Board

If you are interested in joining the Board of Sound Salmon Solutions, click here for more information.

salmon habitat restoration & watershed protection and restoration

Eric Gilmore (he/him) - PRESIDENT

Eric is a northwest native who loves the outdoors and cares deeply about it's environment. He studied Horticulture (B.S.) at Oregon State University and Forestry (M.S.) at University of Washington. Eric has long been interested in the intersection between the built environment and natural habitats.

Eric is currently a stay-at-home parent who explores the PNW with his three sons. He and his children spend summer months hiking, camping and fishing.

Eric has a background in stormwater management and environmental restoration. His favorite conference presentation was the use of goats in stormwater facilities for invasive plant control. As a board member, Eric will help SSS continue it's incredible work improving salmon habitat and providing education to the community that it serves.

salmon habitat restoration & watershed protection and restoration

Ed Stay (He/him) - Vice President real Estate Appraiser, Stay Appraisal Services

Edmonds/Laebugten Salmon Chapter Willow Creek Hatchery, 36-year Board Member, Three Term Past President

Ed is a third generation Washingtonian. His great-grandfather homesteaded on Camano Island’s Barnum Point in 1904. Ed facilitated the acquisition of the family’s property by TNC and Whidbey Camano Land Trust; the property was recently transferred to Island County for a county park. Ed grew up in Shoreline, graduated in Urban Geography and Economics from the University of Washington in 1970. A 48-year career as a certified residential real estate appraiser and consultant, he is still working. He is happily married (45 years) to Amy, with two daughters, three grandchildren and three grand dogs. He is a lifelong Puget Sound and Port Susan Bay angler and environmentalist. He served as a consultant in the 2017 transition of the operation of Willow Creek Hatchery to SSS. He joined the SSS Board in 2018 to serve as an informational conduit on the history of the Edmonds/Laebugten Salmon Chapter and Willow Creek Hatchery and to help SSS preserve the over 40-year history and vision of membership and volunteers for salmon enhancement, aquatic education, watershed management and community involvement. When not working, Ed enjoys family, friends, local Edmonds restaurants and vacation time in Kona, Hawaii.

salmon habitat restoration & watershed protection and restoration

Michelle maynard (she/her) - treasurer & Secretary, Whidbey Island Conservation District

Michelle moved to the Pacific Northwest from the San Francisco Bay Area in 2012. She had been working in the Bay Area as a Finance Director/Consultant to Professional Services Firms and Non-Profit Organizations. Michelle has thoroughly enjoyed the Pacific Northwest’s nature and has taken advantage of the beautiful hiking areas on Whidbey Island, where she now lives. Michelle is also an avid Gardner and is learning to enjoy the winter months by cooking, knitting and putting on rain gear to enjoy the outdoors in drizzly weather.

salmon habitat restoration & watershed protection and restoration

jake kirschner (he/him) - Board Member, Port of Everett

Jake is a lifelong Washingtonian with a love and appreciation for the outdoors. He studied Marine Biology (B.S.) at the University of Washington where he developed a particular interest in ecophysiology and ichthyology. Jake works for the Port of Everett as an Environmental Management Specialist where he is responsible for the Port’s Water Quality Program, Implementation of environmental stewardship programs, and general environmental project management. In his free time, Jake enjoys time with friends and family, backpacking, and fly fishing within the alpine lakes of the Cascades. As a board member, Jake strives to continue Sound Salmon Solutions critical work toward salmon recovery.

salmon habitat restoration & watershed protection and restoration

Dan Mcgovern (he/him) - Board Member

A Colorado native, Dan learned his love of the mountains and of fishing from his father and grandfather.  Many years later, now retired, Dan and his wife Teresa make their home in the Pacific Northwest – enjoying the Olympics/Cascades, the Puget Sound, the salmon and the whales.

Sparked by an early fascination with global politics and finance, Dan earned a B.A. in Soviet Studies and a Ph.D. in international relations and political economy at the University of Kansas.  He taught for four years at the University of Wisconsin-Parkside where he met his wife, Teresa (now together 42 years).  Moving into the world of commercial and investment banking, Dan enjoyed a 30-year career, acting as an advisor to governments and institutional investors on their financing strategies.  Dan hopes to apply this knowledge of financial markets and instruments to help strengthen the funding bases of Sound Salmon Solutions and the community of RFEGs.
Dan learned much from attending the 2018-19 Governor’s Task Force on Southern Resident Orcas.  Multiple experts showed the complex and inter-related threats to whales, salmon, the Salish Sea, and the rivers that feed it.  The priorities of Sound Salmon Solutions – restoration, education, building a volunteer network, and restoring the native salmon cycle – are central to survival of this vulnerable ecosystem.  We plan to get our feet wet, our hands muddy and help grow a better future through the SSS.

Michelle Bahnick (She/they) - Board Member, Tulalip Tribe

Michelle was born and raised in the Pacific Northwest - they left to pursue their undergraduate degree in Indiana only to realize how spoiled they were living in the PNW surrounded by water, forests, and mountains. Michelle is the Wetland Biologist for the Tulalip Tribes of Washington Natural and Cultural Resources Division, where they further develop and refine the Wetland Program in order to preserve, protect, enhance, restore, and manage wetlands and their functions for the benefit of the Tulalip Tribes now and into the future. Previously, they worked in environmental consulting, assisted with studies assessing juvenile salmonid passage through dams on the Columbia River, evaluated water quantity and quality in rural China, caught rock iguanas in the Bahamas for a long-term life history study, taught college students how to collect and identify stream benthic macroinvertebrates, and served with the Washington Conservation Corps to restore riparian areas and monitor Aquatic Reserves in Puget Sound. They hold a M.S. in Biology from Western Washington University, a B.A. in Biology from Earlham College, and a certificate in Wetland Science and Management from the University of Washington. Michelle is very excited to support Sound Salmon Solutions’ salmon recovery efforts as a board member.

Maci Mata (She/her) - Board Member, Juris Doctor, Newton Night L.L.P.

Maci is a born and raised Washingtonian. She received her B.A. in Early Childhood and Family Studies from the University of Washington in 2019 and her J.D. from Seattle University School of Law in 2022. In early 2023, Maci began practicing as an associate attorney at the long-standing Everett firm, Newton Kight L.L.P., in the areas of estate planning, guardianship, and probate.

Growing up, Maci always had a passion for exploring the outdoors and a particular interest in Marine Biology. She greatly enjoys getting out in the fresh air and hiking during both summer and winter. Also in her free time, she loves making baked goods, gardening, and exploring local beaches.

You can contact the SSS Board of Directors via email at board[at]soundsalmonsolutions.org