Board & Staff

Rebecca Lane, Interim Executive Director

Rebecca is a 5th generation Coloradan who found the beauty of coastal Western Washington in her early 20s. After time on Lopez Island raising sheep and serving the community as a social worker, she moved to the city to go to grad school at Antioch and launched her decades long commitment to the nonprofit sector.

Prior roles include serving as executive director at the National Cohousing Association, and as the interim executive director for the past decade at End of Life Washington, Tacoma Farmers Market, the Community School of West Seattle, and several other community based organizations.

Outside of work, she can be seen at her sewing machine, one of her various spinning wheels, or weaving. She lives in Southeast Seattle with her husband, two large and fluffy Maine coons and a 25 year old cottage garden that’s constantly a work in progress.

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Lauren Warkentin, Philanthropy Coordinator

A Pacific Northwest native, Lauren was born and raised in Seattle. Moving to Bainbridge Island at the age of twelve, she immediately was taken with the natural beauty the island has to offer. Lauren is a first-generation college graduate, holding a B.A. in Sociology from the University of Victoria. With a background in Real Estate Appraisal and Finance, Lauren’s organizational skills are fine-tuned. In her free time, Lauren enjoys reading, thrift shopping, and cooking. She also loves exploring natural spaces with her husband Sam, and their dog Jordy.

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Mac Davenport, Communications Coordinator

Born in the Seattle area but raised in Texas, Mac recently returned to the Pacific Northwest and enjoys exploring the diverse natural spaces of Bainbridge Island. Mac holds a B.S. in Advertising and B.A. in Sustainability Studies from the University of Texas at Austin. Previously, they led graphic design and communications efforts for environmental organizations including Keep Texas Beautiful, UT Austin’s Office of Sustainability, and Solar Austin. They also worked as a barista for five years and are always happy to chat about coffee. In their free time, Mac enjoys thrifting, watching movies, exploring local coffee shops, and caring for their houseplants.

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Megan Rohrssen, Community Education Coordinator

Megan began visiting the Northwest in the mid-2000s and was immediately hooked by the gorgeous juxtaposition of forest, mountain, and sea. Megan holds a B.A. in geology from Carleton College, a Ph.D. in Earth Sciences from the University of California at Riverside and did post-doctoral research at the University of Bristol in England before joining the faculty at Central Michigan University. Prior to the Land Trust, Megan also had the honor of working in environmental outreach and education for the Port Gamble S’Klallam Tribe. Even outside of work, Megan enjoys learning about native plants, edible perennials, and squishy intertidal life. She can often be found exercising or drinking coffee, usually not at the same time.

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Sandy Petersen, Operations Manager

Originally from Arizona, Sandy moved to Bainbridge Island over six years ago from Northern California and has discovered she is an islander at heart.  With a background in office management and project coordination, Sandy brings a depth of experience with recruiting, strategic planning, and marketing/business development to the Land Trust team.

Outside of work, Sandy loves spending time at live music and sporting events, hiking, and exploring the Island with her husband and Australian Shepard, Ruby.

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Jennifer Sharp, Accounting Manager

Jennifer is a native New Yorker who grew up in a small town and spent many hours exploring the woods and streams near her home. Since 1990, Jennifer has had the pleasure of calling Bainbridge Island her home. Her love of nature drew her to IslandWood where she spent 20 years ending her career there as the Director of Accounting. Before joining IslandWood, she worked mostly with non-profit companies including as an auditor in New York City where her clients were visual and performing arts companies. Since living on BI, she has been the Treasurer of several non-profits including the original Kids Up!, Meadowmeer Water Service Association, BHS PTSO and Bainbridge Parks Foundation. She is also a current board member of One Call For All. After raising two kids on BI, she and her husband are now empty nesters, and are kept company by their two much-loved dogs.

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Gina King, Conservation Director

Gina moved with her family to Bainbridge Island in 1983 and has had one foot on the Island ever since. She went off to study zoology and natural resource science at University of Washington and UC Berkeley and spent 26 years as a wildlife biologist with the Yakama Nation, protecting sensitive species and habitats in south-central Washington. When her daughter started at UW she moved back to the area, and is excited to be back on the wet side of the mountains, helping to preserve the natural places that make the Island so special. She and her husband enjoy hiking, reading, and travel, and are finally learning to kayak like true Northwesterners.

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Andrew Fraser, Stewardship Manager

A Pacific Northwest native, Andrew grew up spending his summers out along the coast and weekends throughout the year volunteering at invasive species pulls and tree plantings. After earning his undergrad at Emory University in Atlanta, GA, Andrew returned the Northwest to attend graduate school at the University of Washington and earn a degree in Restoration Ecology and Environmental Horticulture. Since graduating, he has worked and volunteered with a number of non-profits, county, and federal agencies thoughout Oregon and Washington. Having fallen in love with the Island during grad school, Andrew came to the Land Trust eager to preserve the unique island landscape for future generations. In his free time, he enjoys cooking new recipes, propagating plants, reading, telling bad puns, and volunteering at restoration projects.

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Sarah Keller, Stewardship & Volunteer Coordinator

A longtime Northwest resident, Sarah grew up in the sagebrush steppes and wide-open spaces of southwestern Idaho. It was in her mid-20s that she fell in love with conservation and resource management. After obtaining her B.S. in Biology from Boise State University, she worked a variety of seasonal positions with state and federal agencies throughout the West. During her time with the National Park Service, she worked on data management and field studies involving fragmentation of habitat in a wildland-urban interface, post-wildfire restoration work, and aquatic invasive species prevention and monitoring. Since joining the Land Trust, she has fallen in love with the vibrant community and stunning, diverse ecosystems of Bainbridge Island.

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Sydney Akers, Stewardship Coordinator

Originally a Hoosier, Sydney fell in love with the Pacific Northwest during a year-long service term with the Washington Conservation Corps. Before that, she was pursuing a master’s degree in environmental sustainability at Indiana University while working part-time at a local composting facility. Her passion for natural resource conservation and management ignited during a study abroad course in South Africa, inspiring her to return to the U.S. with a commitment to local conservation initiatives. In her free time, Sydney enjoys hiking, thrift shopping, and tracking the orcas that frequent the Salish Sea. She also loves spending time with her two kitties, Sunny and Luna.

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Laura Biassio

Laura is a UW graduate in Environmental Studies with minors in Urban Planning, Landscape Architecture, and Data Science. She’s done work in communications, mapping, design, and environmental planning. Her passion for human-environment interactions and sustainable development brought her to BILT, where she hopes to learn about all the steps that make conservation effective and lasting from such a thriving community.

Jackson Curtin

Born and raised in Oregon, Jackson began connecting with natural landscapes through exploring Portland’s urban forests and streams with childhood wonder.  This curiosity led to the achievement of a B.S. in General Science with a minor in Geology from Portland State University.  A passion for working in conservation led Jackson to work with a variety of environmental non-profits and conservation organizations in Colorado, California, and Vermont.  Outside of work, Jackson enjoys reading, pickleball, and birdwatching.

Kylie Gates

Kylie is a recent Environmental Science and Terrestrial Resource Management graduate from the University of Washington. She is passionate about restoration in urban and community landscapes. Her recent work includes rare plant germination and monitoring with UW Plant Care and Conservation, as well as field data collection for research projects across wetland, subalpine, and dry grassland ecosystems.

Carolyn Harper, President

Carolyn Harper is a long-time resident of Bainbridge Island and the Pacific Northwest. After earning an undergraduate degree from the University of Washington and an MBA from Columbia Business School, Carolyn worked for over 30 years in professional services as a management consultant. She retired from Willis Towers Watson, a global professional services firm, in 2020. Carolyn currently serves as the board treasurer for PeaceTrees Vietnam, a Seattle- and Viet Nam-based NGO focused on de-mining and economic development in Viet Nam. She has also served on the board of The Island School, as well as committees for the Bainbridge Island School District and Grace Episcopal Church. In the winter she teaches skiing to veterans and people with disabilities through Higher Ground, a Ketchum, Idaho based organization. Carolyn is an avid cyclist, skier and hiker and a fledgling flyfisher.

Tom Ringo, Vice President

Tom is a native of Puget Sound who grew up Seattle and has lived on Bainbridge for over 30 years.  After obtaining a BA in History from Stanford and an MBA from the University of Washington, Tom worked for Price Waterhouse and Westin Hotel Company in Seattle before moving to Kitsap County in the late 1980’s to take a position with Pope Resources, a publicly traded timber and real estate company based in Poulsbo. After 33 years at Pope Resources in executive management roles, Tom retired in 2020.  His free time interests include cycling, golf, cello-playing, and walks with his 2-year-old English Shepherd in the parks of south Bainbridge.  He is actively involved in lay leadership at Grace Episcopal.

Laurie Miller, Treasurer

Laurie grew up on a ranch in the mountains of Montana, enjoying a childhood largely spent outdoors on horseback exploring the national forests that border the ranch. Laurie’s parents were dedicated conservationists whose passion for preservation and environmental sustainability was passed on to their children. With family in tow, Laurie arrived on Bainbridge Island in 1991 to pursue a career in corporate Seattle as a CPA with an MBA. She inevitably recognized her affinity for the not-for-profit sector and has devoted the last 20 years to the art of financial and operational leadership for mission-driven organizations. Laurie honed her business skills during 16 years at IslandWood, then transported her knowledge base to New Zealand to provide strategic guidance to a start-up group of sustainable companies formed to benefit the local New Zealand communities.  She has served on several nonprofit boards and is currently a financial advisor to Global Child Nutrition Foundation, an international organization dedicated to school feeding programs around the world.

Sandy Schubach, Secretary

Sandy immediately fell in love with the Pacific Northwest’s beauty and outdoor activities, including sailing, hiking, bicycling and cross-country skiing, when she moved to Seattle after growing up and attending college in Michigan. She moved to Bainbridge in 1999 with her husband Ed and son Conrad and was soon an active volunteer with several local nonprofits. She was a founding member of the Bainbridge Community Foundation and was active in the early days of IslandWood.  Volunteering with a local nonprofit that helped landmine victims, she traveled extensively in Southeast Asia and filmed testimonials and videos of projects. This eventually led to her co-creating a nonprofit organization to help provide educational opportunities for under-served children in Myanmar. Sandy has worked with the Land Trust for many years and looks forward to continuing and expanding her Land Trust work to help preserve and protect her beautiful island home.

Tyler Benson

Tyler is originally from Seattle and has lived on Bainbridge for the past five years. After earning his undergraduate degree from the University of Michigan, he commissioned as an officer in the U.S. Navy and completed two deployments, in support of Operation Enduring Freedom and GWOT. After returning home to the PNW, Tyler started an investment banking career at RBC Capital Markets. He is now with Hilltop Securities, where he specializes in municipal finance and serves as an advisor to public entity clients around the Northwest. Tyler and his wife, along with their four-year-old son and newborn son (October 2024), enjoy an active lifestyle of sailing, paddle boarding, hiking, and skiing.

Azure Boure

Azure is a professional community educator in the field of traditional foods, medicine and Indigenous technologies. She is knowledgeable and passionate about the natural environment and dedicated to community service. Azure has found that teaching about gathering and use of native plants and materials goes hand in hand with caring about land restoration. Recently she was elected to her first term on the Suquamish Tribal Council. Prior to joining the Board of the Bainbridge Island Land Trust, she was involved with the annual native plant sale. Azure lives in Indianola, Washington.

Maradel Gale

Maradel grew up in the state of Washington and worked for two summers on forest service lookouts on the Gifford Pinchot National Forest. This experience, combined with early camping and hiking activities with her family, created in Maradel a strong desire to protect the environment from corporate and industrial mismanagement and overuse. After five years in Michigan, Maradel returned to the Pacific Northwest and became active with the effort to protect Oregon’s coastal beaches for public use. She then enrolled in the UO Law School, at a time when women were just beginning to enter the law sector in significant numbers. Maradel’s primary career was as a Professor at the University of Oregon, where she taught courses in legal issues in planning and public administration, environmental law, and leadership skills.Upon retirement, Maradel returned to the Puget Sound area and settled on Bainbridge Island, where she was appointed to the city’s Planning Commission, on which she served for 11 years. She was the founder of Sustainable Bainbridge and is thrilled to bring her extensive experience in environmental issues to the Land Trust’s Board.

Bruce Galloway

Bruce, his wife Susan, son Tommy, and daughter Kitty have been living on Bainbridge Island for nearly 30 years.  Throughout Bruce’s life, he has focused both on entrepreneurial pursuits and bettering the world.  While in high school, Bruce discovered he was an entrepreneur.  After college, he moved to Southern California and focused on shopping center development.  He now has more than 40 years of real estate experience.  Currently, he is the Chief Investment Officer for Evergreen Investment Company, a real estate development company, which he launched in 2018.  In 2001, Bruce founded the Evergreen Global Foundation which supports conservation of land for parks. Through The Nature Conservancy, Evergreen Global has permanently conserved more than 13,000 acres of land.  Evergreen Global has also partnered with the Bainbridge Island Rotary Club to provide 20,000 people in Tanzania improved access to credit. Bruce has served on the boards of the Bainbridge Island Parks & Trails Foundation and the Bainbridge Island Rotary Club.

Brian Harmon

Born and raised in the PNW, Brian and his wife, Audrey, moved to Bainbridge Island in 2020 to raise their family. Brian has a B.S. in Aquatic and Fishery Sciences from the University of Washington (Go Huskies!) and a M.S. in Natural Resource Sciences from the University of Nebraska (Go Huskers!). Brian worked as a fisheries biologist in small stream systems across Washington, Idaho, and Alaska before pivoting to sustainability. Brian works as a sustainability consultant advising and supporting organizations to measure their greenhouse gas emissions and to set targets and achieve net zero emissions. Brian spends his time chasing after his three young kids and enjoys trail running and kayaking.

Ben Klasky

Ben is the Founder and Principal of Seismic Philanthropy, which advises foundations and families on philanthropic strategy. For over a decade, he served as the CEO of IslandWood – an environmental education organization based on Bainbridge Island. Ben was formerly the CEO of Net Impact, cofounded Camp Galileo, and worked at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to help turbocharge the giving of some of the world’s wealthiest individuals. Ben has taught graduate courses on Social Entrepreneurship and Nonprofit Management at the University of Washington. He began his career as a Teach For America corps member in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. He has served on over a dozen boards including PCC Community Markets; KUOW; and the Japanese-American Exclusion Memorial. He and his wife Lisa do their best to keep up with their two boys, Jake and Eli.

Jenny Lange

Jenny and her husband John, a Bainbridge Island native, settled here over 25 years ago. Jenny worked in Government Relations at the Seattle office of The Nature Conservancy, pursuing public partnerships in conservation and helping to protect natural areas at the state and federal levels. After starting a family, she became an active volunteer on Bainbridge, including serving on the Vestry and leading annual campaigns at Grace Church, and helping to establish Mom’s Morning Retreat, a support group for mothers. Jenny earned two degrees from Duke University – a B.S. in zoology and a law degree. She enjoys sea kayaking, walking on our local trails, and living in a place that values natural spaces and a vibrant community.

David Marzahl

David Marzahl is an executive and leadership coach with more than 30 years of experience strengthening mission-driven organizations. He previously served nearly two decades as President & CEO of the Center for Economic Progress in Chicago, where he led nationally recognized initiatives in economic justice, policy advocacy, and public–private partnership. In his coaching and consulting practice, David supports leaders, teams, and boards in navigating change and building strong, equity-centered organizations. He also brings extensive board and advisory experience with nonprofit and governmental entities across the country. David holds an Executive Coaching Certificate from the Hudson Institute of Coaching, executive education credentials from the Kellogg School of Management and Harvard Business School, an M.A. in Political Economy from Northwestern University and a B.A. in Political Science from the University of Illinois at Chicago. Now based on Bainbridge Island, David brings his professional expertise and his passion for exploring the Island’s trails and shoreline to his service on the Land Trust Board.

Nora Nickum

Nora grew up on Bainbridge Island and moved back in 2017 with her husband (also a Bainbridge native) and daughter. She works at the Seattle Aquarium as the VP of Conservation Programs and Partnerships, overseeing the conservation policy, research, and species recovery teams. Previously, Nora was an environmental consultant leading climate change planning efforts and community engagement projects. She also worked at the US Agency for International Development (USAID) as a Senior Climate Change Adaptation Specialist, served on the US negotiating team to the UNFCCC, and sat on the Climate Change Advisory Committee to the Bainbridge Island City Council. She has a master’s degree in public policy from the Harvard Kennedy School. Nora is also a children’s author writing about science, nature, and conservation, including multiple picture books as well as Superpod: Saving the Endangered Orcas of the Pacific Northwest (for ages 8-12+, Chicago Review Press). She and her family love spending time exploring the outdoors, especially in the Grand Forest.

Lori Weise

Lori is a Southern California native who relocated to Bainbridge Island with her husband Steve in 2018 to be closer to family. Lori grew up camping, hiking, and fishing along the Pacific Coast, including trips to Western Canada and Alaska. Lori attended UCLA for both her undergraduate and graduate school programs in Political Science and Urban and Health Planning. Lori worked in a variety of leadership positions in healthcare strategic forecasting and business planning in her career, including 20 years at Cedars-Sinai in Los Angeles serving as Vice President, Strategic Planning and Business Development. She and Steve enjoy running, cooking, travel, and entertaining grandchildren. Lori also provides pro bono consulting services for non-profit organizations through the Seattle-based 501 Commons, and is the former Board President of Bainbridge Island’s only synagogue, Congregation Kol Shalom.

Barb Zaroff

A native New Yorker but after 40 years in the Seattle area, including the last 33 years on Bainbridge, Barb considers herself a child of the Pacific NW. In addition to raising two sons on Bainbridge, Barb kept busy with a career as an environmental professional, with master’s degrees in environmental engineering and water resource engineering from Harvard and the University of North Carolina. After two years in rural Nepal with the Peace Corps, working with UNICEF on the community water supply program, she has worked as a project manager in private consulting, and for both King and Kitsap counties. She has never stopped appreciating the beauty and wonder of Puget Sound and Washington State and is always eager to learn more about this special place and to use that knowledge in responsible stewardship. She and her partner Brian Russell split their time between Bainbridge and the Methow Valley, skiing, biking, hiking and boating, every chance they get.