Lois Ruskell

“I’m thankful for past generations’ efforts towards stewardship, but I know there is still more to do.”

— Lois Ruskell

Lois has been with the District since 1989, she originally started out as a dairy technician and planner but is now our Public Relations Coordinator. Lois is a wealth of knowledge and experience when it comes to outreach in Snohomish County. She was managing editor and steward of the Nexus for 25 years and more than 100 issues, receiving national recognition for her efforts. Before joining the District she co-managed a 200-acre dairy farm with 400 additional acres of crops in Minnesota. Lois has also worked with the Extension Service in two states, managed a 5 million dollar watershed project in the prairie pothole area of the Midwest, and was an Ag Fellow at the University of Minnesota. The District would not be where it is today without her influence and drive to push us forward. We are grateful for her lifelong commitment to protecting and conserving our natural resources. 

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Nomination Highlight Video

Pat Stevenson

“We have choices we can make now to lessen the effects of climate change and population growth. We don’t need to endlessly study and plan, we need to take action.”

— Pat Stevenson

Pat has been a biologist for the Stillaguamish Tribe of Indians since 1988. Pat was one of the primary architects of the 2005 Stillaguamish Chinook Recovery Plan, which guides all Chinook restoration work in the watershed today and he had a direct hand in securing more than $20 Million for salmon recovery work in the Stillaguamish Watershed. Pat’s accomplishments include: initiating the  Stillaguamish Festival of the River, which celebrates its 30 year anniversary in 2019, and implementing dozens of engineered log jams in local rivers and studying their performance over time to ensure their efficacy and use by fish. Pat’s drive for environmental education and science, and his passion for on-the-ground impacts influence his actions and many of those around him and encourages us to think bigger, do better, and base policy decisions on reality by going outside and seeing the problem on the ground.

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Nomination Highlight Video

Scott Chase

“Scott’s dedication to protecting and conserving the region’s natural resources, in part by continually bringing together organizations with similar objectives and hordes of dedicated volunteers, is what makes his partnership over the years so inspiring.”

— Lois Ruskell, SCD Public Relations Coordinator

Scott is one of SCD’s most steadfast partners on Camano Island. Scott served as the Washington State University (WSU) Island County Shore Stewards Coordinator for many years and is an active volunteer for Sound Water Stewards and WSU Waste Wise. His commitment to protecting and conserving the health of shorelines and water resources, in part by continually bringing together organizations with similar objectives and hordes of dedicated volunteers, is what makes his partnership over the years so inspiring. It seems that Scott knows every environmental group on Camano Island and Snohomish County. Scott believes that we can accomplish more when we share our strengths, ideas, and energy. Scott retired from his position with WSU in November 2017, but vows to remain an avid and committed volunteer. We are grateful for his dedication. 

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Nomination Highlight Video

Terry Williams

“Terry has worked tirelessly to establish collaborative forums to tackle some of the tough issues surrounding salmon recovery and the restoration of Puget Sound.”

— Monte Marti, SCD Manager

Terry is, and has been an important leader in the tribal and salmon recovery communities throughout the Pacific Northwest since the 1980’s. Previously as the Tribal Liaison to the Environmental Protection Agency, and currently as Commissioner of Fisheries and Natural Resources, Terry often speaks to groups about tribal treaty rights and the importance of working together with private landowners. He has dedicated his lifetime working tirelessly to establish collaborative forums to tackle some of the toughest issues surrounding salmon recovery and the restoration of Puget Sound. He has lead efforts to establish a number of important groups that foster and implement his collaborative spirit including: the Northwest Straits Commission, Marine Resource Committees, Qualco Energy, Snohomish Salmon Recovery Forum, Snohomish Sustainable Lands Strategy and the Puget Sound Partnership Local Integration Organizations.

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Nomination Highlight Video

Event Photos of Terry

Monte Marti

“Every generation has a few individuals who embody a spirit of selflessness and who pour their whole being to making their community a better place to live. Monte is one of those few individuals and Snohomish County is blessed to have him tirelessly working for us.”

— Tristan Klesick, Klesick Farms

Monte has been affiliated with and a driver for Snohomish Conservation District for close to four decades. He is our greatest champion and an avid conservationist who is passionate about Washington State’s natural resources, and particularly our farming heritage.

Monte has been SCD's District Manager since 2010. Before becoming the manager, he served for 25 years as a volunteer Board Supervisor at the District, a volunteer for the Washington Association of Conservation Districts for 16 years and on the WACD Plant Material Center Advisory Board. Before joining the District Board in 1985, Monte was a technician with the District in the early 80’s, just as the Centennial Clean Water funds were coming into place to help fund water quality incentives and technical service to farmers.  Monte brings 25 years of business management experience at Verizon Communications. He has a Master’s Degree in Agriculture Economics (Natural Resources emphasis) from Washington State University and was raised on a crop and dairy farm in the Columbia Basin in Eastern Washington.

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Nomination Highlight Video

Event Photos of Monte

Barbara Brock

“Keeping water in our rivers and caring for our lakes.”

— Barbara Brock's better ground reason

Barbara has valued the outdoors since she was a child. Kayaking introduced her to the shoreline and river processes, and the efforts to protect them, which led her to ever-increasing involvement in watershed management and salmon recovery. On Camano Island, she has served on the Island County Water Resources Advisory Committee (WRAC) since it formed in 1999 and serves on the Salmon Technical Advisory Group. She was and continues to be instrumental in monitoring and protecting Kristoferson Creek, one of the few salmon-bearing streams on Camano Island.  

In addition, she is an active Beach Watcher and member of Friends of Camano Island Parks, and not only educates the community as a naturalist but participates in trail maintenance and noxious weed removal on a regular basis. Barbara gives to the community in ways too numerous to mention in a short biography.  Suffice it to say that her contributions are felt by those all around the region, and we think she is remarkable.

Suzi Wong-Swint

“To empower the next generation of stewards.”

— Suzi Wong-Swint's better ground reason

Protecting Snohomish County and Camano Island’s natural resources is Suzi’s passion. She has decades of service as a volunteer board member for various local non-profit organizations to protect and restore salmon habitat and improve our community’s quality of life.   Most notably, her service with the Cama Beach Foundation (current), Stilly Snohomish Fisheries Enhancement Task Force (Sound Salmon Solutions), and Puget Sound Partnership has been vital to the many successful projects these organizations have contributed to our region.

Suzi created Snohomish County’s watershed education program 20 years ago and has managed it since its inception. This educaton program is now the largest local government education program in western Washington. She is highly effective at developing innovative and creative parttnerships, and thinks outside-the-box to overcome challenges and achieve meaningful results.