Meet the Team
Administration
District Manager
Emmett Wild joined Skagit CD in 2018, first as Senior Farm Planner and later as District Manager. Emmett brings more than 20 years of experience with livestock and land management to his work at the District and enjoys the opportunity to grow services for our community. He has a strong track-record of developing innovative solutions and enhancing existing programs through collaboration. Emmett operates a small farm in Stanwood.
Bookkeeper
Denise Briggs joined as our Full Charge Bookkeeper in February 2016. She loves Skagit Valley and cannot imagine living anywhere else. She came to us with a background of being an Office Manager for a construction company. She said: "I love the people I work with here at SCD. This is the best job I have ever had." In her off time she likes to read, listen to music, watch movies, and visit with her daughters.
Office Assistant
Kelsey Freeman joined SCD as our Office Assistant in 2024. Before joining the District, she worked for a local ophthalmic practice for several years. Her experience in office administration and her passion for our natural world ultimately led her to the District, where she enjoys helping our team in the office and interfacing with our community. When she is not at work, she spends her free time reading or hiking.
Planning and Restoration
Senior Farm Planner
Jeffery Frazier joined SCD in 2013. Jeff’s agricultural background, experience, and overall love for the agricultural community, ultimately led him to coming to the District. Today, Jeff is our Senior Farm Planner and works alongside our other planner to help dairies, commercial, and small farms with managing their natural resources. Jeff has 4 adult sons, a small hay farm, and is a varsity assistant football coach.
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Farm Planner
Ryan Gelwicks grew up on a small farm in Whatcom County where they raised cattle for milk and beef. After majoring in environmental science at Western Washington University he spent a couple of years working for the WSDA and Snohomish Conservation District before coming to Skagit CD in 2023 where he is a farm planner who works to help dairies and other small farms to manage their natural resources. When Ryan is off the clock, you will find him playing baseball, climbing, sailing or spending time at home with his partner, dog, and cat.
Habitat Stewardship Coordinator
Allison Hutchens is a former environmental non-profit leader with over a decade of experience in sustainable farming, ecological restoration, and public education. Allison has a long history of gardening and love of food dating back to her childhood and through her volunteerism and professional pursuits. After completing her Bachelor of Arts at The Evergreen State College she spent two years traveling across the States and Europe with the World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms program. She returned to Puget Sound and dedicated herself to creating more just and engaging urban farms in Seattle for seven years as a Children's Garden Educator at Seattle Tilth, King County Master Gardener, Farm Manager and Executive Director with Alleycat Acres, and Executive Director of The Common Acre. She spent four years managing education and outreach with Whidbey Island Conservation District before moving to the magic Skagit.
Forestry and Wildfire
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Forester
Nicholas Kunz holds a Bachelor’s of Science in Forestry and Natural Resources and professional certifications in GIS, wetlands, dendrochronology, and wildland fire, with extensive experience across private, state, federal and tribal forestlands.
He assists landowners through our forestry program which provides no-cost, voluntary technical assistance for developing integrated forest management plans for cost share eligibility. In addition to planning services, the program provides all landowners with resources on establishing and maintaining healthy trees and forests, natural resource conservation practices, local forest products resources, tree farm certification for eligible forest landowners, and supports outreach and education for a variety community groups, students, educators, and forest landowners.”
Wildfire Resilience Technician
Alexis Bryson joined on as our Community Wildfire Resilience Technician in April 2024. She graduated from Western Washington University with a Bachelor's of Science in Environmental Science and a minor in Political Science. As of 2024, Alexis has started her Master's of Science in Environmental and Climate Law. In her previous roles, she has worked as a Special Education Paraeducator for Bellingham Public Schools, a U.S. Embassy Economics, Environment, Science, and Technology intern in New Delhi, India and has been a volunteer with the local humane society and local habitat restoration groups for many years.
Alexis has lived in Western Washington most of her life and became connected to this region's ecology at an early age, leading to her passion for conservation, ecology, and animal sciences. When she isn't at work, you can find Alexis on a beach, in a forest, or in another country exploring the world around her
Wildfire Resilience Specialist
Robert Walters joined the Conservation District in February of 2024. Robert brings extensive experience across a variety of professional fields to, once again, pursue his passion for natural resources. He often finds himself in awe at the beauty of natural systems and their interactions. Fire plays an important role in these systems, but also requires that we are prepared and have plans in place for when fire crosses from the wildland into the settled land. With his background in construction, operational management, customer service, and natural resources management, he strives to reach multiple, varied audiences with resources and tools that landowners can use to protect their property and structures.
Robert received his Bachelor of Science in Natural Resources Policy & Management from Oregon State University, graduating summa cum laude. He has previously worked in water quality and wildfire preparedness for the San Juan Islands Conservation District and is excited to build upon that experience in his new home of Whatcom County. In his spare time, Robert can be found on a golf course, in a local river or stream, or enjoying a good football game.
Outreach & Education
Outreach & Education Coordinator
Cindy Pierce joined the Skagit Conservation District on November 1, 2001, as a part-time office assistant. Over the years, her duties at the district have continued to evolve; From database management, to outreach and education activities such as teaching environmental science to Skagit County youth. One of the tasks she enjoys at the district is managing the faithful, hardworking volunteers of the important citizen-science program “the Skagit Stream Team”.
Cindy lives with her husband Dave in Sedro-Woolley, where they enjoy gardening, hiking, walking, grandchildren, and pets.
Outreach & Education Coordinator
Carla Glassman is a long-time resident of Skagit county, growing up and going to school in Anacortes, and eventually moving back to Skagit County to a small “farm” on the edge of the Samish River in Sedro-Woolley.
In 2013 Carla took a part time position at Skagit Conservation District, and in 2014 became a Skagit county Master Gardener. Carla took over the position of Outreach and Education Coordinator at Skagit Conservation District in 2021 where she combines her love for nature and plants with helping and educating people.
Specialists
District Engineer
Chuck Gerdes moved to Washington after completing his education from Florida Tech in 2010. He started his professional career testing soil with InSitu Engineering. Chuck left in 2014 and started working for Mac Engineering as a private land development consultant. Chuck focused on stormwater detention/retention analyses for commercial and residential developments in the greater Snohomish / Skagit areas. In 2020, He moved to Snohomish Conservation District. Chuck became the northwest area engineer in late 2022, and now provides technical support for Skagit County, Whatcom Count, San Juan Island County, and Whidbey Island.
Conservation Easement Liaison
Eric Nelson is a Washington native, having been raised in the Skagit Valley. He has lived and worked most of his life in and around the agricultural industry and in the public arena. Following graduation from the University of Washington, Eric went to work for King County’s agriculture program, eventually becoming Program Manager. Part of his duties as Program Manager was overseeing the county’s Farmland Preservation Program, which at the time had over 12,600 acres in agricultural conservation easements. Eric also owned and operated the Cherry Valley Dairy in Duvall, Wa. for 10 years. He also worked for American Farmland Trust as the Environmental Programs Manager in the Pacific Northwest Region. In addition, he was the easement monitoring agent for Skagit County for several years. Most recently he and a business partner, Mark Sollitto, have represented landowners In King County interested in selling or transferring their development rights to King County. They have helped preserve over 1,200 acres, representing 7 different landowners in the Snoqualmie and Green River valleys.
Eric was also an elected supervisor at the King Conservation District and was the co-chair of the King County-KCD Conservation Task Force. He has served on many boards and commissions and is currently serving as the President of the Washington State Holstein Association
Eric has three grown children and four grandchildren who all reside in the Palouse. Eric and his partner Sharlotte and their Boxer, Nacho, reside in Burlington. In his spare time Eric enjoys watching sports, especially his UW Huskies and the Seattle Seahawks and Mariners and playing with Nacho.
Employment
Thank you for considering employment with us. Working or serving for a Conservation District is a great experience!
The Skagit Conservation District offers a supportive and friendly work environment with opportunities to grow in your career and state benefits for permanent positions. We hope you will consider joining our team or look into our volunteer opportunities.
Position Openings
There are no current openings.
Información de contacto del personal de SCD
Our board is composed of five local citizens that are dedicated to maintaining Skagit County's natural resources. Volunteer supervisors provide oversight to the CD staff, set goals and policies, and approve conservation plans. Two of the supervisors are appointed by the Washington State Conservation Commission, and three are elected in public elections. All board members serve a three-year term, are registered voters, and must own or operate land in Skagit County. The board meets on the 4th Wednesday of each month at 7:30am.
Dean Wesen, Chair
Appointed Term:
May 2025 - May 2028
Dave Malsed, Vice Chair
Elected Term:
May 2024 - May 2027
Taylor Reijm, Member
Elected Term:
May 2025 - May 2028
Margery Hite, Member
Appointed Term:
May 2023 - May 2026
Jed Holmes, Treasurer
Elected Term:
May 2023 - May 2026
Al Craney,
Associate Supervisor
Board Meetings
Board Meetings are held every 4th Wednesday at 7:30am in the conference room of Skagit Conservation District at 2021 E College Way, unless otherwise noted.
The meeting is open to the public and they are encouraged to attend either in person or via zoom.
Please Note: Our December Board Meeting will be held on Wednesday, December 17th
Happy Holidays.
Agendas
November 2025 Board Meeting
Elections
Request Absentee Ballots
Absentee ballots can be requested online or by mail (Forms linked below) or by contacting the Skagit CD office at,
2021 E. College Way, Suite 203, Mount Vernon, WA 98273, 360-428-4313, or skagitcd@skagitcd.org.
The last day and time that voters can request absentee ballots from the District is 4:30 PM on Wednesday, March 5, 2025.
VOTE
District Board of Supervisor Elections will be held on Wednesday, March 26, 2025, from 8:00 AM until 12:00 PM at Valley Business Center, 2021 E. College Way, Mount Vernon, in the lobby of the second floor (north side of the building).
Completed ballots may be mailed or dropped off but must be received by the Skagit Conservation District no later than 12:00 p.m. Wednesday, March 26, 2025.
Interested Candidates
(Elected Position)
Interested candidates must be registered voters who reside within the boundaries of the District. Candidates may be required to be landowners or operators of a farm, depending on the current composition of the District's Board of Supervisors. The filing deadline for candidates to file their candidate information is 4:30 PM on Wednesday, February 26, 2025, at Skagit Conservation District, 2021 E. College Way, Suite 203, Mount Vernon, WA 98273.
Interested Candidates (Appointed Position)
Per RCW 89-08-160 the Washington State Conservation Commission “shall appoint two supervisors, one of whom shall be a landowner or operator of a farm, who shall be qualified by training and experience to perform the specialized skilled services required of them.” Citizens interested in serving on the board of supervisors as an appointed supervisor must send a completed application form available on the Commission website www.scc.wa.gov in the library to the Commission by the last working day of March of the election year.
Miembros de la Junta del Distrito de Conservación de Skagit (Supervisores)
Dean Wesen, Presidente (Nombrado. Vence en mayo de 2022)
Dave Malsed, vicepresidente (elegido. Vence en mayo de 2024)
Eben Twaddle, Miembro (Elegido. Vence en mayo de 2022)
Jed Holmes, Miembro (Elegido. Vence en mayo de 2023)
Margery Hite, Miembro (Nombrado. Vence en mayo de 2023)
Supervisores asociados, Al Craney
Elecciones y nombramientos de la Junta de Supervisores del Distrito de Conservación
Un grupo de cinco ciudadanos voluntarios sirve en la Junta de Supervisores (Junta) de cada distrito de conservación (CD). La Junta proporciona supervisión y dirección al personal de CD, establece metas y políticas, aprueba planes y contratos de conservación y certifica planes de conservación. Los supervisores pasan unas 15 horas al mes asistiendo a reuniones y ocupándose de asuntos de CD. La Junta puede nombrar supervisores asociados, que no tienen derecho a voto, para ayudar con el trabajo de la Junta. Como voluntarios, los supervisores y los supervisores asociados no reciben compensación monetaria.
Dos de los supervisores son designados por la Comisión de Conservación del Estado de Washington y tres son elegidos en elecciones públicas. Los ciudadanos interesados en servir en la Junta deben ser votantes registrados del estado de Washington y residir dentro de los límites del CD. Uno de los supervisores designados y dos de los tres supervisores elegidos deben ser propietarios y/u operadores de una finca. Los mandatos son por tres años.
Según RCW 89.08.190, cada Junta de CD establece que la fecha de elección se llevará a cabo en el primer trimestre del año electoral. La Comisión de Conservación del Estado de Washington (Comisión) establece los procedimientos electorales, incluidos los procedimientos de notificación pública, analiza los resultados y certifica los resultados de la elección. Un funcionario electoral designado por la Junta supervisa los procedimientos de la elección, y se reclutan funcionarios electorales independientes para que manejen las urnas electorales el día de la elección.
Un candidato que desee que su nombre aparezca en la boleta electoral debe presentar una petición al CD firmada por 25 votantes registrados del condado en el que se postula antes de la fecha límite establecida por la Comisión. Los nombres aparecerán en la boleta en orden alfabético.
Según RCW 89-08-160, la Comisión de Conservación del Estado de Washington “designará a dos supervisores, uno de los cuales deberá ser propietario u operador de una granja, que deberá estar calificado por capacitación y experiencia para realizar los servicios calificados especializados que se requieren de ellos”. Los ciudadanos interesados en formar parte de la junta de supervisores como supervisor designado deben enviar un formulario de solicitud completo disponible en el sitio web de la Comisión www.scc.wa.gov en la biblioteca a la Comisión antes del último día laborable de Marzo del año electoral.
Si tiene más preguntas sobre las elecciones de CD, comuníquese con el funcionario electoral de su CD local (Skagit CD 360-428-4313) o la Comisión al 360-407-6200.
