Staff & Board

Heide Andersen

Stewardship Director
heide@methowconservancy.org
509-996-5033

After growing up as a National Park Service brat, I earned my undergraduate degree from Williams College and my masters degree from Yale University School of Forestry & Environmental Studies. I worked in Utah and Colorado doing open space and recreation planning for 15 years before moving to the Methow in 2011. I love working with the diversity of landowners and properties that are represented by our conservation easements.

My Best Day in the Methow: On my mountain bike, my horse or my skis.

Sarah Brooks

Associate Director
sarah@methowconservancy.org
509-996-5870

I love connecting people to the causes they care about -- and there's nothing better than being a part of that in the Methow Valley! Every day I invite people to show their love for this special Valley by supporting our conservation efforts. I ensure donations are spent carefully and efficiently and I get to help craft the stories of impact our work produces. Amazing!

My Best Day in the Methow: A long hike in the hills followed by cross-country running practice with the awesome athletes on the high school team, family dinner, and a few moments of awe looking up at the dark skies.

Johnnie Duguay

Stewardship Associate
johnnie@methowconservancy.org
509-996-5868

The title sounds fancy, but my job is simple: every year I visit all of the 110+ conservation easement properties protected by the Conservancy, working with landowners to ensure that the conservation values of each property are protected. I also am involved with coordinating education and volunteer opportunities, and love finding ways to help people connect to the land of the Methow Valley. When I’m not bushwhacking through thick and thorny riparian areas, removing rusty barbed wire with the help of our hard-working volunteers, or dodging sprinklers on our agricultural easements, I like to bike, ski, read, ride horses and spend time with my family and friends.

My Best Day in the Methow: Some sort of outdoor adventure and then a good book and a beer on the porch at the end of the day.

Julie Grialou

Conservation Biologist
julie@methowconservancy.org
509-996-5035

I've been living in the Methow Valley for 15 years. My background is in wildlife ecology, but I do a little bit of everything at the Methow Conservancy: mapping, grant writing, etc. I love spending time outdoors mountain biking, hiking, cross-country skiing. I’m awed by the beauty of this place every day.

My Best Day in the Methow: A good cup of coffee in the morning, followed by a ski or mountain bike ride with family and/or friends, seeing some really cool wildlife or tracks, and who knows what after that.

Alyssa Jumars

Agricultural Coordinator
alyssa@methowconservancy.org
509-996-5873

I have been farming for nearly 15 years. I have worked on small farms in Maine, Vermont, Montana, Oregon, and Washington. However, as a Washington native, I have found that I can never stray very far or very long from the Cascade Mountains. My husband and I now own and operate a 10-acre organic berry farm in Carlton, at the base of McClure Mountain. I really enjoy getting the chance to use my"hands-on-experience" in all sorts of diverse ways at the Methow Conservancy: from supporting other farmers and connecting them to useful information and available resources; to working with the staff team on farmland easements and stewardship.

My Best Day in the Methow: A spring horseback ride on the Golden Doe or the fall’s mule deer hunt on McClure.

Mary Morgan

Membership Assistant
marym@methowconservancy.org
509-996-2870

I manage the database that tracks the generous donations from our supporters. I help with many of the details associated with our fundraising efforts, including the mailing of the Annual Appeal, thank you letters, and many of the other small details that keep our operation running smoothly. After busy full-time careers in Seattle, my husband Phil and I retired to the Methow Valley to ski, hike and basically enjoy all the wonderful activities we love. But I realized I missed working with people, so I wandered into the Methow Conservancy, met this crazy group of people, and began volunteering. In 2009, I came on board as a part-time employee and they haven’t been able to get rid of me yet!

My Best Day in the Methow: A latte at Rocking Horse Bakery, a great hike with my friends to Cutthroat Pass, and coming home to a dinner made by Phil from Methow Valley Farmer’s Market produce!

Jason Paulsen

Executive Director
jason@methowconservancy.org
509-996-5866

My role here at the Methow Conservancy is to make sure that the talented colleagues I get to work with each day have the resources they need to carry out our mission of inspiring people to care for the land of this special valley--while having fun and learning along the way! My path to conservation work has always had me working in the space where people and the land intersect. I believe that a healthy landscape requires a healthy community, and that we all have a role to play in shaping the places we call home. I love calling the Methow my home!

My Best Day in the Methow: Any day I find myself putting my camera down in awe-filled defeat, recognizing that there is no way to capture the magic of the light on the landscape unfolding around me.

Joy Schwab

Bookkeeper
joy@methowconservancy.org
509-996-5872

My non-profit accounting career started after moving to the Methow Valley from Idaho in 1992. My first job in the Valley was with the Methow Institute Foundation doing administrative work & accounting for IAC grants for developing the Methow Valley Community Trail. It is always very interesting doing bookkeeping at the Methow Conservancy-- a variety of grants & many forms of donations. I am grateful for the awesome community support.

My Best Day in the Methow: hiking in the North Cascades in summer or fall (with no mosquitoes or biting flies!)

Daniel Senner

Community Conservation Coordinator
daniel@methowconservancy.org
509-996-5871

Engaging people with the land of the Methow Valley can take many forms: from attending lectures by important figures, to owling on sub zero winter nights, to learning about the weeds around your house. It’s my job to create these experiences with the land of the Methow Valley that would never happen on their own. In doing so, I'm excited to foster a strong stewardship ethic and a lively conservation community.

My Best Day in the Methow: cross country skiing through Pipestone Canyon on a sunny afternoon and then defrosting next to a roaring wood stove.

John Sunderland

Land Project Manager
john@methowconservancy.org
509-996-5867

I've lived and worked in the Methow for the last 35 years, and for the last 17 of those years I've worked for the Methow Conservancy. We've accomplished a lot in that period of time, not just in the field of land protection, where I've worked both as a project manager and manager of the land program, but also in the areas of education, stewardship, and community engagement. I've enjoyed the people from all walks of life I've met in my role here, from ranchers and farmers to doctors and lawyers.

My Best Day in the Methow: That's really tough. Probably skiing a secret stash of blower powder with my ski buds, followed by beers at the store. Or a hike on the [censored] trail, looking down at all the open space protected by Methow Conservancy conservation easements--- also followed by beers, of course.

Jeanne White

Land Program Manager
jeanne@methowconservancy.org
509-996-5874

We moved to the Methow from Colorado in 2001 with our young family. The beauty of the Valley and the amazing community that thrives here captivated us. I have an Environmental Law degree from Lewis and Clark Law School in Portland, Oregon. At the Conservancy, it is my privilege to work with landowners who want to protect their land through conservation easements. I love to garden, hike with my dogs, swim across Patterson Lake and ski any trail, hill or mountain provided there's enough snow!

My Best Day in the Methow: So many perfect days! A hike in the mountains with friends, followed by a dip in the river or Patterson Lake.