MRC Members in the Spotlight

• Jerry Masters, Snohomish MRC
• Lyn Muench, Clallam MRC
• Jonathan White, San Juan MRC
• Judy Surber, Jefferson MRC
• Ron Akeson, Whatcom MRC
• Erica Pickett, Skagit MRC
• Ed Bowlby, Clallam MRC
• Jim Slocomb, San Juan MRC
• Polly Fischer, Skagit County MRC
• Kirby Johnson, Snohomish County MRC
• Don Meehan, Island County MRC
• Buck Meloy, Whatcom County MRC
• Anne Murphy, Jefferson County MRC
• Phyllis Kind, Island County MRC

Jerry Masters, Snohomish MRC

To Jerry Masters, participating in the MRC is like traveling the world without leaving home: he’s able to expand his world and see his place within it from a different perspective. An online oceanography class at Bellevue Community College inspired him to look into local volunteer opportunities. Coincidentally, it was around the same time that an opening was announced for a representative of economic interests on the Snohomish MRC.

Raised on the Skagit River delta on a dairy farm, Jerry attended La Conner high school and headed to Stanford University with interests in art history and literature. Life took him on a different path, and after marriage and two kids he moved back to the Northwest, where he’s the general manager for a building supply company. During his time on the MRC, he’s come to better understand the importance of some of the products he sells which help reduce the impact construction has on local streams and Puget Sound. He is already looking toward the future and how his business can evolve and succeed as building practices become more sustainable.

Elected chair shortly after joining the Snohomish MRC, Jerry has now served two years. He describes the learning curve as being like “drinking from a fire hose”, but recognizes that it isn’t necessary to have all the answers in order to keep moving forward. Under his leadership, the MRC has taken on a lot of projects, and he’s particularly enthusiastic about the work the MRC is doing at Kayak Point County Park. The MRC has been the catalyst in bringing together volunteer groups, county departments and other partners toward making sustainable improvements to the shoreline. The interagency connections make this a great example of the strength of a citizen group such as the MRC.

Some of Jerry’s best memories involve the simple enjoyment of living near Puget Sound – as a kid catching kings on the Skagit, or with his own kids enjoying a basket of Ivar’s fish and chips while watching the sunset at Mukilteo’s Lighthouse Park. He’s hopeful that the MRC will continue to “tell the story” so that decision-makers make Puget Sound a high priority.

Lyn Muench, Clallam MRC

Lyn Muench of the Clallam MRC came to the Olympic Peninsula by way of Bangladesh and nearly twenty years of living overseas in Africa and Asia. An article in the New York Times about the “blue hole” of clear skies over Sequim and a job starting an aquaculture business for the Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe brought her here with her husband and daughters.
 
Fifteen years later, when the MRC was formed in Clallam County, Lyn was eager to occupy the seat held for the Tribe. As the only person in the three-member Natural Resources department who lived in Clallam County, she won out and has been on the MRC ever since. She appreciates the focus on saltwater that the MRC has, and is proud of the work the MRC has done. With good support from the County Commissioners, the work of the MRC has made progress in monitoring beaches for Paralytic Shellfish Poisoning, providing internships for Peninsula College students, understanding and promoting nearshore restoration associated with the Elwha Dam removal by convening an Elwha Nearshore Consortium. Clallam MRC was also the first to push for derelict fishing gear removal, which has led to the Sound-wide program the Northwest Straits Foundation is now engaged in. 

Lyn herself has been most involved in public outreach for the MRC, and uses her knowledge of water quality issues to spread the word about the importance of keeping septic systems operating properly, picking up after pets, and managing stormwater runoff. Even though she has recently retired from her position with Jamestown S’Klallam, Lyn still makes great use of her expertise as a volunteer with the MRC and at the Dungeness River Audubon Center. At the recent Dungeness Festival held in Sequim, Lyn spent two days introducing water quality concepts into conversations over the live tanks filled with clams and geoducks.

Lyn has remained busy in her retirement, and is a frequent traveler to destinations near and far. When she’s close to home, she enjoys the luxury of walking on Dungeness Spit, some of the best beach walking in the world.

Jonathan White, San Juan MRC

Jonathan White is a builder by trade, writer by calling, and member of the San Juan County Marine Resources Committee and the Northwest Straits Commission, among other things. He came to the Northwest from California as a teenager and immediately felt drawn to the area. Following adventures in the Caribbean and stints in other areas of the United States, he returned to start a non-profit boat-based education institute in the early 1980s. That experience gave him skills that have served him well over the years. The MRC and Commission have benefitted from his experience working with boards, fundraising and managing programs.

Jonathan’s work building custom homes keeps him geographically focused, but he’s a big-picture person at heart. His recognition that problems in the marine waters took many years to create motivated him to join the MRC in order to be part of solving those problems. While he says the learning curve has been “steep”, he enjoys the ongoing education and has found meaningful ways to contribute. He joined the MRC in the midst of developing the Marine Stewardship Area Plan, and he’s proud of the MRC for that accomplishment. He finds that it is a great foundation for the work they do.

Jonathan’s favorite place on the water is wherever he happens to be at the time – just getting out on the water is the key – but that doesn’t stop him from going to great lengths to get to distant and exotic locations. The Mentawai Islands off the coast of Sumatra are a favorite surfing area. Closer to the home he shares with his wife and son on Orcas Island he does a lot of sailing. He’s also a diver and even surfs in the cold waters off Vancouver Island. 

Elected to represent the San Juan MRC on the Northwest Straits Commission in 2006, Jonathan served as vice chair and is currently the chair of the Commission. He feels fortunate to be a part of the Northwest Straits Initiative, and marvels at the idea that a builder can become chair – a testament to the bottom-up nature of the organization. He’s looking forward to being part of the ongoing reinvention and growth of both the MRC and the Commission.

Judy Surber, Jefferson MRC

Watch out when you start talking to Judy Surber of the Jefferson MRC: you may find yourself lured into a surprisingly interesting conversation about shoreline planning and other wonky policy stuff. Her ability to understand and communicate land use-related issues is an incredible talent. Having been approached by an MRC member soliciting her expertise, Judy established for herself an important role as liaison between the MRC and the Port Townsend planning department. As the city’s Senior Planner and Planning Manager, and a dedicated mom, it is no small commitment to volunteer time and energy to local conservation efforts.

Nine years of service on the Jefferson County MRC are now under her belt, some of it as representative to the Northwest Straits Commission.  Judy is thoughtful and smiles broadly when asked about attracting new members and projects; there are many opportunities yet to explore. She recalls the early stages of the effort to prevent boaters from anchoring in eelgrass beds along the Port Townsend waterfront. Judy helped design the slogan 'Anchor out for Eelgrass' adorning large surface buoys installed by divers each spring. A diver herself, she sheepishly admits the water is just too cold here for her – beachcombing, kayaking, and horseback riding in the sand are more her style.

With increasing levels of public interest around land use issues, Judy believes that the Northwest Straits Commission could play an important role in helping define where and how to do the monitoring required by Shoreline Master Programs. And she envisions a stronger connection between MRCs and K-12 education. With mounting state budget cuts, kids are missing out on one of the most memorable aspects of school – field trips to see firsthand the world-class beauty of this region. Clearly, Judy's passion for children and preserving the natural environment will keep her active in her community for many years to come.  

Ron Akeson, Whatcom MRC

A common theme among MRC members is that these are people who love to be out on the water. Ron Akeson of the Whatcom MRC is one of those people, but he takes it one step farther – he’s been diving for 33 years, and has spent a lot of time underwater. He also helps introduce others to the sport of diving through his business – Adventures Down Under – in Bellingham.

Raised in southern California, Ron spent summers and a single winter in Alaska before settling in Washington as a happy medium. He has a passion for education and community involvement, and lives by the philosophy that if everyone puts time back into what they love, the world will be a better place. After growing up around the ocean, Ron puts this philosophy into practice by investing a lot of volunteer time in marine protection and restoration work.  

Ron’s seat on the MRC is to represent recreational interests. With a degree in marine biology and a minor in geology he had a head start in understanding marine issues. Being on the water a lot also gives him insight on what’s really happening in our marine waters. He particularly enjoys diving on shipwrecks, which give a glimpse into local history and marine life all at once.

Whatcom MRC has made an effort to learn more about the status of rockfish populations in the area, and a public speaker event on rockfish back in 2002 was what initially drew Ron in to join the MRC. After the talk, he began to learn what the MRC was all about. He’s now in his 7th year, having served as co-chair of the MRC for several years and now serving as an alternate representative to the Northwest Straits Commission. Ron is also the current president of the Washington Scuba Alliance, and is interested in finding ways for projects to cross over to help support the work of the MRC.

  Erica Pickett, Skagit MRC

Skagit MRC member Erica Pickett is very good at many things, but sitting still is not one of them. When she retired from the business of running an Anacortes lumber yard specializing in boat-building supplies, she immediately joined the MRC.

Erica is a locally-born Puget Sounder. She grew up in Seattle, and moved to Anacortes in the early 1970s. Anacortes was small-town at the time, but development pressures were mounting. Erica joined the city planning commission and served on the forest land board at a time when it was critical to come up with creative solutions to ensure that forest land could be preserved while still providing revenue to the city. Erica worked with partners to establish an endowment fund for conservation easements on city forest land, which over time has grown to over $1.5 million and provides protection of 40% of the city’s land.

A dedicated volunteer, Erica completed training as a Beach Watcher and consistently contributes an impressive number of hours to this work. A highlight for her has been getting out on the beach as a beach naturalist to teach kids about nearshore areas, and developing protocols to allow for them to explore while minimizing the impact of so many visitors.

Erica is an enthusiastic learner, and finds the MRC an excellent setting to find out about marine issues in Puget Sound. She’s impressed by the work that MRCs do with limited funds, particularly on projects where members contribute valuable support through data gathering and project planning, reducing the need for expensive professional assistance.

The combination of Erica’s energy for on-the-beach projects, tolerance for planning activities and long-term vision makes her a vital contributor to the work of the Skagit MRC. She has also served as an alternate to the Northwest Straits Commission for the MRC, and is a member of the Anacortes city council.

Ed Bowlby, Clallam MRC

A person might wonder how a kid from the land-locked state of Oklahoma finds his way to a career in marine biology, but Ed Bowlby was inspired early on by the work of Jacques Cousteau. One thing led to another, and he made his way to California and then traveled further north along the Pacific to work in Seattle and Alaska. During these travels he discovered the Olympic Peninsula, so when a job opened at the Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary, Ed found himself finally able to happily work and live in the same place.

Ed joined the Clallam County MRC wanting to put his professional skills to use in a volunteer position. He soon realized that the most essential skills for participating were interpersonal skills. One of the last of the original members still serving on the MRC, Ed enjoys the challenge of balancing the many ideas that members bring to the table. Luckily for the MRC, Ed is a dedicated scientist as well as a very personable fellow, able to exchange ideas and information in order to come to consensus around important issues. Over the years, Ed has also represented the Clallam MRC on the Northwest Straits Commission many times.

The Strait of Juan de Fuca presents a lot of shoreline in Clallam County, but one of Ed’s favorite local places is Tongue Point, where the beaches start to become rockier and provide excellent places to go diving, tidepooling and just observe the natural world. These nearshore areas are the focus of many of the Clallam MRC’s projects, including forage fish habitat surveys, eelgrass mapping, nearshore surveys around the Elwha River. Ed enjoys seeing individual projects emerge and looks forward to the next step of weaving together all the pieces to get at the bigger picture.

Clallam MRC and the Northwest Straits Commission are fortunate to have Ed as a volunteer. His long-term participation has contributed much to the success of the MRC locally and the Northwest Straits Initiative regionally.

Jim Slocomb, San Juan MRC

As a liveaboard boater and long time resident of San Juan County, Jim Slocomb may have a greater appreciation than most for the marine waters in Puget Sound. Being on the water every day also gives him a perspective that is a valuable contribution to the MRC.

To meet him, you will likely have to head out to the San Juans to find him in his native habitat – he is known to avoid “the mainland” at all costs, preferring an intentional life exploring the archipelago by sailboat and kayak. When not exploring the islands by boat, he is often exploring them through underwater video surveys or digitally through his GIS work.

San Juan MRC was the first of the marine resources committees to form, prior to the establishment of the Northwest Straits Initiative. Though he joined the MRC in 1998 as a representative for the town of Friday Harbor, he was elected chair of the MRC the following year and became a citizen-at-large representative. Jim served as chair of the MRC for six years, ending his reign in 2005.

A dedicated advocate for the MRC model and local control, Jim imagines endless possibilities for what the MRC can accomplish with its broad community support, the consensus-based process, and its insulation from political pressures. He is most proud of the work San Juan has done on bottomfish recovery, its marine stewardship area, and integration with the salmon recovery work.

Despite his aversion to mainland life, Jim is far from reclusive: regaling island visitors from the wheelhouse of his sailboat is a favorite pastime, and one would be hard-pressed to find anyone more knowledgeable or passionate about the marine resources of the San Juans.

Polly Fischer, Skagit MRC

In January of 2008, Polly Fischer stepped down as Skagit County MRC’s representative to the Northwest Straits Commission. Polly remains a member of the Skagit MRC, where she has served seven years representing the sport fishing community. She will be missed on the Commission, certainly for her good humor, but also for her tremendous knowledge of northwest fishing issues.

Along with bringing knowledge to the Commission, Polly also spread the word about the Northwest Straits Initiative and made new connections within and beyond the Northwest Straits.

In February 2008, Polly represented the Skagit MRC and the Northwest Straits Commission at a meeting of Canada’s Sport Fishing Advisory Board. Migratory fish don’t pay attention to political or jurisdictional boundaries and policy in British Columbia affects the ecosystem and quality of life here in the Northwest Straits region. Having Polly at the table for these trans-boundary discussions benefits the greater region as well as sport fishermen here in Washington state.

As a long time sport fishing enthusiast, Polly is a member of Puget Sound Anglers-Fidalgo Chapter, the Wildcat Steelhead Club, and the Fidalgo Fly Fishers. With her first hand knowledge of Skagit River Fishing, in 2007 Polly was appointed to the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife’s (WDFW) Anadromous and Marine Resources Sport Fishing Advisory Group. The Advisory Group provides guidance to WDFW on setting fishing seasons that achieve conservation and harvest goals. In her spare time, Polly enjoys gymnastics, fencing, folk dancing, boxing, auto racing, and of course, fishing.

Kirby Johnson, Snohomish MRC

Kirby Johnson is what you might call a charter member of the Snohomish MRC. An avid diver, he was stopping in at a dive shop on his way home from the Edmonds Underwater Park one Saturday when the flyer looking for members caught his eye.

Snohomish was the last of the seven MRCs to get started, and Kirby remembers feeling both impressed and discouraged at some of the early meetings. He could see it would take a while for the MRC to be a cohesive group that could get things done, but the other MRCs were already providing amazing examples of what could be done.

In his day job, Kirby is an engineer at Boeing who takes a day every few weeks to volunteer at the Seattle Aquarium, where he enjoys teaching the next generation about the marine world. His engineering mindset gives him a collaborative approach to problem solving that he has found useful as a Marine Resources Committee member.

As a representative of recreational interests, Kirby has watched over the years as access to shoreline areas has decreased and high quality dive sites are lost. He sees opportunities to bring in engineering expertise to solve some of the problems of the railroad along the shoreline, and wants to work on keeping a good balance between protecting marine areas while still making sure that people are able to use and enjoy them.

Over the years, Snohomish MRC and the Northwest Straits Commission have benefited from Kirby’s insightful nature. Kirby’s time on the MRC will come to an end this December, when his final term expires. He’s still got a lot of ideas and passion for the work of the MRC and Commission, so it is likely we will continue to cross paths with him.

Don Meehan, Island MRC

Island MRC member and lead staff Don Meehan calls himself a “simple country boy from Montana” and his favorite view of Puget Sound is from 4,000 feet up in his airplane, so it’s interesting that his work has led him to such deep involvement in the marine environment. Don established the Beach Watcher program and built it into a powerful group of local citizens who are educated and working to protect resources and habitat.
Don’s involvement in the Northwest Straits Initiative goes back many years. He participated as an alternate for Island County Commissioner Mac MacDowell on the original Northwest Straits Citizens Advisory Commission, convened in the mid-1990s to come up with an alternative to a marine sanctuary. Following the signing of their report by Senator Patty Murray and then Congressman Jack Metcalf at the Admiralty Head lighthouse, Don joined on to implement the ideas that had come out of that group, including the creation of what is now the Northwest Straits Commission and the seven Marine Resources Committees. That group, known as the “kitchen commission”, completed its mission more quickly than anyone imagined, with all seven counties establishing a Marine Resources Committee in the first year.
With the Island MRC up and running, Don has continued to be involved and is pleased that the Beach Watchers program has been embraced regionally and supported by the Commission. Combining the strengths of the MRC and the Beach Watchers has been a key factor in their success in Island County, and Don has led the way in showing how that partnership can work in mutually beneficial ways.
As a local resident for nearly 40 years and a long history working on Puget Sound issues, Don is an incredible resource to the MRC and the Initiative.

Buck Meloy, Whatcom MRC

As a commercial fisherman, I had always been active politically to assure that measures designed to promote fishing's long-term sustainability would actually do that. But when the Whatcom County Executive contacted me nearly a decade ago about a new organization that was forming to protect the waters of northern Puget Sound, I told him I wasn't interested. I had spent too many years attending meetings that did little but sap my time and energy.

He didn't give up. This was different, he said. Ordinary citizens with an interest in the health and use of their marine resources would work together to develop proposals WE believed would help solve problems as WE understood them. No hierarchy, no bureaucrats, no bosses. Yikes! And my input would be useful to people with less experience on the water, or with fish and fishing, than I had.

I soon found myself sitting in a roomful of people who tended to think that commercial fishing was part of the problem. It was a challenge and a pleasure to educate those folks about fishing's real influences on Puget Sound, and about the devastating environmental impacts of salmon farming everywhere that it had become big business.
Working together with a common goal of improving the natural world in which we live has a powerful pull on people. Political, ethnic, and lifestyle differences melt away, and consensus builds as MRC members discover that their differences are really small, and that meaningful ideas can be shaped through accommodation, often adding strength to the concepts to which they are applied.

It truly warmed my heart when my MRC successfully persuaded the Whatcom County Council to issue a resolution banning salmon farming. Thank you, Whatcom MRC. As the Whatcom representative to the Commission, I encouraged the Commission to issue a statement in support of citizen oversight of marine transportation of petroleum products. When  the Washington legislature debated the issue for Puget Sound, the Northwest Straits resolution helped achieve a positive outcome.

The derelict gear removal project finally became a reality under the auspices of the Northwest Straits. My role was small -- to make sure we didn't screw it up. Maintaining support for the project within the fishing community required only that fishermen not be unfairly cast in the roles of bad guys.

It takes a lot of time to read reports, consider ideas, think things through, and attend MRC, Northwest Straits Commission, and committee meetings. For me, it has been time extremely well spent. Our actions change attitudes while our projects solve problems. It's fun, and it feels good. The Northwest Straits Commission really is different, and it works.

Anne Murphy, Jefferson MRC

A true “watershed’ moment started Anne Murphy off on her journey that would eventually land her on Puget Sound at the head of the Port Townsend Marine Science Center. Having taken a drink from the local creek, her dad explained how watersheds work…and that the horses upstream may not make for very good drinking water.

Anne has learned a lot about water since then, through experiences driven by her passion for fish and water that shaped her career and how she spends her personal time. Well-rounded experience, from hands on time working as a gillnetter in the strait and snorkeling in kelp beds to her work as an educator and a charter member of the Jefferson MRC.

Being part of the start-up process for the MRC was a time of great creativity and energy for Anne, who immediately volunteered to participate when the opportunity came up. Naturally hoping to work with a group of like-minded environmentalists, she quickly found that one of the most important skills needed for a successful MRC is to be a good listener. Hearing the many perspectives that members brought to the table helped her understand that others value the environment equally but differently. As the Jefferson MRC representative to the Northwest Straits Commission, she broadened her own perspective and came to appreciate how local communities were shaping the projects that emerged around the region.

Anne’s favorite projects are those that reflect the community and build on the momentum created by that community support. In Jefferson, the eelgrass protection zone is a perfect example of a project that demonstrates positive change and builds on many years of effort by people and organizations working individually and in partnership.

Though she sees that the MRCs are no longer the startup enterprises of the past, she continues to see a way for MRCs to evolve and be relevant by staying in touch with the needs of the local communities, being open to creating collaborative partnerships and allowing people to follow their passion to move projects forward.

Phyllis Kind, Island MRC 

Phyllis Kind had spent time in many different areas of the country – Montana, Michigan, Colorado and Washington, DC among them – but knew she wanted to head west when she was ready to retire. At the recommendation of family living in the area, she checked out Whidbey Island and found it suited her very well. One of the first steps she took upon arrival was to enroll in the Beach Watchers training program, which led her to the Island MRC.

Phyllis is a perfect example of the sort of person that it was hoped would be attracted to the idea of joining a local Marine Resources Committee. Coming from a science background, the skills she acquired and used during her years working in immunology at George Washington University brought valuable expertise to the Island MRC. Equally important are her passion for exploring the world - both on a small scale tidepooling around the Sound, or traveling around the globe for new experiences – and her strong belief in the bottom-up process that drives the Northwest Straits Initiative.

An avid birder, Phyllis is ready with her bird identification guide and binoculars at a moment’s notice. She has contributed many hours to the Pigeon Guillemot survey work in Island County, and is a member of the Whidbey Audubon Society. Exploring the area by kayak is her favorite way to get up close, taking care not to disturb migrating birds in need of a rest.

Phyllis is in her third and final term on the Island MRC, and served as their representative to the Northwest Straits Commission for several years, including terms as vice-chair and chair of the Commission. As someone with a great capacity and interest in learning, she continues to explore new ideas for work to be done locally and regionally. Although she’ll be greatly missed once her time has ended on the MRC, it is clear that she’s committed to continuing to do good work for the environment and will bring new energy to another fortunate group.