Board & Advisory Council
Board of Directors
National Park Service (retired)
Marblemount,Washington
Gerry served on the Institute’s board from 2007 to 2023 before taking a year off and rejoining in 2025. He grew up in the rural foothills of the North Cascades and quickly fell in love with the high country. After getting his bachelor's degree in Fine Arts from WSU, Gerry returned to Marblemount for summer work in the North Cascades, first with the US Forest Service, and later with the National Park Service as a Fire Lookout. He developed skills in construction and design, and helped to establish many of the architectural themes used in shelters, boardwalks, and installations across North Cascades National Park. He also spent many years captaining the Ross Mule transporting gear and program participants along Ross Lake. Gerry is very passionate about cultivating an Institute culture of belonging and serves on the board's Welcoming & Accessibility Committee. Now retired after 44 years of public service in the North Cascades, Gerry lives in a house he built in Marblemount as a young gallery owner and potter.
Engineering Partner, Hiltner Combustion Systems LLC (retired)
Bellingham,Washington
Mike grew up in the Midwest with limited exposure to wilderness and public lands. He started his engineering career at Ford Motor Company in Michigan where he and his wife Shannon were first exposed to outdoor pursuits like backpacking, climbing, camping and mountain biking with many summer trips “Up North”. Many vacations were spent traveling to mountains and the western United States where National Parks and public lands abound. Fast forward to 2007 and the opportunity to relocate to a small college town on the west coast of Washington arose and Mike and his wife jumped at the opportunity. A new addition in the form of their daughter arrived soon after, and as she grew up, the family dove into all the outdoor pursuits the PNW has to offer. This journey and the large part the outdoors and wilderness has played in their lives is the reason Mike and his family enthusiastically support youth environmental exposure and education. Mike holds a Bachelor and Master Degree in Mechanical Engineering from the Ohio State University as well as an MBA from the University of Michigan Ross School of Business.
Facilitator, Founder of Original Mind Residency
Seattle, Washington
Yingzhao (Ying) Liu is grateful everyday to be growing roots in the Pacific Northwest. She is an integral facilitator, a mother to a 6-year-old, and a painter and printmaker. She also founded Original Mind creative residency in the Cascade foothills, lectured at Stanford University on Designing for Well-being, and was previously design director for international markets at LinkedIn. She began her fascination with group magic with Where There Be Dragons, forming and leading their experiential programs for American students in southwest China. Ying is native to mainland China and came to the U.S. at age 18–at home in liminal spaces and eventually found her tribe of global citizens, artists, and quiet revolutionaries who are transforming the world in countless ways of the fractal.
Coach and Consultant, Golden Eye Advisors
Seattle, Washington
Meredith fell in love with the North Cascades on a backpacking trip when she was a teenager. She grew up in Baltimore, but the mountains called her west. Meredith brings decades of experience as a nonprofit leader and environmental educator to her board service. She is the founding Executive Director of EarthGen, a nonprofit that serves youth and communities across Washington to become changemakers for a healthy environment. Today, Meredith coaches and consults with individuals and organizations to support their growth and performance. She holds certificates in leadership coaching and nonprofit executive leadership from Northwestern University and UW, respectively, an MS in Geology from UC Santa Cruz, and a BS in Environmental Science from Evergreen. Meredith lives in Seattle with her husband and two college-age children. She loves to hike, ski, and travel and do what she can to make the world a better place.
Carter McBride
Principal, The Three SSS's LLC
Woodinville, Washington
Carter McBride has over 30 years of banking, biopharmaceutical, and higher-education experience. He is a member of the Washington State Sierra Club's Executive Committee and past Wilderness Awareness School's Board of Trustees, Outdoor Afro's Board of Directors, and National Outdoor Leadership School's Advisory Council. Carter is also a graduate of WAS's Anake Outdoor School, NOLS' Instructor Course and a Boy Scouts of America Wood Badge Recipient. Carter’s immediate goal is to assist in the long-term sustainability of the Institute and act as a guide to further establish presence and position in moving the Institute forward while utilizing his professional background in marketing, multicultural inclusion and training that supports both the mission and strategic goals of the Institute. He graduated with a BS and MBA from the University of Central Oklahoma. Carter is an avid outdoors person, which includes primitive and traditional bushcraft skills while simultaneously embracing modern equipment and technology. Carter is grateful to live on both sides of the North Cascades in Twisp and Seattle, Washington.
Senior Advisor to 501 Commons' Service Corps (retired)
Seattle,Washington
Nan is a lifelong believer in the power of nature-based education. She previously served on the Institute’s board from 2008 to 2023 before rejoining in 2025. She grew up in the Midwest and moved to the Northwest in 1971. In her early career, Nan worked for the Peace Corps and for associations of local governments in the Pacific Northwest. Beginning in the 1980s, she provided critical leadership for three Washington governors as Chair of the Puget Sound Action Team and Executive Director of the Puget Sound Water Quality Authority. Nan developed and led the Environmental Sustainability Program for the Russell Family Foundation, managing 350 grants to 160 nonprofit organizations. She also worked as Service Corps Director for 501 Commons. She has served on and chaired a variety of public and nonprofit boards, commissions and task forces working on issues including environmental education, energy conservation, land use, mental health, international relations, libraries, jail standards, ethics, sustainability, coastal indicators, and management of estuaries. She lives with her partner Howard in Seattle, where she enjoys the arts, cooking and gardening.
Ecologist (retired)
Seattle, Washington
Colleen grew up in Pennsylvania, New Hampshire and California and was happiest exploring the woods and creeks with her five siblings wherever they lived. She received a BA in biology from the University of Colorado, a MS in ecology from Washington State University and a MBA from the University of Washington. She started her career as an ecologist at Battelle PNW Laboratory in Richland and fell in love with the stark beauty of the shrub-steppe landscape and the Columbia River. After moving to Seattle, Colleen worked for several consulting companies as a field ecologist and project manager. Ultimately she landed at Seattle City Light as the Director of Natural Resources and Hydro Licensing overseeing environmental permitting and compliance work on the Skagit River Hydroelectric Project. Now retired, Colleen is enjoying traveling, hiking, biking, reading and gardening.
Director, Cultural Resources PNW, ICF
Deming, Washington
Burr has worked in the Cultural Resources Management industry for over 20 years and now serves as the Director of Cultural Resources PNW for ICF, a global consulting and technology services company. He specializes in managing large and complex cultural resource inventory projects, with specific experience leading projects in the North Cascades. He holds an M.A. from University of Alaska Fairbanks focusing on cultural resources and environmental history. Burr has achieved national recognition for his business leadership and historic preservation advocacy work, where he has been past Vice President and is current chair of Government Relations Committee for the CRM industry’s national trade group, the American Cultural Resources Association (ACRA). Burr also stays active at the local-level and contributes time as a board and committee member of local organizations in Washington and Whatcom County where he offers his experience in nonprofit governance, organizational resiliency, land management issues, and grassroots advocacy initiatives. Burr lives in Deming, WA and has logged hundreds of miles hiking and backpacking in the North Cascades. His three kids (ages 15, 13, and 6) get all their good looks, smarts, and fine manners from his loving wife, Cindy, who helps spearhead all of the camping, rafting, and traveling family adventures.
National Director of Equity, Access and Belonging - Outward Bound USA
Bellingham, Washington
Elyse brings almost two decades of experience in strategic leadership, program development, and equity-centered outdoor education to her work in connecting people and place. With roots in the Midwest and a lifelong passion for the natural world, she has dedicated her career to advancing inclusive access to experiences with the natural world, transformative learning, and community impact through environmental stewardship. As an experienced nonprofit and strategy professional, Elyse has led initiatives that strengthen organizational capacity, deepen community partnerships, and integrate equity, access, and belonging into mission-driven programs. Her work spans roles in program design, cross-sector collaboration, and leadership development, with a focus on helping organizations translate vision into sustainable impact. Elyse is drawn to the North Cascades Institute’s mission because of its commitment to transformative learning in nature and fostering connection across diverse communities. She believes that equitable access to the outdoors not only enriches lives but also builds collective stewardship for the landscapes that sustain us. Outside of professional pursuits, Elyse can often be found chasing her young daughter around land or water trails where the rhythms of the mountains and forests continue to inspire her advocacy and service.
Western Washington University (retired)
Bellingham, Washington
George Sanders taught accounting and financial management in not-for-profit entities and other accounting classes at Western Washington University until June 2017. He received a BS in Zoology from LSU, an MBA from the University of New Orleans and a PhD in business administration with an accounting emphasis from the University of Alabama in 1989. George has published research dealing with governmental accounting, the audit market, and accounting regulation in a number of academic and professional journals. Before starting his academic career, he worked as a field biologist for BioOceanic Research, Inc., a company that provided biodiversity assessments and pollution data for the waters off the coast of Louisiana. George enjoys traveling, kayaking, hiking, skiing, scuba, photography and competing in dog agility trials.
Executive Director, Whatcom Community College Foundation
Bellingham, Washington
Prior to joining Whatcom Community College Foundation as their Executive Director, Brad served as the Vice President of Philanthropy at Whatcom Community Foundation, Executive Director of Skagit Valley College Foundation, Resource Development Director for North Cascades Institute, Development Director for Bellingham Technical College Foundation, and Director of Operations and Development at Whatcom Community College Foundation. Before joining the Institute's board in 2021, Brad completed 7 years of service as a board member for the Association of Fundraising Professionals Advancement Northwest, and he currently serves as a board member for the Northwest Washington Estate Planning Council and leads the Skagit Estate Planning Seminars committee. Brad is a graduate of the Institute’s Graduate Residency program, graduating with the 3rd cohort in 2005. When he’s not at work, Brad enjoys being active and spending time outside hiking, biking, and skiing with his wife, Jenny and their two daughters, Campbell and Elise.
daniseten Michael Vendiola
Chief Operations Officer/Co-Director Education, Children of the Setting Sun
Bellingham, Washington
*Bio and photo coming soon
Controller, Whatcom Community Foundation
Bellingham, Washington
Marcus has worked in accounting for the past 20 years, with experience in the manufacturing, e-commerce and public accounting industries. Most recently he has transitioned to non-profit accounting as the Controller for the Whatcom Community Foundation, with a specific interest in local impact investing. Marcus received his MBA from Western Washington University and has been a licensed CPA in the state of Washington since 2011. While originally from NW Washington, he spent 12 years in the midwest before having the opportunity to move back to WA in 2005. He currently resides in Bellingham, WA with his wife and two kids. Outside of work, he enjoys getting into the outdoors through biking, trail running, hiking and rock climbing.
Founder & Managing Member, Wersen Nonprofit CPAs LLC
Bellingham, Washington
Keaton Wersen is a nonprofit-focused Certified Public Accountant and the co-founder of Wersen Nonprofit CPAs, a public accounting firm he runs with his wife, Isabel, who is also a CPA. He is dedicated exclusively to serving mission-driven organizations throughout the Northwest. Over the past 18 years, he has worked alongside nonprofit leaders on financial statements, Form 990s, internal controls, and governance, helping organizations build the financial clarity and stability they need to advance their missions. Keaton earned his bachelor’s degree from Western Washington University and holds a Certificate in Nonprofit Management from the University of Washington. He recently completed six years on the Board of Directors of the Skagit Community Foundation, including two years as Treasurer, where he helped guide financial stewardship and organizational growth. Keaton is also a proud Mountain School alumnus, and the program remains one of his most formative childhood experiences – his first time camping, performing, and discovering the confidence that comes from learning in community and in nature. Now a father of four energetic boys – Walt, Buster, Hardy, and Stanley – Keaton is excited that each of them will have the opportunity to attend Mountain School in the years ahead. He is honored to support North Cascades Institute in expanding access to meaningful outdoor education for future generations.
Advisory Council
Saul Weisberg
Executive Director Emeritus
Saul Weisberg “graduated" from his role as executive director and co-founder of North Cascades Institute, on June 30, 2021 after 35 years! He is a poet, ecologist, naturalist and writer who has explored the mountains and rivers of the Pacific Northwest for more than 45 years. Saul worked throughout the Northwest as a field biologist, fire lookout, commercial fisherman and National Park Service climbing ranger before starting the Institute in 1986. He is the author of Headwaters: Poems & Field Notes, From the Mountains to the Sea, North Cascades: The Story behind the Scenery, and with many other works. Saul served on the board of directors of the Association of Nature Center Administrators, the Natural History Network and the Environmental Education Association of Washington, and regularly consults on issues of nonprofit leadership, outdoor learning and conservation. Saul and his family live near the shores of the Salish Sea in Bellingham, Washington.
Thomas Lowe Fleischner, PhD
Prescott College, AZ
Richard Louv
Author of Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children from Nature-Deficit Disorder
John Miles, PhD
Professor and Author
Robert Michael Pyle, PhD
Author, Conservationist and Lepidopterist