Board members

Northwest Youth Corps is fortunate enough to be guided by a strong Board of Directors, all of whom serve the organization as volunteers. NYC Board members represent an array of experience, expertise and communities, and usually includes alumni of our programs.

The Board oversees the governance of the organization, including budget approval and financial oversight; performs the annual evaluation of the Executive Director; supports philanthropic efforts; and serves as Northwest Youth Corps’ ambassadors to our various constituencies.

Our current Directors are:

Jane Kammerzelt

Board Chair

Jane Kammerzelt

Jane has been associated with NYC since 1986 in various capacities and continues to be passionate about the organization's mission. Over the years she has been pleased to witness a growing, thriving organization committed to the core standards of excellence set by founder Art Pope. Jane continues to volunteer at NYC's high school, Twin Rivers Charter School and regularly visits India, Guatemala, Spain and other countries for humanitarian work and leadership training.

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Helen Haberman

Vice Chair

Helen Haberman

Helen is inspired to serve on the NYC Board because, as a former NYC staff member, she witnessed the positive effect NYC has on teens and conservation efforts. These include challenging and rewarding youth through personal effort and teamwork; and helping teens make personal connections with the natural world, for peace and enrichment. Helen is a long-time public high school Environmental Science and Social Studies teacher in Eugene, Oregon. She spends summers hiking, camping, and backpacking in the Pacific Northwest with her family and dog. Her other interests include playing and listening to music, reading, and cooking with her kids.

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Scott Halpert

Treasurer

Scott Halpert

As a pediatrician and family physician, Scott was introduced to Northwest Youth Corps because several of his patients benefited from their summer experiences with NYC. After spending years on the NYC board, Scott remains amazed at the ability of its charter school, youth, and young adult programs to transform lives. Now retired, Scott lives on a farm just north of the Eugene-Springfield area, where his interests include whitewater rafting, fly fishing, gardening, and bicycling. He has also directed local child abuse evaluation programs for more than thirty years and currently is a Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) volunteer.

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Alec Marlega

Secretary

Alec Marlega

Alec joined the NYC Board in 2024. He majored in history and political science at Oregon State University, graduating in 2019. He later moved south to attend the University of Oregon School of Law, graduating in 2022. Since then, he has worked at the firm of Arnold Gallagher PC, with a primary focus on small business and estate planning matters. Alec joined NYC’s board due to his love of the outdoors, interest in providing interesting and paid work opportunities to young people, and NYC’s commitment to diversity and inclusion. In his spare time, Alec enjoys going for hikes and rooting for the Seattle Mariners.

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Brad Copeland

Brad Copeland

Brad joined NYC’s board in 2007. After graduating from the University of Delaware with a B.A. in Political Science, Brad earned his J.D. in 1987 from Northwestern School of Law of Lewis and Clark College in Portland, Oregon. He is a shareholder with the Arnold Gallagher Law firm in Eugene. The thing Brad likes best about serving on the NYC board is watching the development and growth of the participants. In his free time, Brad is an outdoor enthusiast and sportsman and enjoys spending time with his wife, Theresa, two children and four grandchildren.

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Erik Matisek

Erik Matisek

Erik has proudly served on the NYC Board since 2018, including three years as the immediate past president. In 2021, Erik earned his Master of Nonprofit Management and Master of Business Administration in Sustainable Business Practices from the University of Oregon. He now works for Keysight Technologies as their Global Environmental Sustainability Manager. 

Erik lives in Portland, Oregon and you will likely find him enjoying the outdoor playground of the Pacific Northwest. He loves to backpack (PCT class of 2015), climb, bike, garden, and road trip in his '86 Westfalia with his wife and two dogs. 

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Steve Dubiel

Steve Dubiel

Steve (he/him/his) got his start with conservation corps during a summer building trails in North Cascades National Park. Thereafter, he earned his MBA from University of Washington and is a graduate of UW’s Executive Nonprofit Leadership Institute as well as Leadership Tomorrow (Seattle). Steve serves on the board of the Northwest Fund for the Environment. He led a King County Parks (2021-2024) team focused on grantmaking, communications, community engagement, and volunteer engagement. Prior to that he served as Earth Corps Executive Director (1999-2021), a Seattle-based nonprofit conservation corps. Steve has served on numerous boards and advisory groups, including The Corps Network's Board and Corps Council; Restore America’s Estuaries Board; Green Seattle Partnership Executive Council; Mountaineers Advisory Council; and the Washington Community Forestry Council. Steve lives in Seattle and has two young adult children. His interests also include hiking, biking, skiing, and playing outside.

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Kelly Southworth

Kelly Southworth

Bio TBA

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Kayla DeForest

Kayla DeForest

Bio TBA

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Ruby Yearwood

Board Fellow

Ruby Yearwood

Ruby Yearwood was raised in Seattle and began to develop a passion for conservation and outdoor recreation in 2015 while spending the summer working as a youth corps member for Northwest Youth Corps. This exposure to new people, places, and experiences ignited her desire to seek out more opportunities for community service, an interest that would go on to influence both her academic and professional careers.

Ruby pursued her undergraduate studies at Warren Wilson College, where she earned her B.A. in Psychology. During her time there, she actively engaged in various community service projects, including: creating nature-connection lesson plans for middle schoolers, learning from and working alongside adults with traumatic brain injuries, and contributing to literacy education for parents of preschool children. These experiences allowed her to merge her passion for education and psychology with her commitment to community development and social work.

After graduating in 2020, Ruby eventually returned to Northwest Youth Corps where she worked as an adult corps member for multiple seasons. Later, she transitioned to City Year, another AmeriCorps program, where she worked at an underfunded public school in Seattle, assisting teachers and providing academic and social-emotional support for students.

Currently, Ruby works for Tutors Impacting Public Schools, a nonprofit aiming to address equity gaps in public education, and is pursuing a degree in School Psychology at Seattle University.

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Rachel Ruminer

Board Fellow

Rachel Ruminer

I joined NYC in the summer of 2022 as part of the Youth Corps, with subsequent summers on the Backcountry Leadership Program and as an intern. These programs changed my life by altering my perspective on myself, conservation, and wilderness. Not only were the positions an opportunity to camp and work in
places I had never seen, but they also led to immense personal growth and learning, all while being incredibly fun. I want to take on this role as a Board Fellow to give back to the organization that helped shape my life and play a part in giving others similar experiences. I am currently a student at the University of Rochester pursuing a degree in mechanical engineering. When I am not studying, I spend my time competing in two varsity sports, swimming and rowing, and I enjoy spending time with friends, hiking, and thrifting.

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