Board of Directors

Bruce Williams

President

Bruce Williams fell in love with this area while backpacking in the Enchantments in 1971. Today he, his wife Gro Buer, and their daughter live in Leavenworth where they enjoy the natural beauty, the many outdoor activities and the strong sense of community. Bruce is a retired CEO, lawyer and Peace Corps Volunteer and served nearly 20 years on the board of the Cascade Land Conservancy (now “Forterra”).

"I support CDLT because it conserves our natural environment and builds community, literally and figuratively finding common ground among diverse stakeholders. I am excited to serve on CDLT’s board to help our region protect outstanding natural landscapes, enhance world class outdoor recreation and maintain a strong economy"

Suzanne Hartman

Past President

Suzanne Hartman is a 30-year communications professional and dually accredited by both the Public Relations Society of America and the International Association of Business Communicators. Suzanne is Manager of Communications for the Chelan County PUD. She has over twenty years of public relations/public affairs agency experience. She had her own public relations firm for 10 years focusing on environmental PR and sustainability. She successfully sold the firm to a national agency and worked for that agency creating one of the top five national environmental PR practices. She also worked on Capitol Hill in D.C. for Sen. Warren G. Magnuson and Rep. Howard Pollock of Alaska; and she worked for four years in television at two local Seattle network affiliates.

More than two-thirds of my life has been spent exploring and studying the mountains, waters, canyons and plateaus of our beautiful state. To say that I am a conservationist doesn’t quite capture my reality, but it’s close. The Land Trust answers two key questions for me: “Why do I care; and What does it mean to me?” This is a journey I am looking forward to taking with you.

Steve Jacobs

Secretary/Treasurer

Steve Jacobs has lived in the Wenatchee Valley area since 1984 and moved to Leavenworth in 2002. Steve and his wife, Juli, love the outdoors and what it has to offer. They enjoy hiking, camping, running and cross country skiing. Steve is a CPA and semi-retired from Confluence Health and served as Controller and CFO for Central Washington Hospital and Vice President of Finance for Confluence Health. Steve has served on various boards including United Way and the Women’s Resource Center and currently serves as the public member of the Washington State Health Care Facilities Authority.

“We are fortunate to live in this special place and it is vital that this wonderland is preserved for current and future generations. The mission and activities of CDLT support this and I am honored to serve as a Board Member.”

John Lehmkuhl

Board Member

John earned degrees in wildlife biology (Humboldt State University), wildlife ecology (University of Montana) and a PhD in forest science (University of Washington).  As a U.S. Forest Service research wildlife biologist, he has worked at both the Olympia and Wenatchee forestry sciences labs, and has had adjunct faculty appointments at EWU, WSU, and UW.  John and his wife, Katherine March, have been active CDLT members since 2002.  John has served on the CDLT Lands Committee for a decade.  John is an active horseman and long-time member of Appleatchee Riders, as well as an all-round outdoor enthusiast. At his Squilchuck canyon log home, newly retired John is most likely to be out in his barn/shop, or at his leather-working bench. As a board member, John will help guide CDLT land stewardship, applying his understanding of wildlife and the ecology of the Pacific NW ecosystems.

“I want to contribute to the excellent work of the CDLT in conserving urban & rural wildlands, which are essential to the high quality of life that we enjoy in north central Washington.  My education and experience with wildlife and wildland ecology and management, and my long-time involvement with the horse community, I hope will add important dimensions to the CDLT Board.”
 

Jack Mynatt

Board Member

When Jack was a college professor, he and his family spent 25 summers in Leavenworth, hiking, backpacking, and climbing. Jack has carpentry and electrician skills, used in building two homes. As a PhD psychologist, he taught advanced statistics and research design, authored psychology textbooks, and served as a principal investigator on research grants. After retiring from Bowling Green State University, he became a permanent Leavenworth resident, taking up skiing and kayaking, and joined the CDLT in 2011. The CDLT Board will benefit from Jack’s mathematical and analytical abilities.

“I first came to Leavenworth in 1974 to backpack the Enchantments. I fell in love with the land - the mountains, the rivers, a bit later the shrub-steppe. How can you stand at the top of Windy Ridge on a sunny winter day, look at the Cascades in one direction and the Columbia River in the other, and not feel blessed? But as I've lived in the Wenatchee valley, I've come to love our community, this remarkable group of smart, accomplished, dedicated people, as much as I do the land. How can you be around them and not feel blessed? For me, being on the CDLT Board is a way to give something back for being lucky enough to live here.”

Bill Gaines

Board Member

Bill Gaines resides in Leavenworth with his wife Susan and daughter Emily. They have lived in the Wenatchee Valley for about 25 years. Their daughter was born and raised in this fantastic area and she often tells them how fortunate she feels to call this place her home, and how much she enjoys the people and outdoors that are important to our quality of life. Bill is a scientist working in the field of resource conservation. He was a wildlife biologist with the US Forest Service for 27 years, and is now the Executive Director of the Washington Conservation Science Institute, a small natural resource research firm. As a practicing conservationist, Bill understand the importance of education, collaboration, and communication, all grounded in a strong science understanding.

"I have witnessed the growth of the CDLT, from a small grassroots organization to one of the premiere land trusts in our region, if not the country. This has occurred because of the strong and visionary leadership of directors, board members, and staff. The CDLT has, and will continue, to make significant contributions to our quality of life. I consider the opportunity to serve on the board of CDLT as a means of giving back to the communities of the Wenatchee Valley that have meant so much to our family and to future generations.”

Rob Shurtleff

Board Member

Rob and Cindy Shurtleff have been members of CDLT since 2001. Rob’s non-profit board experience includes Washington Trails Association 2007-2016 (board president; chair of tech, governance and fundraising committees), and Pacific Science Center 2017- present (secretary, real estate committee chair). Rob co-led CDLT's Save Nason Ridge Campaign in 2018. Rob continues as a volunteer with the WTA, serving on the Technology Committee, as a content contributor to the Hiking Guide and doing trail work.

Rob is an experienced software development veteran and early-stage technology investor with key strengths in leading the development of technical and business strategy, new product development and product management. He worked for 22 years in the technology field before focusing on early-stage tech investing, first as an Angel Investor, then as a founding partner at Divergent Ventures in 2005.  

Rob and his wife Cindy, and his ever-present German Shepherd, Shasta, split time between living in Pike Place Market in Seattle and Lake Wenatchee with occasional travel mixed in. They have 2 grown children who live in Seattle and Santa Cruz, California.

“We have been hugely impressed with the accomplishments the CDLT has made over the last 20 years,” says Rob. "As I work on the ‘give back’ chapter in my life, I am very excited to contribute to the CDLT and share learnings from other exceptional non-profits I have had the honor to serve.”
 

Celeste Barry

Board Member

Celeste Barry grew up in Cashmere and returned in 2010 to Wenatchee to raise her family. She has a degree in community and environmental planning from the University of Washington and several years of experience as an urban planner in the Seattle area. Currently, her time is spent raising her two children, and staying involved in the community through opportunities such as volunteering for the Land Trust and coaching Girls on the Run. 

"I spent my childhood hiking and backpacking in our beautiful state, and I want to make sure that this opportunity stays a reality for all future generations. I also love to travel and have lived abroad in Costa Rica and traveled extensively in Europe and the Americas. These experiences have given me special appreciation for all that we have here in the Wenatchee Valley. My favorite activities include family, photography, travel, skiing, biking, birding, Spanish, running, hiking and mountain climbing - which is why I love living in Wenatchee! I believe that growing up here in the Wenatchee Valley and also having experienced environments such as Seattle, Yakima, Alaska, and Costa Rica has given me a broad vision for the future of North Central Washington. We have such a magical valley and I want to help enhance and protect it for future generations."
 

Cody Gillin

Board Member

Cody Gillin was born and raised in Wenatchee where his family has roots dating to the early 1900s. He earned degrees from Western Washington University and Virginia Tech and spent time traveling in Latin America before returning to the area in 2014. Cody, his wife Maura, and their daughters Adair and Hollis enjoy the diversity of people and landscapes found in North Central Washington.

“Serving the CDLT through board and committee membership is an expression of my conservation ethos. Lands and waters are the lifeblood of this community; they nourish crops, provide electricity, sustain fisheries and wildlife, and enrich the lives of all who experience their power and wonder.”
 

Scott Volyn

Board Member

Scott Volyn has maintained a legal practice with an emphasis on civil litigation in Wenatchee for 26 years.  His practice includes trial activity in district, superior, appellate, and federal courts.  He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in European History/English Literature from Walla Walla University/Whitman College, a graduate degree from Washington State University, and a law degree from the University of Idaho.  In addition, Scott has served and continues to serve as a college professor for over 28 years, currently teaching courses in business law, juvenile justice, and Arrest, Search and Seizure at Wenatchee Valley College.

"For many years I have joyfully trudged over the trails of North Central Washington, training and competing in trail races and ultramarathons. Over the years I’ve noticed the growing community interest in trail use and development.  I’ve developed an interest in and admiration for the work of the Land Trust as they have continued to balance the needs of a growing and active population with the ongoing value of providing access while protecting the fragile and unique natural resources which make our region one of the most beautiful places on the globe. I want to be of service to the CDLT both to assist it in reaching the long term goal of balancing preservation and use as well as to “give back” as the CDLT has indirectly provided a tremendous benefit to myself and my family.”
 

Paul Hessburg

Board Member

Paul and his wife Mary live in the Wenatchee Valley. Over the last 3 decades, most of their grown children were raised here, and many have since returned to live, work, and raise their own families. Paul is a senior research scientist working in the fields of landscape and fire ecology. He has been a practicing forester for 40 years and has worked for the Pacific Northwest Research Station of the US Forest Service for the last 35 years. As a conservation practitioner, Paul understands the importance of quality science, collaboration, and communication to land conservation. He previously served on the CDLT Board of Directors and Lands Committee from 1998-2016, chaired that Committee from 2007-2016, and served on the Executive Committee as At-Large member for the last decade of his prior board service.

"I joined the CDLT board for the first time because its land ethic and temperament were akin to my own, and the area was rife with conservation opportunity. I stayed with it for nearly 2 decades because CDLT grew slowly and well. Over the years, CDLT has matured into a strong regional Trust with deep roots and lasting relationships in the region. Chelan and Douglas counties are richer for their undertakings and successes, and great opportunities still lay ahead. The opportunity to serve again excites me, and I look forward to working alongside a strong slate of directors, and a seasoned staff. I believe my love of the land, prior service with nonprofit boards, and ecological understanding of the region can contribute to the ongoing good work of CDLT.”

Elizabeth Wilson

Board Member

Elizabeth earned a Bachelor’s degree in Economics (Central Washington University) and a Master’s Degree in Economic Geography (University of Washington).  After owning and operating a dance school for 10 years, she spent most of her career in commercial real estate, developing and redeveloping shopping centers, office buildings, residential plats and a marina. In the last 6 years, as Vice President of Olympic Property Group, the real estate division of a major timber company, she helped to preserve over 10,000 acres of forest lands by managing fee and easements conservation sales in Kitsap and Skamania Counties.  In doing so she coordinated with land trusts, funding agencies, government jurisdictions and community groups. As a retiree, Elizabeth has served on the Land’s Committee for 4 years, teaches ballet, golfs, and enjoys the tremendous vistas and recreation opportunities of North Central Washington.

“As a Board Member, I hope to contribute my skills to furthering the mission and adding to the considerable success of the Chelan Douglas Land Trust.  My husband and I love living here and I want to help preserve and care for the lands and waters of the area for future generations.”
 

Randy Asplund

Board Member

Randy Asplund is a long-time Wenatchee native who grew up hiking and skiing in the foothills around Wenatchee and the Cascade mountains of Chelan County.  Randy and his wife Cici Bean Asplund returned to the Wenatchee Valley in 1990 to be close to their families and raise their family.  Randy is a professional civil engineer and is a senior principal with the firm of RH2 Engineering.  As Randy transitions towards retirement, he is looking forward to putting his 38 years of engineering, planning and communication experience to practice with the Land Trust.  Randy has previously served on the Wenatchee City Planning Commission where he was the Commission chairperson for 6 years.  He is currently serving on the Washington State Community Economic Revitalization Board representing the seven counties located east of the Cascades and west of the Columbia River.

“As a 20-year participant in Land Trust activities and frequent hiker of the foothills, I look forward to serving on the Board and assisting as the Land Trust moves forward with new projects and opportunities.”
 

Todd Kiesz

Legal Counsel

Born in Eugene, Oregon, Todd earned his law degree from the University of Washington and joined the Wenatchee firm of Jeffers, Danielson, Sonn and Aylward in 1996. His practice areas include estate planning, real estate, corporate and commercial law. Together with his wife Amy and their four children ages five through eleven, he enjoys being part of this community and has been actively involved in different community charities and events through the years. His favorite outdoor pursuits include skiing, biking, running and windsurfing. Todd was awarded special recognition at our 2011 Annual Dinner for his outstanding effort navigating CDLT through the legal issues of complicated land transactions. He has served as Legal Counsel for the Land Trust since 1998.

“I very much enjoy the opportunity to be involved in our community helping to secure the natural resources for the enjoyment of future generations.”