Board of Directors

 

Norman Hughes, Chair

I first visited the Chilkat Valley in 1982 to subsistence fish the area. Two years later, I began commercial fishing aboard the F/V Chilkat out of Haines. I serve as the Owner and Captain of the Chilkat to this day. I am actively involved in many aspects of the commercial fisheries of the Lynn Canal and serve on many fisheries related boards. Among these are: Lynn Canal Gillnetters, Douglas Island Pink and Chum, United Southeast Alaska Gillnetters, Upper Lynn Canal Fish & Game Advisory Board, and Takshanuk Watershed Council. I serve as the area representative for Douglas Island Pink and Chum, the Vice President of United Southeast Alaska Gillnetters, and the Chair and Treasurer for the Takshanuk Watershed Council. My involvement with the Takshanuk Watershed Council is driven by my desire to fix areas in the watershed that impede fish passage or the natural productivity of the area. I am dedicated to TWC's mission to improve the quality of life for all residents and would like to make the connection between the economy and ecology apparent to all commercial fishermen.

 

Harriet Brouilette, Secretary

 

Mark Sogge, Director

I am an aquatic ecologist whose career has always been tied to the Takshanuk watershed salmon resources. I was lucky enough to be brought to Haines as a child in 1968, and found myself immediately drawn to the complexity of the marine and freshwater ecosystems of this place. As a commercial salmon fisherman for 17 years, I played an active role in assuring that the salmon resource was managed in a sustainable manner and that the habitat critical to the health of the watershed was protected. As a biologist, I have worked directly for state agencies and have run a fisheries research consulting business since 1982. I have an extensive background in habitat assessment as well as restoration project design, implementation and monitoring. I am currently working for the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, Commercial Fisheries Division, as a stock assessment and research biologist. I am committed to the mission of TWC and will continue to work hard to be a responsible steward of our watershed.

Randy Bachman, Director

I first came to Alaska in 1981 and have worked with pacific salmon for most of my life after completing a bachelors of science degree in fisheries science from the University of Alaska-Fairbanks. My job responsibilities include the management of the commercial and subsistence salmon fisheries produced by the Takshanuk watershed. I am honored to be involved with some of the most productive and pristine areas in southeast Alaska. I hope to learn more about the Takshanuk watershed and to help foster a sustainable relationship between our watershed and those who use it as well as it’s importance to the health and economy of upper Lynn Canal.

Mark Fontenot, Director

I am the science teacher at Haines High School. I have been living in Haines and teaching biology, earth science, marine biology, environmental science, chemistry and physics here for twelve years. I often say that I have the best job at the school, because the natural surroundings in this area provide such an incredible science lab.
My share in the Takshanuk Watershed Council stems from my involvement in education as well as my interest in outdoor activities such as hunting, fishing and hiking, and also my experiences in the commercial fishing industry. It is my goal as a board member to integrate the study of and the stewardship of our precious watersheds as fully as possible with the Haines Borough School District's science curriculum. I believe all of the residents of the Chilkat and Chilkoot watersheds will benefit from better knowledge and deeper respect for our shared habitat.

Ray Staska, Director

During my 24 years living in Haines I have been an avid sport fisherman, hunter and backcountry enthusiast. I was fortunate to have served as a fisheries biologist with Alaska Department of Fish & Game and was the first Haines Area Management Biologist for commercial fisheries in Lynn Canal. I conducted field research during the formation of the Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve. I catalogued numerous salmon streams in this valley which previously had been unknown as salmon spawning habitat. I remain extremly interested in maintaining water quality, the high productivity of salmon habitat, and healthy fish populations within this unique watershed. I hope that my extensive field experience and knowledge of hydrologic systems in the area will assist this council in achieving it's goals and mission.

 

Joel Telford, Director

After spending a summer in Alaska in 1992, I found that I couldn’t go back to my previous life of commuting to work in downtown Boston. Since then, I have been working for Alaska State Parks in various capacities and locations and am currently employed as a Park Ranger in charge of the Haines area. The Haines Ranger District encompasses 62,000 acres and includes the Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve, Chilkat State Park, and the Chilkoot Lake Campground. I am committed to maintaining a healthy ecosystem both in the Parks I manage and in the watershed as a whole. I look forward to working with the Takshanuk Watershed Council to create opportunities to foster a healthy ecosystem.

 

Staff

 

Tim Shields, Executive Director

I have lived in the Chilkoot and Chilkat watersheds for the last fifteen years and during that time have come to love this land that feeds both my body and my soul so richly. I am a lifelong field biologist and bring a deep scientific interest to my work with the council. I am fascinated by the workings of nature and like sharing the knowledge I gain with others. I have particularly enjoyed working with school students throughout the area on a variety of studies and field projects. I am excited by the potential of the watershed council to promote awareness of our water resources and everyone’s interest in treating them with respect.

 

 

Emily Seward, Development Director

I feel very lucky to have found a home in the Takshanuk Watershed, a place of incredible richness of flora and fauna. I serve as the Development Director and office manager for the Takshanuk Watershed Council and am responsible for volunteer coordination and fundraising. I have been interested in ecology all of my life and earned a Bachelor of Science in Systematics and Ecology from the University of Kansas in 2001. I moved to Haines in 2003 as a summer resident who decided to stick around for the long winter. I really enjoy the subsistence lifestyle we can have here in Alaska: fishing, berry picking, preserving, and canning. My goals for the Takshanuk Watershed Council are to work towards maintaining the delicate balance of human and wildlife uses in the area and to teach respect for the natural environment to our children.

Wendy Kay Schwab, Education Assistant

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Interns

 

Iris Holmes, Second Year Intern

I recently graduated from highschool in Haines and am on my way to Cornell University as a prospective biology major. While I have always been fascinated by the natural world, my internship with the Watershed Council cemented my interest in conservation biology. The field experience I gained as an intern gave me the confidence I needed to pursue a career in this field. I also had a great time in these two years.

 

Hannah Bochart, First Year Intern

Hannah grew up in Haines and worked as an intern for the Watershed Council this past year. Her main job was as a producer for the radio spot Watershed Weekly. She gained experience in sound editing, as well as valuable field experience.

 

 

Christina Gray, First Year Intern

Christina worked as an intern for the second semester of the 2005 - 2006 school year. She helped write Watershed Weekly scripts as well as serving as a liason between the Council and the residents of a neighborhood around a creek that has been impacted by improper waste disposal. As Christina lives in this area, she was a valuable resource in generating community support.

 

Malena Marvin, Alaska Conservation Foundation Intern

Malena comes to Alaska from the beautiful Siskiyou Mountains of southern Oregon, where she is pursuing a Master of Science in Environmental Education.  She brings interests in field biology, wilderness education, sustainability, and community organizing to her summer internship with the Southeast Alaska Watershed Council Coalition.  A lover of all things salmon, she hopes to find a fish-related project during her internship which she can develop into her Master's thesis.  In the abundant spare time she designs into her life, Malena likes riding her bike, dancing and doing yoga, birding, drinking tea, and enjoying the view.