Board of Directors

Washington Trails Association - list of Board of Directors

WTA Board Fall 2011

Officers*

Rob Shurtleff - President

Rob has a background in technology and investments, and is currently a Managing Director of Divergent Ventures. He is an avid hiker and a frequent user of the WTA web site. At this moment, his favorite hike is Lake Valhalla, via Smithbrook. Board member since 2008.

Stephen Tan - Vice President, Advocacy

Stephen is Managing Partner at Cascadia Law Group. His law practice focuses exclusively on environmental litigation, with an emphasis on remediation and other causes serving the public interest. His favorite dayhike is South Ingalls Peak. Board member since 2008.

Carole Bianquis - VP of Fundraising & Membership

Carole volunteers as an Assistant Crew Leader for WTA when she isn't working for Boeing IT. As a result, she says she can't hike a trail now without looking for ways to improve it. She has a Masters in Mechanical Engineering from INSA Lyon (France) and an MBA from the University of Washington. Board member since 2009.

Craig McKibben - VP of Board Development

Craig was the co-founder of WRQ, Inc., a Seattle software company, and is now enjoying the ability to get outdoors more often to climb, ski and hike during his retirement. However, he took a break during his retirement in 2011 to fill in as Interim Executive Director of WTA. His favorite hikes are in the Alpine Lakes Wilderness in the fall in search of huckleberries and larches.

Kate Rogers - Secretary

Kate is the editor-in-chief of The Mountaineers Books/Skipstone Press and has been a part-time lecturer on editing, publishing and general media at the University of Washington and Seattle Community Colleges. She was previously senior editor at Sasquatch Books and launched her own book packaging firm, Unleashed Book Development. Her favorite dayhike is to Melakwa Lake. Board member since 2007.

Doug Breckel - Treasurer

Doug has worked for the University of Washington's Treasury Office since 1993. As Associate Vice President, he current oversees the University's $1.2 billion in operating funds, capital funding, cash management, real estate and risk management. His favorite place to hike is in the Columbia River Gorge: Mount Hamilton, Eagle Creek and Falls Creek Falls. Board member since 2007.

At Large Directors*

Lisa Black

Lisa is a pediatric nurse living and working in Everett. She is also involved in WTA as an Assistant and Chief Crew Leader and as a volunteer in the office. A Seattle native, Lisa grew up with copies of the original Signpost in the house and spent summers backpacking. Her favorite hike is still the now inaccessible Milk Creek trail. Board member since 2009.

Jeff Chapman

Jeff is a director for the Backcountry Horsemen of Washington, participates in several trail groups and coalitions and serves on two federal lands watershed committees. He has worked at Mt Rainier National Park, as well as several years with the Olympic National Forest administrating a YACC camp youth work program. He is active in trail maintenance and in recreation advocacy efforts at the local, state, and federal levels. His favorite hikes are on PNT trails, which crosses his doorstep on its way into the Olympic Mountains, and the PCT. Board member since 2009.

Amy Csink

During a hiatus from her career as a research geneticist, Amy is giving back to the issues that she cares most about. Hiking is at the top of the list, and most particularly making sure that access to natural areas be maintained and expanded. Her favorite hike is Grasshopper Pass in the North Cascades. Board member since 2011.

Todd Dunfield

Todd manages service learning programs at Gonzaga University. He has served on the boards of the Spokane Mountaineers and the Friends of the Centennial Trail. Todd’s favorite hike is Cutthroat Pass in the North Cascades. Board member since 2009.

Laurie Hartshorn

Laurie serves as a procurement director for T-Mobile. She's an avid hiker and has participated in WTA's Hike-a-Thon since 2006. Her favorite hike is Cougar Mountain’s Licorice Fern trail, since its right out her back gate! Board member since 2011.

Jerry Keppler

Jerry Keppler serves as Principal and CFO at Alexander Hutton, offering clients finance expertise. His favorite hike is Summerland in Mount Rainier National Park. Board member since 2010.

Ken Mondal

Ken is a Spokane ophthalmologist who has hiked all of the trails in Rich Landers' 100 Hikes in the Inland Northwest. This is his second term on the WTA Board of Directors; during his first term he started the Mondal Youth Endowment, which helps support WTA's youth program. His favorite hike is to the Enchantment Lakes. Board member since 2011.

Damien Murphy

Damien has worked exclusively in technology, primarily in databases and image processing. He has always had a passion for the outdoors and more recently for photography. (He was the Grand Prize Winner in the 2008 Northwest Exposure Photo Contest.) The first hike he did in Washington state was Mount Si, followed by the Kendall Katwalk, which today remains one of his favorites. Board member since 2009.

Bill Pope

Bill is former Microsoft lawyer, an avid backpacker, and one of the owners of the Mazama Country Inn. He was born and raised in Seattle and has deep and broad connections to the environmental community here. He sits on a number of environmental non-profit boards, including the Wilderness Land Trust and Washington Conservation Voters, as well as on the advisory boards of the Cascade Land Conservancy and the Methow Conservancy. In the past, Bill has also served on the Board of Trustees of Earthjustice, the Board of Trusteess of the Nature Conservancy of Washington, and on the Steering Committees of both the Loomis Forest Fund and the Cascade Conservation Partnership. His favorite backpacking trip is along the Boundary trail. Board member since 2011.

Wendy Wheeler Jacobs

Wendy directs the Brand Strategy Team for Microsoft's Central Marketing Group. As a trail runner, she covers an average of 250 miles each month (and she's Hike-a-Thonner!) and has helped put together the "Tribute to Trails" calendar, an annual fundraiser organized by the trail running community. Board member since 2009.