Committees review policies and procedures and make recommendations to the Board.

All Board and committee meetings are open to the public – we invite you to attend!

  • Attend meetings in person or virtually. Our office is ADA-accessible and served by bus lines #44, #72 and #6.
  • For accommodation or translation services, call 503-222-SOIL (7645). Please provide at least 48 hours’ notice before a meeting date.
  • Please contact us for reports and Board materials from prior years.

Budget Committee

The Budget Committee is a committee of the full Board. They review and approve the district’s budget each year.

Budget Committee Reports and Plans

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Land Legacy Committee

The Land Legacy Program Committee reviews the program’s work and recommends land purchases or other actions to the Board of Directors.

Land Legacy Committee Members
Directors: Laura Masterson, Mike Guebert, Mary Colombo, Ramona DeNies and Jasmine Zimmer-Stucky

Land Legacy Committee Documents

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Personnel Committee

The Personnel Committee makes policy recommendations regarding staff and human resources-related policies to the Board of Directors.

Personnel Committee Members
Directors: Mary Colombo, Laura Masterson, Ramona DeNies and Jasmine Zimmer-Stucky

Personnel Committee Documents

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Partners in Conservation (PIC) Committee

The EMSWCD Board appoints a PIC Grant Review Committee to read applications submitted for PIC grants and make funding recommendations. The Board has final approval of all grant awards.

The committee includes individuals from the community with diverse professional backgrounds, lived experience, and relevant expertise.

The PIC Committee’s grant review meetings are open to the public.

PIC 2025 Grant Review Committee Members

EMSWCD Board, at-large director 1 elect

Senior program officer, environment, Oregon Community Foundation

Carlos Garcia leads OCF’s environmental grantmaking and supports donors in their environmental giving. He also directed the foundation’s work on the multistate Pacific Northwest Resilient Landscapes Initiative. Previously, he was a philanthropic advisor at the San Francisco Foundation and Silicon Valley Community Foundation, as well as associate director of philanthropy for The Nature Conservancy. Carlos holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology with a specialization in business administration from UCLA and a master’s degree in environmental management from Duke University.

Water resources specialist, Multnomah County Transportation

Roy Iwai is a water quality scientist with a passion for collaboration to improve watershed health. He has managed the Water Quality Program at Multnomah County since 2007. He leads several partnerships at the local and state levels, including the Clean Rivers Coalition, a collaborative partnership dedicated to creating the first statewide clean water outreach campaign in Oregon. Roy has a master’s degree in oceanography from Louisiana State University.

 Grant writer, Align Consulting

Belinda Nhundu is a dedicated grant writer passionate about empowering BIPOC-led and serving organizations. With a profound commitment to equity and justice, Belinda has honed her expertise by securing $10 million in funding for education, health care and civic engagement initiatives. Her extensive background in grant writing and a deep understanding of the unique challenges faced by BIPOC communities allow her to craft compelling proposals that resonate with funders seeking to make a positive impact. Belinda’s work is distinguished by her ability to bridge the gap between innovative programmatic ideas and the financial support needed to bring them to life, ensuring that BIPOC organizations can flourish and continue their vital work in advancing social progress and community well-being.

Grant management specialist, Upper Willamette Soil & Water Conservation District

Jared Pruch has a diverse professional background, including holding leadership roles with school garden and environmental education nonprofits, managing grantmaking and community impact programs for United Way, and facilitating partnerships in rural food systems and wildfire recovery efforts. In 2023 he joined the Upper Willamette Soil & Water Conservation District to lead the development of a new grantmaking program. Jared holds a master’s degree in environmental studies and a graduate certificate in nonprofit management from the University of Oregon. He is also an appointed commissioner for the OregonServes State Service Commission, which oversees AmeriCorps programs in Oregon.

 Ecological landscapes program coordinator, Portland Parks & Recreation

Eric Rosewall has a background in landscape architecture and construction and has been involved in the Portland region’s open space system through numerous public and nonprofit organizations, including as executive director of Depave. He currently coordinates Portland Parks & Recreation’s Ecologically Sustainable Landscapes Initiative piloting high-impact landscape transformations that fill the urban nature gap. 

Business owner, Amy Stork Consulting

Amy Stork is an organizational development consultant providing strategic planning, staffing and leadership development services. Most of her clients are organizations focused on conservation, agriculture, trails and recreation – including dozens of conservation districts in Oregon and California. Amy’s background also includes working for Oregon Food Bank, the City of Portland Office of Sustainable Development, and as executive director of TwispWorks, a community economic development project in rural Washington.

Wellness program manager, Serendipity Center, Inc.

Nicolas Townsend has 15 years’ experience in sustainable urban farming and garden education. He fostered the development of the Growing Minds Garden program at Serendipity Center therapeutic school and has facilitated its growth over the past decade. Nicolas holds a master’s degree in leadership for sustainability education from Portland State University, where he developed an approach that is holistic, interest-based and trauma-informed. His goal is to meet students and volunteers where they are and empower them to grow their own food and support our local food system. 

Director of Engagement, Oregon AARP

Stacey Triplett currently serves as engagement director at Oregon AARP, serving more than 500,000 state members and a trusted force for social change. She previously was the community programs manager at Worksystems, connecting federal, state, and local support with community-based employment services providers to address community wealth creation. Her environmental work consists of prior roles with Nature in Neighborhoods at Metro and the Intertwine Alliance. She serves on the Groundwork USA and Proud Ground Boards of Directors. Ella habla español. In her youth, Stacey was an exchange student and maintains that language immersion experiences change lives.

Education & grants program manager, Tualatin Soil and Water Conservation District

Charlotte Trowbridge has worked for Tualatin SWCD since 2018, developing and managing their Conservation Education Program and Grants Program. She has an academic background in ecology and environmental policy. She has worked for nonprofit organizations and public agencies in positions focused on conservation research, natural resource mitigation and environmental education. She grew up in Portland and has focused her career on conserving and celebrating the natural environment in the Pacific Northwest.

Farm to school fellow, Ecotrust

Jenny Tseng is a food systems collaborator who has held various roles in food systems, including as a farmer, food assistance provider and school meal program researcher. Her passion lies in creating and strengthening local food systems, emphasizing food sovereignty and dismantling colonial, paternalistic systems. She works as a farm to school fellow, the connector between schools, early care providers, local food producers and government agencies in Oregon. Jenny holds a B.S. in environmental sciences and public policy from UC Berkeley.

Natural resources scientist, Metro

Mary Vogel grew up in Wisconsin and moved to the Pacific Northwest over 10 years ago. With a B.S. in biology and zoology from the University of Wisconsin, they have collaborated with diverse organizations to safeguard water quality and restore ecosystems throughout the region. Mary brings both scientific knowledge and a community-centered approach to conservation. They are passionate about protecting our natural resources and connecting folks with nature.

Springwater School educator

Jenny Wetzel has worked with students, researchers, farmers and community members for more than 20 years, connecting people to organic agriculture and helping to build a sustainable, resilient and connected Pacific Northwest community. Jenny’s skills and experience include grant writing, grant management, organic vegetable production, data collection, statistical analysis, PNW plant identification and sustainable landscape design. She holds a permaculture certificate and speaks basic Spanish.

Program associate, Gray Family Foundation

Estefania Zavala recently joined the Gray Family Foundation, a supporting organization of the Oregon Community Foundation (OCF), to help support their mission of engaging people in Oregon as active stewards of communities and the environment. Before this, she worked in the finance department at OCF providing administrative support to organizations and trusts. Estefania was born in Peru and moved to the Pacific Northwest as a kid, eventually moving to Portland in 2012. She is currently studying environmental studies at Portland State University with a minor in geography and is pursuing a certificate in Indigenous traditional ecological and cultural knowledge. She is passionate about community engagement and loves getting her hands dirty at land-tending events.

* Prior PIC Grant Review Committee member

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Partners in Conservation (PIC) Grants

Past PIC Grant Recipients

Special Projects and Community Events (SPACE) Grants

Past SPACE Grant Recipients