Staff

Joe Moll – Executive Director

Joe came to the Trust in January 2005 after working mostly with grizzly bears and landowners in Montana and Hokkaido, northern Japan. Outside of his work with Trust, he likes to spend as much time as he can running trails and exploring new places outdoors with his wife and three boys.

Jodi Lemmer – Land Steward

Jodi has a B.S. in Environmental Science, Fisheries and Wildlife from Oregon State University. She worked previously for the Umpqua Soil and Water Conservation District as the Watershed Technical Specialist, implementing the USDA, NRCS Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program. She also worked for the East Lane Soil and Water Conservation District. She is a certified Oregon Conservation Planner.

Ryan Ruggiero – Land Protection Manager

Ryan joined the Trust in June 2008 and manages the Trust’s land acquisition program. Born and raised in Connecticut, he is trained as a landscape architect and has a passion for ecology and natural history. Ryan is a graduate of the University of Oregon, where he is an adjunct professor, and College of the Atlantic in Maine. In his free time, Ryan likes to ski, canoe, and experience the natural world with his wife, two children and dog.

Chris Vogel – Green Island Project Manager

Chris joined the Trust in June 2008 after working in the Rogue Basin for six years on both public and private lands focusing on fisheries and riparian enhancement projects. He has a B.S. in Wildlife and Fisheries Biology from Colorado State University. Aside from his addiction to casting flies for steelhead and trout in rivers, Chris enjoys exploring new cultures and landscapes with his wife and two young sons.

Brandi Ferguson – Development Manager

Brandi joined the Trust in April of 2009 and is responsible for managing fundraising, the Trust’s annual event and marketing. Previously she worked for 7 years as the Community Research Manager for an air service development consulting group and prior for the airline industry. Years ago, Brandi adopted a city park in her neighborhood and initiated a monthly volunteer group working to restore the native habitat in the natural area of the park. Brandi is a native Oregonian, growing up in the McKenzie watershed, and when she isn’t playing soccer mom, she enjoys kayaking, oil painting, yoga, photography, cycling – taking every opportunity to get outdoors to explore the natural world around us.

Liz Lawrence – Operations Manager

Liz has worked for the McKenzie River Trust since January 2010, starting as the Living River project intern and transitioning to Operations Manager a few months later. She holds a Graduate Certificate in Nonprofit Management from the University of Oregon and a B.A. in Studio Art from St. Mary’s College of Maryland. When not at work she volunteers on the Board of MECCA: The Materials Exchange Center for Community Arts, leading the Fundraising Committee. She is a backyard chicken-owner and bike commuter who enjoys a daily 10 mile round trip along the Willamette River.

Nicole Nielsen-Pincus – Willamette Field Representative

Nicole joined the Trust in August of 2010. She has broad experience as a biologist focusing on avian ecology and threatened and endangered species, and as a conservation educator. She has a B.S. in Environmental Science from the University of New Hampshire and a M.S. in Wildlife Resources from the University of Idaho. She spends her free time scheming ways to continue to run, garden, ski, hike and camp with three young kids in tow!

Stephanie Detwiler – Controller

In July 2011, MRT welcomed Stephanie in the newly created position of Controller. She administers the daily financial functions of the Trust and helps guide the organization’s long term financial health. Stephanie comes to us with more than twenty years experience in non-profit management accounting. She has served as the Director of Administration and Finance for Forest Service Employees for Environmental Ethics since 1998. When not at work she enjoys gardening, music and volunteering.