Staff
Kerri Cechovic, Campaign Director
Joan Crooks, Executive Director
David Gorton, Membership & Grants Manager
Nicole Keenan, Organizer
Becky Kelley, Campaign Director
Kathy Malley, Development Director
Mo McBroom, Policy Director
Tiffany McGuyer, Administrative Director
Kerry McHugh, Communications Director
Shannon Murphy, Voter Education Program Manager
Rashad Morris, Climate & Clean Energy Advocate
Brent Parrish, Major Donor & Planned Giving Manager
Lisa Remlinger, Environmental Priorities Coalition Outreach Director
Clifford Traisman, State Lobbyist
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KERRI CECHOVIC, Campaign Director
Kerri first joined the WEC team in 2006 as an organizer working to help defeat the irresponsible development initiative - Initiative 933. Since then, she’s worked to develop and implement organizing and coalition building strategies on WEC’s climate, local farms-healthy kids, and clean water campaigns. Currently, Kerri directs WEC's Clean Water & Green Infrastructure Agenda to protect clean water, advance green infrastructure, and increase transportation alternatives. Kerri received her bachelor's degree in Political Science from the University of Montana in 2002. When she’s not working, she enjoys frequenting the Columbia City farmers' market, cooking, and exploring Washington’s gorgeous mountains with her husband.
email: kerri at wecprotects.org
JOAN CROOKS, Executive Director
A long-time leader in Washington’s environmental community, Joan started working at WEC in 1992 and has served as Executive Director since 1995. Joan was instrumental in developing the now nationally-recognized Environmental Priorities Coalition, the successful collaborative of over 20 groups that works together for strong state environmental protections. Joan is often sought out for her insight and judgment on environmental issues by state policy makers, other advocacy groups, and foundations. Her guidance and vision have helped WEC combine its 40 years of experience with innovative strategies resulting in strong environmental protections for Washington state. Prior to joining WEC, Joan served as Administrative Director of Earth Share of Washington. Joan has a bachelor's degree in chemistry from Middlebury College, as well as a master's degree in public administration from the University of Washington Evans School of Public Affairs. She has served on numerous boards including Sierra Club Seattle Inner City Outings, the Washington Wildlife and Recreation Coalition, the State Environmental Leadership Program, and two terms as Board President for ONE/Northwest (now Groundwire). In addition to working for environmental protection, Joan also enjoys spending lots of time outside, especially hiking with her husband Don or racing her kids down the slopes.
email: joan at wecprotects.org
DAVID GORTON, Membership & Grants Manager
David handles WEC's membership program and other fundraising duties. Prior to joining the WEC team, David worked in fundraising at Earthjustice and at advertising agencies in San Francisco and Michigan. He has a bachelor's degree in History from Eastern Michigan University. David tries to spend as much time as possible outside. He is rather fond of telemark skiing, riding his bicycle, growing very local foods (aka gardening), and backpacking with his wife Susan.
email: david at wecprotects.org
NICOLE KEENAN, Organizer
Nicole is responsible for the field components and coalition building strategies for WEC’s campaigns. She works for both WEC and our partner organization, Washington Conservation Voters. Nicole is committed to environmental justice and is excited to work with an amazing team to protect Washington’s environment for everyone. Prior to joining WEC, Nicole was the Outreach Manager at the Washington Bus where she built the volunteer committee structure and coordinated Candidate Survivor. Nicole has her MSW from the University of Washington and her BA in public policy from the College of William & Mary. She hails from the east coast where she worked for Green America in Washington, DC. She moved to Seattle not only because it is lovely, but also to edit documentaries and build a civil rights history curriculum for El Centro de la Raza. When not at work, Nicole can also be found playing video games, taking naps and practicing piano.
email: nicole at wecprotects.org
BECKY KELLEY, Campaign Director
Becky joined WEC in 1994 and has led successful campaigns on sustainable forestry and helping to defeat the irresponsible development initiative—Initiative 933. Working closely with architects, developers, and educators, she led WEC's 2005 campaign to pass Washington's first-in-the-nation law requiring public buildings to meet green building standards. Currently, Becky directs WEC’s Climate and Clean Energy Agenda to pass strong policies to reduce climate pollution and transition to clean energy, as well as staffing our ongoing sustainable forestry work. She feels lucky to have a job where she can help bring people together to create solutions to complex problems, even though it involves an unnatural number of meetings. She has a bachelor's degree in International Studies from the University of Oregon, and prior to joining WEC, taught English in rural Japan. Becky lives in Seattle with her husband and daughter and enjoys gardening, singing, eating her husband’s excellent cooking, and playing outside.
email: becky at wecprotects.org
KATHY MALLEY, Development Director
Kathy leads the overall fundraising and development activities for both Washington Environmental Council and Washington Conservation Voters, and works with Joan Crooks and Brendon Cechovic on strategic organizational development issues. Kathy has over 20 years of fundraising experience, nearly all of it in the environmental sector. She was lured back to WEC/WCV after a six year absence, during which time she worked as the Development Director for Resource Media, a nonprofit communications firm that specializes in environmental policy debates. During her tenure there she helped to nearly triple the organization’s budget, and as a member of the organization’s management team, established the structure and systems that successfully guided Resource Media through this period of rapid growth. From 1995 to 2005, Kathy was WEC’s Development Director, creating the organization’s overall fundraising framework. Kathy is a graduate of Colorado State University and also has a certificate in Non-profit Management and Fundraising from the University of Washington. She and her husband are slowly remodeling an old home and restoring its gardens. When not pondering which native plants grow best in dry shade or how to repair a stone wall, they spend time riding their bikes and hiking.
MO MCBROOM, Policy Director
Mo oversees WEC's policy positions and campaign strategies, as well as works to craft and shape specific issues. She has a broad range of environmental interests and experience, including significant expertise in pollution and land use issues. Prior to joining the WEC staff in 2005, Mo was the Policy Advocate and Staff Attorney for WashPIRG. Her advocacy experience also includes directing MoveOn PAC's North Carolina operation in the 2004 election. Before joining the non-profit community, Mo worked as an associate attorney with the law firm of Perkins Coie. She received her bachelor's degree from Wesleyan University and her law degree from the University of Chicago.
email: mo at wecprotects.org
TIFFANY MCGUYER, Administrative Director
Tiffany has joined our staff as the joint administrative director for Washington Environmental Council and Washington Conservation Voters. After graduating with a degree in Psychology from the University of Washington, Tiffany traveled along the east coast working with college students on public interest campaigns with MassPIRG. However, the various terrains in Washington brought her back and she has since taken advantage of the Puget Sound by volunteering with the Seattle Aquarium as a beach naturalist and working on election reform issues. In her free time, Tiffany has been working out what to do with 130 pounds of picked plums and is open to suggestions.
KERRY MCHUGH, Communications Director
Kerry directs WEC’s communications work: conducting media outreach, writing and editing for external and internal publications, and working on WEC's strategic campaigns and agendas. A native Northwesterner, she worked as a congressional staffer in Washington, DC. Prior to joining WEC in 2007, Kerry spent a year teaching English to high school and university students in Hue, Vietnam. She has a bachelor’s degree in International Studies from Johns Hopkins University. She enjoys reading, taking various international dance classes, and is an enthusiastic fair-weather hiker. Having exhausted herself investigating Seattle’s pho options, she is now on a quest to find the best bakery in Washington.
email: kerry at wecprotects.org
SHANNON MURPHY, Voter Education Program Manager
Shannon manages WEC’s nonpartisan Voter Education Program which specializes in voter engagement and capacity building for Washington’s environmental community. She loves this work because she believes an involved, educated electorate is the key to lasting environmental protection. Shannon is also the Program Manager for our partner organization Washington Conservation Voters, where she develops and implements outreach strategies for WCV’s electoral and legislative work. Prior to joining Washington Conservation Voters in 2008, Shannon was the Pierce and South King Field Director for the 2007 Sound Transit campaign. She also worked on state Representative Troy Kelley’s successful legislative race in 2006. Shannon has a bachelor’s degree in Communications and minors in Public Affairs and Spanish from Pacific Lutheran University in Tacoma. A native Northwesterner, Shannon loves to hike, play tennis, practice yoga, and explore every restaurant in her Seattle neighborhood.
email: shannon at wecprotects.org
RASHAD MORRIS, Climate & Clean Energy Advocate
Rashad will be leading the charge on WEC’s ambitious Climate & Clean Energy agenda. Prior to joining WEC, he spent two years advising legislators on policy issues and drafting legislation for the Washington State Senate. He also has experience in commercial litigation, business consulting, and has volunteered for numerous political campaigns and legal advocacy initiatives. Although he has fond memories of the many months he spent living in Beijing China and Bonn Germany, he now very much enjoys the time he spends with his family exploring both the obvious and hidden wonders of the Puget Sound. Rashad has a B.B.A in international business & marketing from Loyola Marymount University and a law degree from U.C. Berkeley.
email: rashad at wecprotects.org
BRENT PARRISH, Major Donor & Planned Giving Manager
Brent joined the Development team in 2012 as our Major Donor and Planned Giving Manager. Prior to joining WEC Brent spent over 5 years raising money for political candidates all over the country. After getting married and wanting to settle down, he switched fundraising gears to cultivate and secure major gifts at George Washington University in Washington D.C. Brent and his wife moved to Seattle so she could study Naturopathic Medicine at Bastyr University. They are having fun exploring everything our beautiful state has to offer.
email: brent at wecprotects.org
LISA REMLINGER, Environmental Priorities Coalition Outreach Director
Lisa joins us after many years of experience in the environmental community and non-profit world. Before coming to WEC, she was the Senior Project Manager at NatureBridge working on the Elwha dam removal project in Olympia National Park. She also worked as the Chapter and Government Relations Manager for Audubon Washington, the Statewide Advocacy Coordinator for the Arc of Washington and as staff to a Thurston County Commissioner. Lisa was familiar with WCV having chaired the local chapter of Thurston Conservation Voters for two years. Living the urban life in downtown Seattle, Lisa spends her free time running, hiking, skiing, and eating yummy foods in the market.
email: lisa at wecprotects.org
CLIFFORD TRAISMAN, State Lobbyist
Clifford has been the state lobbyist for both Washington Environmental Council and Washington Conservation Voters since November 2002, responsible for the lobbying programs for both of these statewide environmental organizations. Clifford has over 25 years of public and private sector government relations experience both in Washington State and Washington, D.C. During his 11-year tenure in D.C., Clifford held positions as a political consultant; a staff member and congressional investigator for the House Energy and Commerce Committee; and as a federal lobbyist in the private sector. Since arriving in Seattle, Washington in 1995, Clifford has held senior level local government posts as a legislative assistant for Seattle City Councilmember Martha Choe and as the City of Seattle's Director of Intergovernmental Relations under Mayor Paul Schell. Clifford is a graduate of the University of Kansas and lives in Seattle with his wife, four children, and two dogs.
email: clifford at ctassociates.org
