MFWWC Staff

Pronouns: He/Him

Born and raised in Eugene, Dov Weinman brings a deep connection to the Willamette watershed in his role as Executive Director of the Middle Fork Willamette Watershed Council. He holds a M.S in Environmental Justice from the University of Montana and a graduate certificate in natural resources conflict resolution from the Center for Natural Resources & Environmental Policy. After three years as a Peace Corps Volunteer in the Philippines, Dov worked in the Sierra Nevada coordinating and facilitating natural resource collaboratives with a focus on forest and watershed health and increasing the resilience of disadvantaged rural communities. When he’s not working with the Middle Fork Willamette Watershed community, Dov enjoys creative writing, photography and trail running.

Pronouns: They, Them/She, Her

Emma Garner was born and raised in the Willamette Valley. Growing up, they could be found raising tadpoles from a neighborhood stream, monitoring bird nests in their backyard, and creating field journals. Following that passion for exploring the outdoors, Emma attended Oregon State University and graduated with a B.S. in Fisheries and Wildlife. Emma’s early career was spent traveling across the Pacific Northwest monitoring fish populations and freshwater habitats. In 2018, Emma changed career paths and began working in education and outreach. Supporting and creating programs where kids connect with, ask questions about, and explore local plants and animals is what Emma loves most about their work. They are excited to join the council team and continue to connect people through place-based education. Outside of work, Emma enjoys trail running, hiking, gardening, and spending relaxing afternoons with their pets.

Pronouns: She/Her

After living in New York, Chicago, San Francisco and other Bay Area towns, Karen finally decided to leave the concrete behind and head for green. She and her husband Theo moved to Oregon in 2008 and have never looked back. They enjoy living in downtown Springfield. Karen believes that we need to protect and preserve our natural resources, with water being the most important. To that end, don’t be surprised to find buckets in her shower used to collect the cold water while waiting for the water to warm up!  She loves working for the MFWWC and helping to build and educate community about restoration needs and opportunities in the basin. After serving almost 12 years, Karen has now retired from Lane County Sheriff’s Ground Search and Rescue team. When she is not crunching numbers, Karen enjoys walks in the woods, inhaling the negative ions at the beach, gardening, biking, and traveling.

Pronouns: She/Her

Growing up in Eugene, Virginia Pritchard developed a love for the surrounding lakes, rivers, and forests. After graduating from Oregon State University in 2016 with a dual B.S. in Environmental Science and Microbiology she was eager to pursue work combining her passions for science and the outdoors. She began her career working in aquatic and riparian ecosystems evaluating stream health, conducting hydrologic research, and performing natural resource management assessments for Forest Service Ranger Districts and Research Stations on the Willamette and Mendocino National Forests. Looking to transition into ecosystem restoration, she worked as a Hydrology Project Specialist in the northern Sierra Nevada where she developed and conducted watershed infrastructure assessments to prioritize upgrades of road-stream crossings to reduce sedimentation in anadromous watersheds. She also collaboratively planned and implemented fuels reduction and meadow restoration projects across Plumas, Lassen, and Modoc National Forests. When she’s not working to restore ecosystems, Virginia enjoys backpacking, creative writing, gardening, and learning to cook new recipes.

Pronouns: She/Her

Autumn grew up along the scenic Columbia River, often spending her childhood days scaling towering Cottonwood and Douglas Fir trees or collecting frogs in the muddy creeks near her home. She developed a passion for biology and environmental sustainability after working four years in the agricultural sector and later graduated from the University of Oregon with a B.S. in Environmental Studies. After her undergrad in Eugene, she decided to serve in the RARE AmeriCorps program and was placed here at the Middle Fork Willamette Watershed Council to be a part of their environmental education projects. She often has described it as her way of returning the gift of education to the community that had welcomed her in so many years ago. Autumn loves ecology and could spend hours identifying trees if she could, but outside of the lush PNW forests she is an avid gym-goer with a passion for trying out different varieties of fitness forms–Everything from pilates to powerlifting! She is beyond excited to be a part of such a dynamic and vibrant team and cannot wait to experience everything this role has to offer.

Pronouns: She/Her

Growing up in Maryland right outside of DC, Dassy always found opportunities to adventure in the nearby Appalachian mountains. Through exploring the rivers, creeks and hardwood forests of this ancient landscape, she built a strong connection to the natural world. Dassy spent her high school summers as a camp counselor, kayaking, backpacking, and enjoying connecting with others in the great outdoors. After graduating with a Bachelors of Science in Environmental Studies focusing in management and policy from the University of North Carolina at Asheville, Dassy moved cross-country to Oregon to pursue a career in outdoor education and environmental non-profit work. Through roles as a teen leadership program instructor, environmental educator, and outdoor school team lead, she has felt honored to help youth connect with nature. In her spare time, Dassy enjoys exploring the beautiful PNW, crafting, as well as visiting farmers markets, trinket stores, and coffee shops.