’s in Environmental Horticulture and Ecological Restoration. Since then she has been working full time helping to achieve lasting sustainability goals through the reconnection of people to place through inclusive, innovative and integrated restoration approaches. When not at work you can find Alex wandering Cascadia: collecting seeds, wildcrafting, and deepening her own connection to place.

Alex Harwell Resource Specialist II

Mark Ingman

Resource Specialist II

[email protected]

Mark grew up hiking and camping throughout the Pacific Northwest. His education and background are in water resources, project management, and small-scale agriculture. At Cascadia he partners with landowners to enhance their streamside habitat through installing beaver dam analog (BDA) structures for recovery of salmon in the Entiat and Wenatchee watersheds. In his spare time Mark enjoys spending time outdoors with his wife and two boys and also growing fruits and vegetables in his garden.

Mark Ingman Resource Specialist II

Lucas Lachica

Resource Specialist II

[email protected]

Originally from Virginia, Lucas has slowly been making his way west before settling in Central Washington. After graduating from Virginia Commonwealth University with a BA in Environmental Studies in 2017, Lucas has pursued a career in conservation for the last 5 years. First moving to Austin, TX to work with the Texas Conservation Corps and then landing in Reno, NV working as a natural resource technician with tribal fish and wildlife biologists. Lucas is excited to explore the beauty of Central Washington and join the community to learn about local conservation issues as the District’s Habitat Restoration Technician. When not at work, you’ll find him spending time with his growing family and enjoying the outdoors fishing, hiking, and camping.

Lucas Lachica Resource Technician II

Chace Whitmer

Seasonal Technician

[email protected]

Chace grew up in the Wenatchee Valley and has lived here all his life. He has spent many years hiking, fishing, and exploring in the Wenatchee area and developing a love for its landscapes, wildlife, and people. Chace has spent the last two years pursuing an education and career in natural resources, and plans to continue learning all he can. He has worked as a stream survey technician, surveying streams in the Wenatchee and Entiat watersheds for salmon and trout habitat quality, and has helped on a number of Cascadia’s riparian restoration projects. As a habitat technician for Cascadia, he is eager to help in the restoration of our areas natural habitats and to gain more experience and knowledge in the field.

Bio pic Chace-sm