Denise Walters (she/her)
Denise is a Planner with Lane Council of Governments and is currently the President of the Coast Fork Board. In her professional capacity, she has collaborated on water quality and habitat improvements with the Coast Fork Willamette Watershed Council since 2007. She received her bachelor’s degree from Ithaca College with a focus on politics and environmental policy. She holds two master’s degrees one in Planning, Public Policy and Management and the other in International Studies from the University of Oregon where her study centered on the relationships among culture and environment.
She and her husband live in the Mohawk River area with their two dogs, a varying number of goats, and the occasional river otter. She is an idea connector and collaborator. Daughter of islands, wife of mountain, and mother of a phenomenon. Cherishes time with no, four- and eight-legged family and friends. Potential hoarding problem with seeds, books and beads. Her other interests include traditional bow, becoming the shot she used to be, and re/learning languages.
Darrick Salyers (he/him)
Darrick was born in Honolulu Hawaii. He graduated from Churchill high and married his high school sweetheart, Shannon. Together they have three wonderful daughters and live on a cattle/timber ranch with two of their daughters and their husbands along with 4 of their 6 grandchildren. Darrick’s hobbies include working on his ranch, fishing, wood and metal working, and hiking.
Jeff Gowing (he/him)
Jeff Gowing was born and raised in Cottage Grove. He is a fourth-generation graduate of Cottage Grove High School. He is a U.S. Army Veteran and an active member of the American Legion. He also spends time involved with the National Veterans Awareness Organization as they ride motorcycles from California to Washington DC to help Veterans. Jeff joined the CFWWC Board in 2019.
Jeff is serving his third term as Mayor of the City of Cottage Grove. He was originally elected as Mayor in the November 2016 Election. He began his public service when he was appointed to the City Council in 2009 as the Ward 2 City Councilor and served two terms. Other Board involvements include 2022 President of the Oregon Mayor’s Association, past Chair of the Lane Area Commission of Transportation, Cottage Grove Community Foundation, Lane Council of Government.
Jeff is married to his wife Celia and has three grown children and four grandchildren. He has worked at Weyerhaeuser since 1989 and currently works as a Millwright there.
Matt Hall (he/him)
Matt was born in 1957 in England. He graduated from Newton Rigg, Cumbria College of Agriculture and Forestry, with a National Diploma in Forestry. Matt moved to Oregon in 1991 and worked as a Forestry Consultant/Contractor and taught the Sustainable Forestry Course at Aprovecho until 2008. He began working for Al Kennedy High School (AKHS) in 2007 as a crew leader for their Youth Conservation Corps. Currently he works as a crew leader for Kennedy Conservation Corps and teaches Horticulture at AKHS. The Al Kennedy Conservation Corps performs environmental restoration work for Federal, County and City agencies as well as the Coast Fork Willamette Watershed Council and private landowners.
Fraser MacDonald (he/him)
Fraser is a Natural Resource Planner at Willamalane Park and Recreation District in Springfield, Oregon, where he designs, plans and implements natural resource management and recreation projects like trail planning and construction and habitat restoration. Prior to working for Willamalane, he worked for Lane County Parks, Lane Council of Governments, Lane Community College and Long Tom Watershed Council. Fraser has a master’s degree in Community and Regional planning from University of Oregon and a BS in Natural Resource Management from University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
Ka-Voka Jackson (she/her)
Originally from the Southwest, Ka-Voka is a Hualapai Tribal member and descendant of the Wabanaki and Oglala Lakota people. Growing up with a deep connection to the land, Ka-Voka has spent the last 10 years focusing on watershed health, specializing in ecology, habitat restoration, water quality, and Traditional Ecological Knowledge. Now based in Kalapuya Ilihi (aka Eugene, OR), Ka-Voka works as a Program Co-Manager with Ecostudies’ Willamette Valley Fire Collaboration program helping to bring back Indigenous-led cultural fire to the landscape. Outside of work, Ka-Voka likes to spend time outside connecting with the land through ceremony, recreation, and stewardship, including engaging in and caring for local watersheds such as the Coast Fork Willamette.
