Key Presentation:
Jennifer Chang, Community Relations Manager, The Russell Family Foundation
As Community Relations Manager, Jennifer supports the Puyallup Watershed Initiative’s Communities of Interest and their coordinators as well as Initiative-wide planning. She was born and raised in Tacoma, and managed regional projects around urban green space restoration and environmental education prior to joining the Initiative. Jennifer holds a Master of Public Administration and a B.S. in Atmospheric Sciences both from the University of Washington.
First Panel
Peter Donaldson, Director, Sustainability Ambassadors
Peter Donaldson is a consummate storyteller and master teacher with over 30 years’ experience in education and strategic community facilitation. Peter has taught throughout King County, at all levels, from elementary through college, and has created numerous school partnerships around curriculum integration and authentic assessment teaching teachers as well as modeling in the classroom. Peter serves as a member of the Catalyst 2030 Team coaching student, teacher and community leaders to drive collective impact at the intersection between sustainability education and measurable improvements in community conditions. He has build the bridge between classroom learning and real world application helping to solve community problems. He also is the director for the Project Design Lab supporting teacher leaders in integrating sustainable education to increase curriculum relevance, motivate students and meet standards.
Cluny McCaffrey, Executive Director, ECOSS
Cluny McCaffrey’s nonprofit career spans more than 25 years -- specializing in environment, communications, program management and operations. Cluny worked at The Nature Conservancy in Washington and Florida for more than 20 years in a variety of roles of increasing responsibility. Prior to joining ECOSS in March 2016, she served as Deputy Director for Little Bit Therapeutic Riding center in Redmond, WA.
Jay Mirro, Senior Resource Planner, King Conservation District
Jay Mirro has served the people and resources of King County since 2000. His work with KCD is focused on helping private landowners incorporate conservation practices in meeting their goals while protecting the environment. In South King County, he has worked with a diverse group of private landowners including a significant number of farmers, in developing plans that integrate environmental practices on their farms. He grew up in rural New Jersey, working on horse and llama farms, and then studied Livestock and Range Management at the University of Idaho. Jay and his family recently purchased a 34-acre farm in Maple Valley..
Second Panel
Judy Blanco, Director of Riparian Restoration, Forterra
Judy is thankful to be part of a community committed to the health of our region’s rivers, and to be part of an organization that supports and protects Pacific Northwest urban, rural and wild ecosystems. She has worked extensively with many diverse stakeholder groups in both the Cedar River and the Green-Duwamish Watersheds engaging and building support for successful programs. Working from urban to rural communities as an informal ambassador for our rivers.
Andrea Cummins, Urban Environmentalist, Dept of Community Development Tukwila
Andrea Cummins works on everything from restoration planning and implementation to sensitive area regulation, development review for landscapes, and urban forestry – all with help from many other contributors, of course. With a background in botany and horticulture, Andrea has worked in various aspects of natural resources management for a variety of public agencies, universities, non-profits and in the private sector over the years. In all of these roles, collaboration has been key--it always takes a village to accomplish environmental goals. She has been a leader in the City of Tukwila's adoption of the Green Tukwila program which centers on collaboration.
Green Tukwila is a new partnership between the City of Tukwila, non-profits like Forterra, EarthCorps, and the Student Conservation Association (SCA), and the Tukwila community, to care for public parks and natural open space across the city. Green Tukwila will work collaboratively with residents, businesses, students, and other organizations to restore and maintain 80 acres spread over 53 different places in Tukwila over the next 20 years to ensure healthy, safe and beautiful urban forests, shorelines and parks into the future
Willard Brown Director of Housing and Environmental Programs, Delridge Neighborhoods Development Association
Willard has worked for over 30 years as Property Management Administrator for Redevelopment at Seattle Housing Authority and served on the Advisory Council for African American Elders. He has a successful track record of developing positive relationships, a proven managerial skill set in leadership and implementing projects at all levels and a desire to give back to the Delridge community he cherishes.
Willard has tremendous reach within the Delridge neighborhood, one of the most diverse communities in King County. Willard has focused his attention on the issue of drainage and preserving the green environment since his retirement from Seattle Housing Authority in 2010. Willard has been championing the restoration and protection of the Delridge wetland and is working closely with community members and organizations to gain their support for the project. Willard has been effective in creating a dialogue in the community around the benefits of green infrastructure and focuses on the Wetland Restoration and Stewardship Project as one with great potential to broaden community support for green infrastructure, community stewardship and support for local area schools.
Willard is actively involved in the updating of the Delridge Neighborhood Plan and is a member of the Board of Directors of the Seattle Green Spaces Coalition. Willard has worked closely with City Council members to gain support for community based organizations having the ability to own surplus properties and to re-purpose them for community benefit. The project has the potential to greatly increasing community awareness of the environmental importance of the wetland and to significantly reduce area flooding and stormwater pollution entering Longfellow Creek.
Jennifer Chang, Community Relations Manager, The Russell Family Foundation
As Community Relations Manager, Jennifer supports the Puyallup Watershed Initiative’s Communities of Interest and their coordinators as well as Initiative-wide planning. She was born and raised in Tacoma, and managed regional projects around urban green space restoration and environmental education prior to joining the Initiative. Jennifer holds a Master of Public Administration and a B.S. in Atmospheric Sciences both from the University of Washington.
First Panel
Peter Donaldson, Director, Sustainability Ambassadors
Peter Donaldson is a consummate storyteller and master teacher with over 30 years’ experience in education and strategic community facilitation. Peter has taught throughout King County, at all levels, from elementary through college, and has created numerous school partnerships around curriculum integration and authentic assessment teaching teachers as well as modeling in the classroom. Peter serves as a member of the Catalyst 2030 Team coaching student, teacher and community leaders to drive collective impact at the intersection between sustainability education and measurable improvements in community conditions. He has build the bridge between classroom learning and real world application helping to solve community problems. He also is the director for the Project Design Lab supporting teacher leaders in integrating sustainable education to increase curriculum relevance, motivate students and meet standards.
Cluny McCaffrey, Executive Director, ECOSS
Cluny McCaffrey’s nonprofit career spans more than 25 years -- specializing in environment, communications, program management and operations. Cluny worked at The Nature Conservancy in Washington and Florida for more than 20 years in a variety of roles of increasing responsibility. Prior to joining ECOSS in March 2016, she served as Deputy Director for Little Bit Therapeutic Riding center in Redmond, WA.
Jay Mirro, Senior Resource Planner, King Conservation District
Jay Mirro has served the people and resources of King County since 2000. His work with KCD is focused on helping private landowners incorporate conservation practices in meeting their goals while protecting the environment. In South King County, he has worked with a diverse group of private landowners including a significant number of farmers, in developing plans that integrate environmental practices on their farms. He grew up in rural New Jersey, working on horse and llama farms, and then studied Livestock and Range Management at the University of Idaho. Jay and his family recently purchased a 34-acre farm in Maple Valley..
Second Panel
Judy Blanco, Director of Riparian Restoration, Forterra
Judy is thankful to be part of a community committed to the health of our region’s rivers, and to be part of an organization that supports and protects Pacific Northwest urban, rural and wild ecosystems. She has worked extensively with many diverse stakeholder groups in both the Cedar River and the Green-Duwamish Watersheds engaging and building support for successful programs. Working from urban to rural communities as an informal ambassador for our rivers.
Andrea Cummins, Urban Environmentalist, Dept of Community Development Tukwila
Andrea Cummins works on everything from restoration planning and implementation to sensitive area regulation, development review for landscapes, and urban forestry – all with help from many other contributors, of course. With a background in botany and horticulture, Andrea has worked in various aspects of natural resources management for a variety of public agencies, universities, non-profits and in the private sector over the years. In all of these roles, collaboration has been key--it always takes a village to accomplish environmental goals. She has been a leader in the City of Tukwila's adoption of the Green Tukwila program which centers on collaboration.
Green Tukwila is a new partnership between the City of Tukwila, non-profits like Forterra, EarthCorps, and the Student Conservation Association (SCA), and the Tukwila community, to care for public parks and natural open space across the city. Green Tukwila will work collaboratively with residents, businesses, students, and other organizations to restore and maintain 80 acres spread over 53 different places in Tukwila over the next 20 years to ensure healthy, safe and beautiful urban forests, shorelines and parks into the future
Willard Brown Director of Housing and Environmental Programs, Delridge Neighborhoods Development Association
Willard has worked for over 30 years as Property Management Administrator for Redevelopment at Seattle Housing Authority and served on the Advisory Council for African American Elders. He has a successful track record of developing positive relationships, a proven managerial skill set in leadership and implementing projects at all levels and a desire to give back to the Delridge community he cherishes.
Willard has tremendous reach within the Delridge neighborhood, one of the most diverse communities in King County. Willard has focused his attention on the issue of drainage and preserving the green environment since his retirement from Seattle Housing Authority in 2010. Willard has been championing the restoration and protection of the Delridge wetland and is working closely with community members and organizations to gain their support for the project. Willard has been effective in creating a dialogue in the community around the benefits of green infrastructure and focuses on the Wetland Restoration and Stewardship Project as one with great potential to broaden community support for green infrastructure, community stewardship and support for local area schools.
Willard is actively involved in the updating of the Delridge Neighborhood Plan and is a member of the Board of Directors of the Seattle Green Spaces Coalition. Willard has worked closely with City Council members to gain support for community based organizations having the ability to own surplus properties and to re-purpose them for community benefit. The project has the potential to greatly increasing community awareness of the environmental importance of the wetland and to significantly reduce area flooding and stormwater pollution entering Longfellow Creek.