Meet Our New Board Members
By Willamette Partnership Staff
We are proud to announce the newest members of Willamette Partnership’s Board of Directors for 2019: Sam Baraso, Mark Buckley, John Dunbar, and Michael Karnosh. Each brings a unique perspective and range of experience that we know will prove invaluable to our board, staff, and partners alike.
Learn more about each of our new board members below!
Sam Baraso, Multnomah County’s Office of Sustainability
Sam works as a senior policy advisor in Multnomah County’s Office of Sustainability. While his main efforts revolve around the development of the County’s commercial building energy efficiency and renewable energy financing program, Sam’s most successful collaborations happen in the grey space – where he is part community member, part board member, and part policy wonk. By leveraging the institutional strength of Multnomah County, his relationships with community partners and policy expertise, Sam works to advance policies that are both more equitable and climate-friendly. Sam serves on various boards including the Oregon Environmental Quality Commission and the Portland African American Leadership Forum.
Dr. Mark Buckley leads the natural resource and climate practice at ECONorthwest, an economics consulting firm designing and managing economic analyses generally involving water resources and land management. He specializes in market and non-market valuation particularly involving water resources, with extensive experience on green infrastructure and wastewater treatment. He has designed and led studies for associated state and federal regulatory and resource agencies, local municipalities, non-governmental organizations, and the Department of Justice as a testifying expert. His recent work includes leading benefit-cost analyses for bacteria TDML water quality investments in San Diego and Orange counties, designing wildfire prevention efforts to maximize water quality and quantity benefits and identify funding opportunities in the Sierra Nevada, long-range planning for stormwater and wastewater investments taking into account public and private objectives in Puget Sound, and improving outdoor recreation investments to provide economic benefits and business opportunities in Oregon.
John Dunbar, Larkins Vacura Kayser
John is an attorney with Larkins Vacura Kayser in Portland and a member of the Oregon and Washington State Bars. In 2009, he was hand-chosen by the Oregon Attorney General to lead the Oregon Department of Justice’s Special Litigation Unit, which he headed for five years. Serving under two different Oregon Attorneys General, John Kroger and Ellen Rosenblum, John led a trial team that focused on highly specialized cases, including high-profile constitutional challenges, tort claims, election cases, complex regulatory cases and environmental litigation (including defeating an effort to enjoin the Klamath Basin Restoration Agreement). John also sits on, and has previously chaired, the board of St. Andrew Legal Clinic and has served on the board of Jesuit Volunteer Corps NW/Alaska Board of Directors.
Michael Karnosh, Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde
Mike is a tribal representative and member of the Oregon State Bar with extensive experience in ecology, environmental regulation, habitat restoration, community outreach, intergovernmental relations, Tribal realty, forestry, and fire management. In his current role with the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde, he manages Tribal representation on environmental and sovereignty issues throughout the Tribe’s ceded lands and other areas of cultural interest. Mike coordinates and participates in government-to-government consultation and partnerships with federal, state, and local agencies and non-governmental organizations. He also focuses on community outreach and public relations activities in collaboration with other Tribal programs and partners. Mike has more than 10-years of experience in private and Tribal forestry and is a graduate of Lewis and Clark Law School.
We also want to acknowledge and appreciate our 2019 board officers.
- Michael Jordan has stepped up as our new Board President. Currently the Director of the Portland Bureau of Environmental Services, we are already benefiting from his deep experience in leadership and organizational management.
- Dan Vizzini is now our Vice President. As a long-time board member, Dan brings both a detailed understanding of our water program work and a broad background in public finance and civic engagement.
- Teresa Jacobs remains our Secretary for 2019 and continues to use her expertise in environmental law, government affairs, and public outreach to support our strategy and communications work.
- Marc Hiller has stepped up as our new Treasurer this year. As the Director of Investments for Lyme Timber Company, his knowledge of finance and management supports both our organizational financial management and program work.
Want to learn more about the rest of our board? Click here to read more about our Board of Directors.
Cover Photo of Columbia Gorge / Tess Malijenovsky
