Staff

Take a look at this page to read about our wonderful community of trail crew leaders

Jaime Loucky - Chief Executive Officer 

Growing up in Bellingham, with the North Cascades practically in his backyard, Jaime developed a lifelong passion for hiking, backpacking and spending time in the beautiful outdoors. That passion followed him as he traveled to the East Coast and ultimately to NYC, where he learned to appreciate the value of urban green spaces and trails as a way to escape the hustle and bustle of city life. Jaime eventually moved back to the Pacific Northwest, but not before buying a campervan and taking a year-long road trip with his wife Laine, visiting 47 National Parks and Forests in the process. He arrived at WTA in early 2020 and served as WTA's first Chief Impact Officer, overseeing our strategic planning and program operations. He is now thrilled to serve as the CEO and is committed to helping advance our vision of Trails for Everyone, Forever and connecting hikers and everyone who loves the outdoors with opportunities to get outside and give back to trails. In his free time Jaime enjoys gardening, riding the Burke Gilman and taking his 2 year old daughter Sasha out on trail any chance he gets. Email: jloucky@wta.org

James Alexander - Trail Crew Leader - Southwest 

James, born on a big island in Asia and raised in Texas, retired from the United States Army in 2020 after 25 years of active duty service before settling in Southwest Washington. His career has given him and his family an opportunity to live in Europe, and all across the continental United States, taking full advantage of the military life visiting 21 countries, and 28 states. James started volunteering with WTA in the fall of 2020 and was immediately hooked on maintaining trails, working with the friendly volunteers, and the culture of the organization. James believes people from all walks of life should enjoy the outdoors, encourages those in the veteran community, and marginalized groups to use their individual strengths as volunteers. When James is not working you’ll find him and his wife cooking, making cocktails, hiking, traveling while spending time with their Chiweenie and two adult children. Email: jalexander@wta.org

rza allen (they/them) - Youth Trail Program Manager

rza's love for the outdoors was sparked during their childhood in rural Kentucky. They worked on trail crews in Oregon, California and Arizona before moving to Washington to teach at outdoor school. They are passionate about queer community, making medicine, sit spots, bicycling, and dismantling the white supremacist cis-hetero capitalist patriarchy! They're a plant nerd who thinks that nurse logs are just the absolute coolest, so their favorite hikes meander through forests on their way to ... anywhere, really! Email: rallen@wta.org

Amanda Baker (she/her) - Chief Operating Officer

The ponderosa pines of Spokane just smell like home to Amanda. Now in Seattle, she's spent her career in high-impact nonprofits working to build a better world. Amanda's expertise is in nonprofit operations, with more than a decade of senior leadership in HR, finance and IT, and she holds a master's degree in nonprofit management. When not living the dream as part of WTA's team, she's happiest on family hikes to waterfalls or with her nose in a book.  Email: abaker@wta.org

Melani Baker (she/her) - Advocacy Coordinator

Melani grew up in Pittsburgh, PA, connecting with the outdoors through local parks and yearly family vacations to the Outer Banks, NC. Though she’s been dreaming of thru-hiking the Appalachian Trail since she was a teenager, she didn’t actually begin hiking until moving to Seattle in 2008. Now she doesn’t know whether to hike the Appalachian Trail or the Pacific Crest Trail someday! From working as an environmental educator in NYC to scuba diving in Seattle to completing Antioch University’s Urban Environmental Education program, she loves nature when it’s as local as it gets. Email: mbaker@wta.org

Mike Bellis - Northwest Regional Crew Leader

Mike has a passion for wild places and the trails that take him there. His connection to nature began as a kid out hunting, fishing and turning over every rock in the local creek to inspect for critters. His love of the outdoors has only grown deeper with age and he always loves sharing what he has learned from many years of listening to the forest. Crew leading for WTA gives him a chance to get a deeper connection with the North Cascades and the wonderful community of people that he shares them with. When he isn’t working on trails you can find Mike kicking around the South Fork valley of Whatcom county on the lookout for a flush of edible mushrooms or sign of the wild creatures that share the valley. Email: mbellis@wta.org

Arlen Bogaards - Northwest Regional Manager 

Arlen runs the WTA show in Northwest Washington, crew leading work parties, representing WTA at outreach fairs and promoting hiking in the area. Somehow, in between all of this he finds time to feed the chickens and goats on his small farm. After years in the construction field, Arlen finally united his work with his passion: trails. He enjoys a good day hike in a high meadow or a backpacking trip in the desolate North Cascades, and his favorite hike is Skyline Divide. If he ever gets the chance, he would like to section hike the Pacific Crest Trail. Email: arlen@wta.org

Moleek Busby - Field Operations Senior Manager  

Moleek Busby is originally from the San Francisco Bay Area. His career in trail work started with the California Conservation Corps. After college and music projects in Chico, CA, Moleek returned to conservation, working nine years for the Student Conservation Association and moving up the ranks. As the Field Operations Senior Manager for the Washington Trails Association, he has oversight of the trail maintenance risk management information system. Moleek is also on the Wilderness Risk Management steering committee, the North West Outward Bounds safety committee and an ambassador for the Mountain Mind Project. When he is not making public lands safe for Washingtonians, Moleek enjoys creating music, hiking, backpacking, kayaking, archery, car "glamping" and getting some trail work in. He is a life-long advocate for marginalized people to have ownership in their space and to feel safe volunteering and recreating on public lands. Email: mbusby@wta.org

Alan Carter Mortimer - Field Programs Manager 

It took Alan 11 years of volunteering on trail with WTA to decide that he liked WTA volunteers and trail work enough to stay. He started receiving a WTA paycheck in 2007 and has been working overtime ever since. If you’ve ever wondered how WTA decides what work to do on which trails, talk to Alan. He coordinates with land managers to plan trail projects in the Olympics and South Sound as well as Central and Eastern Washington. He works to ensure that volunteers have a safe, fun and rewarding experience on trail. Alan, who also goes by the alternate nicknames “Ace,” “Sheldon” or “Mort,” dabbles in mountain climbing. One of his favorite hikes is the Shedroof Divide in the Salmo-Priest Wilderness of Eastern Washington. Email: alan@wta.org

Kara Chin - Senior Human Resources Manager

Kara, a Pacific Northwesterner, has spent her life playing in the diverse bio-niches of the region. Her long history with WTA first began as a volunteer for trail work parties and TrailsFest, then as an administrative intern in 2000, followed by handling "all things membership and Hike-a-Thon" for nearly a decade. Trained as an artist, choreographer, and costume designer, she has always found inspiration in her extended backyard. These days you'll most likely find her seeking out moss, mushrooms and gastropods on the forest floor or in her garden. Email: kara@wta.org

Tiffany Chou - Communications Coordinator 

Although Tiffany was born in New Jersey, she grew up in Washington and considers Seattle home. After studying biology and computer science, she worked as a software engineer for 3.5 years until she discovered her love of hiking. She completed a southbound thru-hike of the Pacific Crest Trail in 2019, then spent the next 2 years taking teenagers on backpacking trips as a wilderness instructor. She is also a certified remote EMT! Tiffany originally joined WTA as a part of their Emerging Leaders Program, then found her way to the amazing Communications Team. She's usually either out backpacking, hiking, or on a neighborhood walk. Email: tchou@wta.org

Denise Cline - Senior Accounting Manager

Denise's love for the outdoors began during her time as a girl scout and camp counselor in Upstate New York. In 1993 she drove to Washington state to attend college and has lived here ever since. Although she appreciates all the outdoor opportunities the Pacific Northwest has to offer, she has a special love for the Nisqually Wildlife Refuge where she spent countless hours exploring nature with her daughter. Denise is excited to bring her 10 years of nonprofit finance experience to the amazing WTA Business Operations team. When she isn't working or spending time with her family, she enjoys performing in local British Brass Bands and running with her dog. Email: dcline@wta.org

Brynna Counts-Morgan (she/her) - Individual and Corporate Giving Senior Manager

Brynna grew up in Oregon, exploring the beaches and forests of the Pacific Northwest. She moved to Seattle in 2016 and became an avid hiker with the help of WTA's resources. Brynna comes to WTA after managing fundraising initiatives at an animal-focused nonprofit. She is excited to connect WTA's dedicated members with our vision of trails for everyone, forever. One of her favorite things to do is to hike the beautiful trails in the San Juan Islands and North Cascades with her spouse and two dogs. Email: bcountsmorgan@wta.org

Lezlie Cox - Office Manager 

Lezlie is from Wisconsin, growing up water-skiing and shoveling snow. Decades ago, she led WTA volunteers on Olympics work parties and around the state on volunteer vacations. She has strolled 1700 miles of the Pacific Crest Trail and loved the absence of a schedule and tech! After years out of state, Lezlie returned to Washington for two seasons working for the King County Parks Volunteer Program before rejoining WTA as the office manager. She recommends Northrup Canyon in the spring and Thorp Mountain via Knox Creek in the summer. Email: lezlie@wta.org

Kaci Darsow (they/them) - Youth Trail Crew Leader

Kaci grew up poking around the rocky shores of Puget Sound and romping through cedar and sword fern forests. They come to WTA with extensive youth work experience in a variety of outdoor settings and an M.Ed. in Environmental Education. Kaci is returning home to the PNW from their most recent adventure—a year of teaching outdoor education in rural Alabama. They are stoked to ease into the world of office work by splitting their time facilitating youth work parties and serving as a support system for Youth Volunteer Vacations. When they're not inspiring youth, Kaci loves cross-country road trips, learning new things, singing off-key in their car, climbing trees and dismantling the patriarchy. Email: kdarsow@wta.org

Michael DeCramer (he/him) - Policy and Planning Manager

A lifelong Seattle Mariners fan, Michael loves the communities and landscapes of the Pacific Northwest. He believes that access to outdoor recreation can enrich people’s lives and provide less consumptive experiences that can connect people to the natural world, other people and themselves. Michael is passionate about public policy and obsessed with trails. Before joining WTA, Michael worked at the Pacific Crest Trail Association and the Mountain to Sound Greenway Trust where he built trails and partnerships. When not working on advocacy issues, Michael can often be found daydreaming about his next thru-hike. Email: mdecramer@wta.org

Krista Dooley - Community Partnerships and Leadership Development Director

Krista has a rich background in environmental education, having worked in several youth programs in various regions of the U.S. and Switzerland before joining WTA. She brings a passion for connecting people to the outdoors and has seen the positive impact collaboration with partners can have developing the next generation of outdoor leaders. Born and raised in Washington, she relishes spending time outdoors and loves hiking at a pace that allows her to enjoy her surroundings with her daughters. Email: krista@wta.org 

Loren Drummond (she/her) - Senior Digital Strategy Manager

Loren has dedicated her career at WTA and other nonprofits to using digital communications for positive change. She's backpacked (and rebuilt) sections of the Colorado Trail, and she's put in miles on the Appalachian and Pacific Crest Trails, too. At WTA, she loves connecting with and supporting an incredible community of volunteers, hikers and would-be hikers with Washington's wild places. She has a particular fondness for desert camping, alpine basins and marmots. Email: loren@wta.org

Austin Easter - Statewide Trails Program Manager 

Austin hails from Seattle and holds deep connections to the misty winters and craggy alpine mountains of the North Cascades. He became involved with WTA in high school and now leads volunteer crews all over the state and in week-long backcountry trips. A rock and book nerd at heart, he majored in geology at Whitman College with an emphasis in politics and environmental studies. While there, he worked as an instructor at the climbing gym and led numerous backpacking and climbing trips all over the Northwest. He is most passionate about supporting volunteers to achieve a sense of place and belonging in the outdoors while focusing on the need to conserve, preserve, and protect these wild environments. He loves any hike that involve climbing and obstacles whether traversing the north ridge of Mount Stuart in a day or scrambling over headlands and hiking the 40-mile coast from Rialto to Shi Shi. Email: austin@wta.org 

Dean Ericksen - Information Technology Senior Manager

Dean hails from Seattle, and while his WTA tenure is brief, he has worked with us in a consulting capacity for a number of years. For many years Dean has partnered with regional nonprofit organizations to help them get the most out of technology and the internet. He currently works to make sure our systems are on their best behavior. When he's not situated in front of a computer, he could be found cooking in front of a hot stove, or wandering around the Methow with family and friends. Email: dean@wta.org

Angelic Friday (she/her) - Emerging Leaders Program Project Coordinator 

Angelic grew up in the Puget Sound area and has always enjoyed spending time outdoors. While growing up she spent time crabbing, fishing, and exploring the outdoors with her girl scout troop. When she is off the clock, you can find her teaching youth and adult level color guard, on a trail, or cheffing it up in the kitchen. She started working for WTA as a crew member in the Lost Trails Found crew this past summer. Angelic is passionate about being a good steward to the land and advocates for diversity and equity in the outdoor industry. In her role she aims to foster an inclusive and supportive community. Email: afriday@wta.org

Cassidy Giampetro (she/her) - Advocacy Manager

Jen Gradisher (she/they) - Trail Programs Director

Jen loves two things: working with people and working outdoors. With WTA, she's grateful for the chance to combine both of these passions. Her enthusiasm for trail work began as a youth when she spent a month building rock structures on the Appalachian Trail with the Student Conservation Association. It took many years and many dreams of Pulaskis before Jen returned to the magical world of trail maintenance as a crew leader for the Northwest Youth Corps and WTA. In her current role as Trail Programs Director, you can find Jen splitting her time between the office and trails throughout Washington State. Email: jen@wta.org

Corinne Handelman (she/her) - Major Gifts Officer

Corinne grew up near the redwoods and oak woodlands of Northern California feeling most alive outside. In her role as WTA's Major Gifts Officer, she cultivates investments in sustainable trail systems and works to build an inclusive hiking community. Corinne was previously the Portland-based Engagement Manager for Oregon Natural Desert Association and is an alum of Oregon Environmental Council's Emerging Leaders Board. On most weekends you can find her enjoying all the Pacific Northwest has to offer, from backpacking to trail running to skiing. Email: chandelman@wta.org

Stasia Honnold - Southwest Regional Trails Coordinator  

Legend has it that one of Stasia's first words was "outside," and she's been trying to stay outside as much as humanly possible ever since. She moved to the Pacific Northwest in 2001, to the chagrin of her sun-loving family, and finally found her way to WTA in 2018. In the interim, she spent her time wrangling kiddos and volunteers as a 7th grade teacher, young adult mentor, conservation crew leader, stewardship coordinator, and volunteer manager—all of which capitalize on her extreme cheerfulness and ability to sit quietly with chaos. In her non-work time, she can be found questing for adventure on her bicycle, running on trails in the woods, or getting ridiculously excited about plants and birds. She is a firm believer in wonder and enthusiasm, and her favorite answer to things is a resounding "yes!" Email: shonnold@wta.org  

Andrea Imler - Advocacy Director

A lifelong Washingtonian, Andrea spent many a day exploring the woods behind her home growing up and credits family camping trips for giving her the "gotta be outdoors" bug. With many years of recreation and conservation advocacy experience, Andrea loves to work with others to develop initiatives that protect trails and public lands. While she lives in the city, Andrea prefers a tent in the backcountry to her urban home. She has explored much of the Pasayten wilderness, as well as the Olympic Peninsula and Mount Rainier, which she has climbed twice! Andrea continues to revel in Washington’s wild areas, and eventually, she’d like to hike the Pacific Northwest and Pacific Crest trails. Email: aimler@wta.org

Andy James - Youth Trail Program Coordinator 

Andy grew up in the Puget Sound area as the oldest of four siblings. Since that wasn't exciting enough he began pursuing what some might call the extreme sports of skateboarding, scuba diving, snowboarding, skydiving, rock climbing, and long distance trail running. Andy lives with his partner in an off-grid cabin near Stevens Pass and can often be found traveling to new and exciting destinations that he explores through his favorite activities. Email: ajames@wta.org

Linnea Johnson (she/her) - Marketing Manager

Linnea’s love for the natural world began on the urban trails of her hometown of Toledo, OH, and has only continued to grow since she moved to Seattle in 2018. She has dedicated her career to contributing to a more equitable and sustainable future, serving in communications roles at Seattle Indian Health Board and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Discovery Center and as an environmental educator at Cuyahoga Valley National Park. Linnea’s undergraduate thesis for her B.A. in biology focused on glass frog populations in Costa Rica, and she conducted her thesis for her M.A. in museum studies on environmental self-efficacy among zoo and aquarium visitors. She is also a certified yoga instructor. Outside of the office, you can find Linnea hiking, paddling, seeking out live music, and spending quality time with her tortoiseshell cat, Mina. Email: linneaj@wta.org

Stephanie Kellish - Database Administrator

After a childhood spent wandering the woods and a quarter-century in Ohio, Stephanie heard the call of the mountains and moved to Washington. Since her graduation from the Ohio State University, she has been in the nonprofit world, focusing on databases and technology in the nonprofit sector. When not in the office trying to perfect the WTA’s database, Stephanie can be found wandering outside in her new home state or with her nose buried in a book. She is looking forward to exploring all of the trails Washington has to offer! Email: skellish@wta.org

Jessi Loerch (she/her) - Washington Trails Editor 

Jessi was born in Washington, but grew up camping, hiking and skiing in Idaho. She moved back to Washington for college and hasn't left since. Her background is in journalism, where her favorite stories were always anything to do with the outdoor world. At WTA, Jessi edits Washington Trails and works on other communication projects. She loves to ask questions, and appreciates that her job encourages her to be endlessly curious. When she's not at work, Jessi prefers to be on the trail—any trail, in any weather. Her current goal is to finish backpacking all of the PCT in Washington state. Email: jessi@wta.org

Nicole Masih-Théberge (she/her) - Statewide Engagement and Events Coordinator

Nicole grew up hiking and camping all around the Pacific Northwest. She has spent her career working in a variety of roles for nonprofits in youth development, volunteer management and grant writing. Leading several camping and hiking trips while working for Girl Scouts of Western Washington further ignited her excitement for increasing access to nature and outdoor recreation. With a BA in Human Services and an MA in Whole Systems Design, Nicole is passionate about environmental and social justice and is thrilled to be working with WTA to support and grow community engagement with the outdoors. When she’s not working, you can usually find her on a walk, reading, or cooking. Email: nmasihtheberge@wta.org

Erin McMillin - Multi-Day Trips Program Coordinator

Erin McQuin - Outdoor Leadership Training Senior Coordinator

Erin was born and raised in Monroe, Washington where she wandered the woods off Highway 2. Erin has spent her career in outdoor camps working with youth. She believes that empowering youth to explore nature is critical for their overall wellbeing. Erin is passionate to work to break down barriers that prevent youth from accessing outdoor recreation. When she’s not working, you can find her wandering around the Chuckanut Mountains. Email: emcquin@wta.org 

Justine Nishitani (she/her) - Northwest Regional Trails Coordinator 

Even though she had grown up in Seattle – a very outdoorsy town, Justine had never been hiking or camping. That all changed when she decided to participate in a 10-day canoeing and backpacking trip on Ross Lake with the North Cascades Institute. The experience, as well as the volunteer experiences that followed with the Student Conservation Association sparked a love for the outdoors, trail work, and volunteering that has continued into her adult life. That first experience was in 2007, now over a decade has passed. In that time, she graduated with a degree in Environmental Management and Protection from Humboldt State University as well as worked for the Mount Baker Snoqualmie National Forest on a trail crew and as a wilderness ranger/volunteer coordinator for multiple seasons. She hopes that through her work, she can help others find their love of the outdoors, as she did all those years ago. Email: jnishitani@wta.org

Jenica Nordstrom - Graphic Designer

A Washingtonian, Jenica comes to Washington Trails Association with over a decade of design and marketing experience. Before joining the WTA team she worked as a graphic designer at the University of Washington designing Viewpoints magazine; which tells the stories of UW students, faculty and alumni who are making a difference. Jenica is excited to bring her design savvy and unique aesthetic to WTA; helping keep communications stay both eye-catching and relevant. When not designing or creating artwork, Jenica enjoys exploring Seattle’s great urban hikes and observing the beauty of the Cedar River and Lake Washington from the Cedar River Trail near her home in South Seattle. Through being a part of the WTA community, Jenica is eager to explore new trails with new people in the state she loves so much. Email: jenica@wta.org

Laura Norsen (she/her) - Development Database Coordinator

Having grown up in the Seattle area, Laura has been hiking the trails of Washington for as long as she can remember. Since volunteering for her first day of trail work in 2016, her passion for trails and the incredible hiking community in Washington has grown exponentially. She is excited to join the WTA Development team where she can leverage her years of data and administrative experience to keep things running smoothly behind the scenes. If she's not out on the trail, you'll probably find her curled up at home with a mug of tea and a good book or her current knitting project. Email: lnorsen@wta.org

Liza Noworyta (she/her) - Trail Crew Leader - Puget Sound 

Liza (like lizard) is a Washington native out of Spanaway. Her childhood was filled with climbing trees and eating dirt (along with a few other inadvisable things). While Liza had a slow introduction to hiking and most outdoor sports of the sort, she is definitely a lifelong enthusiast. After graduating from college in 2015, Liza found herself working for a small conservation corps in southeast Utah and has been working for the trail world ever since all over the United States. When not working she enjoys trying (and failing) to get through her ever-growing TBR stack, mothering her numerous plants, writing, climbing, traveling, etc. etc. She is very passionate about getting folks from all walks of life outdoors so she can explain how much she hates seeing orange peels left on a trail (among other things). Email: lnoworyta@wta.org

Ryan Ojerio - Southwest Regional Manager

Ryan managers WTA's work from our Vancouver office including volunteer projects, trail design, planning, and advocacy throughout Southwest Washington. Born in Fort Collins, CO and raised in Pullman, WA, Ryan eagerly returned west after earning a B.S. in Biology from Michigan State University. Between then and now he has worked as a bicycle mechanic, led youth crews for Northwest Youth Corps, taught outdoor education classes at the University of Oregon, and completed a Master's Degree in Community and Regional Planning (U of O 2008).  These days he connects with nature by riding his mountain bike, looking for bugs under rocks with his son, and bouldering with his daughter and dreaming of our next family road trip with his wife. Email: ryan@wta.org

Joe Olbrych - Puget Sound Field Manager

Joe grew up on the opposite end of Interstate-90, in the hills of Western Massachusetts where he developed a passion for the outdoors, first through fishing and canoeing with his grandpa. He received a B.A. in outdoor education and travel writing at Hampshire College, where he deepened his connection to the backyard outdoors through climbing, learning about its natural history, and volunteering with local outdoor groups. Prior to WTA, Joe coordinated and led I-90 Corridor trail projects for many years with the Mountains to Sound Greenway Trust. He is excited to connect with and grow the vast network of WTA volunteers to accomplish necessary trail work in the Puget Sound region. When not stewarding trails, he is in the woodshop working on a project, playing music, or bicycling the backroads of Puget Sound. Email: jolbrych@wta.org

Taylor O'Leary - Grants Manager 

Taylor grew up wandering the woods and coastline of New England, where she found her love for the outdoors. In 2017, a cross-country cycling trip brought her through the North Cascades and into the PNW for the first time. Quickly falling in love with the evergreens and mountain peaks of Washington, Taylor knew this was her new home. Taylor has spent the past six years working with private foundations and corporations to advance many social service and environmental organization's missions. She is excited to now bring her passion for the outdoors to WTA and work with partners across the state to protect trails and get more folks out exploring nature. When not out exploring, Taylor can be found trail running, eating ice cream sandwiches, attempting to watercolor, or in a sunny spot reading. Email: toleary@wta.org   

Grady Olson - Development Operations and Analytics Manager

Hailing from Kirkland, Washington, Grady began at WTA, like many others, as a volunteer on a trail crew. After two work parties, he took a three-year hiatus before returning to continue building trails and friendships. Now an assistant crew leader and member of the development team, Grady hopes to continue to foster the WTA community that initially attracted him to the organization. Grady works to ensure all systems runs smoothly for the development team and across all teams at WTA. He has explored much of the western US, including Oregon, Montana, and a summer season of bagging 14ers in Colorado, but keeps returning to Washington’s wild places because of the beauty, diversity, and wonder so close to home. Grady is happy anywhere outside in Washington state, but has a fondness for the tops of mountains and the paths that circle these behemoths. Email: grady@wta.org

Chương Phạm - Senior HR Coordinator 

Migrating from sunny Southern California, Chương found himself in Seattle after being lured by the nearby mountains, evergreen forests, and tasty restaurants. He was the Volunteer Program Coordinator for four years at WTA before making the switch as the Senior HR Coordinator supporting WTA's talented staff. Outside the office, you can find him at the local library—his natural habitat—reading books or exploring Seattle for the next best meal. Recommendations are most welcome! Email: cpham@wta.org

Kindra Ramos (she/her) - Chief Programs Officer 

Kindra loves helping hikers get involved in WTA’s community— talking with folks about favorite trails, the importance of public lands, and WTA’s role is in protecting these special places. She enjoys wandering the woods with her wife. She believes in taking time to appreciate the little curiosities on trail like mushrooms, insects and pika. Eventually, she’d like to explore the remote Salmo-Priest Wilderness of Eastern Washington on a backpacking trip. Email: kindra@wta.org

Beatriz Rojas Vazquez - Emerging Leaders Program Assistant Crew Leader 

Beatriz Rojas Vazquez aka "Bea" is a movie fanatic, thespian, and foodie. When Bea isn't trying to learn useless skills (if there ever is such a thing), like speedcubing (I stand corrected). You will find her planning "gameshows and tournaments" in which Bea's most competitive and ruthless friends attempt to complete a series of challenges (poor sportsmanship, cheating and playing dirty is encouraged) in order to win the golden Pineapple. When Bea isn't talking malarkey she enjoys rock climbing, biking, and the occasional polar bear plunge. Bea is a climate activist focused on dismantling the patriarchy and move towards rebuilding an equitable society. Bea won't neglect the power of her peoples stories'. Bea wears her braids proudly. Bea speaks her language excitedly.  Bea hopes to embody WTA's mission of safety, FUN, and work on her work parties. They hope that people can find a place to be their authentic selves, be treated the way they want to be treated and have fun. Email: bvazquez@wta.org

Janée Romesberg (she/her) - Trail Programs Senior Manager 

Janée, a southwestern Pennsylvanian, has worked with amazing volunteers of all ages across the country and is passionate about helping others deepen their connection to the outdoors through service. She has led crews of high school students on trail maintenance projects in Yosemite and Wind Cave National Parks, mentored outdoor excursion leaders in southwestern Pennsylvania, and trained Pittsburgh neighbors to safely clean up illegal dumpsites. Janée now supports WTA's trail programs and volunteers across Washington. When she isn't in the office, you'll find her biking, hiking, skiing or trying to convince herself that she likes running. If she's sitting down, she's probably knitting. Email: jromesberg@wta.org 

Anna Roth - Hiking Content Manager 

Anna came back to Washington after two years in Colorado and not enough coastline. She joined a WTA work party on National Public Lands Day in 2012, and less than a year later started at WTA. Now, she researches hikes and works with a team of correspondents who help her improve WTA's hiking guide. She’s happy to hike anywhere, whether it's a miles-long walk through her neighborhood or a multi-day backpacking trip, as long as the payoff is a view from a mountain top, ridge, or pass. Email: anna@wta.org

Maryjo "MJ" Sampang (she/her) - Community Partnerships and Leadership Development Coordinator

Maryjo, also known as MJ, was born and raised in the Bay Area but is now settling into her PNW roots. After graduating from UC San Diego with a B.S. in Physiology and Neuroscience she worked in academic research for several years. However, in 2018 she transitioned out of research and into the outdoor education field, and has not looked back since. She is a certified Environmental and Outdoor Educator from California’s Association for Environmental and Outdoor Education (AEOE) and has worked with various non profit organizations focused on environmental justice and empowering BIPOC youth through the outdoors. Her true passion is to continuously create equitable and accessible outdoor programs for underrepresented youth and communities. MJ's hobbies include reading, running, hiking, birding, silly dancing, playing ultimate frisbee, and talking about and watching sports (Golden State Warriors specifically). If she's not doing any of those, you can likely find her drinking kombucha and sitting in a camp chair by a body of water. Email: msampang@wta.org

Leina Seeley - Development Content Coordinator 

Leina is a recent graduate of the University of Washington’s School of Public Health where she majored in Food Systems. During her time in undergrad, she discovered her passion for outdoor recreation through climbing and sea kayaking. She initially joined WTA as part of the 2022 cohort of the Emerging Leaders Program and is now part of the full-time staff. In her free time, Leina enjoys biking, dancing and yoga. Email: lseeley@wta.org

Zachary Sklar - Lost Trails Found Coordinator 

Growing up in the coastal foothills of California, Zack has always been most at home when there's no roof involved. After a few years of bouncing between various mountain towns of the West, he hiked the Pacific Crest Trail in the summer of 2019 and found himself in the PNW at the end of the journey. Since then he's been working as a writer and trail steward in the great state of Washington. As one of the Coordinators of WTA's Lost Trails Found crews, Zack gets to spend his summers maintaining trails and camping out in the remote reaches of the Cascades, and his winters writing and skiing as much as possible. Email: zsklar@wtya.org

Emily Snyder - Central Puget Sound Trails Coordinator 

Emily discovered WTA in 2013 and fell in love with trail work. She grew up locally, tucked between sword ferns and salmon berries, and was forever climbing trees and covered in pine sap. Not much has changed. Her intro to trail work began building new trails at Evans Creek Park and after her first time on a cross cut saw, she was hooked. As a crew lead, her favorite trips are BCRT logouts and her favorite projects are lost trails found. You will most likely find her with an axe in hand practicing her bucking skills, or talking with volunteers and hikers swapping stories and exchanging trail beta. She is excited to be leading trail crews out of Darrington off Mountain Loop Highway this season. Email: esnyder@wta.org

Adam Steinberg - Development Director

A New Yorker, Adam fell in love with the Pacific Northwest while serving as an outdoor educator during an AmeriCorps year in the Gifford Pinchot National Forest. While his career afterwards brought him to Boston, New York and Israel, he knew from then on that Washington would ultimately become his home. Adam spent a decade in community organizing and development, working at the intersection of politics and foreign policy. He is excited to bring his experience in fundraising, strategic planning and scaling organizational impact to fortify a resilient trail system and welcome the state's ever growing community of hikers.  Email: asteinberg@wta.org

Jeremy "Jay" Tarife - Olympics and South Puget Sound Field Manager 

Jeremy aka "Jay" hails from northern New Jersey. Longing for a place with dense forests and wide open spaces, he finally found that here in the Pacific Northwest. He began volunteering with WTA which led to work as an assistant crew leader then crew leader on the trails in the busy I-90 corridor. Majoring in Biology and Bio-Defense, he created and managed a medical scribe company prior to moving here. While on Jay's trail work party, you may end up on one of his weekly video recaps and give this week’s trail confession. When not working, you’ll find him pretending to do outdoorsy adventures such as mountain biking, snowboarding, and backpacking for Instagram pictures. Email: jeremy@wta.org

Claire Thompson (she/her) - Central and Eastern Washington Regional Manager

Claire had the good fortune to grow up with Seattle's urban wilderness as her playground. After starting her career in environmental journalism, Claire left the confines of her computer and found her place in the world of seasonal trail work, first with the Southwest Conservation Corps in Colorado and eventually with the Forest Service back home in Washington. Claire worked on and led trail crews on the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest for seven years and is thrilled to join WTA as their Central and Eastern Washington Regional Manager. She is passionate about collaborative stewardship of public lands and excited to grow WTA's engagement with the diverse communities and landscapes of her adopted home east of the Cascades. Claire is a logout junkie who will take a cozy creekside camp over a wind-blown pass any day, and thinks a book and a journal are always worth their weight in her pack. Email: cthompson@wta.org

Brandon Tigner - North Puget Sound Trails Coordinator 

Hailing from Columbus, Ohio, Brandon discovered his passion for the outdoors first as a volunteer and then as an assistant crew leader with the Maine Appalachian Trail Crew. Making his way to the Pacific Northwest he WWOOFed on an organic farm, conducted salmonid life cycle surveys and worked construction. Jumping back into the trail world, Brandon spent two incredible seasons with WTA as the Southwest Regional Trail Crew Leader before joining Trailkeepers of Oregon as their North Coast Stewardship Coordinator. Brandon is excited to be back with WTA working in the Majestic Cascade Mountains as well as the North Puget Sound Region! Brandon’s other passions include playing guitar, eating pizza, and adventuring with his family! Email: brandon@wta.org

Zachary Toliver (he/him) - South Puget Sound Trails Coordinator 

Zachary spent most of his life bouncing around various rural Midwestern towns before finally settling down in the Pacific Northwest—largely because of the region's unrivaled landscapes and its phenomenal vegan food. In 2020, he joined WTA as a member of a paid program that focused on outdoor leadership development for BIPOC (Black, Indigenous and people of color) and LGBTQ+ individuals. Zach now spends his summers leading WTA's backcountry pro crew, which strives to restore lost and overgrown trails throughout Washington. Coming full circle, he also works as a program coordinator for the same program that gave him his start at WTA. Outside of advocating for communities historically underrepresented in the outdoor industry, you can find Zach playing banjo for a captive audience (aka "the two dogs who live with him"), rock climbing, or riding around on his motorcycle. Email: ztoliver@wta.org

Allie Tripp (she/her) - Strategic Initiatives Manager 

Allie grew up all along the Eastern seaboard and fell in love with the outdoors camping as a girl scout. She spent her first 2.5 years at WTA as the Annual Fund and Events Manager and then moved into the newly created Strategic Initiatives Manager role in 2018 to manage the organization's strategic campaigns. She holds a Masters in Public Administration from the Evans School at UW, and before joining the team at WTA she worked at a variety of different environmental and youth serving nonprofits in Seattle and Boston. You might see her on trails in the Teanaway or bird watching on the coast. Email: allie@wta.org 

Rebecca Viets - Senior Individual and Corporate Giving Coordinator 

Growing up in the Pacific Northwest, Rebecca developed a passion for trees and mountains at a young age. While her background is in Animal Sciences, Rebecca has always felt pulled towards a career where she could advocate for public lands and outdoor recreation. After a day of volunteer trail work with WTA, she was hooked, and six months later joined their Development team. She is excited to be working with members and donors, dedicated to protecting Washington’s trails and wild spaces. In her free time, Rebecca can be found rock climbing, gardening, daydreaming of all the places she’d like to travel, or playing with her adventure pup, Rookie. Email: rviets@wta.org

Andrea Waite (she/her) - Senior Volunteer Program Coordinator 

Andrea found her love for the outdoors and trails in her youth at the state parks of western NY and on the footpaths of Pembrokeshire, Wales. She's passionate about ensuring everyone feels welcome on our trails in turn building a bigger community to preserve our outdoor spaces. When not on trails you can find Andrea doing anything and everything to keep her dog Mali happy, collecting rocks, and enjoying a fine Washington cider! Email: awaite@wta.org

Holly Weiler - Eastern Washington Regional Coordinator 

Holly’s passion for trails has its roots in trail running, but over the years she has transitioned into a seasoned backpacker who loves her time in the backcountry. When she’s not running or backpacking, you can find her doing trail maintenance. An early introduction to trail work through Conservation Northwest turned into a bit of an obsession, and she's now the proud owner of four crosscut saws and two pulaskis. After several seasons of volunteer trail work and Hike-a-Thoning for WTA, she's excited to be doing outreach and leading trail work in the Spokane area—that is, when she’s not working on her MFA in Creative Writing at Eastern Washington University. Email: hweiler@wta.org

Ashton Weis (she/her) - Administrative Coordinator

Ashton has been a Washington resident since 2015 and would not have been able to foster her love for hiking without WTA's Trailblazer app. She is excited to join the Business Operations team and support the advocacy, sustainability, and development that WTA is responsible for. She has been working in the non profit sector for the last six and a half years and is thrilled to be able to continue with WTA. Along with hiking, Ashton loves open water swimming in the Puget Sound, trying out new quilt patterns, and connecting with people through writing. Email: aweis@wta.org

Suzannah Yu (she/her) - Training and Leadership Development Coordinator

Suzannah cares deeply about the hiking community and outdoor access. She is passionate about inviting and welcoming communities of all backgrounds to enjoy the outdoors. She is thrilled to be working with and supporting the volunteer community. She looks forward to creating inclusive programs and learning environments where volunteers thrive and are encouraged to grow towards their visions. She can often be found enchanted by bird song while exploring forests, indulging in mountain huckleberries, and delighting in sea stars by the ocean shore. While indoors, she enjoys climbing, crafting mochi, and bringing the green inside with her growing houseplant family. Email: syu@wta.org

Crew Leaders

Meet the staff and volunteers who lead WTA trail work parties.

Green Hard Hat: Has participated in five or more trail work parties.

Orange Hard Hat: Is an assistant crew leader for WTA on trail work parties.

Blue Hard Hat: Is a chief crew leader for WTA on trail work parties.