Board of Director terms and duties are outlined in SERNW’s by-laws, Article V
Executive Committee
President | David Powell – David leads restoration projects in NW Oregon and SW Washington for Mosaic Ecology. For the last 10 years, he’s been involved in managing on the ground long-term ecological restoration efforts with multiple stakeholders from Homeowners Associations to Government Agencies. He loves working with people to realize the best ecological uplift possible while including education and community engagement. For David, being able to hike and enjoy sites he’s had a hand in restoring is what he loves most.
Executive Vice President | Aimee Kelley – Joined 2022 – Aimee began her education and career in restoration at the University of Montana in Missoula, where she majored in Ecological Restoration and Resource Conservation, with additional studies in climate change, small-scale agriculture, and art. While in college, she worked seasonally in the field, focusing on post-fire vegetation response, noxious weed management, and rare plant surveys. Aimee now co-owns and operates Great Bear Native Plants, a native plant nursery specializing in containerized native species for ecological restoration, reclamation, habitat conservation, and the landscaping and retail nursery industry. Under her leadership, Great Bear has become a key regional supplier of native plants across the Rockies, Great Basin and Great Plains. She is especially passionate about restoration efforts that support insect biodiversity and pollinator conservation.
Program Vice President | Kerrie MacArthur – Kerrie McArthur joined the board in 2018. She is a senior biologist at Confluence Environmental, with 30 years of wide-ranging experience as a natural resources professional in the Pacific Northwest and Alaska. Kerrie specializes in assessing impacts to fish and wetlands (freshwater and marine). She routinely conducts wetland reconnaissance and delineations, aquatic and terrestrial habitat evaluation, wildlife research projects, biological assessments of threatened and endangered species, fisheries surveys, functional assessments of aquatic ecosystems, and stream-channel characterizations. She also designs wetland mitigation/restoration plans, oversees their construction, and conducts mitigation monitoring to ensure their success.
Director at Large / President Emeritus | Regina Wandler -Regina Wandler is a Special Projects Manager with King County’s Parks Department, where she enjoys learning something new every day. She previously served as Stewardship Director at Skagit Land Trust, where she cared for more than 8,000 acres of conservation land across Skagit County. Regina began serving on SERNW’s board in 2015, and is a Certified Ecological Restoration Practitioner-in-Training (CERPIT) with SER. She also serves as the board president of Clyde Tree Farm, her family’s tree farm in Kitsap County, WA. She feels lucky to co-exist with so many amazing flora and fauna, surrounded by the diverse ecosystems and beautiful landscapes of Washington state.
Treasurer | Rolf Gersonde – Rolf is a forest ecologist focused on landscape-scale restoration in Seattle’s mountain watersheds, with a strong interest in climate adaptation and natural history. He has been active with SERNW since 2012, serving in various board roles and helping organize several regional conferences. His current work focuses on board development and chapter policy, as well as co-organizing the Restoration Professional Program in partnership with the University of Washington Botanic Gardens. Rolf lives at the foot of the Cascade Range, where he enjoys exploring the surrounding mountain wilderness.
Director at Large | Shiloh Halsey – Shiloh manages conservation and restoration efforts in the southern Washington Cascades as Director of Programs at Cascade Forest Conservancy. He leads a broad range of projects across aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems and has worked on post-fire revegetation, meadow restoration, wildlife reintroduction planning, riparian restoration, and instream habitat restoration. In 2019, he developed the Instream Wood Bank Network, a program that repurposes salvaged and non-merchantable logs for river restoration efforts across the region. Shiloh holds a Master’s degree in Geography, with a specialization in landscape ecology and habitat mapping.
Director at Large – Matt Hilz – Matt is a restoration professional based in Portland, Oregon. He works with Biohabitats on stormwater, green infrastructure, and large-scale instream restoration projects. Matt brings experience from the National Park Service and local ecological restoration firms, and holds a B.S. in Biology with a focus in Plant Sciences. He is especially passionate about engaging young people in conservation and encouraging local citizen science.
Director at Large – Robert Magill – Robert is a wildlife conservation biologist with decades of experience in restoration and species management. He is a Certified Wildlife Biologist and holds an M.S. in Wildlife Management, a professional certificate in Nonprofit Administration, and a Certified Ecological Restoration Practitioner-in-Training (CERPIT) designation through SER. Robert has held multiple leadership roles within The Wildlife Society (TWS), including with the Colorado and Pacific Northwest chapters, and led the effort for TWS to become a Supporting Partner of the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration. His current work focuses on advancing landscape-scale restoration and rewilding, and promoting wildlife as a measure of ecological recovery.
Director at Large – Becky Reed – Becky works at The Nature Conservancy, partnering with conservation teams across the Africa region in implementing adaptive management strategies and consulting on emerging technologies for conservation applications. She has long been involved in ecological restoration as a volunteer, growing native plants, collecting seeds, and planting with local organizations near her home in Boise. Becky also served as a founding board member of a nonprofit dedicated to preserving the sagebrush steppe ecosystem in the Oregon, Idaho, and Nevada region. Her greatest passion lies in the early stages of organizational development: building strategy, supporting teams, fostering operational growth, and developing enduring partnerships.
Webmaster | Anna Steltenkamp
Director at Large | Joy Wood – Recently joining the Board, Joy is a Certified Ecological Restoration Practitioner. She offers technical expertise to municipalities with stewardship and community engagement programs, empowering them to maximize their ecological restoration potential. Additionally, Joy provides planning for small-scale forestry restoration. She has been active in organizing the UWBG Ecological Restoration Symposium since 2018.
Open Board Positions
Secretary
Student / Emerging Professional