Phil Millam has been an integral part of the Citizens Council board for over 7 years. Before moving to the Methow in 2007, he spent most of his working career in government at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Seattle Regional Office, serving in water enforcement, Superfund, and air quality programs. He completed his career as director of the Water Program. In this latter capacity, Phil worked on timber, salmon, and irrigation issues.

A self-professed ‘policy wonk’ Phil brought insight, experience, and laughter to the MVCC community. He played a critical role in MVCC’s ongoing work on the Okanogan County comprehensive plan, the Valley’s complex water issues, our efforts to get the County to appropriately regulate all terrain vehicle use, development of our Clean Air Methow program, among many other issues.

When MVCC acquired our new office building on Highway 20 in Twisp in December 2019, Phil immediately said “We gotta have a kitchen sink.” He went to work with several other volunteers to make that happen as our first real improvement to the building. That’s just another part of the huge legacy he leaves.

“Over the past seven years, Phil has been an absolutely invaluable part of helping MVCC to grow and prosper. He has helped me personally to navigate some challenging times, always ready to offer his great insights, while lending humor and perspective to every situation. I just can’t overstate my gratitude for his dedication and willingness to take on whatever needed to be done,” said MVCC Board Chair, Maggie Coon.

We expect Phil will rapidly fill his newfound free time, with his many passions – skiing, hiking, fly fishing, sea kayaking, crafting designer knives and tending a beautiful 20 acre piece of forestland up the Rendezvous with his wife, Mary Morgan. Perhaps he’ll even take on a few new hobbies.

Phil, we’ll miss you terribly, but know you’ll always be a part of the MVCC family. Thank you!