A born-and-raised Portlander, Hannah is delighted to return to her home state to join Friends’ Philanthropy team as the membership coordinator. Before joining Friends, Hannah received her B.A. in art history from Macalester College in Minnesota and then journeyed further east to Washington, D.C., where she worked on the development teams at the National Archives Foundation and most recently, the Washington Area Bicyclist Association (WABA). Hannah is thrilled to be back in Oregon, where she can enjoy her love of hiking, biking, and rooting for the Trail Blazers.

As Senior Staff Attorney, Nathan is responsible for managing the organization's legal efforts to protect the resources of the Columbia River Gorge. Since Nathan joined Friends in November 2000, Friends has participated in more than one hundred legal cases, losing less than fifteen percent of them. Nathan is licensed to practice law in both Oregon and Washington. He has edited and written for several legal publications on environmental and land use topics. While studying at Lewis & Clark Law School, he served as student body president and worked as a law clerk for the Pacific Environmental Advocacy Center (now Earthrise Law Center) and as the Law School's alternative transportation coordinator. 

Dan eagerly joined Friends in early 2018 as director of the Friends of the Columbia Gorge Land Trust. In this capacity he oversees the acquisition, management and disposition of lands held by the land trust. Dan’s experience includes more than a decade with the Nature Conservancy in both Oregon and North Carolina, including seven years as the Willamette Basin conservation director. While there, he oversaw complex real estate, habitat restoration and land stewardship programs. He has extensive experience in partnership development, and a deep background with land trusts, serving as executive director of the Sandhills Area Land Trust (Southern Pines, NC) and as a board member with the Coalition of Oregon Land Trusts. Dan grew up outside Denver, has an affinity for southern hound dogs, and holds a B.S. in Forest Sciences from Colorado State University and a J.D. from North Carolina Central University.

With a background in camping, nonprofit management and fundraising, Elizabeth joined Friends in October 2018. As the developement manager she is responsible for supporting, and growing, philanthropic support from individual donors, corporations and foundations.

Elizabeth started camping at eight years old, and by 15 was leading trainings for adults in camping and outdoor survival. After earning a degree in Recreation Administration she started working for the Girl Scouts, leading camping and outdoor programs in Kentucky, Ohio and Massachusetts. Along the way she began working to support fund raising initiatives and became interested in the psychology of giving.

In 2013, Elizabeth and her family took a year off and camped their way through Europe for the adventure of their lives. After returning to the U.S. they continued the adventure with a cross-country move to Portland. Upon arriving in Portland, she earned her Certificate of Nonprofit Fundraising through Portland State University and the Willamette Valley Development Officers and began working in health care fundraising which allowed her to learn the intricacies of the nonprofit and fundraising landscape in Oregon and SW Washington.

Since 2014, Pam has worked with Friends’ staff and board to more effectively engage major donors and successfully complete Friends' Preserve the Wonder capital campaign—a $5.6 million effort to permanently protect 470 acres of land on the Washington side of the Gorge. In September 2018, Pam became Friends' director of philanthropy, where she leads efforts to work with donors on their current and future philanthropic goals.

Pam came to Friends from a development, marketing and finance background spanning over three decades of experience in both the private and nonprofit sectors. She previously served as development director for two river-protection organizations in the southeastern U.S., Chattahoochee Riverkeeper and the Harpeth River Conservancy.

After relocating to the Pacific Northwest in 2009, Pam joined the Bonneville Environmental Foundation and most recently served as development director for Portland's DoveLewis Emergency Animal Hospital. She holds an MS in Public Policy from Georgia Tech and in her spare time is an enthusiastic hiker, biker and gardener.

Georgia joined Friends in September 2022 as a legal assistant, and also works part-time at Earthrise Legal Center as a program assistant. Georgia assists Friends’ staff attorneys and partners with research, document preparation, and litigation support. She previously attended North Dakota State University (BS 2016) and then worked as a lab technician in an insect cryobiology lab in North Dakota for two years. She moved to Oregon to work as a park ranger and graduated from the Master of Studies in Environment, Natural Resources, and Energy Law Program at Lewis & Clark Law School (MSL 2021). In her free time, Georgia likes to kayak, take photographs of Oregon’s stunning scenery, and try locally crafted food and beverages.

Tim joined Friends in December 2022 and leads the organization’s strategic communications, omnichannel content creation, and media relations. By leveraging powerful writing and visual media to tell stories that educate, engage, and inspire, Tim’s work connects Friends’ mission and core values to our passionate community of Gorge conservation advocates with authenticity and purpose.

Tim last served as the director of communications for the conservation organization Galapagos Conservancy, and has held a variety of roles in his 10+ year career in communications and marketing, including in international human rights, higher education, and sports. Tim holds a BA in International Studies and Spanish from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and an MBA from the University of Oregon. In his free time, Tim can be found playing golf, pickleball, and basketball, and exploring Portland and the Gorge with his two beautiful girls—wife Lindsey and daughter Elia.

Frances joined Friends in June 2018. She assists in the record keeping, stewardship, and restoration of Friends of the Columbia Gorge Land Trust properties. Her favorite thing about her job is that through leading stewardship events, she is able to connect with volunteers that share her passion for the natural world. As a pollinator fanatic, Frances also serves as the organizer for the Gorge chapter of the Oregon Bee Atlas, a project of Oregon State University. Frances moved to the Gorge with her Hood River-local husband from Bozeman, MT where she worked in community outreach for the Montana Wilderness Association. Frances holds a B.S. in Conservation Biology and Ecology with a minor in Entomology from Montana State University where she worked in several ecology labs studying pollinators and climate change. In her free time, Frances enjoys gardening, backpacking, and attempting to identify every native plant in the Columbia Gorge.

A passionate birder and certified interpretive guide, Melissa Gonzalez joined Friends in September 2020. Most recently, Melissa served as the training specialist for the District 3 of the Florida Park Service, where she assisted 33 state parks with training, interpretation, and communication needs. During her tenure with Florida State Parks she moderated all District 3 parks web content and developed Spanish language materials as part of park COVID-19 communications.

Melissa has worked and volunteered for Audubon Florida since 2014 and has conducted wildlife field research associated with several conservation projects throughout the state of Florida. In 2016, she worked as part of the Mt. Hood National Forest summer interpretive services team where she guided daily hikes, hosted campfire programs, and led tours at the historic Timberline Lodge. An alumnus of Audubon Florida's Conservation Leadership Initiative, Melissa holds a B.S. Environmental Studies from the University of Central Florida.

As executive director, Kevin oversees all the activities of Friends of the Columbia Gorge, as well as its land trust, which currently owns 1,500 acres of land. Kevin joined the organization in 1998 and during his tenure Friends has grown from eight staff and one office to 22 staff and three offices; net assets have grown from $750,000 to $22 million. Kevin helped lead the $4.5 million Cape Horn and $5.5 million Preserve the Wonder land acquisition campaigns and assisted in creating two nonprofits in the Gorge: the Klickitat Trail Conservancy and the Cape Horn Conservancy. Kevin was previously the associate director of Oregon Natural Resources Council (now Oregon Wild) and has served as board president for the Coalition of Oregon Land Trusts and EarthShare Oregon, a workplace giving organization. Prior to his non-profit adventures, Kevin was the creative director of an advertising agency in Detroit, MI.

Fernanda joined Friends in April 2022. A passionate volunteer, Fernanda has served in a variety of roles focused on raising funds and member awareness and never backs down from a challenge. She has a gift for mobilizing volunteers and was instrumental in producing the Junior League of Portland's inaugural human trafficking awareness day. She's also served as the League's first Rose Summit Chair.

Fernanda came to the United States from Brazil to obtain her Ph.D. in Restorative Dentistry at OHSU. She fell in love with the Pacific Northwest and chose to make the Vancouver area her home. Fernanda is a certified sailor and together with her husband Brandon and two sons, Zach and Noah, enjoy spending time on the Columbia River.

Stan is one of Friends' voices, writing for and managing our website and social media channels, in addition to assisting with media outreach and overseeing Friends' photo archive and annual photo contest. An Atlanta native and a graduate from the University of Georgia with degrees in political science and history, he moved to Oregon in 1997 and joined Friends in 2012. In his occasional free time, he sings, plays instruments, and writes songs. 

A reptile and amphibian enthusiast and environmental educator, Kenzie Hammond joined Friends in April 2023 as Youth & Community Education Specialist to lead Friends’ outdoor youth education efforts. Kenzie is also an adjunct professor at Clark College where she teaches Environmental Science and Pacific Northwest Reptiles and Amphibians. Prior to these roles, Kenzie worked at the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife where she was a Chinook Salmon Spawning Ground Surveyor, as well as at the Oregon Zoo and OMSI where she was an educator. Kenzie received her Master’s degree from Oregon State University in Fish and Wildlife Administration.

Kenzie has also worked and volunteered with Wildlife Center of the North Coast in Astoria, Oregon, since 2021, where she has helped rehabilitate over 600 seabirds and small mammals. In Kenzie’s free time, she competes in Miss America local competitions and has held the titles of Miss Goldfinch and Miss East Cascades. Having lived in Vancouver, Washington, her entire life, she is an avid Portland pizza connoisseur and has eaten at over 75 local spots.

A native Oregonian, and passionate outdoor enthusiast, Haley started working with environmental nonprofits after the Eagle Creek fire to apply her background as a community connector to inspire others to conserve and protect places like the Gorge. Before joining Friends in 2021, Haley worked with various environmental nonprofits focusing on strategic corporate partnerships, grant management, and community engagement. She believes in creating sustainable growth by building authentic relationships with community members and funders to further mission driven work and reach mutually beneficial goals. As a grant writer for Friends, Haley manages the grant program and shares the impactful work being done daily to protect, preserve, and conserve the Gorge with current and potential funders.

Haley holds a masters of education and bachelor’s in communication from Washington State University. In her free time, you can find Haley coaching fitness classes or running and backpacking with her husband and boxer dog, Izzy.

A passionate community organizer and coalition builder focused on empowering others and building relationships, Denise has five years of experience working with communities of color and equitable access to natural resources. She joined Friends in August 2021 as a conservation organizer.

Growing up in Gresham, Oregon, Denise loved seeing the look of wonder on her family’s faces when taking them to the Gorge. Prior to joining Friends, Denise worked for the Portland Bureau of Planning & Sustainability, the Environmental Law & Policy Center in Chicago, and the Nature Conservancy in Markham, Illinois. She's driven to be a part of change in her community by encouraging others to join, dream, and accomplish more together. Denise holds a bachelor’s in environmental sociology and public health from Northwestern University, and in her free time enjoys gardening, baking, kayaking, chasing after her well-loved cats, and serving on the board of the Johnson Creek Watershed Council.

As staff attorney, Steve works to protect the scenic, recreational, cultural, and natural resources of the Columbia River Gorge by ensuring that decisions made by federal, state, and local permitting agencies follow applicable laws. Before joining Friends in 2016, Steve spent seven years as a staff attorney with 1000 Friends of Oregon, protecting Oregon’s farms and forestlands from development. When he is not helping to protect special places, he likes to hike, backpack, run, cook, and spend time with his family. 

Rudy, a longtime Pacific Northwest resident, joined Friends in 2022. As conservation director, he works to ensure that the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area lives up to its full potential.

Over the last 14 years Rudy developed and managed a habitat restoration and conservation program for the Cowlitz Indian Tribe. Throughout those adventures Rudy worked with a diverse suite of landowners, nonprofits, and local, state, and federal agencies, building coalitions and partnerships to develop and implement whole-watershed and ecosystem process-based restoration projects. Rudy serves as a board member of several organizations and lives with his partner Geraldene in the Portland-Vancouver area.

Hank first joined Friends in 2022 as a summer legal intern, where he worked on a number of legal projects including administrative appeals of land use decisions and energy facility siting in and around the Gorge. As a law clerk, Hank supports Friends’ staff attorneys and partners by conducting research, drafting documents, and otherwise assisting with Friends’ legal docket. Hank is especially interested in public lands and water law and hopes to work as a public interest environmental attorney after graduating from Lewis & Clark Law School. In his precious spare time, Hank can be found at his fly-tying vise, ski touring in the Cascades, or pulling holds off of his favorite Gorge sport routes.
 

For the past ten years, Sarah served in various roles on Tualatin Hills Park and Recreation District Nature & Trails team, managing small habitat enhancement projects, teaching nature based activities, and leading habitat and trails stewardship programs with schools, businesses, and community groups. In previous years, Sarah worked as an instructor with the Columbia Estuary Partnership, exploring Columbia Basin watersheds with youth, including Steigerwald Wildlife Refuge.

Sarah has also been an active volunteer with Friends of Trees and is a dedicated community scientist who has spent winters in ponds counting egg masses with Metro and springs in woodlands counting birds with Portland Audubon. Her favorite moments working with volunteers are all the little surprises and teachable moments nature reveals while pulling weeds, planting trees, or repairing trails. In 2020, Sarah relocated to the east Gorge, where she spends most of her free time exploring rivers and trails with her family.

Renée is the project manager for Gorge Towns to Trails, a project that supports land protection, recreation enhancements and economic development at Friends of the Columbia Gorge. Renée originally was the organization's outdoor program coordinator, but left in 2010 to serve as development outreach director for Hells Canyon Preservation Council, now known as Greater Hells Canyon Coalition. Renée is also a founding board member and chair of Columbia Gorge Tourism Alliance, as well as founding board member of Cape Horn Conservancy and Trailkeepers of Oregon. She also sits on the Oregon Trails Coalition’s advisory board. Her enthusiasm and knowledge of the Gorge is contagious, and you will often find her on a trail, a river or lake.

Paige is responsible for financial management, human resources, and office operations, providing administrative, project management and process support to the organization. A Linfield College graduate, Paige joined Friends in August 2013 and has degrees in business administration and religious studies. She is delighted to have returned to the majestic Northwest, after living in Pennsylvania and Illinois, and making her volunteer passions and interests into a career. She is excited to collaborate with Friends staff joining in the efforts to protect the beauty and splendor of the Gorge for generations to come. Prior to entering the non-profit world Paige worked as a buyer, inventory manager, and outside sales representative in the uniform/footwear industry.

Sofia is passionate about leveraging resources, skills, and connecting people to each other and amplifying their voices. A Skamania county resident, Sofia joined Friends as a conservation organizer in January 2022. She is an ardent believer in supporting everything local and has spent the last 10 years working, living, and recreating in the Columbia Gorge.

Previously, Sofia worked with the Cascade Locks Tourism Committee and Play Frontier, an equitable play and nature school. She's also served on the board of Breweries in the Gorge, participated in the Gorge Tourism Summit, and graduated from Rural Development Initiatives' “Rural Community Leadership Program.” In her free time, she enjoys hunting mushrooms, collecting vinyl records, gardening, and exploring new areas of the Gorge with her dogs.

Sara joined Friends of the Columbia Gorge in 2015. As stewardship manager, Sara takes a lead role on stewardship and restoration of Friends of the Columbia Gorge Land Trust properties. She has been working in the natural resource field for nearly two decades and has a diverse background in researching birds, fish, butterflies, plants, and forest carnivores. Studying in the east coast, where she grew up, she acquired degrees in ecology and environmental science; intrigued by the snow-capped mountains and never-ending beauty of the west Sara settled in the Gorge in 2003. She completed a master’s degree in environmental management at Portland State University where she researched the Oregon silverspot butterfly. In her free time, Sara loves to adventure with her family and friends—attempting to squeeze every drop out of life through rafting, skiing, camping and mushroom hunting, and enjoying the phenomenal food and drinks of the Pacific Northwest.