Board of Directors

Founded by the Coconino Natural Resource Conservation District, Willow Bend’s Board of Directors meets every 2nd Monday from 4:30-6:00p.m. at Willow Bend, 703 E. Sawmill Rd, Flagstaff (meetings are open to the public). Want to attend a meeting or have any questions to the board? Please e-mail info@willowbendcenter.org, or call (928) 779-1745.

Willow Bend Board of Directors

Jana Sterling, Board President / Vice President, SWCA Environmental Consultants

Jana grew up in a ranching community in west Texas and received her B.S. in Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences from Texas A&M University. She spent the first years of her career as an itinerant biologist with a focus on field ornithology, and then became a park ranger for the City of Phoenix Rio Salado Habitat Restoration Area. Jana has worked at SWCA Environmental Consultants for the past 15 years, starting as a field biologist and was recently promoted to Vice President of their Southwest subregion. Jana enjoys hiking, running, botany, birding and spending time outdoors with family and friends.

 

Andi Rogers, Vice- Board President /Senior Program Associate, Southwest Decision Resources 

Andi is a wildlife biologist by training and is currently a Senior Program Associate with Southwest Decision Resources, a local facilitation company. She holds a B.S in Zoology from the University of Montana and a M.S in Wildlife Science from the University of Arizona. Recently, Andi’s career has focused on fostering collaboration in natural resources including skills in mediation, conflict resolution, and capacity building. Andi also loves to ride horses, hike with her dogs, bake bread, cross country ski and of course spend time with her family.

 

Jillian Wagner, Board Treasurer / Event Coordinator, Lowell Observatory 

Jillian received her Bachelor of Science in Environmental Sustainability Studies from Northern Arizona University in 2019. Born and raised in Flagstaff, Jillian is a long-term local who remembers when teachers from Willow Bend visited her classrooms in elementary school. Jillian is passionate about environmental education and spent a year of her undergraduate serving as an intern for Willow Bend. She is also passionate about nonprofits and their impact on the community and began her career in the nonprofit sector in 2022. She loves to hike, read, practice yoga, and play board games with friends.

 

Jillian Worssam, Board Secretary / Teacher (Retired)

Jillian is a retired educator. She received her first BS in Forestry, then received a BS in K-8 education and her master’s degree in Bilingual Multicultural Education.  Jillian spent time in the Philippines as a US Peace Corps Volunteer and a year teaching in China.  She is a certified Project Wild educator and prides herself on her outdoor education skills.  The few years of Jillian’s teaching career were spent teaching Science in a local middle school.  Jillian has participated in research projects in the Bering Sea and the Southern Ocean and has a passion for bringing learning out of the classroom and into the real data driven world. 

 

Tabi Bolton, CNRCD Liaison / Supervisor, Campbell Global

Tabi is the Area Supervisor for Campbell Global’s Northern Arizona operations, where he manages forest activities. He is a Registered Professional Forester in the state of California. Tabi has worked in fish and wildlife biology, botany, forest certification (FSC & SFI), safe harbor agreements, land use agreements, and long-term planning. He also has extensive training in tribal relations, negotiating effective environmental agreements, facilitation, archaeology, and protocols for botanical surveys. Tabi holds a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Sciences from Cal Poly Humboldt. He lives in Flagstaff, AZ with his wife and their two children.

 

Karen Cordasco / Teacher, Artist 

Karen is an Arizona native and NAU alumni who has deep passion for both art and the natural world.  She shares her love of nature through her artwork. Karen lived and taught art on the Hopi reservation and has worked for a variety of organizations that further reflect her love of the natural world, including Willow Bend.  Currently, Karen and her therapy-dog visit The Peaks senior living center. She also teaches workshops at Orme School.  Mountain biking, hiking, gardening, yoga, birding, plein-air painting, and spending time outside with her husband and dog are her favorite things to do.

 

Willow Bend Environmental Center, Flagstaff, AZMichele James / Executive Director, Friends of Flagstaff’s Future

Michele is the executive director of Friends of Flagstaff’s Future. She has a B.S in wildlife biology, a Master’s from the Sustainable Communities Program, and a post-baccalaureate degree in Visual Communication. She spent over 15 years managing endangered and threatened species, working for federal agencies and non-profits in Oregon and Arizona. Michele enjoys hiking and camping with her family, photography, stained glass, poetry, and fixing up an old house in Flagstaff.

 

Ariel Leonard / Forest Planner, US Forest Service

Ariel was born and raised in Maryland. She attended Antioch College in Yellow Springs, Ohio where she studied biology. Since she graduated in 1987, Ariel has worked for the Park Service and Forest Service in various capacities. She attended graduate School at Northern Arizona University where she received a Master’s degree in Forestry. Ariel has worked for the Kaibab National Forest since 2004 and currently serves as the Forest Planner and Climate Change Coordinator.

 

Mary McKell / FUSD Counselor (retired) 

Mary grew up in Minnesota and received a B.S. in Elementary Education from St. Cloud State University. After graduation she moved to Ft. Defiance on the Navajo Reservation and taught in the elementary grades for 5 years.  She the n moved to Flagstaff and earned a Master’s degree in counseling and an Ed.D. in Educational Administration from NAU. Before retiring, she was an elementary school counselor. Mary serves on different non-profit boards including CCC& Y (Coconino Coalition for Children and Youth). She and her husband, who is a retired NAU professor, enjoy the many activities and diversity that Flagstaff has to offer.

 

Eric Souders / Financial Advisor

Eric is an Accredited Wealth Management Advisor at Ascendant Financial Solutions with a focus on socially responsible and fossil fuel free investing. He has been active in the community during 20 years of living in Flagstaff volunteering for different organizations and serving on multiple boards. He is an active 4H leader and is well known as the “Camel and Llama guy”. Since his home is electrified by solar and heated by a “thermal solar/wood stove”, while his gardening ecosystem involves harvested rainwater, pest controlling chickens, and goat and llama fertilizers, one could say that sustainability is his passion.

 

neil

Neil Weintraub / Archaeologist, Kaibab National Forest (retired)

Neil was born in New York City and received his B.A. in Anthropology from Grinnell College, Iowa. He began his career in archaeology at the Museum of Northern Arizona in 1986. For the past 26 years, Neil has been an archaeologist for the Kaibab National Forest. He enjoys teaching his co-workers, partners, and local youth about the importance of protecting and preserving cultural resources. Since 2001, Neil has served on the Big Brothers Big Sisters board and mentors his little brother RJ at Willliams Elementary School. Neil also enjoys trail running and is director and co-founder of Northern Arizona Trail Runners Association.

 

Coconino Natural Resource Conservation District Board Members

Benny Aja, Chairman / Rancher

Benny is a third-generation rancher, northeast of Williams.  He has served on the Coconino County Farm Bureau for 22 years and is their current President. Benny has two daughters and three grandchildren

 

 

Jim Parks, Vice Chair / Rancher, Former Coconino County Board Supervisor 

An Arizona native, with ancestral history going back 9 generations in Arizona, Jim was a working cowboy for 38 years, after serving on the flight deck of two aircraft carriers during the Vietnam War. Jim worked for many ranches all over the state of Arizona. He joined the Coconino County Farm Bureau and Cattle Growers Association in 1998, serving as president from 2008-2016. Jim was named Rancher of the Year in 2015. Jim served as Coconino County Supervisor between 2016- 2020. Married to his wife Vickie with two daughters, Betsy and Lisa, 4 grandchildren, and 5 great-grandchildren, most of which live in the Flagstaff area.

 

Tabi Bolton, Treasurer

Tabi is the Area Supervisor for Campbell Global’s Northern Arizona operations, where he manages forest activities. He is a Registered Professional Forester in the state of California. Tabi has worked in fish and wildlife biology, botany, forest certification (FSC & SFI), safe harbor agreements, land use agreements, and long-term planning. He also has extensive training in tribal relations, negotiating effective environmental agreements, facilitation, archaeology, and protocols for botanical surveys. Tabi holds a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Sciences from Cal Poly Humboldt. He lives in Flagstaff, AZ with his wife and their two children

 

Sam Whitted, Board Member

Sam is an AZ native, managing the Reed Ranch Northwest of Williams, AZ. He has worked on this ranch for over 50 years. Sam retired as Chief Deputy of the Coconino County Sheriff’s Office after 26 years. He was a member the Southwest Area Type One Incident Management Teams, served on a Southwest Area Command Team, served on a National Incident Management Team (NIMO), was Deputy Chief of the Summit Fire District, and has helped teach the Incident Command System for the US Fire Administration Nation Wide. Sam has been married to his wife Brenda for 45 years and they have one adult daughter, Amanda.

Kit Metzger, Board Member