© 2015 - 2020. Northwest Natural Resource Group. All rights reserved.
STAFF AND BOARD
STAFF AND BOARD
NNRG STAFF
Seth Zuckerman
Executive Director
Seth has spent the last 25 years as a practitioner in West Coast forests and watersheds, and as a writer, telling the stories of people’s relationships with the rest of the natural world. His roots are in northern California, where he directed the Wild and Working Lands program for the Mattole Restoration Council, collaborating with private landowners in realms that included light-touch timber harvest, fire hazard reduction, and invasive species control. He came to the Northwest in 2013 in search of steadier precipitation. He holds an A.B. in Energy Studies from Stanford University and an M.S. in Energy and Resources from the University of California at Berkeley. Seth’s favorite thing to do in the forest is to forage for delectable mushrooms.
Rowan Braybrook
Director of Programs
Rowan grew up in the beautiful San Juan Islands in Washington State. After college she served in the Peace Corps in northern Madagascar, working in the Makirovana forest complex and surrounding communities on sustainable agriculture and environmental education. She then relocated to Washington, DC to work with Conservation International on field program management and environmental policy, gaining considerable expertise in UN acronyms in the process. Rowan holds a B.A. in Sociology and Anthropology from Middlebury College and an M.A. in Public Management with a concentration in environmental policy from Johns Hopkins University. Her favorite thing to do in the woods is to find the perfect spot for a mid-hike picnic.
Marissa Wyrwitzke
Forestry Technician
Marissa began their passion for natural resources growing up in south King County. As a native to the northwest, they fell in love with forest ecology and stream health. After studying at Green River College, they graduated with Associate’s Degrees in Natural Resources: Forestry, as well as additional Associate’s Degrees in Water Quality and Parks Management. Marissa has worked with Washington State Parks and the US Forest Service alongside their forestry studies. Marissa is expected to graduate from Green River College with a Bachelor’s in Natural Resource Management in 2023. Their favorite thing to do in the woods is identify plants and look for animal bones.
Gustavo Segura Flores
Forester
Gustavo was raised in the central coast of California with a large focus on traditional agriculture. Seeking a more temperate climate, Gustavo relocated to Grays Harbor County in 2017 and began his forestry studies at Grays Harbor College. He completed his Associates Degree in Natural Resources in the summer of 2020 while also working part-time in a forest managed by the Grays Harbor College Forestry program. Gustavo is currently pursuing a Bachelors in Forest Resource Management and will graduate in 2022. His favorite thing to do in the forest is volunteer with his school Society of American Foresters Chapter and the Grays Harbor Stream Team.
Karen Gray
Finance Director
Karen brings over thirty years of accounting and finance experience to NNRG. She has an MBA in finance from University of Puget Sound, and she loves helping NNRG achieve its mission of caring for forests and working with landowners to manage their lands in ways that contribute to rural economies. Karen’s favorite thing to do in the woods is hike.
Rick Helman
Forester
Rick has been a forester with NNRG since 2011, a Project Forester with Professional Forestry Services Inc. since 1989 and a Contract Forester with Pierce County since 1992. He holds a Masters Degree in Forest Productivity from Duke University and a B.S. in Biology from Presbyterian College. Rick is a member of the Forest Stewards Guild, Society of American Foresters, and is the Southwest Washington Regional Coordinator for the American Tree Farm System. Rick is also a Certified Wetland Specialist and a Certified Forester (#71). Rick’s favorite thing to do in the woods is help landowners realize their forest visions.
Kirk Hanson
Director of Forestry
Kirk is a small woodland owner with over 200 acres of family-owned forestland in western Washington. He’s worked on behalf of small woodland owners for more than 25 years, bringing a passion for ecological forestry and simplified hands-on management practices that allows forest owners to take a direct role in the stewardship of their own land. As a member of a three-generation family-owned forest, Kirk understands the issues and opportunities facing small woodland owners and relishes developing new strategies for optimizing the economic and ecological potential of their forests. Kirk worked for six years with the Washington DNR’s Small Forest Landowner Office before joining NNRG in 2006. He also teaches ecological forestry as an adjunct instructor at the Evergreen State College. Kirk’s favorite way to spend time in his forest is felling trees and pruning.
Jaal Mann
Lead Forester
Jaal’s passion for forests began in the cloud forest of Costa Rica, and eventually turned into a Master of Environmental Studies degree from The Evergreen State College. He began his forestry career surveying streams for large landowners and then transitioned to managing O’Neill Pine Company’s 2,200+ acres of FSC-certified timberland. At NNRG, Jaal enjoys the opportunity to use the landowner’s perspective he gained in his work at O’Neill Pine Company to help other small landowners across the region. Jaal’s favorite thing to do in the woods is backpacking in old growth forests and alpine meadows.
Sam Castro
Forester
Sam fell in love with forests growing up in the Sierra Nevada mountains. As an undergraduate he studied ecology while assisting with research ranging from forest ecology to small mammal behavior. He decided to pursue a career in sustainable land management and earned a Masters of Forest Resources from the University of Washington. Sam has since worked with the King County DNR and the US Forest Service to manage public forest lands and is excited to promote and implement ecological forest management with the NNRG. His favorite thing to do in the forest is mountain biking and volunteer trail maintenance.
Alexandra Dolk
Program Manager
Alex grew up amidst the coastal forests of Whatcom County. Prior to joining NNRG in 2018, Alex worked in communications for an outdoor adventure company, then spent several months engaged in bat research in rural Malawi. While working as Outreach Coordinator for NNRG, Alex completed masters degrees in public policy and forest sciences at the University of Washington. Alex’s favorite thing to do in the woods is to watch bats catching insects at dusk.
Seth Zuckerman
Executive Director
Seth has spent the last 25 years as a practitioner in West Coast forests and watersheds, and as a writer, telling the stories of people’s relationships with the rest of the natural world. His roots are in northern California, where he directed the Wild and Working Lands program for the Mattole Restoration Council, collaborating with private landowners in realms that included light-touch timber harvest, fire hazard reduction, and invasive species control. He came to the Northwest in 2013 in search of steadier precipitation. He holds an A.B. in Energy Studies from Stanford University and an M.S. in Energy and Resources from the University of California at Berkeley. Seth’s favorite thing to do in the forest is to forage for delectable mushrooms.
Rowan Braybrook
Director of Programs
Rowan grew up in the beautiful San Juan Islands in Washington State. After college she served in the Peace Corps in northern Madagascar, working in the Makirovana forest complex and surrounding communities on sustainable agriculture and environmental education. She then relocated to Washington, DC to work with Conservation International on field program management and environmental policy, gaining considerable expertise in UN acronyms in the process. Rowan holds a B.A. in Sociology and Anthropology from Middlebury College and an M.A. in Public Management with a concentration in environmental policy from Johns Hopkins University. Her favorite thing to do in the woods is to find the perfect spot for a mid-hike picnic.
Kirk Hanson
Director of Forestry
Kirk is a small woodland owner with over 200 acres of family-owned forestland in western Washington. He’s worked on behalf of small woodland owners for more than 25 years, bringing a passion for ecological forestry and simplified hands-on management practices that allows forest owners to take a direct role in the stewardship of their own land. As a member of a three-generation family-owned forest, Kirk understands the issues and opportunities facing small woodland owners and relishes developing new strategies for optimizing the economic and ecological potential of their forests. Kirk worked for six years with the Washington DNR’s Small Forest Landowner Office before joining NNRG in 2006. He also teaches ecological forestry as an adjunct instructor at the Evergreen State College. Kirk’s favorite way to spend time in his forest is felling trees and pruning.
Jaal Mann
Lead Forester
Jaal’s passion for forests began in the cloud forest of Costa Rica, and eventually turned into a Master of Environmental Studies degree from The Evergreen State College. He began his forestry career surveying streams for large landowners and then transitioned to managing O’Neill Pine Company’s 2,200+ acres of FSC-certified timberland. At NNRG, Jaal enjoys the opportunity to use the landowner’s perspective he gained in his work at O’Neill Pine Company to help other small landowners across the region. Jaal’s favorite thing to do in the woods is backpacking in old growth forests and alpine meadows.
Karen Gray
Finance Director
Karen brings over thirty years of accounting and finance experience to NNRG. She has an MBA in finance from University of Puget Sound, and she loves helping NNRG achieve its mission of caring for forests and working with landowners to manage their lands in ways that contribute to rural economies. Karen’s favorite thing to do in the woods is hike.
Rick Helman
Forester
Rick has been a forester with NNRG since 2011, a Project Forester with Professional Forestry Services Inc. since 1989 and a Contract Forester with Pierce County since 1992. He holds a Masters Degree in Forest Productivity from Duke University and a B.S. in Biology from Presbyterian College. Rick is a member of the Forest Stewards Guild, Society of American Foresters, and is the Southwest Washington Regional Coordinator for the American Tree Farm System. Rick is also a Certified Wetland Specialist and a Certified Forester (#71). Rick’s favorite thing to do in the woods is help landowners realize their forest visions.
Sam Castro
Forester
Sam fell in love with forests growing up in the Sierra Nevada mountains. As an undergraduate he studied ecology while assisting with research ranging from forest ecology to small mammal behavior. He decided to pursue a career in sustainable land management and earned a Masters of Forest Resources from the University of Washington. Sam has since worked with the King County DNR and the US Forest Service to manage public forest lands and is excited to promote and implement ecological forest management with the NNRG. His favorite thing to do in the forest is mountain biking and volunteer trail maintenance.
Alexandra Dolk
Program Manager
Alex grew up around the coastal forests of Whatcom County. Prior to joining NNRG in 2018, Alex worked in communications for an outdoor adventure company, then spent several months engaged in bat research in rural Malawi. While working as Outreach Coordinator for NNRG, Alex completed masters degrees in public policy and forest sciences at the University of Washington. Alex’s favorite thing to do in the woods is to watch bats catching insects at dusk.
Marissa began their passion for natural resources growing up in south King County. As a native to the northwest, they fell in love with forest ecology and stream health. After studying at Green River College, they graduated with Associate’s Degrees in Natural Resources: Forestry, as well as additional Associate’s Degrees in Water Quality and Parks Management. Marissa has worked with Washington State Parks and the US Forest Service alongside their forestry studies. Marissa is expected to graduate from Green River College with a Bachelor’s in Natural Resource Management in 2023. Their favorite thing to do in the woods is identify plants and look for animal bones.
Gustavo Segura Flores
Forester
Gustavo was raised in the central coast of California with a large focus on traditional agriculture. Seeking a more temperate climate, Gustavo relocated to Grays Harbor County in 2017 and began his forestry studies at Grays Harbor College. He completed his Associates Degree in Natural Resources in the summer of 2020 while also working part-time in a forest managed by the Grays Harbor College Forestry program. Gustavo is currently pursuing a Bachelors in Forest Resource Management and will graduate in 2022. His favorite thing to do in the forest is volunteer with his school Society of American Foresters Chapter and the Grays Harbor Stream Team.
NNRG BOARD OF DIRECTORS
President — Christine Johnson, FSC certified landowner, Portola Valley, CA
Vice President — John Harrison, GreenSlate Sustainability, Amsterdam, Netherlands
Secretary — Sophia Amberson, Van Ness Feldman LLP, Seattle, WA
Treasurer, Ben Hayes, Springboard Forestry, FSC certified forest owner of Hyla Woods, Portland, OR
Past President — Marco Lowenstein, North American Wood Products, Corales, NM
Grace Wang, College of the Environment, Western Washington University, Bellingham, WA
Sue Long, REI, Seattle, WA
Chris Larson, Alder Point Capital, Petaluma, CA
NNRG ADVISORY BOARD
Matt Freeman-Gleason, MFG Photography, Seattle, WA
Ian Hanna, Altruist Partners, Port Townsend, WA
Becky Kelley, Washington Environmental Council, Seattle, WA
Norman MacLeod, Gaelic Wolf Consulting, Port Townsend, WA
Maureen Mitchell, Fox Rothschild LLP, Seattle, WA
Michael Rylko, Environmental Protection Agency Region 10, Seattle, WA
Solveig Whittle, Social Media Instructor, Univeristy of Washington, and blogger/musician, Woodinville, WA
Michele Zukerberg, Washington Department of Natural Resources, Olympia, WA
contact us
SEATTLE MAIN OFFICE
2701 1st Ave, Suite 240
Seattle, WA 98121
ph: 206-971-3709