All members of the Long Tom Watershed Council—that is any adult who supports the purpose and mission of the Council and is connected to the watershed community—may sign in at the October 22nd Annual Meeting and Celebration and vote to elect our slate of volunteer board members and approve any bylaws updates.
Board Elections
Each year, the Council recruits and recommends a slate of Board of Directors candidates for election at the Annual Meeting & Celebration that balances the diversity of perspectives and geographic and land use representation in the watershed. Below is the 2018 slate of board candidates and their bios. Candidate bios will also be provided on the day of the event within the programs. The full list of board member bios is also available on our website here. Feel free to contact Clinton for questions or more information (541-654-8965).
Jabrila Via, Upper Long Tom
Retired Farmer at Winter Green Farms | Current Farm & Food Educator at Winter Green
Jabrila is the former owner of the farming operations at Winter Green Farm, a 171-acre organic farm in the Upper Long Tom sub-basin near Noti. While she sold the farm business, she still owns the property, lives there, and continues to conduct food and farm education activities there. She enjoys connecting the community to its local food and is interested in food justice and security issues. Jabrila shares: “I am interested in working with the community. We all come from different walks of life, and I want to be learning and sharing together to help keep the Long Tom Watershed healthy, to educate, and include the public in taking care of our environment.”
Jabrila was elected to the board for a one-year term in 2017 and is standing for re-election for a term of one more year.
Lindsay Reaves, Upper Long Tom
Lindsay is a fourth-generation Oregonian and has lived in Eugene since 1981. She received her B.S. in health education from the University of Oregon and a master’s in social work from Portland State University. Lindsay moved to a 672-acre tree farm seven years ago with her husband, Tom Bauman, and works with him to manage the land as a sustainable forest tree farm. She volunteers with Forests Today and Forever, and for the past eight years, over 4,000 middle school students have visited the Bauman Tree Farm to learn about forestry management, riparian needs, wildlife considerations, and recreation opportunities. Native plants and local butterflies are a special interest.
Lindsay filled a mid-year vacancy on the board and is standing for a four-year term.
Dr. Patricia McDowell, At Large
Dr. Patricia McDowell of the University of Oregon Geography department focuses primarily on river systems and recently oversaw the work of a graduate student (Christina Appleby) to map historic side-channels of the Long Tom using LIDAR and other remote sensing techniques. She has been a long-term supporter of the council as a donor, and has served on our technical team for many years as well. She brings an extensive knowledge of rivers, river systems and the agency and regulatory framework within which rivers are managed and funded. She has done extensive work in the greater John Day watershed monitoring river system change with various restoration interventions. She has been teaching about watershed councils and their work since their inception in the late 90’s, and is emphatic that LTWC is the best in the state!
Pat filled a mid-year vacancy on the board, and she is standing for election for a full four-year term.
Darian Lightfoot, At Large
University of Oregon Planning, Public Policy, and Management Graduate Student | Inclusion Coordinator at Northwest Youth Corps
Darian Lightfoot was raised in the good ol’ corn belt of Fort Madison, Iowa. She moved to Eugene from D.C. where she was an American Sign Language interpreter. She attended college at William Woods University in Fulton, Missouri and is currently working at Northwest Youth Corps as the Inclusion Coordinator and really loves her job! She is also attending the University of Oregon working towards her master’s degree in public administration and non-profit management. For fun, she likes to camp and hike – all the classic outdoor Pacific Northwest lifestyle things. She also loves watching great independent films, dreaming about being on a roller derby team, and Face-Timing with her outstanding nieces.
In 2017, Darian was elected to a term of one year, and is standing for re-election for a four-year term.
Alec Hrynyshyn, At Large
Alec is a retired geologist who has lived in Oregon since 2015. He earned his BS in Geology from the University of Wyoming (go Pokes!) and MS in Secondary Science Education from Utah State University (go Aggies!). Professionally, Alec worked in the petroleum industry for a number of years before finishing his career teaching geology with students at almost every level.
Alec and his wife, Donna, live on a small ranch along beautiful Owens Creek in the hills west of Junction City. They are loving the culture, climate, and natural beauty of Oregon, and exploring the area as much as possible. His relationship with LTWC goes back to a rehabilitation project on his land bordering Owens Creek, and has an interest in watershed protection and wildlife restoration, and is eagerly anticipating the return of the trout and beavers!
In addition to discovering Oregon and puttering around on his property, Alec enjoys reading, watching old movies, and is a fan of college football, soccer, and NASCAR. He is also currently sitting on the Board of the Upper Willamette Soil and Water Conservation District.
Al stepped in to fill a mid-year vacancy on the board and is standing for election for a four-year term.
A Special Thank You to outgoing board member Steve Horning. Steve, a fourth-generation farmer and co-owner of Deerhaven Farms, has served on the LTWC board as a representative of the Lower Long Tom geography since 2013. We want to thank Steve for his years of service and dedication to the LTWC Board!