Our Team
Staff
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Executive Director
Djennyfer is from Brazil and grew up in Recife, a northeastern city surrounded by mangroves and estuaries. Fueled by her passion for coastal environments, she earned her master’s degrees in Soil Science, specializing in the biogeochemistry of various wetland types along the Brazilian and North American coasts.
Djennyfer's interests are to restore and protect watersheds, while also connecting with local communities that rely most on these natural resources and are affected by environmental issues.
In her free time, she enjoys practicing Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and playing soccer, or just reading a good mystery novel while drinking coffee.
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Tribal Lands and Waters Steward
Hugh Amaguk Ahnatook is Inupiat from the village of Utqiagvik, Alaska (Barrow, AK) - the most northern point of the United States approximately 320 miles north of the Arctic circle.
He lived in Utqiagvik with his family as a young boy and learned the traditional ways of life, practices, hunting, fishing, harvesting, culture and artwork of his Inupiaq relatives. He is a keeper of knowledge and stories and songs of many indigenous ways. In addition, Hugh is an artist and carver of traditional tools.
He has studied and mentored under many Indigenous leaders in North America, and has always remained knowledgeable and connected to his Inupiaq culture and artwork. He is well connected throughout Indian Country and is a keeper of ceremonies and traditions for the communities he supports.
Hugh is a deep lover of mother earth and remains committed to being a great student and teacher of the lessons that nature provide.
With experience as a Fire Chief focused on wildfire suppression, a community emergency preparedness leader and owner and operator of his own proud indigenous fish canning business, Hugh brings a breadth of experience and knowledge to the Necanicum Watershed Council and Chinook Indian Nation partnership.
Hugh is excited to work within the Necanicum Basin and beyond with our partners to strengthen the capacity of partners to work with the Chinook Indian Nation on restoration and engagement in the Clatsop Territory and throughout the Chinook Nation.
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Community Educator
Madeleine grew up in Guatemala and spent a lot of time moving between Latin America and the United States. Those experiences sparked an interest in the relationship between people and the environment, leading her to pursue an undergraduate degree in environmental science with a focus on conservation biology.
She’s especially drawn to science communication and enjoys finding ways to make environmental topics more approachable and relevant. She has worked on restoration and research projects in California and the tallgrass prairies and is excited to get to know Oregon’s landscapes and ecosystems more closely.
In her free time, Madeleine enjoys working with ceramics, beaded embroidery, and painting, even if things don’t always turn out as planned.
Email Madeleine.
Board of Directors
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Catriona and her husband operate a small law firm in Seaside specializing in estate planning, elder law and guardianships/conservatorships, probate and trust administration, business, and real estate.
Outside of the law, she has held jobs as a salmon packer, a restaurant server, a map library clerk, project coordinator for a statewide non-profit, and sold bridal gowns.
She and her husband live on the north coast full time and enjoy spending time outdoors with family, friends, and their three dogs. One of her favorite hobbies is coaching youth soccer. Most recently she has been assisting with Seaside High School girls soccer. She is also a beginning gardener and enjoy learning about our local plant habitats.
Her favorite part of the Necanicum is standing in the estuary on a grey winter day during the flood current. “There is something magical about watching the water flow in”.
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Acting Chair
Rachel L. Cushman is a direct descendant of Clatsop Chief Wasilta (WA), a primary negotiator and signer of the 1851 Tansy Point treaties. She is the duly elected secretary/treasurer of the Chinook Indian Nation Tribal Council. She loves paddling, singing, dancing, weaving, sewing, beading, cooking, and quill work, among many other things. While Rachel has deep connections with the Necanicum Basin, she currently resides in Eugene, Oregon, while she works on her PhD, but frequently visits Clatsop Territory for both vacation and tribal meetings.
Rachel is a PhD Candidate in Indigenous, Race and Ethnic Studies at the University of Oregon, and a member of the inaugural cohort for the department. She is a published scholar and speaker on topics relating to restorative justice and indigenous empowerment and a fierce advocate for the Chinook Indian Nation and the tribe’s effort to regain federal recognition.
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Secretary/Treasurer
Pat has lived in the Necanicum Basin full-time since 2012. She was attracted to the unique landscape and absorbs as much of it as she can by walking. When it’s raining just a little too much for a good walk, she digs into some historical research or reading a good book.
Her professional career was spent in education - from teaching 7th grade to adult education programs. She also served as a counselor and administrator of a county-wide career and technical education program.
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Born in Berlin but having spent nearly three decades on the north coast, Julia has contributed to our community in myriad of ways. A formally trained fisheries biologist, she’s also ventured through motherhood, working as a paramedic in Clatsop County, directing a local youth focused nonprofit and done some writing before stepping into her current role as a biology and ecology instructor at Clatsop Community College.
Aside from her long list of community endeavors, she paints in acrylic and oils, runs local trails and most of all snuggles with her three chihuahuas.
Her favorite place on the north coast is just about anywhere where there’s water - which doesn’t narrow it down much - and she frequents Sunset Beach but is admittedly (and rightfully) a little scared of the elk.
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Kerrie is a conservation social scientist and educator passionate about finding innovative solutions to real-world challenges. She is passionate about improving our understanding of conservation behaviors to improve environmental education, natural resource management, policy and simply help to create a more environmentally just and conscientious world. In her free time, she is the 'adventure coordinator' for her family and can be found exploring remote places throughout the pacific northwest under the guise of geocaching or marble hunting.
Originally from the north Oregon coast, Kerrie has spent the last 20 years working in education and conservation social science in the Galapagos Islands and Hawaii, where she has led statewide conservation initiatives and researched the psychology of individuals' behaviors towards wildlife in protected areas. Currently, she is the director of impact and evaluation for the National Network for Ocean and Climate Change Interpretation and the senior director of evaluation and impact for Woodland Park Zoo. Always looking for more ways to get involved in local causes, and inspired by the work of the Necanicum Watershed Council, Kerrie joined the council in spring 2022.
What is your favorite part of the Necanicum Basin and why?
Her favorite part of the Necanicum Basin is the peace and tranquility, and the decades of memories she has of growing up in this area, and the new memories she creates with her own young children.
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Hunter grew up along the Necanicum River in Seaside and has always taken part in all of the watershed’s recreational and conservation offerings. From hunting and fishing, to hiking and biking, recreation within the watershed has been his favorite pastime. He’s excited by the great opportunity to serve on his local watershed council, where his position with Lewis and Clark Timberlands, local background, and relationship with the community will allow him to partake in bettering and maintaining the Necanicum Watershed for generations to come.
Hunter has a BS in Civil Engineering and a BS in Forest Engineering from Oregon State University. This led him into a career with Nuveen Natural capital as a Production Forester. He also has extensive volunteer experience with the Necanicum Coho Sanctuary, a conservation effort by local property owners, where he helped enhance wetland habitat and fish habitat on the Necanicum river for several years alongside his family and friends.
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Samantha is a Wildlife Biologist for the US Fish and Wildlife Service and primarily focus on coastal pollinator conservation and prairie restoration. She spends warm summer days researching butterflies, planting native species, assessing habitat quality, and working alongside partners for a net positive effect to the habitat. When stuck in the office, she leads a range wide working group, consult on species take, and write grants to fund critical research and recovery tasks. Prior work includes studying listed butterfly species for the NH Fish and Game, researching climate change impacts to estuaries for the Marine Biological Laboratory, monitoring fisheries bycatch as a contractor for NOAA, teaching 7-12th grade science, and backpacking with underprivileged youth.
Samantha, together with her husband Perry and dogs Ike and Tumalo, love to take advantage of the north coast’s beauty through hikes and other outdoor activities.
Samantha’s favorite part of the Necanicum Basin is the ecology. From forest to headlands, rivers to estuaries, old growth to dunes, there are so many unique niches that the watershed encompasses.
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Jenny is an advocate for environmental sustainability and community development, deeply influenced by her Costa Rican roots. Born and raised in Costa Rica, Jenny spent her formative years immersed in its rich biodiversity and strong environmental ethos. Her native country's commitment to conservation and sustainable practices has inspired her advocacy for environmental stewardship. Jenny's cultural background has instilled in her a deep respect for nature and commitment to preserving it for future generations. Currently, Jenny serves as the Executive Director at Consejo Hispano, where she leads initiatives to empower and support the Latinx community of Oregon's North Coast.
The watershed council's work to decolonize conservation work and empower opportunities for Latinx community members through the Dias del Salmon program is what ultimately drove Jenny to join the Council's board of directors.
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Donovan was born and raised in Willapa Bay where he currently resides. He is Clatsop and Lower Chinook and Quinault and is a member of the Chinook Indian Nation. He spends most of my free time hunting and fishing for whatever is in season. He also enjoys mountain biking, backpacking, canoeing gathering and riding horses as well as doing traditional fish cooking.
Donovan graduated from Grays Harbor College with my BAS in Forest Resource Management. He is a Conservation Forester for the Shoalwater Bay Indian Tribe where he manages their timberlands along with collaborations with fisheries, wildlife management and ecology needs. Donovan is a council member for the Chinook Indian Nation, where he also sits on the Natural Resources Food Sovereignty Committee.
COMMITTEES
Project Development Committee
Derek Wiley | Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife
Troy Laws | Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (Retired)
Hunter Thompson | Nuveen Natural Capital
Donovan Wargo | Chinook Indian Nation
Spencer Kyle | City of Seaside City Manager
Celeste Lebo | Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program
Finance and Fundraising Committee
Jennifer Rasmussen | Rasmussen Bookkeeping
Pat Johns | Elementary Education (Retired)
Catriona Penfield | Seaside Attorneys
Samantha Derrenbacher | U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Rachel Cushman | Chinook Indian Nation
Kerrie Littlejohn | Woodland Park Zoo
Governance & Policy Committee
Pat Johns | Elementary Education (Retired)
Catriona Penfield | Seaside Attorneys
Samantha Derrenbacher | U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Rachel Cushman | Chinook Indian Nation
Lorna Wargo | Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife
What is your favorite part of the Necanicum Basin and why?
Donovan Wargo, Board Director
“Pretty much all of it because it pulls me into the woods where my ancestors roamed to where I now roam.”
Joyce Hunt, Board Director
“The estuary. It is the confluence of the ocean and river, the mixing of salt and fresh waters, and a symbol of constant change.”
Hunter Thompson, Board Director