Our Council

Lisa is the Director of the Natural Systems Enhancement & Stewardship (NSES) Department of Clean Water Services. NSES plans, designs, and implements ecological enhancement projects; and provides long-term maintenance and stewardship of a vast network of wetlands, streams and forests in the Tualatin River watershed.

She has more than 20-years of experience in civil and water resources engineering, working within the public and private sectors. Originally from Michigan, Lisa spent the first half of her career working to restore watersheds in the Great Lakes Region but has focused on restoring Portland-metro watersheds since moving here in 2012. She served on the Board of Directors Depave, a Portland-based nonprofit that partners with communities to remove unnecessary pavement and create healthy greenspaces. She holds a B.S. in Civil Engineering from Michigan State University and an M.S. in Civil Engineering from Lawrence Technological University. In her free time, she enjoys traveling, hiking and fiber arts.

Rodney graduated from Oregon State University in 1999 with a Forest Engineering degree.  After graduating, Rodney began his career with Stimson Lumber and has worked on company forestland in NW Oregon and SW Washington.  While working for Stimson, Rodney has at one point or another been involved with most aspects of the modern industrial forestry process.  At this time Rodney is a Silviculture Manager who is responsible for the reforestation, growth and health of the company’s timberlands.  Rodney currently lives in Banks with his wife and two daughters and serves the community of Banks as a volunteer firefighter.    

Jesse is a Senior Environmental Resource Specialist with Washington County’s Land Use and Transportation Department. In this position he performs a variety of work activities associated with environmental management practices by taking the lead reviewing work plans, providing technical expertise to County personnel involved in work activities that may impact the environment, applying for and administering grants, and managing permits and programmatic agreements with regulating agencies.

Peter was appointed City Manager of Cornelius in 2022. He joined Cornelius at an interesting time, given the community’s recent significant residential population growth. Previously Peter was Senior Program Manager at City of Hillsboro for 14 years, where he developed and managed the City’s environmental sustainability program and managed solid waste, smart city, and other programs and projects. Peter earned a Master of Science degree from University of Edinburgh, grew up in the Colorado mountains (go Nuggets) and earned his undergraduate degree from University of Denver.

Tom Nygren, of Hillsboro, is a retired U.S. Forest Service forester. He is active with the Washington County Oregon Small Woodlands Association and the Oregon Tree Farm System and has been a member of the Tualatin River Watershed Council since 2000.

Greg joined the Council in 2017. A public employee with the Oregon State Legislature, he focuses heavily on advancing environmental policy. He holds a B.A. in Geography from the University of Washington, an M.S. in Environmental Science and Law from the University of Sydney, NSW, and a J.D. from the University of California, Irvine School of Law.

Outside of work, Greg is interested in lawn games, mountain views, and vegetarian grilling.

Lacey grew up in Washington County and loves being a part of conserving its natural resources. She came to Tualatin SWCD as a Resource Technician in 2006, writing conservation plans and providing technical assistance to rural landowners. Lacey developed a strong knowledge of SWCD operations over the years and began leading the organization in 2011.

She graduated with a B.S. in Biology from Oregon State University, followed by a Master’s in Environmental Management from Portland State University. When she is not leading the organization, you can find her enjoying time outdoors with her two kids and dog, spending time with family, gardening, cooking, and reading.

Rich Van Buskirk is a Professor of Environmental Science at Pacific University in Forest Grove, where he teaches undergraduate courses in conservation, restoration, GIS and natural history.

His research includes student surveys of elk foraging, collaboration with the Forest Service on rare butterfly conservation through coastal meadow restoration and a long-term exploration of American Kestrels and their relationship with Red-tailed Hawks. Dr. Van Buskirk’s research not only addresses ecological questions, but also serves to introduce the next generation of scientists to the challenges of conservation.

Jon grew up in northeastern Ohio, and at a young age, he became fascinated with the region's diverse wildlife, especially birds. To further pursue his interests in the outdoors, he moved to the West and has lived in Wyoming, Arizona, Alaska, and Oregon.

Jon has held positions involving natural resource management in the private and nonprofit sectors and he currently works for Scholls Valley Native Nursery, a major supplier of native plants to restoration projects in the Willamette Valley and southern Washington. As a Council member, Jon represents Trout Unlimited where he contributes his expertise in fly fishing, river ecology, and coldwater fisheries management.

Kelsey grew up in Seattle, where countless days at local parks and beaches along the Puget Sound with her family inspired a lifelong pursuit of protecting natural spaces. Kelsey moved to Oregon in 2010 for her undergraduate work at Pacific University, and her adventures in this region ultimately led her to Lewis & Clark Law School, where she earned her J.D. with a certificate in Environmental and Natural Resource Law. She is particularly interested in nurturing the environmental advocate through meaningful outdoor recreation that inspires lasting connections to nature. Kelsey tries to get outside as much as she can. She is often joined by her partner and their pup, Olive, and spends most of her time on the trail, slowing everyone down so she can look at weird mushrooms or take pictures of the intricate patterns in tree bark and the riotous colors of wildflower fields.

Sara Kral is a Tualatin Valley native with a diverse background and experience in business, law, finance, and farming. She has managed multiple agriculture-related start-ups and young business enterprises, including Scholls Valley Native Nursery, Oregon’s largest exclusively native plant nursery, which she has owned and managed since 2003. Sara holds a law degree from the University of Oregon School of Law and is completing a degree program in sustainable agriculture from Oregon State University. As a life learner, she is interested in utilizing this additional education to bring various local stakeholders together to identify common goals and work together toward healthier and more sustainable eco- and social systems. 

Sara provides seminars and trainings to schoolchildren, individuals, and organizations in the areas of permaculture & sustainability, wholistic agriculture, professional communications, and HR development & strategic planning. Sara also organizes and officiates weddings and memorial services of friends and family each summer. Volunteerism and giving to her community are important to Sara and she volunteers in elementary classrooms each week. Her friends, family, and work colleagues would share that Sara focuses her energy and skills on building and supporting healthy communities. 

Maly is a Source Water Protection Specialist at the City of Hillsboro, the managing agency of the Joint Water Commission. She works on source water protection projects in the Tualatin Basin to help ensure safe and reliable water in the Tualatin drinking water service area.  

Maly is from Los Angeles, CA and graduated with a BA in Geography from UCLA. She has resided in Portland, OR following her dream of living around greenery. Outside of work, Maly enjoys running and exploring all things the PNW has to offer.