Jeff Parker is our Executive Director. Jeff brings significant experience in strategic development, coordination, and execution of complex public and private projects to his position. He first worked for NYC in 1994 as Project Manager at a residential AmeriCorps camp on the Olympic peninsula. Jeff has also worked as NYC’s Youth Corps Program Director, and Deputy Director. Jeff holds a Bachelor of Art Degree in Political Science from the University of Washington, and a Master of Science Degree in Environmental Science, with an emphasis on Public Policy, from Evergreen State College. A north Eugene resident, Jeff is the proud father of two boys, and an avid outdoor enthusiast.
Keith previously served as the Youth Corps Program Director, Operations Director, and head of the Marketing and Community Relations Department. Keith began his career with NYC in 1992 as a crewleader and spent his first few winters supervising NYC’s YouthBuild home construction program. When Keith is not working, he enjoys spending time exploring the northwest forests and coastal areas with Ann, his wife and best friend.
Kate (she/her/hers) grew up in Pennsylvania but has called the PNW home for the last 19 years. Before having the opportunity to join the NYC team, Kate spent almost two decades in the non-profit world supporting people with intellectual and developmental disabilities to live happy and healthy lives. Her passions are art, music, gardening, cooking and spending time with her dog Rosie.
Jay (he/him/his) is responsible for developing new conservation service program models, managing relationships with NYC’s key partners and supporting programs in the field. Jay is an award winning conservationist with a 30+ year career of connecting youth to conservation, creating and running effective backcountry conservation service programs, and developing and promulgating effective risk management practices for NYC, SCA, National Park Service, YMCA and other organizations and programs. In addition to his work with NYC, Jay serves on the boards for Aerie Backcountry Medicine and the YMCA of Greater Seattle’s Camping and Outdoor Leadership Branch, was a standing member of the Wilderness Risk Managers steering committee 1995-2019, and is an Associate with Experiential Consulting, LLC.
Hap (he/him/his) was born and raised in Indiana and, in 2016, traded those rolling hills for the mountains of the Pacific Northwest. His 30+ year career in the nonprofit sector allowed him to work with Indiana nonprofit organizations spanning the fields of medicine, history, research, education, and fine arts. Now, at Northwest Youth Corps, Hap is excited to further its mission to enrich the lives of youth and young adults by teaching them transferrable life skills during their conservation journey. Hap serves on the board of Olympia Lamplighters and volunteers as an online tutor with Upchieve. When not working, Hap enjoys spending time with his rowdy Weimaraner, Bach, taking day trips on the weekend, and reading.
Since 1998, Natalie has worked to fund new programs through grant-writing and alumni and community solicitation. Her other responsibilities include donor and volunteer development, facility rentals, representing NYC on the Laurel Hill Valley Executive Committee, and chairing NYC’s Safety Committee. Prior to NYC, Natalie lived in The Hague, The Netherlands, where she operated a small cleaning business. She has also worked at a foundation supporting public schools, and as a Volunteer In Service To America (VISTA) where she developed youth activities. Natalie earned her Master of Fine Art Degree in Painting from the University of Oregon. She and her husband have a daughter who is a proud graduate of NYC’s high school, now called the Twin Rivers Charter School. When not working, Natalie studies and competes in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu.
Elena (she/her/hers) was born and raised in St. Petersburg, Russia, and relocated to Lane County Oregon in 2005. She earned her MBA in Finance in 2014. After working in finance for a variety of other companies, Elena found her home as Finance Director at Northwest Youth Corps in 2019 and became Chief Financial Officer in 2022. Elena harmonizes financial operations, develops effective financial strategies, guide efforts towards financial stability, monitor all financial activities, promote revenue growth, and ensure compliance with accounting regulations. In her spare time, Elena love to spend time with her family. She also enjoys baking, gardening, and her sphynx cats.
Tracy has been NYC’s bookkeeper since 2010. Considering herself a Jane of all trades, before NYC, Tracy worked in a variety of jobs including silk screener, adult foster home assistant, and tile worker. A lifelong Oregonian, Tracy was born in Florence and moved to Eugene when she was five, where she’s lived ever since. She enjoys camping, waterskiing, bowling, and spending time with her husband and two children.
Erica is our Accounts Payable person. She was born in Denver, Colorado and has also lived in Arizona and Montana. She relocated to Eugene Oregon to be near family. She brings to NYC more than 20 years of financial background, with 5 years AP experience. Erica’s hobbies are making jewelry, gardening, and reading. She is passionate about animals, feral cats, and fostering kittens and cats in need. One item on Erica’s bucket list is to visit Scotland and Ireland.
Jessie joins NYC as the HR Officer. Born in Florida and was transplanted to the tiny town of Cove Oregon. She feels that this upbringing gave her the best of both worlds. Surrounded by forests and fields she developed a true appreciation for nature and its’ lasting impact on youth. In 2012 Jessie attained her Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Oregon. Over the course of her career she has provided management, leadership, and human resources in both the non-profit and private sector. Additionally, she is a SHRM-CP certified HR Professional who is passionate about organizational development and employee engagement. Outside of work you can find Jessie enjoying time with her daughter or getting out and exploring the community.
Peter grew up in New York and attended the University at Albany and the College of Saint Rose, where he earned both a Bachelor’s and Master’s Degree in Business Administration. After college, he worked for conservation corps in Alaska and Montana before joining Northwest Youth Corps in 2011. When not in the office Peter spends his time raising his kids and exploring Pacific Northwest public lands.
Michaela (she/her/hers) has been passionate about protecting the environment for as long as she can remember. She grew up in Iowa and moved to Oregon in 2014, where she attended the University of Oregon for her Bachelor's of Science in Environmental Science with minors in Art and Biology. While in college, she led wilderness excursions with the Outdoor Program, ran the campus's largest student-led climate justice activism group, and assisted with community ecology research. Michaela is excited to continue her career in developing creative science communication programs to enhance connections between the general public and our shared environment, but she also enjoys painting, riding bikes, and hanging out with her cat, Mushu, as well as taking any opportunity to spend time near a lake, river, or the ocean.
Cassidy was born and raised in the Boise area. She has always been an avid animal lover and enjoyed the outdoors. She attended Boise State University and graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Studies. Her journey with nonprofits started while serving as a coordinating team member for the Boise River Enhancement Network. With her passion for environmental conservation and nonprofit work, she joined the Idaho Conservation Corps. In her free time, she loves to be outside on the water kayaking and fishing, but most importantly, spending time with her beloved cats.
Rachel (she/her/hers) was born and raised in Southeast Idaho where she got her foot in the door with corps at Hagerman Fossil Beds National Monument through the Idaho Conservation Corps internship program. During her time there, she assisted in developing STEM education programs for local school groups and the development of the Junior Ranger Book, taking visitors on tours, and implemented special initiatives and outreach programs for the local community. She then went on to complete another internship program at Minidoka National Historic Site where she did one term in interpretations and another in maintenance to learn beginner skills in woodworking, plumbing, electrical, and welding. In an effort to stay connected to the corps, Rachel moved to Eugene, OR, to join the NYC team where she is working as the AmeriCorps and Member Services Coordinator. Outside of the office, she enjoys exploring the PNW, hiking, painting, and visiting local coffee shops.
Victoria (she/her/hers) is passionate about her family, especially her grandson. If you’re looking for her, you can find her with him, nurturing her flowers, hiking, or riding a Harley. She proudly raised her two sons in Lane County and is thrilled to be a “Duck” mom to a University of Oregon student. Victoria’s oldest son participated in NYC’s Teens and Trails Program and graduated from NYC High School in 2004. NYC’s mission is her mission. She brings substantial experience in both system development, and multifaceted data management to her position.
Andrew (he/him/his) grew up in the cornfields of Central Illinois before escaping to Minnesota and all its many lakes in 2010. In Minnesota, he started his work with the Corps world, serving three terms with Conservation Corps Minnesota and Iowa, happily wielding a chainsaw almost every day. After completing his terms of service, Andrew returned to the University of Minnesota to gain his Bachelor of Science in Environmental Science, Policy, and Management. Anxious to see just how big a lake he can find, Andrew found himself drawn to Oregon and its coast, and his next foray into the Corps world began with NYC. When not with NYC, you can find Andrew hiking along the coast, soaking in hot springs, biking, reading, or woodworking.
Zeke was born and raised in west Philadelphia before discovering trail crew and the benefits of work in the mountains. He graduated from Hampshire College in 2019 with a BA in photography and environmental science, and worked on recreation and research projects in Puerto Rico, Arizona, and Montana before joining NYC in 2021. Outside the office, he enjoys climbing mountains, cooking impossibly spicy food, and exploring the Pacific Northwest.
Jeff spent his teenage salad days working with NYC in the mid- 90’s, participating in a variety of programs. He returned to the NYC family in 2007 as a crew leader, previous to his current position he served as a program manager in WA and Field Director for the organization. Jeff grew up in Tacoma, WA and studied Studio Art at Evergreen State College. He has held a Wilderness EMT Certification since 2008 and teaches Wilderness Medicine courses with Aerie Backcountry Medicine. Outside of work, Jeff can be found building furniture, in the uplands with pointing dogs and on the river swinging flies for unsuspecting fish.
Maggie (she/hers) is a coffee-always-in-her-veins wildlife enthusiast, nature junkie, creative writer, and horoscope reader with a love for all things poetry. Born in Northern Virginia, she spent all of her childhood there and attended the University of VA to study Biology and Poetry. She always loved the outdoors growing up, but took her love to the next level when she moved to Arizona after college to join a Conservation Corps. There, she acquired a variety of different skills in trail building, fuels reduction, ecological restoration, habitat creation, and outdoor leadership, and decided that she couldn’t imagine life any other way than working and living outdoors with an inspiring cohort of adventurers. Maggie joined the Northwest Youth Corps team after trying her hand at farming; she worked everywhere from a goat dairy to a flower farm to an island garden before realizing she missed the trails, saws, tents, and all other good things from the field life too much. As both a conservationist and a creative writer, Maggie believes that communication plays a large role in fostering deep connections between people and nature. She is very passionate about inclusive leadership and supportive interpersonal dynamics when it comes to conservation engagement. In her free time, she enjoys staying active, the Spotify rabbit hole, thrifting, and embroidery. She is unusually skilled at rollerblading, biking with coffee, typing extremely fast, and writing haikus.
Peter grew up in New York and attended the University at Albany and the College of Saint Rose, where he earned boHannia grew up with one foot on the mountains of Costa Rica and the other one on the beaches of Miami. She initiated her AmeriCorps journey in 2012 leading summer crews in back and front country settings. Since then, she’s been part of other AmeriCorps programs as well as programs in Latin America that facilitate environmental justice and social engagement spaces for communities. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Parks, Recreation and Ecotourism from Unity College in Maine and recently received her master’s degree in Environment, Development and Peace with specialization in Sustainable Natural Resource Management from the United Nations Mandated University for Peace in Costa Rica. She focused her research on how environmental education and youth engagement in outdoor recreation can be used as a framework for social justice and civic engagement in areas of high social vulnerability in Latin America. With her grad school journey, she also began running trails and mountains. So far, she has completed two ultra-trail marathons and several mountain half marathons. She received two pounds of cheese once as a first-place prize on a 25K. Hannia is part of the Program Coordinator team in Oregon and comes to NYC with a high interest and passion in youth development, outdoor recreation, experiential education and community outreach.
Ally (she/her/hers) (also goes by Al), grew up on Oregon’s south coast working on her family’s cranberry farm. This close connection with the land flourished into a love of the outdoors and an appreciation of hard work. Since graduating from the University of Oregon with a Bachelor’s of Science in Business Administration and Entrepreneurship, she has worked with several nonprofits managing youth programs in the fields of education and diversity. Later she travelled the western US, camping and hiking along the way. She really leaned into her love for hiking (or as she likes to call it, “climbing up hills for fun”), and this passion has led to her most recent feat of climbing the Middle Teton! When she’s not climbing up hills, she enjoys playing softball, painting, and hanging out with her cat, Andy.
Lee (he, him, his) was born and raised in upstate New York, where he graduated from SUNY Plattsburgh with a bachelor’s in Communications. Despite being surrounded by nature his whole life, Lee did not consider a career in the outdoors until a rafting trip through the Grand Canyon opened his eyes to a whole different world. He got a job on a trail crew the next summer and has spent 5 seasons as a crew member, crew leader and environmental educator. Lee comes to Northwest Youth Corps with a wide range of skills and experience, including two years as a residential carpenter, and is eager to use his experiences to help others discover their own passions. When he isn’t working, Lee enjoys hiking, bouldering, playing soccer, learning new things and exploring with his dog, Penny.
Kai (he/him/his) was born in Eugene, Oregon in a multicultural family, with a mother who is part Native American (United Houma Nation) and a father originally from France. Kai grew up in an eco-conscious environment while adventuring in the nature of the Pacific Northwest. Kai has travelled and worked with people from many backgrounds, all over the world. He has visited and/or lived in over 45 countries. He is fluent in English, French and Spanish. Kai received his French Baccalaureate in Biology. He then created his own University program and earned a Bachelor’s in Social Sciences (the study of “ologies”) and a Master’s in the concept of Family Management (from the family nucleus to the world human family). Kai has been working with Youth Empowerment and Education since 1998. He is an advocate for justice, diversity, equity, and inclusion. Kai has also trained and taught as a Wildland Firefighter, PADI Master Scuba Diver Trainer, Emergency First Response Instructor, Operations & Logistics Manager, Safety Director, Emergency Commander, Conflict Resolution Manager and in Consent Culture, in multiple locations in the world. Kai was previously a Young Adult Lead, the Fire Prevention & Restoration Coordinator and then the Community Wildfire Protection Manager for Northwest Youth Corps, working with a multitude of local, county, state and federal agencies. Now as the Community Wildfire Protection Corps Director, Kai is passionate about creating Community resiliency in these times of need. He is very active in all kinds of outdoor adventures, from snowboarding to scuba diving to backpacking to playing in waterfalls and more!
Alicia (she/they) was born and raised outside of Boston, where she spent every summer in the Northeast ponds, marshes, and tidal pools. Alicia attended a small liberal arts college in Maine, where they began leading young adult backpacking trips and youth outdoor programs, and fell in love with the White Mountains. In the five years since graduating college, Alicia has been working in civil rights law to challenge inhumane prison conditions and police practices; helping to build intentional living communities; and practicing resource redistribution. Alicia is passionate about improving current approaches to education, conflict resolution, safety, and healing, so that one day our systems of prisons and policing will become irrelevant. Her belief in the natural world as an essential piece to building this individual and community-wide resiliency ultimately brought Alicia back to the field of outdoor education. Alicia moved to the Northwest for the first time in May of 2022, and served as a crew member in the Eugene/Springfield area in the second session of Community Wildfire Protection Corps, which led to their current role as the CWPC program coordinator. Outside of NYC, Alicia spends her time trail running, practicing jiu-jitsu, listening to and playing music, and getting acquainted with the biodiversity of the Northwest.
Edison (he/him/his) comes from Disney World, Florida and was quick to escape west after completing his Bachelor of Arts in Political Science at the University of Florida. Edison spent most of his youth and young adult summers working and recreating in the outdoors, often travelling far from Florida to find more than just swamps and pine forests. After a handful of summers in New Mexico and a quick jaunt to California, Edison landed in the Northwest for a summer and became enchanted with staying. Since his start with Northwest Youth Corps, Edison has led crews, coordinated programs in the field, and now is responsible for overseeing Northwest Youth Corps Camping program in the state of Washington. When he is not enjoying the outdoors professionally, he can be found cycling to coffee shops and trying to organize a sea of photos from the last couple years of work and travel.
Leah (she/her/hers) was born and raised in southeast Michigan and spent a quiet childhood as an avid reader. After a year with the National Civilian Community Corps (NCCC) serving on disaster deployments and with nonprofits around the Southern United States, she surprised her friends and family by taking a leadership position with the Maine Conservation Corps where she found her love of conservation work and backpacking. Leah has also served as a Crew Leader with the Southwest Conservation Corps in Colorado, served as a Community Engagement Specialist with the Kalkaska Conservation District in Michigan, and worked the night shift on a ski mountain as a snowmaker. In her free time Leah likes to hike, kayak, read, and, as a newcomer to Washington, explore her new home.
Mikala (She/They) hails from St. Louis, Missouri. She found her love for the outdoors after a trip to Washington visiting family in high school. Mikala earned their degree in Recreation Administration from Lindenwood University. After college Mikala discovered the conservations Corps world, Serving as a Member of the Emergency Response Team with AmeriCorps St. Louis. She loved it so much that she stayed for two more years, Serving as a Team Lead and the Stewardship Coordinator. Post ERT, Mikala worked as a Seasonal Naturalist with Missouri State Parks where she fell in love with learning about ecology. They particularly enjoyed surveying species of Missouri mussels and participating in prescribed burning. New to Washington, Mikala is excited to explore the natural wonders of the state. They love discussing their favorite vegan recipes, volunteering with their local cat rescue, painting with watercolors, and learning about the biodiversity of the PNW.
Hannah (she/her/hers) is from Houston, TX, and Chicago, IL. She attended the University of Wisconsin- Madison and completed her studies in Community & Environmental Sociology. It wasn’t until she left the big city that she found her passion for the outdoors and increasing its accessibility. After graduating, Hannah worked for US Fish & Wildlife and the National Park Service in their education and interpretation departments. Most recently, she lived and worked in Yellowstone NP as a crew leader for their Youth Conservation Corps. Outside of work, Hannah likes to spend her time hiking, bouldering, reading, and cooking new recipes.
Lisa (she/her/hers)joined the Northwest Youth Corps as the Idaho State Program Manager in 2021. She spent her formative years as a world traveler, living in Texas, Minnesota, Indonesia, and England. After earning a B.A. in Psychology from the University of Notre Dame in 2010, she ran off to the mountains of Northern California to serve on a Backcountry Trail Crew with the California Conservation Corps. She fell in love with working to protect and promote access to our natural spaces and hasn’t looked back since. She spent the next few years leading conservation crews in Texas and Washington, responding to natural disasters across the country, working trails for the Forest Service in California, and most recently working as a municipal Arborist in Boise, the City of Trees. When not at work, Lisa is most often hiking, rock climbing, mountain biking, or relaxing with her husband and dog.
Hailey (she/her/hers) was born and raised in the Treasure Valley. Her love for the outdoors started when she was young and has inspired her to pursue a career in conservation. She spent several seasons working with the United States Forest Service, and then worked as a crew leader for Idaho Conservation Corps. After graduating from Westminster College in Environmental Studies and Data Science, she is excited to share her knowledge and passion for conservation as a Program Coordinator. In her free time, Hailey enjoys fly fishing, skiing, backpacking, and perfecting the chocolate chip cookie.
Clayton (he,him,his) was born and raised In Stockton, California. Growing up he enjoyed climbing, snowboarding, surfing, and hiking. His love for these activities has created a passion for protecting and conserving the outdoors. Clayton received his Bachelors of Science in Recreation: Parks and Natural Resource Management from Chico State. Before ICC, Clayton led a local conservation corps in California, was an outdoor educator, and snowboard coach.
Sarah (she/her/hers) grew up in Boise, ID and has lived in Oregon since 2015. She has spent time working as a park Ranger on the Rogue River and has been in the nonprofit world as an Executive Director in Southern Oregon. Sarah is passionate about public land, conservation, and environmental education. You can find her biking, camping, hot springing, or out on the trail with her beloved boxer dogs.
Liv (Xe, Xem, Xir) grew up in rural Michigan and received a Bachelor of Science in Biomedical, Cellular and Molecular Biology from Central Michigan University. After graduating in 2018, xe moved to Houston, Texas and served an 11-month term of service with Texas Conservation Corps of American Youthworks. Falling in love with the Corps world, Liv joined staff at American Youthworks and served as a Program Assistant and Field Coordinator, while receiving a Graduate Certificate in Fish Health and Aquaculture from the University of Florida. Liv has always loved the Pacific Northwest and happily transitioned to the Northwest Youth Corps team in 2021. When not working, xe can usually be found hiking in Idaho State Parks with xir wife and two dogs.
Kate (she/her/hers) graduated from the University of Virginia with a Bachelor's degree in Environmental Science. From there she jumped around the conservation world - serving on the Palmetto Conservation Corps building trails across South Carolina, teaching outdoor education for the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry on the Oregon Coast, and working for the National Park Service at Shenandoah National Park as a trails and maintenance employee. Kate made a career transition during the COVID-19 pandemic, volunteering and working as a medical assistant with Occupy Medical to provide safe quarantine and isolation space for unhoused Eugenians. Upon the completion of that project, Kate continued working with unhoused individuals as the Vaccine Hesitancy and Education Director for Integrated Holistic Aid Collective. Since Kate parted ways with IHAC, she now works for Northwest Youth Corps as the Internship Program Coordinator, supporting interns in partnership with the National Park Service and U.S. Forest Service. In her free time, Kate enjoys wandering in the woods, tending to her garden, and fiber crafts.
Cory (he/his) began his journey with Northwest Youth Corps in August of 2022 shortly after retiring from a 20 year career in the Army where he was a Cannon Cocker ( Artillery) and a professional recruiter. Cory has four amazing children who all love the outdoors and sports and when he is not hanging out with the family on the farm you can find him playing music on his guitar or running down a trail somewhere in Oregon’s beautiful outdoors.
Tiana Last grew up in San Diego, California. After starting her studies at UC Berkeley, she worked in an animal shelter, and then with several conservation corps in Pennsylvania, Alabama, Georgia, and Tennessee. Working on these crews motivated Tiana to return school. She applied to Oregon State University’s Natural Resource Management major, where she had the opportunity to work for OSU’s Research Forests. She then connected with the Forest Service and fought fires in Eastern Oregon in 2020 and 2021. After finishing her degree, Tiana joined NYC, to be able to contribute positively to the climate crisis. In her spare time, Tiana cooks and bakes, reads, does yoga, and hikes and goes on adventures with her dog, Peru.
Alfredo has worked in the construction field for many years, and brings to NYC a wide range of skills and certifications. As the Facilities Coordinator, he is an integral part of the Operations Department. Outside of work, Alfredo enjoys spending time with his boys, and attending church.
