John serves as the Chair of the Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Committee

Washington’s National Parks are a cornerstone to our state’s identity, and make every Pacific Northwesterner beam with pride. Making sure our parks have the resources they need is hugely important to safeguard these special places and the rich, soul-nourishing experiences that come with them.

With a mother drawn to the ocean and father drawn to the mountains, John had no choice but to love wild places. Today, those wild places are where he spends as much time as is humanly possible.

John’s focus in life is to keep wilderness thriving. He is a scientist by training, having worked primarily on conservation issues around invasive species and marine fisheries. He has also worked to keep environments healthy for the benefit of people, plants and animals as congressional staff in Washington, D.C. and in Washington state for the Puget Sound Partnership. Today he helps scientists at the UW College of the Environment tell their own stories about their work and the impact it has in our world.

FDR said that there is nothing more American as our national parks, and Wallace Stegner famously stated that the national parks are the best idea we ever had. Lucky for us we have three stellar examples in our own backyard. John wants to put his passion for these remarkable places to work through Washington’s National Park Fund, helping them to flourish while providing opportunities for people to connect with and be energized by the great outdoors.