Kari Hollander lives in Rainier, and has been with the district for 5 years.  No two days are the same at the district office and that is what makes it enjoyable for her.  The landowners are wonderful to work with and the staff (District and NRCS) make a great team. Outside of the office she mentors young women; encouraging them to pursue their dreams, one on one and at conferences.

 

 


Tyler Joki has been with the District since August of 2009.  He has a BS and MS in Biology from Portland State University and a Graduate Certificate in River  Restoration.  Tyler handles the Technical  Assistance aspects of the District’s  mission, as well as project coordination and landowner  outreach.  Tyler has served in both the Marine Corps and Coast Guard and is a die-hard Portland Trail Blazers fan.

 

 

 

Nathan Herr has been with the District since January of 2012. He is a lifelong member of Columbia County.  He has a BS in Environmental Science and a minor in Fisheries from Oregon State University.  He has been hired by the District to provide assistance with landowners to develop and establish riparian buffers throughout the county using the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP).  In his spare time, Nathan enjoys being outdoors with his dogs and wife or out hunting and fishing as much as possible.

 

 

Malyssa Page has been with the District since April of 2009. A lifelong resident of Columbia County, she is excited to be helping the members of her community to improve their land. Malyssa handles the day to day operations in the office and enjoys doing education and outreach events. When not working, Malyssa enjoys cooking, baking, reading and watching lots of sports.

 

 

 

Don Mehlhoff has over 27 years with NRCS. He began working for the agency in North Dakota followed by several years in eastern Washington, northern Idaho and now Oregon. He has been a     certified crop advisor since 1997 and is certified as a journeyman   conservation planner with Oregon NRCS since 2000.  Don and his family have resided in St. Helens since 2000 when he accepted the NRCS position here.  “My favorite thing about working for NRCS is the  opportunity to work with farmers, ranchers and forest operators. The chance to visit their farms, discuss their operations and their interest in conservation makes the job rewarding. I have typically learned more from them than I have probably provided in return.”

 

Bill Bennett is employed by the Lower Columbia River Estuary Partnership to help with the  identification, design, and planning of habitat restoration projects in collaboration with the Scappoose Bay and the Lower Columbia River Watershed Councils. Bill works with the    District to help find and write grants to get these projects accomplished. Bill and his wife just had their first baby in November.

 

 

Dan McLain lives in Columbia county and has worked for the Conservation District for several years.  He has done outreach with the local schools in the past and currently is the district’s certified weed control technician.  Each Spring he also teaches workshops at Hudson Park Elementary’s outdoor school.