The Water Trust is presently seeking to recruit knowledgeable professionals who are passionate about out mission and desire to contribute to the community by serving on our Board of Directors. Please contact
Interim Executive Director Lynn Youngbar if you would like to learn more about serving on the Board. Present members include: Randy Labbe, President Randy
is President of Kerr Pacific Corp, a flour milling, grain merchandising, and foodservice distribution company based in Portland. In addition to his 40 years of experience in the grain marketing business, Randy has served as a director of Duckwall Pooley Fruit Company and Hood River Distillers. As for his other civic activities, Randy is also a director of the Oregon Wildlife Heritage Foundation, Reed College, and The Nature Conservancy. Steve Shropshire, Secretary
Steve has been practicing law since 1994 and is a Partner with Jordan Schrader PC in Portland. He specializes in natural resources, environmental and land use law. Steve concentrates his practice on water rights, water quality, wetlands, and real estate development where he brings his understanding of natural resources economics and conflict management to bear in developing effective, lasting solutions for his clients. Steve has represented his clients in evaluation and conveyance of existing water rights, permitting and adjudication of new water rights, water rights transfers, and determination of Native American water rights. Steve’s professional expertise brings strength to the policy oversight capabilities of the Oregon Water Trust Board.
Mark Minnis has been a real estate broker since 1978 and is an owner of Help-U-Buy Real Estate in Portland. From 1979 to 1991, Mark owned and operated the Half Moon Bar Lodge on the wild and scenic section of the Rogue River and has maintained an interest in rivers since that time. Mark brings to the Board an interest in endowments and long-term financial growth for the organization.
Jason Smesrud is a soil scientist and agricultural engineer at CH2M Hill. He specializes in water management of agricultural irrigation systems and beneficial reuse of municipal and industrial wastewater. Jason is also an avid fly fisherman. Noelwah Netusil is a professor of economics at Reed College and the most recent member of our Board of Directors. Among her many academic endeavors, Noelwah studies water markets for ecological benefit. She serves as Vice-Chair of the Northwest Power and Conservation Council's Independent Economic Analysis Board and is on the Steering Committee for the Urban Ecosystem Research Consortium of Portland-Vancouver. She is a current board member of Mercy Corps Northwest. Roger Bachman has been an advocate for native fish for many years. First as a member of the Water Resources Commission for four years, more recently as lobbyist for Oregon Trout before the Commission and Department. He calls himself a "shirt-tail water lawyer." Bachman is a native of New Jersey but moved to Oregon many years ago. He worked briefly as a compassman, as a printing company owner for fourteen years, then as head of several advertising agencies. Bachman is an avid fly fisherman.
Edward Olson
has 33
years of experience in the design, operation, and maintenance of municipal
water systems. He was
the engineer and manager for the Medford Water Commission and the City of
Roseburg in which he has competed
numerous construction projects, facility plans, operational studies and
water rates studies. For the past three years, Ed has worked part time as
managing engineer for Brown and Caldwell on numerous water projects in
Southern Oregon.
Art Martin
is an
accomplished fish and wildlife biologist specializing in program
development, inter-agency coordination, collaboration, and communication
with a strong technical background in fish and wildlife life history and
habitat requirements. Art has spent many years with the Oregon Department of
Fish and Wildlife, and is currently the ODFW statewide transportation
coordinator.
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