The Methow Valley Citizens’ Council is a nonprofit organization incorporated in 1976 in the Methow Valley, Washington.
Staff
Dana Golden, Climate & Air Program Coordinator
Dana has loved the Methow Valley since the age of four, when her parents built a yurt in Mazama. She feels incredibly privileged to be living in the valley full time now, working on addressing the impacts and causes of the climate crisis while soaking up the wonder of this place and community. Dana brings eight years of environmental consulting and leadership experience to work on implementation and facilitation of the Methow Climate Action Plan. She has a degree in Environmental Policy from Williams College, and recently completed her MBA in Sustainable Systems from Presidio Graduate School where she learned to apply an equity and systems lens to complex problems. She’s also passionate about health and movement, and teaches yoga, mindfulness, and movement classes.
Lorah Super, Program Director
Lorah works closely with MVCC’s Executive Director and Board of Directors to develop the organization’s level of engagement and strategy across the range of issues MVCC addresses, with a strong focus on land use planning, water law and public lands management. Lorah’s work involves significant collaboration and problem-solving with local communities, nonprofits, agencies and government officials. She cultivates and manages teams that include board members, staff, volunteers, and contractors to implement MVCC’s programs and ensure their effective delivery. Lorah has also volunteered since 2010 as a state-appointed Supervisor for the Okanogan Conservation District.
Lorah has lived in the Methow Valley since 2001 and brings a wealth of hard-earned and widely endorsed experience in the realms of natural resource conservation, land-use planning, organizational development, conflict management and public engagement. She and her family recently moved from their small farm near the town of Methow, to the big city of Twisp to be closer to all the action.
Rebekah Phillips, Executive Director
With more than two decades of nonprofit management experience, Rebekah comes to the Methow Valley Citizens Council from Portland, Oregon. Growing up camping, hiking, skiing, foraging, and fishing across the Pacific Northwest shaped her lifelong commitment to environmental stewardship, equity, and community-building. Most recently, as Executive Director of The Mazamas, she expanded membership and philanthropic programs, launched a new strategic plan, and strengthened partnerships with public land agencies to support responsible outdoor access and conservation. Rebekah has also held senior leadership roles in the performing arts and higher education, guiding brand, content, and communications strategies.
A certified naturalist, distance runner, and environmental history enthusiast, Rebekah enjoys being in nature, gentle adventure, and growing food. She is a graduate of the Oberlin College Conservatory of Music.
Mary Yglesia, Operations Director
Mary’s love affair with the Methow Valley started in the 90’s when she first came here and set up an off the grid home with her family. She brings more than 25 years of experience in non-profit administration to MVCC and is proud and honored to support this organization. Her experience includes serving as the Executive Director of the Seattle Midwifery School, the Clinical Education Director for Bastyr University’s Department of Midwifery and the Methow Valley Interpretive Center. She has extensive board experience serving on the boards of directors for the Association of Midwifery Educators, the Seattle Girls Choir and the Midwifery Education Accreditation Council board.
Contract Assistance
MVCC also receives contract assistance from the following individuals:
- Gwen Vernon, Major Gifts Manager
- Liz Walker, Clean Air Methow
- Sam Israel, Forestry
- Joanna Grist, Grist Public Affairs
Board of Directors
Easton Branam
Secretary
My name is Easton. I am a full-time resident of the Twisp River flats on shared land, with my partner Caitlin and our two cats. I am an Army Veteran committed to building a future that honors our connection to the natural world. I was raised working class in rural Montana and know how unusual and valuable it is to have an organization like MVCC working hard to keep this valley alive and well-tended. I currently work as a strategic planner and I hope my skills in communications, facilitation, project management, and scenario planning will be an asset to the whole MVCC team.
Meghan Francis
Currently the Education Chair of the Colville Tribal Business Council, Meghan is a Tribal leader who works closely with stakeholders and government partners to strengthen Tribal sovereignty, uplift the community and expand educational opportunities. Meghan’s responsibilities include integrating Tribal education and Indigenous knowledge into the state curriculum to create career pathways for students; supporting trade schools and technical education aligned with Tribal workforce needs; addressing housing needs for Tribal members by developing affordable solutions for middle-income families; lobbying and creating civic engagement for forward funding for Federal Impact Aid schools; and enhancing community engagement and economic development through robust Tribal programs.
Meghan has previously served on the boards of kwu cnxi?, Thriving Together North Central WA, Career Connect, and North Star Initiative. She holds a B.A. in Public Relations from Gonzaga University.
Catherine Hennings
Vice Chair
Catherine’s passion for the natural world began while growing up in West Virginia, where she spent her childhood exploring the woods around her home with her brothers. After moving west, and raising a family in Seattle, she discovered the Methow Valley and is now living her dream of again being surrounded by wild, natural places. Catherine has a master’s degree in botany, with a specialty in lichens, and loves continuing to build her knowledge of the flora and fauna of their property on Wolf Creek and throughout the Valley
Catherine served on the Cascade Bicycle Club Board of Directors for 6 years, where she was very involved in advocacy work. That experience in the value of advocacy led her to the Methow Valley Citizens Council, where she understands the importance of its advocacy work and served on the legislative committee of the MVCC Action Fund for the past two years. She is committed to continuing her service on the Board to support the critical work that MVCC does to protect our valley and its natural environment.
Tom Jones
Chair
Tom first came to the Methow Valley in the mid-’80s to ski and hike. Recently, Tom and his wife, Leslie Tregillus, retired from their professions in Seattle and moved to the valley as full-time residents.
Before retirement, Tom worked as an attorney for 35 years in Cozen O’Connor’s Seattle office. Cozen O’Connor is a national law firm with 30 offices across the country.
While at Cozen O’Connor, Tom served as Vice-Chair of the firm’s Global Insurance Department, Co-Chair of the Climate Change Practice Group, Managing Partner of the Seattle office, and also served on the firm’s Board of Directors and Executive Committee.
Tom and Leslie enjoy gardening, biking, hiking, skiing, canoeing, and birding in the valley.
Rebecca (Reba) Larsen
A resident of the Methow Valley for the past three years, Reba is a dedicated volunteer, contributing her time to support local seventh graders with their writing skills and humanities assignments. Her interest in engaging with the community and stewarding the Valley was born out of a lifetime of playing outside, and she believes the Methow is the perfect place to live that dream.
Bringing a unique global perspective based on professional and personal experience, Reba spent 20 years in the Action Sports and Outdoor Industries, including at K2 Sports (Seattle), Signature Products Group (Salt Lake City), Gregory Mountain Products (Salt Lake City), and Altrec.Com (Redmond). She led the redesign of the flagship Baltoro backpack to earn Backpacker Magazine Gear of the Year Award and Outside Magazine Editor’s Choice Gold Award.
Reba’s prior volunteer experience includes serving as a board member for Kaiser Permanente of Washington Institutional Review Board, and as a mentor with the Issaquah School District. Reba also served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Kaedi, Mauritania. She holds a B.A. in French and Recreation and Leisure Services from Western Washington University.
Douglas Marconi Jr.
Chu’ma (choo-ma)
e’he oy’kalo (hello everyone, in the nimiipuu dialect), I appreciate the opportunity to share a few words that may help describe myself as a human being. I am enrolled nimiipuu (Nez Perce) ka (and) palus (Palouse) on the Colville Indian Reservation. I also have lineal descendancy from the Nez Perce Reservation in Lapwai, Idaho. I currently work as the Grant Development Coordinator in the Colville Tribal Planning Department at Nespelem. I bring almost twenty years of technical writing experience from various environmental sciences to the Tribe. Over the course of my professional career, I have focused on understanding, learning, and applying sustainable land use principles and practices in the context of traditional ecological knowledge. In the last few years I have been building a relationship with the Chelan-Sawtooth Wilderness via backpacking to find our sacred foods and medicines. I look forward to continuing to learn about the homelands of the Methow People.
Kiana Sam
way’ iskʷíst wípatkʷ,
Kiana Sam is an enrolled member of the Colville Confederated Tribes who proudly descends from the Wenatchi, Lakes, San Poil, Entiat, and Okanogan bands. She was born and raised on the Colville Reservation in Nespelem, WA.
Sam currently serves as the nsəlxcin Traditional Territories Coordinator for the Colville Confederated Tribes, where she is deeply committed to the protection and advocacy of traditional lands, waters, first foods, and cultural resources. Raised within her culture and traditions, that foundation continues to guide her in all she does — from asserting inherent tribal rights to ensuring tribal sovereignty is upheld for generations to come.
Sam holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Tribal Governance & Business Management, and is currently earning my Master of Business Administration in Organizational Leadership at Eastern Washington University.
Outside of work and school, she spends her time doing what grounds her — being outdoors, hunting, fishing, gathering, and hiking. she grew up in a stick game family, spending summers traveling the stick game trail and playing the game that connects so many across Indian Country. She carries a deep passion for reconnecting with her history, learning her language, and carrying and passing on these teachings.
Kiana is excited to join the MVCC board and looks forward to working alongside fellow members to safeguard the character, environment and spirit of this Valley.
say’ ay’ John Eli Sirois
say’ ay’ is a father of two beautiful girls, husband and committed citizen of the Colville Reservation. An enrolled citizen of the Okanagan, Methow and Wenatchi Tribes of those Confederated Tribes, he was born and raised on the Colville Indian Reservation in Omak, WA. Mr. Sirois carries cultural education from his grandmother and extended family that ties him to the lands and waters. He completed degrees at Dartmouth College (AB History, Minor Native American Studies) and Master of Public Administration at the University of Washington. Working over 20 years in the Colville Tribes’ government, he was able to work on tribal lands, cultural preservation and revitalization, economic development, renewable energy project development, policy development, governance. Mr. Sirois promotes the rights of sovereign Indigenous Peoples and Nations to ensure that those rights are fully respected and upheld. Mr. Sirois currently serves as the Committee Coordinator for the Upper Columbia United Tribes to assist the collaboration of those Tribes’ work on reintroduction of salmon, wildlife habitat, water, forestry and addressing climate change impacts. Mr. Sirois seeks to build a better future for all for generations to come. You can find say’ay’ camping, hunting, hiking, reading and salmon fishing with his family
Amy Snover
Amy Snover is happiest when recreating out of doors. A lifelong adventurer, she delights in exploring new areas and watching familiar places change with the seasons. She spent her career working at the science/policy/practice interface, focused on understanding and preparing for climate change. Before retirement, she was the Director of the University of Washington (UW) Climate Impacts Group, the University Director of the Department of the Interior Northwest Climate Adaptation Science Center and Affiliate Associate Professor in the UW School of Marine and Environmental Affairs. She led the Climate Impacts Group’s efforts to provide the fundamental scientific understanding, data, tools and technical support necessary for managing climate risks in the Pacific Northwest and worked with a broad range of decision makers to support the development of science-based climate risk management strategies. Dr. Snover was recognized as a White House Champion of Change for Climate Education and Literacy in 2015 and was a lead author for the Third US National Climate Assessment and the ground-breaking 2007 guidebook Preparing for Climate Change: A Guidebook for Local, Regional, and State Governments. Her educational background was in Analytical and Environmental Chemistry (B.A., Carleton College; Ph.D. University of Washington). She considers herself a native Washingtonian, even though she didn’t move to the state until she was three years old.
Val Stouffer
Val’s career in broadcast journalism spans forty years, working first in Chicago and, starting in 1994, in Seattle where she was news anchor at KIRO, KOMO and KPLU radio stations. She also worked as a writer-producer at Q13-TV.
Since moving to the Methow Valley in 2016, Val has maintained an active volunteer schedule. She has produced podcasts for both the Methow Conservancy and TwispWorks, and currently does the narration for the Shafer Museum’s annual slide show presentations about the history of the Methow Valley. A long-time member of MVCC, Val collaborated with Program Director Lorah Super on the Open Roads Coalition Project, and currently serves on MVCC’s 50th Anniversary Committee. She holds a B.A. in Speech Communications from DePauw University.
Murray Taylor
Treasurer
Murray’s journey to the Methow valley started 23 years ago when he moved to Washington after living and working in Kenya, UK, and Australia. He and his family became regular valley visitors to this unique and special place. Murray and his wife Helen become full time Winthrop residents after Murray retired from a career in the technology industry which centered on the intersection between the technical, legal and business domains.
Murray has a deep passion and interest in the natural world from his initial training in the biological sciences and botany, an ongoing engagement in environmental causes and a consuming love of the outdoors. Through backpacking and travelling in diverse and remote areas of the world including Papua New Guinea, Indonesia, Africa, and Australia, Murray recognizes the vital importance of valuing and working to protect our planet’s special places.
Maggie Coon, Board Chair Emerita
Sounding Board
Our sounding board includes individuals with wide ranging expertise who are available to help connect us with our surrounding communities, make professional connections, and deepen MVCC’s understanding of relevant issues.
Bill Gaines
K.C. Golden
Katie Haven
Maria Hines
Michael Lazarus
Joaquin Marchand
Amelia Marchand
Mark Miller
Susan Prichard
Kent Woodruff
Raechel Youngberg
Ed Zuckerman