Brian Zinke, Executive Director

director@pilchuckaudubon.org

A Kansas City native, Brian has slowly worked his way west. After earning his B.S. in Wildlife, Fisheries, and Conservation Biology from Kansas State University and an M.S. in Biology from Fort Hays State University, he worked for the Wyoming Game and Fish Department as a Nongame Biologist where he monitored small mammals, bats, spotted skunks, secretive marsh birds, Great Gray and Boreal Owls, and the federally endangered black-footed ferret and Preble’s meadow jumping mouse. From Wyoming he moved to eastern Washington where he worked for the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife on the recovery and reintroduction of the Columbia Basin pygmy rabbit, another federally endangered species.

Brian has served in leadership roles with other wildlife nonprofits, such as The Wildlife Society and American Society of Mammalogists, at local, regional, and national levels. He is also an Associate Wildlife Biologist®.

Brian became our Executive Director in November 2019 and is excited to continue building the legacy of Pilchuck Audubon.

Bill Derry, President

president@pilchuckaudubon.org

Education: B.S. Forest Resources, University of Washington. Summer field work laying out and documenting vegetation transects and plotting old-growth cedar stands in Washington.

Master of Forest Resources, University of Washington. Thesis: An Interpretive Plan for Hungry Horse Dam and Reservoir in Montana.

Career: Early career in park planning and writing Environmental Impact Statements (10 years).

Started and managed the Snohomish County Surface Water Management Division (9 years). Watershed plans, stormwater regulations, lake restoration, flood management plans, salmon habitat planning and restoration.

Vice President, CH2MHILL. Provided consulting for local and state governments in watershed planning, stormwater utility creation and planning, stormwater design and low impact development design manuals (18 years). Provided training to local governments on the Department of Ecology’s stormwater design manual.

Professional Activities: Early in career served as Vice President and Program Committee Chair for the Bighorn Audubon Society in Sheridan, Wyoming. Taught a 2-hour class in ornithology at the local community college in Sheridan.

Taught geology at Edmonds Community College for four years.

Served on the Shorelines Hearings Board for two years.

Helped draft the stormwater sections of the original Puget Sound Plan.

Created and co-chaired the American Public Works Association Stormwater Managers Committee in Washington State (20 years). Received APWA award for technical excellence.

Helped create and served on the Board for the Center for Urban Water Resources Center at the University of Washington. This Center conducted and published the best and most important research in the nation on the effects of urbanization on streams, watersheds, salmon habitat and water quality.

Frequent presentations at regional and national professional conferences on stormwater, erosion control, salmon habitat protection and restoration, low-impact development and smart growth.

Served on the Board of Directors for People for Puget Sound for six years. Board Chair and corporation President for three years.

Personal: Married to Barbara Derry, three grown sons, lives in Edmonds, retired. Skis, plays soccer (youth coach 20 years). The Bill Derry Band performs rock music for dances, weddings, and parties. Bill performs solo music (guitar and vocals) for restaurants, parties, wineries, and bars. Writes and records music in home studio.

Vice President - Vacant

vice-president@pilchuckaudubon.org

Jamie Parrott Adkins, Secretary

secretary@pilchuckaudubon.org

Jamie Parrott Adkins has always been devoted to working with wildlife and had the intention of becoming an Entomologist from an early age. Following her passions, Jamie earned her BS in Marine Biology during her four years between the University of Hawaii and Macquarie University in Sydney, AUS. Following her undergraduate degree, she spent several years in the non-profit sector as an exotic animal keeper/trainer and diver. Jamie eventually pursued her Masters with the intention of working toward a management career in the zoological industry and received her MBA from Pepperdine’s Graziadio School of Business and Management. Jamie also spent part of 2010 specializing in marketing and negotiations at Pepperdine’s partner business school, UCD’s Michael Smurfit School of Business (Dublin, IRE). 

At the end of 2010, Jamie joined MedResults, a medical group purchasing organization, to assist in membership development, marketing, contract negotiation and technology implementation. After 10 years, Jamie is now the Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of MedResults, overseeing more than 40 vendor partnerships and 3,200 aesthetic medical member practices nationwide.

She is the former President and Chair of the Board of Directors for The Lily Sanctuary, a SoCal-based non-profit parrot sanctuary and previous served as Vice President on the Board of Directors for MBA Women Los Angeles chapter. Jamie is also a member of American Mensa, Mensa International and an active member of Pepperdine’s Alumni Network. Jamie and her family have long been supporters of the Audubon Society and she hopes further her passion for wildlife and the environment through PAS.

Norwyn Johnson, Treasurer

Martha Jordan, Avian Science Committee Chair

science@pilchuckaudubon.org

As a wildlife biologist, Martha has worked in both the marine and terrestrial areas of the Pacific Northwest. She has a degree in Wildlife Science from Oregon State University with a minor in Oceanography/Fisheries. Her wildlife work has taken her all over the Pacific Northwest, Canada, and to England and Australia. Her passion for waterfowl and their habitats led her to found the Northwest Swan Conservation Association of which she is the Executive Director.     

She and PAS have a long history together. Many years back she served on the Board and has now returned to an active role with PAS. Her other passion is dogs. As an avid dog lover she has incorporated dogs into her wildlife work as specially trained waterfowl working dogs. She enjoys competition in the show ring, obedience, and other dog sport venues. Currently her Irish water spaniel, Moss, assists with swan captures and being an ambassador for canines working in wildlife conservation.

Allen Gibbs, Conservation Committee Chair

conservation@pilchuckaudubon.org

Allen has been a member of Audubon for 37 years. After a 40-year career with the US Forest Service, he became active in the Pilchuck Audubon Society (PAS) and was elected to the PAS board as a Member-at-large in 2011. In 2012, he was elected to succeed Jan Van Niel as Conservation Chair, after Jan retired from that post. He served on the Audubon Washington State Board of Directors (2013-2019). He recently was elected to be Vice President of PAS.

His Forest Service career began with summer seasonal work as a fire lookout during undergraduate school. There was a “time out” with the US Army; then work with the Washington Department of Natural Resources in public information. He resumed summer work with the Forest Service as a fire prevention technician while in graduate school studying political science at Western Washington University. He taught political science and various history courses at Whatcom Community College (1973-1975).

His Forest Service career included assignments to the Wenatchee and Okanogan National Forests; to the Idaho Panhandle National Forests; and as a public affairs advisor to two Chiefs of the US Forest Service in Washington, DC. The final 15 years of service were in public and legislative affairs for the six national forests of Washington State.

He is a past member of the Mid-Valley Hospital Commission in Okanogan County. He was an editor for the Okanogan County Historical Society’s quarterly journal, the “Heritage.” He has been a member of numerous conservation organizations since the 1960s in Washington, Idaho, Virginia and Washington, DC. He is a past officer of the International Association of Business Communicators in Spokane, Washington, DC, and Seattle. He is still learning how to identify bird species and their habitat needs.

Jeff Hambleton, Development Committee Chair

development@pilchuckaudubon.org

Jeff’s degree in Zoology from UC Berkeley sparked a lifelong passion for birding. In 1983 Jeff moved to Snohomish County and with his wife Eileen raised three sons who share their passion for outdoor adventure and the environment. After 36 years as a family doctor, retiring has allowed more time for family (6 grandchildren), travel, camping, gardening, and of course birding. As a Board Member, he hopes to engage new members and support the mission of Pilchuck Audubon.

Membership Committee Chair - Vacant

Laurel Cheap, Member-at-large

classroom.awards@pilchuckaudubon.org

Laurel grew up in Everett, graduated from Cascade High School and earned a B.S. in Math and Computer Science from Western Washington University. She is a software engineer at the University of Washington. Laurel first joined Pilchuck Audubon Society in the late 1980’s and volunteered on the Conservation Committee. She later worked to establish the Snohomish Wetlands Alliance, a now dissolved offshoot of PAS which was a coalition group instrumental in preserving land in the Snohomish River Estuary. Laurel has worked on the PAS Zalesky Classroom Conservation Grants Committee since its inception in 2006 and is now its chair. Laurel is a graduate of the Master Birder program and enjoys bird watching, gardening, hiking, traveling, and volunteering with St. Vincent de Paul and MercyWatch.

Kathy Johnson, Member-at-large

forest@pilchuckaudubon.org

Kathy grew up in Seattle and earned a B.S. in Biology from The Evergreen State College and a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine from The Ohio State University. She returned to Washington in 1985 and joined PAS in 1987 as part of the “National Forest Watch” program, to monitor timber sales and other activities in the Darrington and Skykomish Ranger Districts of the Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest. At that time this work focused on stopping clearcutting of old growth forests in the National Forest. With the Endangered Species Act listing of the Northern Spotted Owl (in which PAS was involved) and later the Marbled Murrelet, the Forest Service shifted to thinning sales. Kathy has continued to monitor and comment on National Forest timber sales, road projects and other issues as Forest Practices Chair. In addition to her work as a small animal veterinarian and with PAS, Kathy enjoys hiking, backpacking, cross-country skiing, and gathering mushrooms, berries, and medicinal plants in our National Forests and other public lands. She is also interested in gardening and native plants, and has a passion for folk music and contra dancing.

Douglas Cooper, Member-at-large

doug@pilchuckaudubon.org

Doug has two grown children, and four grandchildren. He and his wife Candace moved to Snohomish from Spokane in 2011. He has a BS in Zoology, and a Masters-in-Teaching Art. He taught Biology, Physical Science, and Art in Mead Schools for 36 years.

He has volunteered all of his adult life; Volunteer Firefighter/EMT (27 yrs.), Snohomish County Medical Reserve Corps (5 yrs. still currently involved), Snohomish County WSU Extension Beach Watchers (7 yrs. still currently involved), Driver at Snohomish Food Bank (7 years), and Pilchuck Audubon (on and off 12 yrs). As a member of PAS he has worked to purchase and place an Osprey platform on Archbishop Murphy’s playfield, and helped with bird seed sales. Doug initiated the Christmas Bird Count on Hat Island through Barb the Harbormaster, served as docent at several Swift's Night Out, and participates in the Tuesday birding trips.

Doug stays active with biking, hiking, skiing, birding, and playing his guitar.

He believes in the mission and goals of PAS. He enjoys the people, and relationships. He has time, and he wants to become more involved in an organization with shared meaning.

Jacob Kirschten, Student Member

Board Member-at-large - Vacant