Our Staff

Annie is a graduate of the AgForestry Leadership program and has a Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Geology. She has extensive background in agriculture from years of working on her family farm. Annie is a valuable asset on many riparian and farm plan projects. Come see her in the office to talk about potential projects and get technical advice!

Nells is our Voluntary Stewardship Program (VSP) Coordinator. He is a former Washington Conservation Corps supervisor and has worked on restoration projects throughout the state. In his free time, you can find him taking nature photos and playing with his sister’s dog.

You may find Joanna knee deep in streams but that’s ok. She monitors water quality in a few of our local streams. As our biologist, she has taken on the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP). Joanna oversees and manages a variety of our riparian restoration projects.

Alison is our Mill Creek, K-12 Education, and Community Engagement Program Manager. Alison’s background in Natural Resource Management plus Outreach and Education make her a great choice to lead the Mill Creek Restoration Projects. Alison received her Bachelor of Environmental Studies from Michigan State University and her Masters in Outdoor Education from the University of Idaho.

Jenny is our Fiscal Specialist and manages our grants and vouchering. Jenny is a recent graduate of Walla Walla Community College’s Bachelors program for Business Management.

Jake Mantela is our Conservation Scientist at WWCCD. Jake has a broad background in botany, data collection, and geospatial disciplines. He studied Environmental Biology/Plant Biology at Michigan State University and then moved west after graduating. Jake looks forward to making a positive, lasting impact in Walla Walla County.

Brandon is our newest Conservation Scientist. Brandon is a Certified Ecologist through the Ecological Society of America. Born and raised in New York State, he graduated from SUNY Oneonta in 2015 with a bachelor's in Environmental Science focused on wildlife. He has worked in environmental restoration and mitigation, environmental education, and various forms of wildlife conservation around the country. Brandon's 4 years of trail-building and ecological assessments have prepared him to assist with the Conservation, Restoration, and Enhancement Program (CREP) at WWCCD. During his downtime, you can find him hiking National Parks, gaming, carving stone and abalone jewelry, and traveling to watch the elk rut in the fall.