SEEC Commissioners
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Meet our U.S. Commissioners and our Canadian Commissioners
U.S. Commissioners
Shirley is the co-founder and chair of the Skagit Watershed Council, a community partnership for salmon operating in the Skagit Watershed, downstream of Ross Dam. South African born, Shirley immigrated to the United States in the mid-1960's, earned a graduate degree in environmental planning from Arizona State University and settled in the Pacific Northwest, twenty-five years ago. She has served as a consultant to government, utilities, tribes and private companies throughout the western states. At the Seattle-based Northwest Renewable Resources Center, a not-for-profit specializing in environmental mediation, she served for a number of years as a project director and works in the same capacity at Long Live the Kings, a not-for-profit dedicated to the recovery of Pacific salmon. She lives on Fir Island in Skagit County.
Tom Brucker (Commissioner)
Tom's legal career has spanned thirty-seven years, much of which was spent in his own legal practice. Tom joined the North Cascades Conservation Council in 1964 and has been a committed environmentalist ever since. He was a member of the original R.O.S.S. (Run Out Skagit Spoilers) Committee in 1974 whose actions paved the way for the negotiations leading to the 1984 Treaty. Tom also belongs to the Bicycle Alliance and takes extended biking trips in Europe with his wife Mary.
Ken Wilcox (Commissioner)
Ken is an avid hiker and mountaineer from Bellingham with a particular passion for the old trees and high meadows of the North Cascades. He works as an environmental planner for his own firm, Osprey Environmental Services Inc. which specializes in trail planning and design. He is also a writer and publisher , having produced several regional hiking guides to Northwest Washington from the San Juans to the Cascades, as well as a book on forest conservation in Chile.
Alison Studley (Alternate Commissioner) Alison has a graduate degree in Marine Affairs from the University of Washington. For the past eight years she has been Executive Director of the Skagit Fisheries Enhancement Group (SFEG), an organization dedicated to salmon restoration. Alison has been a lifelong resident of the Skagit Valley. She enjoys river rafting, sea kayaking and hiking and believes strongly in preserving the beauty of the area for future generations.
Michele Connor (Commissioner)
Ms. Connor is Senior Vice-president for Policy at the Cascade Land Conservancy, an organization devoted to the preservation of forest lands in the Puget Sound Basin. She has advanced steadily at CLC since joining the organization in 1994. Prior to that, Ms. Connor worked for four years at the Japan Consulate in Seattle. She holds a Bachelor Arts from Evergreen College and a Master of Science from the UW College of Forestry. She has participated in several community service organizations in the central Puget Sound area.
James Hattori (Alternate Commissioner)
Mr. Hattori’s career has spanned the private, public, and non-profit sectors. Educated in public affairs, he has focused his professional development in the financial management arena. He has both worked for and advised the City of Seattle and it’s utilities departments. Recently, he was Foundation and Corporate Grant Manager at the Seattle Symphony. Jim has a strong interest in outdoor recreation and often passes through the upper Skagit watershed while traveling to the Winthrop area.
Timothy Manns (Alternate Commissioner)
Mr. Manns’ career spans 34 years with the U.S. National Park Service at several Parks throughout the nation. He holds a bachelors degree in history from Harvard University. From 1992-2006, Mr. Manns served as Chief Interpreter of the North Cascades National Park Complex. In this capacity, he was the Park’s Public Information Officer and was responsible for recruitment of 30,000 volunteer hours per year. During retirement, Mr. Manns has tutored English as a second language and volunteered for non-profit groups relating to natural history.
Jennifer Watkins (Alternate Commissioner)
Ms. Watkins holds a Bachelor of Science degree from the UW College of Forestry. She has worked for several years for area non-profit organizations involved in natural resource conservation and education. Ms. Watkins lives in Seattle and is currently employed by Conservation Northwest, tracking issues in the Wenatchee and Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forests. She is on the Board of the Municipal League of King County and has volunteered with a variety of local groups.
CANADIAN COMMISSIONERS
Peter Kennedy (Canadian Co-Chair)
Peter is a member of the Canadian Bar Association and the Law Society of BC. He has been practising general law in Chilliwack and Hope since 1975. Past positions include Chair of the BC Health Association and Trustee of Fraser Canyon Hospital. Peter enjoys hiking, camping, cross country skiing and cycling in his spare time.
Lex Bennett(Commissioner)
Lex is a banker and investment adviser whose strong financial skills are a proven asset to the Commission. He has lived with his family in the Hope area for the past eighteen years and enjoys hiking and kayaking in the Skagit and vacationing at his cabin at Mayne Island in his spare time.
Pete Caverhill (Commissioner)
Pete began fishing for trout at the age of fifteen and has been involved with fish in one capacity or another ever since. He started work as a fish and wildlife technician for the Province of British Columbia and recently retired as a senior regional fisheries biologist after thirty -five years in recreational and conservational fisheries management. He is the current president of the BC Federation of Fly Fishers and can be found casting for cutthroat off the saltwater beaches or rainbow trout in the Skagit as often as life permits.
Ken Farquharson (Commissioner)
Ken Farquharson's first visit to the Upper Skagit Valley was in 1960 and he has been a tireless advocate ever since. He was a member of the Run Out Skagit Spoilers (R.O.S.S.) Committee from 1968-1983 and has considerable expertise in BC land issues. A former civil engineer, Ken's favorite hobbies are hiking, camping and nature observation.
Thomas D. Bird
(Alternate Commissioner)
Tom Bird is the past Executive Director of the Sport Fishing Institute of BC. Previously, he was the Director of Recreational Fishing and a biologist and Director of Habitat for Fisheries and Oceans Canada. He is written numerous operational papers, policy documents, and amendments to acts and regulations within the field of Fisheries. Within his community, he is involved with the Sport Fishing Advisory Board, Canada/US Salmon Treaty Negotiations, Fraser River Panel, Sport Fishing Institute of BC, and Langara Fishing Adventures. Mr. Bird holds his Masters of Science from the University of British Columbia.
(Alternate Commissioner)
Shaun Hollingsworth is a former Quality Insurance Inspector for Telus. Within his community, he is the Vice President of Finance for the BC Wildlife Foundation and a Director for the BC Conservation Foundation. In addition, he is a Board Member of the Salmon Enhancement Advisory Board, Sport Fishing Advisory Board, North Shore Stream. Mr. Hollingsworth is also the past President of the North Shore Fish and Game Club.
Tracey Herron
(Alternate Commissioner)
Tracy is a member of Chilliwack Search and Rescue and frequently on-call to respond to emergencies in the wilderness. When she's not working at a local dental practice, Tracey can be found hiking, kayaking, biking or mountaineeering in the Upper Skagit with her husband and two teenage daughters.