Beth is the statewide grants manager for the No Child Left Inside and Outdoor Learning Grants programs. She has a bachelor's degree in conservation biology and a minor in environmental education from Prescott College in Arizona and a master's degree in land planning and design from the Conway School in Massachusetts. Some of her past professional experience has included running a small business, environmental consulting, landscape design, volunteer coordination, wildlife rehabilitation, farming, horse training and riding instructor, preschool teacher, and director of a kindergarten through twelfth-grade rock climbing program. Beth has served on several boards that focus on youth, farming, stewardship, and restoration. She enjoys exploring the Pacific Northwest and spending time outside with friends and family.
DeAnn joined RCO in 2018 as an outdoor grants manager for the Recreation and Conservation Section. She has more than twenty-seven years of land acquisition and grants management experience gained from two natural resources agencies: the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife and the Washington Department of Natural Resources. A native Washingtonian, DeAnn loves photography, live music, and is an enthusiastic animal lover. DeAnn enjoys the great outdoors, particularly Washington’s deep forests and coastline as well as the Columbia River Gorge and the San Juan Islands.
Brian joined RCO in 2018 as an outdoor grants manager for the Recreation and Conservation Grants Section. A Washington native, Brian has lived and adventured throughout the state. With his background in trails and park development, he serves Chelan, Douglas, Okanogan, and Ferry Counties; and the Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest. Before joining the RCO team, he worked in camp management, government contract administration, and as an Adopt-A-Trail coordinator. Brian completed his bachelor’s degree in recreation and associate’s degree in computer programming. Eagerly pursuing new opportunities for learning and exploration, Brian often can be found in museums or on other adventures.
Hayley joined RCO in October 2022 as an outdoor grants manager. She has worked in the parks and conservation field for a decade in roles as a park ranger and program/project manager at a variety of federal, state, regional, and nonprofit land management organizations. She holds a bachelor of arts in law, societies, and justice and a master of public administration, both from the University of Washington. She lives in Seattle with her husband and dog and enjoys hiking, camping, running, baking, theater, and board games.
Allison joined RCO in 2018 as an outdoor grants manager for the Recreation and Conservation Grants Section. Allison was born and raised in Washington and considers both Spokane and Olympia her hometowns. She is a graduate of Willamette University in Salem, Oregon, and has her master’s degree in public administration from the University of Colorado. Before joining the RCO team, Allison spent ten years in Colorado working at various nonprofit organizations, most recently at the Colorado Rural Health Center running a grant program through the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment. In her spare time, she loves traveling, volunteering, concert-going, and spending time with friends and family.
Dan joined RCO in 2004 as an outdoor grants manager in the Recreation and Conservation Grant Section. He works with the Department of Natural Resources, the U.S. Forest Service, and Snohomish County, focusing mainly on trail grants. Dan’s experience includes seven years with the states of Utah and Idaho as a park ranger. He earned a bachelor of science degree and a master’s degree from Utah State University as well as a master’s degree from the University of Idaho. He was raised in eastern Washington and enjoys the outdoors.
Andrea joined RCO in September 2022. Previously, she was an environmental planner with the Department of Fish and Wildlife where she managed contracts for the Habitat Strategic Initiative Lead team. She holds a bachelor’s degree in landscape architecture from the University of Georgia and a master’s degree in environmental management from Yale University. She is an enthusiastic outdoor recreationist who loves water sports like kayaking and sailing, and also enjoys hiking and spending time in the great outdoors with her family.
Rachelle (pronounced Rachel) joined RCO in 2024 as an outdoor grants manager for the parks team with the Recreation and Conservation Grants Section. She has a wide range of experience in the biotech and nonprofit sectors and most recently worked as a project manager for a nonprofit urban forest carbon registry, where she supported land trusts, local governments, and nonprofits to leverage carbon crediting to fund tree planting and preservation in urban and peri-urban areas across the country. She holds a bachelor of science degree in biology from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a master’s degree in oceanography from the University of Washington. Rachelle loves exploring the outdoors and enjoys kayaking with her wife and performing volunteer forest restoration work on the weekends.
Butch joined RCO in 2024 as an outdoor grants manager for the parks team with the Recreation and Conservation Grants Section. He spent the past twenty-five years working for King County Parks as a project and program manager and managed the youth sports grant program for the agency. He has a bachelor of arts degree in anthropology from the University of Washington. In his free time, in addition to enjoying the many outdoor benefits of living in the Pacific Northwest, he enjoys attending music and cultural events with friends.
Russell joined RCO in September 2023 as an outdoor grants manager with the Recreation and Conservation Grants Section. A Michigan native, he most recently worked as the recreation operations manager for Southfield, a suburb of Detroit. Before entering the parks and recreation profession, he worked for more than eight years in intercollegiate athletics at Indiana University, Fresno State University, and Michigan State University. He has a bachelor's degree in public affairs from Indiana University, is a certified park and recreation professional with the National Recreation and Parks Association, and in 2022 received a professional certificate in geographic information systems. Russell likes sports of all kinds and enjoys live music, bar trivia, playing cards, watching Jeopardy, occasionally screenwriting, canning veggies, quilting, and seeing new places.
Kim is an outdoor grants manager in the Recreation and Conservation Grants Section specializing in programs related to conservation and farmland and forestland preservation. Before joining RCO in 2007, she worked at the Washington Department of Natural Resources in forest practices, habitat conservation planning, and timber sales. She came to Washington State after more than a dozen years working seasonal wildlife and conservation jobs with state and federal agencies across the United States. She studied wildlife biology at Colorado State University and has a master’s degree from The Evergreen State College.
Jesse started with RCO in 2018 as an outdoor grants manager in the Recreation and Conservation Grants Section. He assists RCO’s partners and grant recipients with proposal development and project management. Jesse came to RCO with eighteen years of natural resources management experience from two different agencies: Washington State Department of Natural Resources and the U.S. Forest Service. Jesse holds a bachelor of science degree in outdoor recreation management from Central Washington University. In his spare time, Jesse enjoys spending time with his family hiking, fishing, camping, and playing some acoustic guitar!
Henry joined RCO in January 2022 as an outdoor grants manager for the Recreation and Conservation Grants Section. Previously, he coordinated environmental and educational AmeriCorps programs with the Washington Service Corps in the Employment Security Department. He also has worked for the Nisqually Land Trust and Pacific Education Institute, and even spent time as an AmeriCorps member on a backcountry chainsaw crew in Eugene, Oregon. Henry graduated from Pacific Lutheran University’s International Honors Program in 2016 with a degree in environmental studies and communications. He holds a master’s degree in public administration with an emphasis in public policy from The Evergreen State College. When he’s not working, Henry enjoys kayaking, visiting museums, playing basketball, and hiking.