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.
Gavin Belfry works as the Native Plant Scientist at TEP’s Native Plant Nursery. He grew up in the foothills of the Smoky Mountains of East Tennessee, instilling a deep love for all things green and growing. A first-generation college student, Gavin graduated from the University of Tennessee with a B.S. In Ecology & Evolutionary Biology. In his position at TEP, he draws on practical skills honed during his time spent conducting forest demography surveys in the Rockies, monitoring restoration sites in the Four Corners region, and developing native species plant materials within the Colorado Plateau. When he is not acting as TEP’s resident plant nerd, he enjoys gardening, foraging for mushrooms, and exploring the PNW with his wife, Justine, and dog, Moose.
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. 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.
Lauren was raised on the Oregon Coast, and the last 4 years she served Tillamook Bay Community College and surrounding schools as the Tillamook WORKS Coordinator. Working to build and foster Career Technical Education opportunities in areas such as Natural Resources, Maritime, and Advanced Manufacturing, Lauren brought work-based learning opportunities to people of all ages.
After over 15 years of experience in international, multi-national and regional business development, fundraising, community engagement and marketing, Lauren has returned to the coastal region she calls home and couldn’t be more excited about the future work with TEP.
Lauren shares her love of travel, live music, the furry and four-legged, foraging, fishing, pickling, and canning with her 3 year old son – our next generation of avid nature enthusiasts.
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.