About Us

Board of Directors

Walter Boyd, Ph. D. in Geochemistry (University of Edinburgh); appointed to the Board 2004; glaciologist at Little America, Ross Ice Shelf in IGY; and in West Antarctica, and currently Research Scientist for Finnish Geological Survey, University of Helsinki. Resident of San Juan Islands.

John Brookbank, Professor of Molecular Biology in the Department of Microbiology and Cell Science, is retiring after a distinguished career with IFAS, with the Zoology and Microbiology departments in the University’s College of Arts and Sciences, and in the College of Medicine. Dr. Brookbank has taught at the undergraduate and graduate levels here, at the California Institute of Technology and at the University of Washington. His research in cell and developmental biology and in gerontology has been supported by grants from the National Institutes of Health and the National Science Foundation. He has served on many academic committees and conferences, chaired and served as proceedings editor of the Southern Gerontology Conference in 1977 and chaired the Regional Developmental Biology Conference in 1980. He has published extensively in journals and has written textbooks published by Harper and Rowe. His outside associations have included serving as president of the local chapter of the National Council on Alcoholism in 1976 and as president of the Bridge Council on Alcoholism and Narcotics Addiction in 1974-75. Also VP Friends of the San Juans, and former San Juan Nature Institute President. Harper Row books: Biology of Aging, Developmental Biology.

David Duggins, Ph. D. (University of Washington); appointed to the Board in 2004; Senior Research Scientist, University of Washington’s Friday Harbor Laboratories; initiated and supervises FHL Science Outreach Partnership. Dr Duggins’ research interests are in benthic community ecology, particularly as it relates to inter-tidal and shallow sub-tidal habitats.

Farhad Ghatan appointed to the Board 2003; Vice-Chairman of the Board; owner B&B Inn, Harrison House Suites. Past President of the Chamber of Commerce; past Chair of the Friday Harbor Planning Commission; past member of the Housing Advisory Board, Lodging Tax Steering Committee, Dollars for Scholars, and is currently developing an affordable housing neighborhood.

Peg Hope Secretary of the Board; B.A.(magna cum laude) Lawrence University, member of Board since 2003; Founder Spring Street School, Director, Latin, Math, Language Arts; 30 years of experience in middle and high school including Department Head for Language Arts and Math at the Stanford High School in Redmond, WA, with primary responsibilities for college prep program, staff training, curriculum development, and diagnostic and vocational testing.

Chita Miller

Val Veirs, Ph.D. Physics Whale Songs; 25 year activist over energy, air pollution and urban planning issues has been expressed through many different courses, panel discussions and community controversies. 1980 chair of the Colorado Air Quality Control Commission. Believes that people, informed by scientific understanding, can make decisions that will start society moving toward sustainable lifestyles. Worked as Director of the Colorado College Environmental Science Program and helped forge bonds between the activism of C.C.'s idealistic students and the intellectual rigor demanded by the excellent faculty. Now, as a resident of the Pacific Northwest most of the year, Dr Viers devotes much energy to research on the orca whales that are in peril in Puget Sound.

Victoria Parker, MLS, was appointed to the board in 2005 after serving as Executive Director from 2003 to 2005. Victoria also volunteered as a member of SJC's Marine Resource Committee from 2004 to 2006. Her Bachelor of Arts Degree in English Literature (1974) was followed by a Masters of Library and Information Science, (1976), both from the University of Washington. She has enthusiastically entered into the spirit of resource sharing unique to Washington State education communities, becoming instrumental in establishing partnerships that are providing innovative life long learning offerings for adults and children. Serving on regional and state-wide management teams for the Washington Library Association while working for The Association of Washington Cities, Seattle Public Library, Sno-Isle Regional Library System, and Orcas Island Library District, Victoria has gained a reputation for dynamic camaraderie and leadership. Reference and information referral, community relations, capital campaigns based on public service development, plus volunteer recruitment, are blended in a 30 year career.

Arthur Whiteley, Ph. D. (Princeton); member of the Board since 1997; Chairman of the Board since 2004; Professor Emeritus, University of Washington, Department of Zoology; Founder, Helen R. Whiteley Center at Friday Harbor Laboratories.

Advisory Council

Mary Blevins, Founder - Accountant specializing in non-profit organizations

Thane Bolger, Former Board member

Carolyn DeRoos

Carolyn Haugen, Former Board member, Ed. D. (University of Southern California)

Carla Stroh, Founder

Karen Traub, Founder - School librarian for over 25 years; recipient - 1994 Washington State Christa McAuliffe award for outstanding contribution for education

Susan Vernon, Founder

Richard Weisbrod, Former Board member, Ph. D. (Cornell)

A.O. Dennis Willows, PhD - Former Director, University of Washington Friday Harbor Labs

Staff

Susan Key. Nature Institute Executive Director, Susan Key, joined our staff in June of 2007. Susan received her Bachelor’s of Science degree in Geology with a focus in hydrology from the University of Washington in 1982, and a minor in French from Washington State University in 1980. Her professional focus has since been on water resources, outreach and education. While living on San Juan Island from 1992 to 2001, Susan worked as the Water Resources/Water Conservation program coordinator for the Town of Friday Harbor, served on San Juan County’s Watershed Management Committee, was the Director of Educational Resources for The Whale Museum, and managed Harbor Bookstore. Prior to moving to the Islands, she bicycled and camped for 6 1/2 months in Europe and Morocco. Susan spent the last six years in western Montana where she was Executive Director of the Bitter Root Water Forum, a local watershed group, and completed physical and biological field assessments of riparian areas for Bitterroot Restoration, an ecological restoration firm. Susan recently attained the summit of Mt. Rainier at 14,410 feet, and looks forward to skiing at Mt. Baker during the winters. Happy to be back in the Islands, she looks forward to contributing her blend of creativity, business sense, passion for nature and people, and love of the Salish Sea’s incredible natural history to the San Juan Nature Institute and our Island communities.

Fiona Norris, Ph.D., Science Director, lectured in Botany for 15 years at the Universities of Durban-Westville, Witwatersrand and Natal, in South Africa before joining the National Botanical Gardens of South Africa for three years as their Director of Education and Information. She moved to Hawaii where she worked in the Botany Department of the Bishop Museum, Honolulu. She then accepted the position of Collections Manager and Head of Education for the Botanical Research Institute of Texas where she was instrumental in creating integrated curricula for elementary school learners and wrote books on botany for children. She continued her interest in informal education as Head of Education for the Fort Worth Botanical Garden for 2 years, before following her husband into semi-retirement in Friday Harbor. She volunteers in school vegetable gardens and joined the staff of the San Juan Nature Institute in the summer of 2003 as coordinator of their children’s programs.

Talent Contributors

Mary Blevins, Accounting

Lynn Carter, Budget Status

Bruce McDanold, Web Site

Molly O'Neill, Database Management

Robert Schwartzberg, Development Guide

John Spady, Computer Consultant

Contact Us

By Postal Mail..	San Juan Nature Institute PO Box 3110 Friday Harbor, WA 98250
By Phone..	Voice or Fax:  (360) 378-3646
By E-mail...	info@sjnature.org