Brought to Eugene in 2013 for graduate studies, Mariah cannot imagine living anywhere but the “northwest.” From her Washington farm roots to Alaska for undergraduate studies, and now nearly a decade in Oregon, she loves the trees, rivers, and mountains that make this region so beautiful. As a Volunteer, Events, and Restoration Coordinator at a nonprofit environmental education center in Vancouver, Mariah first encountered the great work land trusts do to conserve and protect natural areas and is proud to contribute to MRT’s efforts today. Mariah holds a Bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of Alaska Fairbanks and Master’s degrees in conflict resolution, public administration, and nonprofit management from the University of Oregon. Mariah is a public policy facilitator with a focus on group process design and multi-stakeholder collaboration, she currently is working on affordable housing and homelessness policies at the state level with Oregon Housing and Community Services. When not working, Mariah enjoys helping her family on their dairy goat farm, going on ebike adventures in Eugene, and exploring the great northwest with her partner Jeremy and terrier Jaegermeister.