Staff

Elizabeth Lunney - Executive Director

Elizabeth has served as the Executive Director for Washington Trails Association since 1999.  She arrived in Washington via the Pacific Crest Trail in 1997 and has hardly left the state ever since.  Before WTA, she worked with grassroots environmental groups at the Environmental Support Center in Washington, DC, helped implement a major gifts program at the Appalachian Trail Conference (Harpers Ferry, WV), fundraised for the Puget Soundkeeper Alliance, and received a Master in Fine Arts from American University.  Elizabeth serves on the boards of the Mountains to Sound Greenway Trust and the American Hiking Society. Her favorite hike is Green Mountain, though note that the road to the trailhead was washed out in the 2006 floods. Email: elizabeth@wta.org

Diane Bedell - Trail Programs Director

Diane first encountered WTA when working as a trail crew member on the Chelan District in 1999, where she helped Greg Ball pack llamas in for a trip at Domke Lake.  (The llamas won.)  Diane later moved to the Cowlitz District on the Gifford Pinchot, where she has been the district’s outdoor recreation planner and wilderness manager.  Diane has a masters in recreation, park and leisure studies, and has also worked for a commercial outfitter in the Boundary Waters.  She started leading WTA extensive trail maintenance program on January 4, 2009. Email: diane@wta.org

Arlen Bogaards - Northwest Washington Crew Leader

Arlen has been leading WTA work parties in the Bellingham and Mt. Baker areas for the past several years. After growing up in Lynden, he spent several years working in the construction field. He rediscovered the wonders of nature after making a career change that afforded him more time to wander the many trails in the North Cascades. A good friend introduced him to WTA and the rest is history. If out hiking off the Mt. Baker Highway, you might find him in one of his favorite haunts, Yellow Aster Butte. Email: arlen@wta.org

Lauren Braden - Communications & Outreach Director

Given her passion for hiking trails, Lauren jumped at the chance to join the staff at Washington Trails Association as the Communications and Outreach Director in 2003. Lauren coordinates WTA’s media relations, messaging, program communications, and publicity. Lauren enjoys hiking, gardening, birdwatching, and traveling with her husband, especially to countries where she can practice her Spanish. Her favorite areas to hike are North Cascades National Park, Marmot Pass, Umtanum Canyon, and anywhere with lots of Ponderosa Pine. Email: lauren@wta.org

Holly Chambers - Office Manager

If you stop by the WTA office, you’ll be greeted by Holly Chambers, WTA’s office manager. Holly has worked at the Museum of History and Industry, while pursuing internship opportunities in the field of journalism and environmental policy, most recently with KUOW.  She has worked as emergency services director for a chapter of the American Red Cross, and also as a ranger for the National Park Service. When she’s not out hiking, you can find her training with the King County Explorer Search and Rescue unit.  Email: holly@wta.org

Kara Chin - Membership Manager

Kara has spent her life playing in the diverse bio-niches of the Pacific Northwest.  Kara first came to WTA as a trail maintenance and TrailsFest volunteer, then as an administrative intern in 2000 while pursuing her graduate degree.  After a brief interlude in New York, she returned in search of evergreens and moss.  She now takes care of “all things membership” at WTA.  Although trained as an artist, choreographer, and costume designer she has always found inspiration in her extended backyard.  If you’re lucky, you’ll run into Kara on trail - or catch her in the WTA office next time you’re downtown.  Email: kara@wta.org

Krista Dooley - Youth Programs Coordinator

Krista is a Washington native who has been working at outdoor youth programs since 2001 in various regions of the US and Switzerland.  Since 2007, Krista has been organizing and guiding WTA's youth programs. Before joining WTA, Krista spent two years as Program Director for Camp Highland Outdoor Science in Southern California, but she decided she missed the seasons and big trees of the Pacific Northwest and returned to Washington to pursue graduate studies in Environmental Education at IslandWood and the University of Washington. Her love for the outdoors keeps her working and playing in the woods year round. Krista enjoys hiking anywhere in the Goat Rocks Wilderness.  Email: krista@wta.org

Susan Elderkin - Web Editor

Susan has worn many hats at WTA, first as a volunteer, then as a board member and president, and most recently on staff as the Web Editor. She took over website duties in 2007 and is the primary architect of wta.org. After a year break to spend time with her young family, she happily returned in October 2009 to write content and keep the website engine working smoothly. Susan comes from a non-profit policy, fundraising and communications background with more than 16 years at various environmental organizations in Washington state and Washington, DC. Her favorite hike is Bear Creek Mountain in the Goat Rocks Wilderness. Email: susan@wta.org

Jonathan Guzzo - Advocacy Director 

Jonathan joined WTA in 2001 after working for Minnesota PIRG and other non-profits for seven years.  As Advocacy Director, Jonathan charts the policy course at WTA, working with politicians and National Forest and Park Service staff to make sure that the decisions they make are good for Washington's hikers.  He spends most of the winter months in Olympia and visits Washington, DC at least once a year to make sure that our state and federal representatives and senators hear from hikers.  Jonathan has hiked all over the Northern Midwest and Washington.  His favorite hike: Juniper Ridge in the Dark Divide Roadless Area, and the Gifford Pinchot National Forest.  Email: jonathan@wta.org

Deb Hemingway - Bookkeeper

Deb Hemingway’s love of numbers and mountains began in high school in northern Indiana. After a trip to the Rockies and college accounting and geology courses, she headed west. After years of homeschooling, accounting in small business and an international nonprofit, and most recently, development work on annual and capital campaigns for the Arboretum Foundation, Deb is very pleased to be a part of the greater outdoor community. Though partial to the Skyline Trail in early summer, any trail along water or a beach is a favorite. Email: debh@wta.org

Alyssa Kreider - Volunteer Coordinator

After serving for three years as WTA’s Mennonite Volunteer, Alyssa joined
the permanent staff in 2005.  She manages more than 1,800 volunteers each year, taking them through the entire volunteer process from recruitment to recognition. Alyssa grew up in Ohio and learned to love hiking through an annual trek to the Great Smoky Mountains, where she summited the Chimney Tops multiple times as a youth. She graduated from Goshen College in Indiana in 2002. Her favorite hike is the Weden Creek Trail in the Darrington Ranger District. Email: alyssa@wta.org

Rebecca Lavigne - Development Director

Rebecca joined the WTA staff team in 2008, thrilled that her love of hiking was a job qualification. She has spent nearly a decade advancing conservation, environmental education and local food systems efforts through fundraising for nonprofit organizations. She loves any opportunity to get out on trails in the North Cascades. As a Western Washington native, she's also partial to hikes that require a tide table or feature a variety of ferns and moss. She is a graduate of the University of Washington. Email: rebecca@wta.org

Alan Carter Mortimer - Field Director

Before joining WTA's staff in 2007, Alan served as a volunteer crew leader for nine years. As WTA's Field Director, he oversees the planning and implementation of trail construction and maintenance projects. He also trains  volunteer crew leaders for the trail maintenance program. In addition, he brings to WTA important expertise in computer mapping through his previous work as a GIS technician for tribes and an environmental consulting firm.  Alan's favorite hike is the Copper Pass - Twisp Pass loop on the Okanogan National Forest.  Email: alan@wta.org

Ryan Ojerio - Southwest Washington Regional Coordinator

Ryan grew his passion for trail work at Northwest Youth Corps, where he managed projects and crews operating in Washington, Idaho and Oregon. During this time he also worked to engage hikers, equestrians and mountain bikers in volunteer trail projects and helped to develop a community trails plan for the communities of Oakridge and Westfir, OR. Ryan has also been an instructor for the Outdoor Pursuits Program at the University of Oregon and has recently earned a Masters in Community and Regional Planning from the University of Oregon. Since 2008, he has been based in Vancouver, helping support members and volunteers in Southwest Washington. Ryan's favorite hike is the PCT between Elk Pass and Snowgrass Flat in the Goat Rocks Wilderness. ryan@wta.org

Mike Owens - Chief Crew Leader

Mike leads mid-week trail maintenance crews throughout the year and has a strong following of volunteers who come back time and again because of his fun work parties.  Mike led 161 crews in 2007 and has more than 1,500 days on the trail under his belt. Chances are you'll see him if you sign up for a work party Tuesday through Friday. And you're sure to have a good time.

 

Kindra Ramos - Outreach Coordinator

Excited to put her personal passions and professional experience together educating and engaging hikers, Kindra came to WTA in December 2006.  She helps trail enthusiasts better understand their connection to parks, forests, and policy, what WTA’s role is, and what hikers can do to make a difference.
Prior to coming to WTA, Kindra worked
in Washington, DC doing outreach
and advocacy for several non-profits. Her favorite hike: (mid-week during huckleberry season) Heliotrope Ridge in the Mount Baker Wilderness.  Email: kindra@wta.org

Niki Sherey - Development Assistant

Niki spends a lot of her time as an artist painting mountains of the Pacific Northwest so joining WTA was a natural fit. She first came to WTA as a volunteer and has been found on Volunteer Vacations including Waptus Lake and Lemei Lake. Discovering trail work was part of what led her to seek work with a mission-based organization like WTA and now she assists the membership and fundraising programs. For the past ten years she has been involved in rowing pursuits and you can catch her spending most mornings rowing on Lake Washington checking out sunrises over the Cascades. Her favorite hike is Wallace Falls’ Greg Ball Trail. Email: niki@wta.org

Lace Thornberg - Editor, Washington Trails Magazine

Lace graduated from Concordia College in Moorhead, Minnesota with degrees in Writing and Communication/Theater Arts. After moving west (where mountains and ocean would be nearby), she took on short stints at the Seattle Fringe Theater Festival and Heronswood Nursery before landing at WTA in 2002, where she served as Development Director for many years. Now a full-time graduate student, Lace is working part-time as a the editor of Washington Trails Magazine. When she isn't working, Lace spends her free time getting scraped up while hiking, biking, climbing, and gardening. Her favorite hiking haunts include Yellow Aster Butte, Ingalls Lake, Sahale Arm, and anywhere with ample ripe huckleberries. Email: lace@wta.org 

Tim Van Beek - Project Coordinator

Tim spent far too many years stuck inside office buildings keeping track of things. Mercifully, he was laid off Feb 2003. Having run across a WTA crew on Tiger Mountain and learning what they were up to, he went on a few day trips and fell in love with trail work. After a year of volunteering, he was asked to work for WTA helping out in the Gifford Pinchot NF and the Skykomish Ranger District. In 2005 he began crew leading Volunteer Vacations around the state.  His favorite hike is High Divide by Mt. Baker or anywhere in the Enchantments.  Email: tim@wta.org

Chris Wall - Youth Programs Specialist

After serving as WTA's 2008 Frontcountry Youth Vacations Crew Lead, Chris jumped at the chance to work full-time for the WTA Youth Program. Originally from Illinois and Louisiana, Chris connected to the outdoors at a young age via scouting. After college, he headed west and spent eight years doing biological survey work in Colorado, Oregon, California, Alaska, and Washington. In 2005, Chris shifted his focus to Environmental Education by attending graduate school in Cambridge, MA at Lesley University's Audubon Expedition Institute. He returned to Washington and prior to his work at WTA, worked as an educator at Islandwood and the Olympic Park Institute. Chris can't commit to a favorite hike, but it most certainly lies in North Cascades National Park. Email: chrisw@wta.org