Board

Emily Washines 

(Board President)

MPA, scholar, enrolled Yakama Nation tribal member, and Columbia Riverkeeper board member since 2018. Emily is the founder and CEO of Native Friends, a Native lifestyle empowerment business focused on language, history, and culture. Formerly a public relations professional with Yakama Nation Fisheries, Emily is a graduate—and a former Trustee—of Central Washington University in Ellensburg, and earned an MPA from The Evergreen State College. Emily also serves on the boards of the CWU’s Museum of Culture and Environment and Washington State Coalition Against Domestic Violence. A life-long resident of the mid-Columbia devoted to women’s rights, traditional language, and historical research, Emily lives in Toppenish with her husband Jon and three children. Of her bond to the Columbia River, she says simply: “Nch’i-wana is close to my heart.”

Jessica Black, Ph.D.

is a Professor of Environmental Science and Studies and the Director of the Center for Indigenous Health, Culture & the Environment at Heritage University, located on the ancestral lands of the Yakama Nation in rural, South-Central Washington State. Dr. Black is Mexican American and earned her PhD in Geological Sciences from the University of Colorado. In her professional career, she has focused her efforts on the overall goal of supporting diverse undergraduate students in STEM to completion of their degrees, ultimately diversifying the professoriate and strengthening rural and Tribal communities with skilled Hispanic and Indigenous candidates. In her international programs, she works to promote sustainable, culturally vibrant communities, building global partnerships to empower indigenous peoples in Latin America.

Elaine Harvey, Wanuxni’

is a Yakama tribal citizen who works for the Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission as the Watershed Department Manager.  She has nearly 22 years of experience working in the Fisheries as a fish biologist, hydro systems oversight coordinator, environmental coordinator, and now watershed department manager.  She dedicates her career to protecting First Foods and medicines for future generations which include salmon, steelhead, pacific lamprey, and many other aquatic species.  Elaine brings an Indigenous perspective and Traditional Ecological Knowledge to her daily work and the many collaborative groups she is associated with.

Carlos Marroquin

has been an activist for varied causes for most of his life. From his native El Salvador, to the PNW. He is a founding member of Comunidades, a Columbia River Gorge-based group that engages Latinos of all walks of life in environmental and social justice issues. He is also a member of the board of Comunidades. Carlos raised his family (Jazmin and Selva) in the Gorge and worked in the public school systems at the elementary level on both sides of the Columbia River. Currently, Carlos works as an audio engineer for an educational software developer. He currently resides in Portland, Oregon.

Ana Molina

is the Advocacy and Systems Director at the Oregon Just Transition Alliance, based in Portland, OR. She previously served as the Field Manager at Columbia Riverkeeper, championing environmental and climate justice by prioritizing the voices of those most affected. Before that, she was the statewide environmental justice projects manager for Beyond Toxics, where she focused on advocacy and community organizing. A board member of Seeding Justice, Ana graduated from Humboldt State University in Arcata, CA, where she organized for undocumented students, driven by her passion for environmental and community resilience.

Alanna Nanegos 

(Secretary)

now retired was the Tribal Business Development Director for Cayuse Native Solutions. She lives outside of Pendleton, Oregon, and is an enrolled member of Confederated Tribes of Umatilla Indian Reservation. She has served on a number of local water quality boards and is volunteering on Columbia Riverkeeper’s board in her personal capacity.

Rudy Salakory

(Board Vice President)

is a Policy Analyst at the Northwest Power Planning & Conservation Council. Since 2008, he has worked to restore wetland, floodplain, and riparian habitat throughout the lower Columbia River and its tributaries. A lifelong resident of the Pacific Northwest, Rudy went to school at Washington State University, played (outside, rain or shine), and raised a family (Jacob and Carmen) within ten miles of the Columbia River. He currently resides in Portland, Oregon, with his darling, Geraldene.

David Spurr

 is a financial advisor and shares a private wealth management practice with his wife Amy in Portland, Oregon. A graduate of Dartmouth College and the University of Virginia School of Law, David practiced law and investment banking in New York before moving to Oregon with his family in 2015. He was drawn to Columbia Riverkeeper by its strategic use of the legal system, policy work, and community action to protect and restore the environment. David is an avid cyclist and runner who devotes his free time to exploring the Pacific Northwest with Amy and his children, Penelope and Max.   

Ted Wolf

is a writer whose books include Salmon Nation (Ecotrust, 2003) and Klamath Heartlands (Ecotrust, 2005). Ted’s work centers on regional natural history and natural hazards such as earthquakes and tsunamis. He and his wife, Karen, live in Bellingham, Washington above the Salish Sea. Ted’s favorite river places include Astoria, Skamokawa, and the bluffs above Catherine Creek.

Vawter “Buck” Parker

Vawter “Buck” Parker has spent almost his entire career in environmental protection, including 37 years with Earthjustice and 10 as its CEO. Buck was instrumental in opening Earthjustice offices around the country and establishing its international program. In the mid-1990s he worked with environmental lawyers in Latin America to found the Asociación Interamericana para la Defensa del Ambiente, an organization of public interest law groups dedicated to expanding the use of citizen enforcement to address international environmental issues within the Western Hemisphere. During his 10 years as executive director he greatly expanded Earthjustice’s legislative and communications staff and led the organization during the critical years of the administration of President George W. Bush. Through 2016 he continued his work with the organization on Arctic issues and especially on offshore drilling. Buck currently serves on the boards of Earthjustice, Pacific Environment and Columbia Insight.

Sue Vosburg

(Board Treasurer)

is a longtime Columbia Riverkeeper member who lives on a farm in Gales Creek, Oregon. She became an active volunteer and activist throughout Columbia Riverkeeper’s efforts to protect communities and our climate from two proposals to build liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminals in the Columbia River Estuary and associated fracked-gas pipelines. Sue recently retired after a lengthy career as a tax preparer.