Board of Directors

“In the end…success or failure will come down to an ethical decision, one on which those now living will be judged for generations to come.” 

Edward O. Wilson, Biologist

We are Proud of the Decades of Experience our Board Represents. 

Our expertise runs wide and deep, most notably in the areas of land use planning, fish and wildlife protection, civic engagement, non-profit management, watershed restoration and salmon recovery, local farming and food systems.  We actively engage on issues by providing well researched testimony to policy makers.  Friends of Clark County is the only organization in Clark County that actively works to uphold the GMA.  Sometimes this requires working with legal partners such as Futurewise to defend the Growth Management Act.   After many battles and subsequent victories, we inherently understand the enormous challenges facing our County in the coming months, years and decades.  We aim for balanced development that protects the environment and our natural resources and doesn’t compromise our quality of life.  The consequences of our actions now will effect future generations.  How we go about preserving and protecting our community assets such as clean water, affordable housing & transportation, parks and trails, wildlife habitats, forests, and local farming is fundamental to our Mission.

We are currently recruiting for new Board Members and Committee Members.  If you are interested in joining our Board or a Committee, click here to apply.  We welcome your voice, your diversity and your special interests.  During these critical times, we recognize that our success depends on deeper community engagement.

Our Board is Full of Character

Ann Foster

“We are blessed in Clark County to still have a rural and agricultural base that produces so much needed fresh produce, eggs, honey, dairy and meat.  Those of us dedicated to a healthy food system know that protecting and preserving that farmland is critical to our quality of life.”

President: Ann Foster  annfoster5093@gmail.com  Cell: 360-600-0100

After earning a BA from the University of Wisconsin in the ‘60’s, Ann spent a few years in the early days of the Peace Corps developing and honing her skills and passion for adventurous and altruistic pursuits.   Once primed, she settled in on a long career in the exploding world of technology.  Starting in 1974 with Hewlett-Packard in Northern California, Ann worked with entrepreneurs and micro-businesses.  This immersion ultimately spurred a lifelong interest in the nurturing and supporting of small local businesses in the community.

Once retired, and with some well-honed project management skills, Ann organized the farmers market in Salmon Creek, north of Vancouver.  The market opened in July of 2010 and is now preparing for its sixth successful year; a second market in Salmon Creek at the entrance to Legacy Salmon Creek Medical Center was opened in 2012. In her capacity as organizer for these Farmers Markets, Ann devotes much of her time in support of family farmers, small business owners and local entrepreneurs in Clark County.

She currently serves on the board of the Washington State Farmers Market Association and on the Clark County Food System Council.  As a Board Member of Friends of Clark County, Ann works to preserve small acreage family, food-producing farms in SW Washington.


Vice President: Diane Dempster  dianedempster36@gmail.com

Diane recently retired from Charlie’s Produce, Seattle where she managed their purchasing program for local organic growers called Farmer’s Own as well as doing sales, purchasing and organizing events. Previously she worked for two different growers’ co-ops and has over 35 years working with growers and the produce industry. She also served on the Boards of Tilth Producers of Washington and PCC Farmland Trust. She served on the Organic Advisory Board for the WSDA Organic Program and represented Charlie’s Produce on the Food Policy Forum. She currently serves on Board of the Clark County Food Systems Council and chairs FOCC’s development committee.


“In addition to protecting rural lands from urban sprawl, we advocate for livable cities to protect the quality of life for all citizens here in Clark County.”

Secretary: Val Alexander   coyoteridge@tds.net  Cell: 360-607-8797 

Val is a founding board member of Friends of Clark County. She is a retired operating room nurse and runs an organic farm north of La Center raising fruits and vegetables. She and her partner Kelly Lindgren enjoy producing nutritious produce and work hard to protect rural lands for farming and habitat. Val is also on the board of Friends of the East Fork and is a member of Sierra Club and Vancouver Audubon.


Treasurer: Jackie Lane mlane@msn.com           

Jackie Lane is a recently retired Technology Manager, after decades of experience primarily in financial services. As a retirement present to herself, she went through Leadership Clark County, graduating in the class of 2017.  This experience connected Jackie to local non-profits and was an education in local government, history, social services, etc.  Since then, Jackie has volunteered with Share Vancouver, joined the League of Women Voters, and participates in other organizations in the non-profit and political arenas.  She is on the board of the Battle Ground Education Foundation, and joined the board of Friends of Clark County in 2019.  She grew up in New Jersey, lived in Indiana for 2 years, Southern California for 12, and has lived in Clark County, WA since 1991.


Jim Byrne byrnejim7@gmail.com

Raised in Brooklyn, NY, Jim found Boy Scouts as a road to the outdoors. He has a BA in History, and Anthropology. He also has a MS in Aquaculture. He served 28 years with the Washington Dept. of Fish and Wildlife, all in SW Washington working with bull trout, salmon and steelhead. He is also on the Boards of the Lower Columbia Fish Enhancement Group and Friends of the East Fork. He is a member of the Citizens Climate Lobby. His interests are fish, fishing and maintaining cold water fish habitats and working on environmental and riparian issues for Friends.  Jim has taken the lead for FOCC on the update of the Shoreline Master Program in Clark County.


Richard-Dyrland

Richard Dyrland   toppacific2@msn.com  Cell: 360-887-0866

Richard is a graduate Program and Policy Analyst and a trained hydrologist with extensive experience with the U.S. Forest Service and Department of Agriculture in Natural Resources Management, planning, designing and implementing fish habitat and watershed restoration. He has authored many publications regarding establishment of fish habitat projects and design. Currently, he serves as  President of Friends of the East Fork, a group dedicated to preserving habitat for fish. He lives with his wife Sunee near the East Fork Lewis River.


Mo McKenna momoflowerfarm@gmail.com

Mo McKenna owns a small farm in Clark County, MoMo Flower Farm, which focuses on growing and designing flowers for weddings and events. Preserving farmland is critical in our rapidly suburbanizing county and Mo is active in farmland conservation efforts and focused on helping create an economically viable local network of flower farms. Like many in the agricultural sector, Mo also works an off-farm job at a national nonprofit, InsideTrack, which aims to fuel social mobility and close equity gaps by empowering and advancing all individuals to achieve their education and career goals. Mo was raised gardening and honed her skills by working at organic and permaculture farms in Costa Rica, North Carolina, Colorado, Wisconsin, and Oregon. Mo earned a bachelors degree in Sustainable Agriculture from Warren Wilson College in North Carolina and a masters degree in Rural Sociology and Latin American Studies from the University of Wisconsin – Madison.


Joe Zimmerman   joezimm@live.com

Joe Zimmerman is a lifelong resident of Clark County, with only a few years away. He served in the Marine Corp and in the Marine Corp Reserve. He graduated from Clark College with an AA in Business Management and got a BA from WSUV in Business and Operation Management. He and his wife, Sadie have 3 children and help to run the family farm BiZi Farms. He was the Farm Manager at Heritage Farm for 4 years. As a farmer he knows the issues farmers face and the impact that development has on agriculture and our natural resources. He is a member of the Farm Bureau and represents agriculture on the Solid Waste Advisory Commission. Joe is an important voice in our community.


 

Sydney-Reisbick

Farewell to our dear Sydney Reisbick who led Friends of Clark County for five years as president and was a gifted advocate for the protection of our environment, its wildlife and special places that make our community a beautiful place to live.