About Us
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Our Board of Directors
Jen Vanderhoof - President
Jen Vanderhoof graduated with a degree in Wildlife Biology from Kansas State University in 1992 and has been working as a biologist in some form ever since. She a Senior Ecologist in the King County Department of Natural Resources and Parks' Science Section, where she’s been since 1999. Previous employers have been the City of Seattle, where she was a biologist on the Cedar River Watershed, The Nature Conservancy of Georgia, where she worked on Red-cockaded Woodpecker projects, Oregon State University working on Spotted Owl projects in southwest Oregon, and as a fisheries observer for three winters in Alaska. Jen's current work at the County focuses on beaver management and also includes wildlife-related policy, climate change, riparian and wetland restoration, and a shoreline restoration project. In her free time, she enjoys bird photography and underwater photography, and she also occasionally writes about her underwater exploits and escapades at seajen.com.
Elley Palatucci - Vice President
Elley’s story begins back in the quiet neighborhoods of New England, jumping in leaf piles, shoveling snow, and hiking the mountains. After graduating with a B.A. in Environmental Studies from UVM, she sought out bigger leaf piles and mountains and ended up in Seattle. Elley worked as an environmental educator at Mercer Slough and has bounced between informal education departments at Pacific Science Center. Currently she is the Youth and Family Programs Manager with PacSci and enjoys setting her team up for success with all of their programs. If she is not writing a budget or laminating supplies, you can find her hiking, snowshoeing, backpacking, car camping, and climbing her way through the PNW wonderland.
Paul Schlenger - Treasurer
Paul Schlenger is a fisheries biologist with 20 years of experience on salmon habitat restoration in the Pacific Northwest. He has a Master’s degree in Fisheries from the University of Washington where he worked on juvenile sockeye salmon ecology in Alaska. As a consultant based in Seattle, Paul works on restoration and resource management projects in freshwater, estuarine, and marine nearshore settings. He enjoys assessing site conditions and developing sustainable solutions to benefit the resources while working within existing constraints. Given the many benefits of beavers to water resources and juvenile salmon rearing, Paul is interested in finding creative solutions for landowners and beavers to co-exist in our watersheds.
Jo Bruskotter - Secretary
Jo has lived and traveled throughout the world, but her heart has always been in the Northwest. Her appreciation of the mountains and wildlife in her home state of Montana spurred her passion for the environment. A degree in history and political science led to a career in research and the legal field and eventually a job in the Environmental Protection section of the Seattle City Attorney’s Office. For over ten years Jo has worked on Superfund cleanups for the City of Seattle, focusing her interest in environmental sustainability on the effort to preserve and protect Seattle’s waterways. Most of Jo’s free time is spent enjoying family and friends, traveling and exploring, or walking the family dog, but she also loves to sneak away to read a good book.
Gordon Holtgrieve - At-Large Member
Gordon Holtgrieve is an aquatic ecosystem ecologist and fisheries scientist with over 20 years of experience in scientific research and education. Gordon holds B.S. and M.S. degrees from Stanford University in Earth System Science (1999 & 2001) and a Ph.D. in Zoology from the University of Washington (2009). He is currently an Associate Professor in the School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences at the University of Washington and the Director of Future Rivers, a new UW graduate training program in freshwater science. Gordon and his colleagues have published over 40 scientific papers and one book chapter on topics ranging from the ecosystem response of Alaska streams to spawning salmon to anthropogenic nitrogen deposition in otherwise pristine environments. Research in the Holtgrieve Ecosystem Ecology Lab spans the Pacific Rim from the Puget Sound to Alaska to the Mekong River in SE Asia. When not doing science, Gordon can typically be found with his family on the banks of the Methow River.
Websites:
http://holtgrievelab.uw.edu/
https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=KSeMXXsAAAAJ&hl=en
https://earthlab.uw.edu/members-and-affiliates/future-rivers/
http://freshwater.uw.edu/
Kathleen Callaghy - At-Large Member
Kathleen is a lifetime lover of wildlife, originally from the suburbs of Philadelphia, PA. Initially a political science student, she earned a BA in Government and Legal Studies from Bowdoin College and an MA in Comparative Ethnic Conflict from Queen’s University Belfast in Northern Ireland. Her diverse career track has taken her around the globe to Rwanda, Ethiopia, India, and other countries, most recently leading policy and advocacy work on sustainable energy and humanitarian assistance at the United Nations Foundation. In 2020 she migrated from Washington DC (the “other” Washington) to Seattle, where she currently serves as Northwest Representative for Defenders of Wildlife. Kathleen is passionate about creative solutions, co-existence with wildlife, and helping small groups of good people achieve positive change. In her free time she loves to travel, play with dogs, and curl up with tea and a good book.
Michael Bailey - At-Large Member
Michael Bailey joined Beavers Northwest in Spring of 2020. Graduating from the University of Georgia in 2015 with a B.S. in Plant Biology and the University of Washington’s Wetland Science & Management Certificate Program in 2018, his fascination with natural systems and passion for ecological restoration found him a home in outreach, education, and hands-on field work. In the past, Michael has worked with Georgia’s Department of Natural Resources, Randall’s Island Urban Farm, King County’s WCC, the Snoqualmie Tribe, and many plant nurseries on the east and west coast. Leveraging teachings from academic, government, and non-profit agencies, Michael loves to apply his life experiences to efficiently help ecosystems get back to self-sufficiency. When not in the field, he can be found playing
music in solo and group projects, generally enjoying the outdoors, and
hopefully laughing with friends.
Nick Boyle - At-Large Member
Nick Boyle is an accomplished Product and Program Manager, currently serving as a Product Owner with Delta Dental of Washington. Previously a Program Manager at Cause Strategy Partners, Nick spent several years connecting talented professionals to nonprofit board service opportunities at the center of their passion. In this role, Nick lived and breathed nonprofit board governance while managing a worldwide program that brought essential professional skills into hundreds of nonprofit board rooms. Before his tenure with Cause Strategy Partners, Nick cut his teeth in environmental conservation and restoration during his time with such organizations as the Washington Conservation Corps, the Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife, and the New York-New Jersey Trail Conference. With a comprehensive perspective that spans corporate, nonprofit, and governmental sectors, Nick brings a unique blend of strategic insight and practical know-how to Beavers Northwest's board governance. Nick is based in the Wallingford neighborhood of Seattle, where he and his partner Olivia can be found identifying the many plants, birds, and goofy dogs that cross their path.
Thank you to our founding board members!
Abby Hook
Jake Jacobson
Jen Vanderhoof
Learn More:
Our Mission
Our Staff and Volunteers
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Learn about our guiding principle.
Our Staff and Volunteers
Our Staff and Volunteers
Our Staff and Volunteers
Learn about the people of Beavers Northwest.
Our Friends and Partners
Our Staff and Volunteers
Our Friends and Partners
Learn about the organizations who work with us.