BOARD MEMBER, PRESIDENT

I’ve been a public school educator for over 30 years and believe that our collective commitment to the well-being of all our kids says a lot about who we are as adults. Addressing climate change is our most urgent collective responsibility, and waste reduction and smarter use of resources are important parts of the solution. I was raised to turn off the lights, conserve water and cut up my orange peels before I put them in the compost. My dad was a farmer from the Midwest; for him, waste was a form of laziness. The “normal” way to live our lives today produces way too much waste and accelerates climate change. “Methow Recycles – It’s what we do here.” That just says it all for me – it changes what’s normal and that changes what’s possible.

BOARD MEMBER, VICE PRESIDENT

I moved to the Methow Valley two years ago and quickly fell in love with its creative, close-knit community. I’ve always been fascinated by the many ways materials can be reused and repurposed—whether through art, design, or everyday living—which makes supporting local recycling and sustainability efforts especially meaningful to me. By day, I work in advocacy with another local nonprofit. Outside of that, I can usually be found starting yet another project or hanging out with my wife and kid and our two very curious cats.

BOARD MEMBER, SECRETARY

I was born in Montana, raised with my 8 siblings in California, and eventually migrated to Washington to practice medicine. In Seattle I had the good fortune of meeting my husband, Jim Clement, and we have spent our lives together sharing our profession, raising our daughter, and enjoying so many aspects of the great outdoors. Al Gore’s 2006 documentary, An Inconvenient Truth, shook me out of my complacency about our planet’s physical trajectory, our abuse of our natural resources, and our consumption driven mindsets. Working with Methow Recycles seems like an excellent way to put intentions into action, to do something positive for our planet.

BOARD MEMBER, TREASURER

I fell in love with the Methow Valley as a teenager on a camping trip up the Chewuch River. I knew it was time to move out of Seattle when my husband began “sharecropping” on the neighbor’s parking strip. Since moving to the Methow Valley in 2014, my husband and I have enjoyed working hard, playing harder, and living off the land that we steward on Wolf Creek. Spare time is spent x-country skiing, hiking, fishing, gardening, harvesting and volunteering. Being a board member is a chance to work with a group of smart dedicated people who all believe in the mission of reducing, reusing, and recycling.

BOARD MEMBER

With our world of Amazon packaging, take-out food containers, and more incentives to consume than conserve, it’s really hard to reduce waste. I think many Methow residents and businesses want to create less garbage and just need prompting and easier paths to make it happen. I grew up composting and recycling, and then professionally helped businesses start recycling and waste prevention programs. Over the course of 20 years’ visiting the Methow, I watched Methow Recycles evolve from a recycling center to a community leader in waste reduction education. I joined the board because I like the direction the organization is headed, and because I now have a home here and hope to use my background and passion to help advocate for a waste-free Methow Valley.

BOARD MEMBER

I am mostly but not entirely retired from a Seattle based medical career in primary care internal medicine, moving to the Valley with my wife Barb in 2015. I spend my days being a Methow Valley cliché, Nordic and backcountry skiing, mountain and road biking, hiking and backpacking, paddling, and find time to volunteer with Methow Recycles working with Ram-ona the baler and at the monthly Repair Cafe.

BOARD MEMBER

My first job was working the scales at my parents aluminum recycling yard. Ever since I've had a passion for reuse, recycling and environmental stewardship. Since 2009 I've been following that passion in the Methow. My first business, Recycling Roundup, offered collection services to local businesses. In 2013 Recycling Roundup joined forces with Methow Valley Sanitation to create WasteWise. As my businesses have evolved, Methow Recycles has been a steady and supportive partner. It's my pleasure to serve on the board of this incredible organization as we continue our work to inspire resource conservation though waste prevention, materials reuse and recycling in our community.

BOARD MEMBER

I have a B.S in Chemical Engineering and a Masters of Public Administration with a focus on Natural Resource Management. I worked for Seattle Public Utilities for 13 years in the Solid Waste Division, on projects associated with garbage, recycling and composting. A main focus of mine was to determine metrics to assess program success and to collect data and write annual reports. I also developed a spread sheet to model the costs of curbside collection options.  Upon moving to the Methow in 2010, I was thrilled to take the job of Operations Manager for Methow Recycles, which I did for 5 years. I am committed to a low waste lifestyle!

BOARD MEMBER

I am a retired environmental attorney. I spent my professional career working both nationally and in the Pacific Northwest on water pollution issues, primarily for the EPA. I studied natural resources and law in the Midwest and environmental policy in Germany. I have lived in the Methow Valley since 2014 and I’m usually out enjoying the hills when I’m not in my woodshop. Protecting the environment has been my life’s calling, and I’m still at it.