The Board of Directors welcomes and encourages the public to attend its monthly meetings. The Board meets the fourth Tuesday of every month at Burlington Public Library.
Ned Currence, President, Lyman, WA
Ned has been working on salmon and trout habitat issues in northwest Washington for some time, and is currently working as a biologist for the Nooksack Indian Tribe primarily focusing on salmon recovery planning. He has conducted stream habitat monitoring for US Forest Service in Skagit County, and was a habitat biologist for the Makah Tribe on the outer Strait of Juan de Fuca and North Coast where he reviewed land uses and worked on watershed analyses. He lives on Wiseman Creek and is a land steward for the Skagit Land Trust’s Grandy Creek property. He currently serves as board president for the Sedro Woolley Farmer’s Market.
Jeanne Glick, Vice President, Mount Vernon, WA
Jeanne is a local business owner, a landowner and a very active volunteer. Her volunteer involvement includes participation with the Skagit River Stewards, The Nature Conservancy’s Eagle Watch Program and a member of the Skagit Land Trust Board of Directors. Jeanne is retired from the nursing profession. She has a great deal of business management experience. As a landowner, Jeanne is working with the Skagit Conservation District on a plan to protect most of her property along Anderson Creek.
Chris Kowitz, Secretary, Mount Vernon, WA
Chris is a biologist with Skagit County who oversees all the salmon-related projects within the Public Works Department. He has a BS in Freshwater Ecology and Fisheries Management from Western Washington University. While with Skagit County, Chris has developed, designed, permitted and constructed a number of restoration and enhancement projects in the Skagit and Samish watersheds that benefit salmon populations. Chris was appointed to the board in 2008 and is excited about taking a more active role in the community and broadening his experience related to local Salmon Recovery.
Patrick O’Hearn, Treasurer, Anacortes, WA
Patrick has a background in finance and business, serving as chief financial officer for a large community bank and currently part owner of a marine-related business in Anacortes. An avid fisherman, Patrick has always been interested and involved in water-related issues. He and his wife, Carol, have been volunteering for SFEG for the last few years primarily doing spawner surveys and other stream monitoring. In addition to volunteering for SFEG, Patrick is an active participant in other conservation organizations including Anacortes Community Forest Lands, Skagit Stream Team, Padilla Bay Foundation and Fidalgo Fly Fishers.
Kurt Buchanan, Mount Vernon , WA
Kurt is recently retired from the WA Dept of Fish and Wildlife after 26 years as a habitat biologist, half of which were for the Skagit River basin. Kurt is known as a local expert on salmon resources leading many educational tours for conservation purposes with a variety of organizations, including SFEG. He has a vast array of expertise including knowledge of aquatic, marine and nearshore environments. Kurt continues to contribute to stream, riparian and wetland restoration efforts in the Skagit Valley.
Bruce Freet, Mount Vernon, WA
Bruce retired from the National Park Service in 2002 after 32 years of federal employment. Bruce’s most recent position was the Chief of Resource Management at North Cascades National Park from 1992-2002. His career with the federal government has taken him all over the United States including Yellowstone National Park, Death Valley National Park, Cabrillo National Monument, Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, Wind Cave National Park, Big Cypress National Park, and Great Basin National Park. Bruce graduated from San Diego State University with a B.A. in Biological Sciences that includes minors in chemistry and secondary education. Bruce recently created Environmental Agreements, Inc. to facilitate and mediate environmental issues. His hobbies include fly-fishing and tying, photography, woodworking, gardening, and genealogy.
Oscar Graham, Blanchard, WA
Oscar is an environmental planner with an aquatic resource management emphasis, and has worked in Northwest Washington and Southeast Alaska. He has over 20 years of experience attempting to understand the political dynamics of habitat projects in a human environment of competing interests. Oscar has been active with the Skagit Chapter of Ducks Unlimited and served on the first board of directors for SFEG.
Jim Johnson, Sedro Woolley, WA
Jim is recently retired from Sedro Woolley High School after twenty-seven years of teaching English. At Sedro Woolley High School he was advisor to the school’s environmental club. A native Washingtonian, he is a River and Land Trust Steward and a frequent SFEG volunteer. Jim enjoys gardening, hiking, and birding. Currently he serves as chair of the planning commission for the city of Sedro Woolley.
Boshie Morris, Anacortes, WA
Boshie is a self-employed seamstress residing in Anacortes. She has a passionate interest in the outdoors and conservation of natural resources. For the last two years, Boshie has volunteered with SFEG in a variety of capacities doing monitoring, planting, education and outreach activities. Her hobbies include sailing and rowing.
Robin LaRue, Mount Vernon, WA
Robin grew up in Skagit County and has always been interested in the outdoors and fishing since childhood. Robin worked for Skagit County Public Works for many years in the Engineering and Solid Waste Divisions. He is a Land Steward with the Skagit Land Trust and served on their board of directors for one year. Robin feels strongly that we need to protect natural areas and fish habitat or future generations will not have the opportunity to enjoy the outdoors.
Mike Olis, Burlington, WA
Mike’s interest and enthusiasm for salmon and the protection of their habitat began in Alaska as a sport and commercial fisherman. Since 1994 he has worked as a biologist in the Skagit and Samish River Basins with the Department of Natural Resources, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife and currently with the Skagit River System Cooperative (the tribal cooperative working on salmon issues). Mike has expertise related to culvert assessment for fish passage, construction experience, habitat enhancement as well as local fish use and distribution.
Jim Somers, Oak Harbor, WA
Jim is a retired orthodontist residing in Northern Whidbey Island. Jim is a very active volunteer with the Island County WSU Beach Watcher program. As a volunteer he has served as president as well as co-chair of the Sound Waters Conference Committee. His primary interest has been fish data collection through beach seining. Since 2005 he has worked with NOAA Fisheries biologists to investigate salmon use of pocket estuaries in the Whidbey Basin. In 2008 was the co-recipient of a national NOAA “Environmental Hero” award. He is currently collecting data at Cornet Bay in Deception Pass State Park.
