TRAVIS WILLIAMS | HE/HIM | RIVERKEEPER & EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Travis grew up in Milwaukie, OR and has led Willamette Riverkeeper since June of 2000. He loves working to protect and restore the river he has swam and paddled on since he was a kid. He has worked on a wide range of river issues, from enforcing the Clean Water Act and leading efforts to Clean up the Portland Harbor Superfund site, to decreasing the impact of the US Army Corps Dams along the Willamette's tributaries and reducing toxics.
He is also a major proponent of river experience, helping people of all backgrounds to see and explore the Willamette up close, providing free canoe and kayak trips to literally thousands of people. He formed the first Paddle Oregon trip with a few key folks, led the effort to establish the Willamette Water Trail, and started the Great Willamette Cleanup. He also helped to engage WR in floodplain restoration projects with OPRD, and led the acquisition of Norwood Island, the Nicol Sanctuary, Osprey Landing, the Pearlshell Reserve, and the tip of Ash Island as WR properties - most also being Willamette Water Trail sites.
He was given the Columbia River Hero Award in 2009 for his work to curb toxic pollution and was honored with the Helping Hands Award from the Spirit Mountain Community Fund in 2019.
As a Type 1 diabetic since the age of 6, Travis is a proponent of getting people outside due to the many health benefits being outdoors provides.
Williams is the author of the Willamette River Field Guide (Timber Press, 2009), as well as the new Willamette Water Trail Guide (WR, June 2023). He also authored Willamette River Greenways, published by OSU press in April of 2022. He holds a BA from Portland State University in International Studies, and an M.S. in Environmental Science from Johns Hopkins University. Travis is also a member of the Board of Directors.
He, along with his wife, kids, dogs, cats, and lizard call the mid-Willamette Valley home. Travis also serves on the Board of the Minnesota Canoe Museum.
Bob Sallinger | He/Him | Urban Conservation Director
Bob serves as our Urban Conservation Director, working on a wide range of issues in cities up and down the Willamette Valley. After spending 30 years at the Audubon Society of Portland, he joined WR in early 2023 to continue on many of the issues he worked on previously. From green infrastructure and combating floodplain development, to working to create more Greenspaces in our urban areas and educating people about the natural world.
He is also engaging in urban greenway issues in Eugene, Springfield, Corvallis, Albany, Keizer, Salem and Portland, as well as continuing with work on the Portalnd Harbor Superfund site. He is also a renowned expert on the Peregrine Falcon, and will lead trips to highlight this amazing species.
Bob has been a tireless advocate for the natural world during his career, and now he adds his experience and expertise to WR’s work up and down the Willamette River. In his downtime, Bob enjoys spending time with his wife and kids out in the natural world.
Michelle Emmons | she/her | Upper watershed program manager
Michelle hails 44 years as a resident of the Willamette Valley basin. She graduated from the University of Oregon with a degree in communications, and has spent the greater part of her career developing outdoor industry non-profit partnerships, national marketing campaigns, and coordinating field opportunities for people to connect to nature through outdoor recreation and stewardship experiences.
Michelle joined Willamette Riverkeeper in the 2000s as a partner in developing the first Great Willamette Cleanup, and has continued to support our work through the years, joining WR as an employee in 2011. Michelle is based in our Eugene office, and leads community engagement and adovcacy efforts in the upper Willamette basin, including our River Guardians Program in Eugene-Springfield and Corvallis. Michelle assists in WR’s communications and events coordination, and local river advocacy and legislative issues. Michelle also directs the annual Willamette River Festival in Eugene.
Michelle is a co-founder of the Oakridge Trails Alliance, and serves as a volunteer advocate for public lands protection and recreational access in the Willamette headwaters. She is also a board member of Cascadia Wave, serves on the Oregon State Parks Recreational Trails Committee, and guides paddling trips for the City of Eugene Recreation program. In 2019, Michelle received the National Recreation and Parks Association Volunteer Service Award for volunteer program partnership with the City of Eugene, and the US Forest Service recognized her with the 2020 Trails Stewardship Award for her collaboration and leadership in coordinating volunteer efforts with several organizations across the Willamette watershed.
Kyla Basher | She/Her | Outreach coordinator
Kyla has always held an affinity for inspiring curiosity and how natural spaces lend themselves to innate learning and feels lucky to have called the Willamette Valley home for the past eight years. Before arriving in Oregon Kyla spent her years in the Northeast from summer camps in Connecticut to Tall Ships in Long Island Sound to caves and climbing in Upstate New York. Another decade in North Carolina led her to becoming a paddle guide and marine science educator along the intercoastal waterways, barrier islands, and black rivers while continuing to chase rock walls, climb pinnacles and gorges, coach youth and spearhead community competitions.
After a decade of balanced experiences in Outdoor and Experiential Education, and Adventure Leadership with all age groups she co-founded Fern & Feather Forest School- an outdoor immersion preschool in Philomath, Oregon.
Kyla is driven to illuminate others’ natural curiosities in themselves and the world around them. She has served as the Program Manager for Cascadia Expeditions in Corvallis as well as the Outdoor Store Manager and Buyer at Peak Sports in downtown Corvallis. You can find her either trail running in the surrounding woods or paddleboarding the beaches and rivers with her dog Oona, her son Cash and her partner Josh.
She will never stop collecting Agates....
Vanessa Youngblood | SHE/HER | restoration Manager
Oregon has been home for Vanessa for the past 20 years and the Willamette River has always held a huge place in her heart. Vanessa lives and breathes the Willamette; whether its paddling, rockhounding, exploring its tributaries, or identifying all the plants that exist in the riparian corridors.
She has followed her passions and received a Bachelor’s in Natural Resources with a focus on Plant Ecology and a minor in Botany at Oregon State University. Vanessa has worn a multitude of hats professionally including hands-on forest fieldwork and recreation management at the McDonald & Dunn Forest, outdoor education, leading volunteer groups with invasive species pulls and native planting, wastewater treatment for the City of Harrisburg, human resources and management in multiple businesses, as well as a wealth of customer service experience.
She has an immense passion and appreciation for our native plants and understands how integral they are within our ecosystems. She recognizes that native plants are the bones of riparian restoration and watershed management and are crucial for things like food and shelter for our beavers or habitat for our salmon. Her goal is to help restore our watersheds and educate people that the Willamette River is more than just water running through, it is the vegetation, the wildlife, the urbanization, and complex communities that provide us all sustenance and life.
Annette Pearson | SHE/HER | River Recreation & Stewardship Coordinator
Annette comes to Willamette Riverkeeper with many years of paddling and guiding experience - from sea kayaking expeditions in SE Alaska to many other kayak and canoe trips throughout the west. Annette’s role will have her supporting on-water events, as well as assisting in the stewardship of Willamette Riverkeeper's properties and Water Trail sites. She is excited to share her passion for getting folks out on the water.
Lindsey Hutchison | SHE/HER | Staff Attorney
Lindsey has worked in water conservation since graduating from Smith College in 2015. After college she worked in anadromous fish habitat restoration, volunteer coordination, and environmental education before going to law school. While attending the University of Oregon School of Law, Lindsey worked with the Environmental Law Foundation, Western Environmental Law Center, and Advocates for the West. She graduated from law school in 2021 and obtained certificates in Environmental & Natural Resources Law and Ocean & Coastal Law. Before joining Willamette Riverkeeper, Lindsey worked in water policy in Utah.
Lindsey grew up in Santa Cruz, California, where she spent her time on the beach, in the woods, and along the San Lorenzo River. She spent many of her vacations in Glide, Oregon, where she first fell in love with Oregon rivers. Lindsey is passionate about conserving and restoring waterways and is excited to continue this important work with Willamette Riverkeeper.
