STAFF

Nick Goulette - Executive Director

In January of 2010, after working for the Watershed Center for over five years, Nick assumed the position of Executive Director. Under his leadership, the organization carries out our mission: to create a healthy forest and healthy community. Nick's past work at the WRTC focused on community-based and regional research into forest work contracting and wood utilization, coordinating local collaboration with the US Forest Service associated with forest restoration and fuel reduction activities, developing assistance programs for local contractors, and advocacy for national forest, energy, and development policies that benefit rural communities. He earned a B.S. in Forestry from the University of Vermont (2004) with a concentration in Community-based Forestry.

Lynn Jungwirth - Senior Fellow for Policy and Development

Lynn was born and raised in a milling and logging family in a small timber town in Oregon. She received a B.A. in English Literature from the University of Oregon in 1971. She has been an activist on social issues in forest towns for twenty years. She has worked with various community groups interested in rebuilding forest dependent communities in northern California. She served on the Collaborative Stewardship Taskforce with Forest Service Chief Mike Dombeck and on the Board of Directors for the National Network of Forest Practitioners. Lynn also chaired the Communities Committee of the 7th American Forest Congress from 1996 to 2000.

Joshua Smith - Watershed Restoration Program Manager

Joshua Smith was raised in Trinity County. His work experience includes over five years in hydrologic monitoring and research. He worked with an environmental consulting firm in New Zealand for several years focusing on groundwater and surface water management plans, producing environmental impact documents, and scientific monitoring and analysis; in particular aquifer testing, surface water gauging, and diversion analysis. More recently, Josh has been employed in Trinity County by a private firm as a researcher with duties including flow and sediment monitoring, data collection, monitoring station setup and maintenance, sediment lab analysis, surveying, and road and steam inventory analysis. He has a degree in Environmental Studies with a minor in Geology from the University of California, Santa Barbara.

Nadya Novak - Natural Resources Planning Program Manager

Born in Haleiwa, Hawaii, Nadya graduated from Oregon State University. She specializes in forest recreation and resource management. Her past work experience includes: working with the Fish and Wildlife Service monitoring sea birds on Tern Island, working as an educational interpreter for the McKenzie National Forest in Oregon, working in the backcountry office of Yellowstone National Park, and working for Firestorm in forestry and fuel reduction work. Nadya manages the WRTC's Natural Resources Planning Program. To implement this program she works with local citizens, agencies, and community groups to identify priority management issues and foster agreement.  

Ryen Rourke - Stewardship Implementation Program Manager

Ryen has worked for the Watershed Center for the past three years. He has extensive field experience and has led data collection for numerous WRTC projects. He recently took on the role of Stewardship Implementation Program Manager. Under this title, he is responsible for managing the WRTC field crews and ensuring that desired outcomes are achieved on-the-ground. Ryen was raised in Hayfork and received his BS from Chico State University. 

Jim Jungwirth - Enterprise Development Program Manager

Jim joined the WRTC team in 2009. His background in business and passion for improving economic conditions in rural communities shape his program. Jim has deep roots in Trinity County and is committed to cultivating local businesses that employ local people. He has a Masters degree from the University of Oregon.

Laurie Roan - Financial Manager

Originally from Los Angeles, Laurie Roan has extensive accounting experience including: accounting for a modeling agency, a medical equipment corporation, construction companies, and several non-profit organizations. She also functioned as a county tax collector. As the Financial Manager of the WRTC, she manages all aspects of the finances including accounts payable, accounts receivable, the general ledger, job costing and cash management.

Cindy Blackburn - Operations Administrator

Cindy Blackburn has been in Hayfork since 1979. She has 10 years of experience in office administration from Jefferson State Forest Products (JSFP). Some of her positions at JSFP were bookkeeper, salesperson, accountant, executive assistant and operations manager. Her specialties include organizational systems, HR management, accounting, team building, data tracking, and research.  

Michelle Medley-Daniel - Communications and Administrative Assistant

Michelle grew up in Hayfork and is happy to call Trinity County home again. Her educational background includes a B.A. in Liberal Studies with an emphasis in English, and a B.A. in Studio Art from Humboldt State University. She draws on her creativity as well as her previous work experience as a Communications Director to perform her duties at the Watershed Center.  

Jesse DaSilva - Indian Valley Summer Camp Coordinator

Jesse runs our Indian Valley Summer Camp program. She has experience teaching in traditional classrooms as well as in enviromental camps in the United States and in Guyana. Jesse is currently enrolled in a Masters degree program at Humboldt State University. She will complete her Masters in Education with an emphasis in Environmental Education in 2010. Jesse grew up in Hayfork and is excited to be able to offer the Indian Valley Summer Camp program to Trinity County youth.

Ben Letton, M.S. - Natural Resources Programs Consultant

Ben Letton was born and raised in Trinity County.  He received his B.S. degree in Hydrology from UC Davis (2000), with a minor in Geology.  He has years of experience conducting sediment inventory and forest/ranch road assessments in northern California coastal watersheds.  Ben recently received his M.S. in Natural Resource Planning from Humboldt State University (2007).  His thesis emphasized the use of GIS as a planning tool in community forestry and investigated the comparative accuracy of hazardous fuel maps generated by local private landowners with that of federal databases in the Wildland Urban Interface (WUI).  One of his current projects, the Big Creek Watershed Management Plan, utilizes a suite of GIS compatible modeling software (i.e. FARSITE, FlamMAP, Forest Veg. Simulator (FVS), WEPP, and GeoWEPP) to address complex resource management issues.

BOARD OFFICERS

Robert C. Mountjoy

Chairman of the Board

Arnold Whitridge

Acting Secretary and Treasurer

BOARD MEMBERS

Dr. Cecilia Danks

Dr. Yvonne Everett

Lynn Jungwirth

Jeff Morris

John Veevaert

BOARD LIAISON

Anna Arnold