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Staff

Jack Halsey, Executive Director

Jack Halsey (jack@oswegowatershed.org) joined Oswego Lake Watershed Council in September 2019 as the new Coordinator. His title now is Executive Director.  Jack grew up in Oregon and began working with watershed councils in 2013 as a Fish Passage Intern with the Johnson Creek Watershed Council. Jack received his Environmental Analysis degree from Pitzer College, with a focus on Environmental Science. He was a seasonal Park Ranger at Tryon Creek State Natural Area for two years, working to improve recreation opportunities, educate visitors, and restore degraded habitat. Jack served as a Confluence AmeriCorps Member from 2018 to 2019 with Johnson Creek Watershed Council as Outreach and Riparian Specialist. In that role, he planned and implemented riparian restoration projects, volunteer events, and environmental education for student groups from under-served communities.

In his role with Oswego Lake Watershed Council, Jack most enjoys managing restoration projects and ensuring access to natural resources for all who live, work, and recreate in the watershed  In his free time, Jack enjoys hiking, going to concerts, and making ceramic art.

Jack Halsey, Executive Director
Megan Hill

Megan Hill, Education and Outreach Specialist

Megan Hill (megan@oswegowatershed.org), a passionate advocate for waterways, hails from central Wisconsin, where her love for lakes and rivers first took root. After relocating to Oregon in 1998, Megan became deeply involved in local environmental initiatives. She is also a dedicated volunteer and a member of the Tryon Creek Watershed Council board.

In addition to her environmental work, Megan volunteers at the Portland Waldorf School, where she supports teachers and classrooms, organizes field trips, and helps run community events.

Her academic background includes a BA in Ecological Anthropology and an MS in Natural Resource Policy and Law, reflecting her commitment to environmental stewardship’s scientific and policy aspects. Outside of her professional and volunteer endeavors, Megan enjoys her family, gardening, hiking, and exploring wild spaces. She has a particular fondness for growing dahlias and rockhounding, making the most of her time in Oregon’s diverse landscapes.

Rio Hybert, Project Coordinator

Rio Hybert (rio@oswegowatershed.org) has called the Pacific Northwest home for the past 19 years. Upon moving to Oregon, he grew a deep connection to the mountainous and forested landscapes. Originally from Minnesota, Rio moved west to attend Western Washington University, where the region’s recreational activities made him feel at home. He brings over seven years of experience in ecological restoration, conservation, and project management to Oswego Lake Watershed Council.

Rio has worn a multitude of hats professionally, including conservation corps crew leader, assistant stewardship coordinator, lead ecological restoration technician, and botanical stewardship technician.

Rio Hybert

In 2019, he took over community engagement at the Sandy River Watershed Council, where he led bilingual volunteer events and organized a large Earth Day celebration, bringing together diverse communities to engage with the importance of watershed health. During this time, his passion for connecting people to habitat restoration grew. Over the last three years, Rio has developed and implemented restoration projects on hundreds of acres, striving to protect and enhance these crucial ecosystems. His work across Oregon and Washington has deepened his passion for native plants and their role in the health of a watershed. Rio understands that native plants are essential to biodiversity, providing food and shelter for species like beavers and shade and water quality for salmon.

In this role he is passionate about fostering community engagement and educating others on the importance of watershed management. This work goes beyond restoration; it’s about a long-term approach to our complex coexistence with nature. In his free time, Rio can be found exploring mountain trails, mushroom hunting, rockhounding, or playing the drums.

Laurent Nickel, Stewardship Technician

Laurent was born and raised in Northwest Portland. He attended Pacific Lutheran University on a music scholarship and graduated in 2008 with degrees in Environmental Studies and English. After working for several counties in Washington State doing water quality monitoring and invasive plant control, he began working for the Lake Oswego Corporation in 2011, where he is still employed full time. In 2019, the OLWC hired him as our Stewardship Technician to help with invasive plant removal. In his spare time, he’s likely out in his boat salmon or steelhead fishing on local rivers, and as a lifelong musician, at night you might find him in one of Portland’s jazz clubs playing his upright bass.

Interns

Henry O’Dell: GIS Mapping Intern

Henry grew up in Gladstone, deeply connected to the natural beauty of the region, with two Oregon white oaks in his parents’ backyard that inspire his commitment to conservation.

He earned a degree in History and a minor in Geography from the University of Oregon before teaching abroad in Mexico City, Nanjing, and Bogotá. He also completed a Master’s in Education at Lewis & Clark College.

Currently pursuing a GIS certificate at Portland Community College, Aaron is eager to contribute his skills to OLWC. Outside of work, he volunteers with the Sunnyside Shower Project and enjoys hiking, backpacking, photography, and supporting local sports teams.

GIS Mapping Intern, Henry O'Dell

Council Members

Stephanie Wagner, Director, Chair

Stephanie WagnerAfter completing a Masters degree in cell physiology Stephanie Wagner (stephanie@oswegowatershed.org) worked for 10 years in mosquito genetics and shark physiology research at UCLA. The birth of four children and a move to Oregon in 1976 took her out of the research laboratory and into local schools where she volunteered supporting elementary science education. This experience led to her employment as Education Director for Friends of Tryon Creek State Park where she supervised an education program with over 10,000 participants annually. She is presently working for PSU’s Center for Science Education as the Director of the Masters in Science Teaching program. She also teaches Connect2Science through Nature classes for in-service elementary teachers; giving kindergarten through fifth grade teachers the tools to incorporate outdoor experiences into their science curriculum. Stephanie has served as an active volunteer with the City of Lake Oswego serving as a member of the Parks and Recreation and Natural Resource Advisory Boards.

Thomas Bland, Treasurer

Tom BlandThomas Bland, Treasurer, (tom@oswegowatershed.org) is a Certified Public Accountant. He has extensive experience in financial operations, taxation, board relations, corporate governance, risk management, operational administration, treasury and human resources. He is the Chief Operating Officer for Cascadia Green Building Council, a green building organization headquartered in Portland’s Pearl District. Tom is also president of Sequoia Financial Consulting, PC a Tax and Accounting firm. He has a BS from the University of California and an MS from the University of Arizona. Tom has lived in Lake Oswego for 19 years. He is on the board of directors for Friends of Springbrook Park, the Uplands Neighborhood Association as well as being on the board of the Oswego Lake Watershed Council.

Mike Buck, Secretary

Mike BuckMichael Buck (mike@oswegowatershed.org) is a business person who has lived in Lake Oswego for twenty-eight years. He has served on numerous community task forces and commissions including the Lake Grove Comprehensive Plan, the Lake Grove Village Center Plan, and Advisory Committee for further refinement studies on Boones Ferry Road. He chairs the Friends of Iron Mountain, local neighbors and citizens who actively work to restore native habitat to public park land. The City and his fellow citizens have acknowledged his service to the community through numerous citations including Unsung Hero Award.

Dwight Sangrey, Director, Vice Chair (Mountain Park Homeowners Association Representative)

Dwight Sangrey

Dwight Sangrey has lived in Oregon since 1988 and moved to Mountain Park, where he is a member of the Board of Directors and President, in 2002. He and Karla have grown children and five grandchildren who all live in other parts of the country. Dwight is an engineer who spent 30 years in higher education as a teacher, research director and academic administrator. He also has worked in engineering design and management and in leadership of several technology companies. He has been very active in international volunteer work, especially since retirement, and remains involved as a consultant.

Dwight and Karla came to Oregon from upstate New York when he became President of the Oregon Graduate Institute of Science and Technology. Following his retirement from the university he was CEO of Santa Fe Technologies Inc. and a Principal with Golder Associates, an international environmental and technology firm. He has been an active contributor to economic development programs, primarily focused on technology companies, and has been a member or director of several major university/industry/government organizations including the Ben Franklin Partnership Program, the South Africa Project for the Ford Foundation and the Oregon Council on Knowledge and Economic Development (OCKED). Participation as a Trustee on public and private governance boards has included service to Pacific University, Saturday Academy, the Portland Opera and other volunteer groups. He has also served as a Director or Chairman on six public and private corporate boards.

Tom Berridge, Director (Westlake Homeowners Association Representative)

Tom BerridgeTom Berridge has lived in Oregon since 1999 and is retired from a career in journalism. He is the liaison between the Oswego Lake Watershed Council and the Westlake Homeowners Association on the restoration of 17 acres of native Oregon oak woodland that belongs to the homeowners association. He also is the chair of the Westlake Oak Woodlands volunteer group. Tom has been drawn to nature since childhood and has been a backpacker, whitewater guide, canoeist, kayaker, and birdwatcher.                              

Susan Yesilada, Director (Village on the Lake Homeowners Association Representative)

Susan YesiladaSue Yesilada has been living in Oregon since 1998 and is retired from a career in wealth management and financial planning. She has lived in California, the Midwest and overseas. She has a BA from the University of California, Berkeley and her MA from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. She is currently on the board of the Village on the Lake Homeowners Association and been involved in the Friends of Lily Bay. Her love of nature is reflected in her pastimes of hiking, skiing, and swimming and her local commitment to addressing the impacts of climate change. She enjoys travel, learning languages, and spending time with family.

Patrick Gutierrez, Director (At-Large)

Patrick Gutierrez, Director

Patrick Gutierrez, a Bay Area native, has a deep-rooted passion for the environment and the arts. His commitment began with volunteering for park cleanups in Fremont in 1988. He earned a degree in Radio/Television and Film from San Jose State University and worked with the Golden State Warriors and San Jose SaberCats.

Patrick’s career spans publicity at McCann Worldgroup, film criticism with AJPJfilmreviews.com, and radio sales and marketing with Alpha Media. His dedication to the arts is reflected in his roles with the San Ramon Arts Foundation and the Arts Advisory Committee for the City of San Ramon.

After relocating to Lake Oswego, Oregon in 2022, Patrick joined the Arts Council of Lake Oswego and the Community Advisory Committee. He is currently a proud board member of the Oswego Lake Watershed Council, where he contributes to the health and sustainability of the Lake Oswego Watershed. In his free time, Patrick enjoys hiking, movies, reading, and playing basketball and pickleball.

Gabe Winfrey, Jurisdictional Partner Liaison: Lake Oswego Corporation

Gabe Winfrey (Gabe.winfrey@lakecorp.com) Is a natural resource planner and reservoir operator. He graduated from the University of Oregon with a bachelor’s degree in urban and natural resource planning in 2008, and shortly after began working for the Lake Oswego Corporation as a seasonal operations crew member. He worked in this role while also completing a graduate degree in Geographical Information Systems from Portland State University. He became the Operations Manager for the Lake Oswego Corporation in 2013. He is a member of Oregon Lakes Association and the Western Aquatic Plant Management Association. His experience in aquatics, riparian and natural area restoration has informed his work to improve habitat and restore function to the watershed. Gabe joined the Watershed Council in 2021 to represent the Lake Oswego Corporation as a stakeholder and apply his natural resource planning experiences to help coordinate other stakeholders and watershed restoration projects. 

Council Partners

The Council also partners with neighborhood organizations, businesses, government agencies, landowners and concerned citizens.  Council partners support the Council’s watershed protection mission in the community in a less formal sense.  Partners volunteer at OLWC events, support OLWC project efforts and grant applications, and help strengthen OLWC community connections, as they are able.

For more information on becoming an OLWC member or partner contact us at info@oswegowatershed.org or call our message phone at 503-479-5560

Council partners include:

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