Originally from southern Virginia, she first moved to the Tillamook Coast in 2013. It immediately captured her heart with its moody days, brilliant foliage, and expansive wilderness. Allyson holds a Bachelors in Environmental Studies and a second in Anthropology from Warren Wilson College. Her passion for community-driven change has led to her working extensively in food systems, electoral engagement, and economic justice. With years of experience, writing grants, navigating government contracts, and building sustainable funding models, Allyson understands the importance of diversified funding to ensure the longevity of a non-profit. Outside of work, Allyson enjoys outdoor adventures with her pup, Calypso, gardening, baking and sharing the results with friends, beach exploring, and cozying up with a good book.
Claudine Rehn is the Deputy Director for the Tillamook Estuaries Partnership. She received a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from California Polytechnic State University at San Luis Obispo. Originally from California, Claudine has been fortunate to work for several successful non-profit organizations both managing and writing grants. She has two grown children (three if you include her husband) — two grandchildren, three cats, and two dogs that provide her constant amusement and chagrin. In her free time, Claudine is on the beach volunteering for the Haystack Rock Awareness program as a tide pool interpreter (and in search of the ever elusive alabaster nudibranch).
York Johnson is the Water Quality Manager for the Tillamook Estuaries Partnership. He received a Bachelor of Science degree in Fisheries and Wildlife from Michigan State University. York is employed by the Department of Environmental Quality as the North Coast Basin Coordinator, which includes his role with TEP. York works to implement the three Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs) developed for the North Coast by promoting restoration projects that improve water quality. In addition, he develops programs and strategies to determine water quality status and trends for pollutants of concern on the coast and TMDL effectiveness. Water quality is York’s specialty and when not working on water quality issues he is out enjoying Oregon’s waters, whether surfing along the coast or exploring the many rivers and estuaries.
Colin Jones received his B.A. in Chemistry from Willamette University then combined his love of chemistry and the natural world and obtained his Ph.D. in Oceanography at the University of Rhode Island. His Ph.D research involved marine biogeochemistry and assessing how past climate conditions were recorded in marine microfossils. After completing his Ph.D., Colin moved back to the mountains and coast of his native Pacific Northwest with his fiancée and joined the Tillamook Estuaries Partnership as part of the Habitat Assessment and Monitoring team in 2021. When he’s not working, you can find Colin drinking tea, hiking, brewing beer, or reading a book on the beach.
Flynn earned his B.S. in Marine Sciences from Stony Brook University, followed by his Master of Science degree in Marine Sciences from the same institution. During his graduate studies, Flynn focused his research on the restoration potentials of eelgrass and oysters, investigating their local impacts on inhabitant community structures. As a graduate researcher, he collaborated with multiple local partners around the estuaries of Long Island, New York to monitor and restore crucial species and habitats, including hard clams, oysters, and eelgrasses. In 2023, Flynn embarked on a new chapter in his career by relocating to the Oregon Coast to join the Tillamook Estuaries Partnership. Here, he continues his work in monitoring efforts, contributing to the conservation and preservation of the region’s ecosystems. He looks forward to exploring the region in his free time as an avid rock climber and backpacker.
Steve Sprague is the Nursery Crew Lead at the Tillamook Estuaries Partnership Native Plant Nursery. He spent the first 20 years of his career working as a chef. During that time, he developed a passion for teaching and leading diverse groups of people as well as an appreciation of our connection with the natural world. He moved to Oregon in 2009 and settled on the coast with his wife, two cats, and an ever-changing number of chickens. His pursued his love of teaching by instructing students at the Lincoln City Culinary Center and Oregon Coast Community College . He is an avid gardener, hiker, beekeeper, rockhound, and traveler.
Christer has lived in western Oregon for 25 years after growing up in New England; both on the beach and in the mountains. He has a B.S. in Environmental Science from the U of O (’02). He’s been working on habitat restoration in the Willamette Valley for 20+ years in habitats such as floodplains, upland prairie, oak savanna, wet prairie, wetlands, as well as multiple forest habitat types. Christer has more than ten years of trail design, layout, construction, and maintenance and he’s been an ISA Certified Arborist since 2006. His professional experience includes almost ten years with the City of Eugene’s Natural Resources Section, around one year with the Long Tom and McKenzie Watershed Councils, and seven years with the McKenzie River Trust. He loves to recreate outdoors and is into hiking, camping, beachcombing, and kayaking. He’s a big Boston fan and also likes to play volleyball and softball. Christer can’t wait to get a new puppy and start the next phase of life with TEP on the north coast.
Tom earned bachelor’s degrees in wildlife management and biology from the University of Wisconsin – Stevens Point. After being raised in Wisconsin he moved west after college and has lived in Washington, Idaho and Oregon ever since. He landed in the lower Columbia River in 1996 working for the Willapa National Wildlife Refuge Complex and set roots in Astoria in 2001 and has lived there ever since. As a project manager, Tom values connection to the land and the people that interact with it. His professional experience includes 12 years managing the Ellsworth Preserve for The Nature Conservancy and 11 years focused on salmon restoration projects in and around Willapa Bay. At TEP, he hopes to focus on completing large, impactful projects in the estuaries and streams of the north Oregon Coast. Tom loves to hike and hunt mushrooms with his wife and their dog, Cedar. He’s a proud fan (and owner) of the Green Bay Packer. And he loves to be out on the water in his boat fishing for salmon and catching Dungeness Crab!
Diana DiMarco grew up in Hillsboro, Oregon and spent many weekends visiting Rockaway Beach. She received a Bachelor of Science in Marine and Conservation Biology from Seattle University and has worked as a biologist for the United States Geological Service and a fish counter for Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife. In her various roles and research projects, she has always looked for the intersections between communities and science, an interest she was able to explore more closely in an internship with The Kelp Forest Foundation. She is excited to be moving full time to the Oregon Coast with her partner and their adopted Siberian Husky, Bowie. In her free time, you can find her playing in the ocean with a surfboard, walking Bowie on the beach or enjoying the forest in Tillamook County.
Liz Campbell, a PNW native, moved back to the coast with her partner in 2021 to fulfill their dream of living closer to nature where they are working on setting up a small farm and homestead. Before moving to Tillamook and coming onboard with Tillamook Estuaries Partnership, Liz taught middle school science and engineering, both on the Oregon coast and in Southern Maryland on Chesapeake Bay. Liz returned home to Oregon in 2017 and began working with non-profit organizations in program management, quality assurance, and compliance. Liz is most excited about returning to small-town life to be able to meld together her love of science and the natural world with her training.
Liane Welch has been a resident of Bay City for 17 years. She is a professional civil engineer and was the Public Works Director for Tillamook County for 10 years, City Engineer for Tillamook for 3 years and Bay City City Manager for 2 years before retiring this last summer. She worked with TEP on many culvert replacement restoration projects over the last 17 years and she was a TEP Board member for 5 years and President of the Board for 3.
She loves to salmon fish and crab in Tillamook Bay with her husband Carl in their little fishing boat. Tillamook County is a small community and they love the rural aspect of living here. In small communities, people help each other when needed, and she values that. She often walks at Barview Jetty Park or Kilchis Point Reserve and enjoys the peace.