BOARD OF DIRECTORS
The Middle Fork Willamette Watershed Council Board of Directors is composed of local stakeholders who represent the diverse interests of the Middle Fork Willamette Watershed. Each of them lives, works and/or plays in the basin.
Justin Overdevest
President Justin works at Good Company, a division of Parametrix. He engages in projects and topics related to climate and sustainability and has been consulting in this field since 2012. His work focuses on projects that meet human needs – serving mainly projects related to food, infrastructure, and clean tech. Justin leads food climate and ESG (environmental, social and governance) practice and specializes in climate risk and adaptation, corporate disclosure, and climate action domestic and international companies. Justin discovered his love of working in watersheds as a Peace Corps volunteer in Peru and the Dominican Republic working on agro-forestry and community health projects. He gets outside in the Middle Fork to run, bike and climb when he’s not chasing a toddler.
Kim Forrest
Bryan P. Cutchen
Treasurer
Joining the MFWWC as a director in 2022, Bryan Cutchen served as the city administrator to the City of Oakridge from 2019-2022 and became the soon after. As a 31-year naval officer, he has lived and traveled throughout the world, bringing a unique perspective to the board. Calling Brunswick, Maine home, Bryan graduated from Maine Maritime Academy with a Bachelor of Science degree in Nautical Science and is a Wall of Honor recipient. He holds a Master of Arts degree in Strategic Studies from Air War College. He is married to artist Terrilyn “Sissy” Rosenberg Cutchen and they have two children, Lieutenant Max Cutchen, USN and Lieutenant Annie Cutchen, USN. While in uniform, he served as a naval aviator, amassing over 5,000 hours in the various aircraft. He is entitled to wear the Distinguished Service Medal, Legion of Merit, Meritorious Service Medal, and several other commendations and awards. Bryan is the founder and principal of Cutchen Consulting and Communications, LLC, a firm providing consulting services focused on leadership, management, and strategic planning.
Barb Hazen
Secretary
Barb Hazen has been heavily involved with the Council since the Councils’ early formation days. She has been the Councils’ stalwart “recorder” for the past seven years, compiling nearly all of the meeting minutes during that time. She is a member of the Sierra Club, and is a long-time avid hiker who loves the trails found in the Middle Fork Willamette watershed.
Bill Clingman
Member-at-Large
Bill was born in Southern California and raised on a small farm among the orange groves. Bill Clingman moved to rural Oregon in 1969. He received his BS in Geology from the University of Oregon, worked on geothermal drilling rigs in Northern California and Japan, and then came back to Eugene for graduate school in geophysics. Following a brief stint in the Peace Corps (Dem. Rep. Congo, then known as Zaire), Bill returned to Eugene and worked in consulting, joined the Lane Council of Governments and provided mapping and analytical support to many different partners, agencies, and organizations. Bill relocated to Lowell in 2018 and is a member of the Eugene Natural History Society, Mount Pisgah Arboretum and Friends of Fall Creek Watershed.
Krystal Abrams
Member-at-Large
Krystal Abrams grew up in the northern Florida-southern Alabama area. After graduating from a community college, Krystal embarked on a road trip across the US and landed in Eugene and attended the University of Oregon. During their time at the UO they collaborated with the McKenzie Watershed Council and the McKenzie River Trust to monitor and restore critical riparian habitat. They served as a wildlife steward with the Army Corps of Engineers where they surveyed and monitored native species like the western pond turtle and the purple martin. Afterward, they joined the Walama Restoration Project and led non-chemical environmental restoration work parties and nature hikes around the Eugene-Springfield area. Krystal currently works at Beyond Toxics, a statewide environmental justice non-profit, as the Communications Manager and is an avid gardener and herpetology enthusiast.
Douglas Garletts
Douglass Garletts is a professional fisheries biologist with the US Army Corps of Engineers serving the Willamette River and tributaries. He’s been serving as an advisory on the Middle Fork Willamette Watershed Council Board of Directors since early 2021 and has been a resident of Lane County for over 20 years.
Steve Liebhardt
He gets outside in the Middle Fork to run, bike and climb when he’s not chasing a toddler.Steve Liebhardt is a Fish Biologist for the Bureau of Land Management. He has been working as a Fish Biologist since the late 90s. He has been in the Upper Willamette Field Office for the BLM since 2009. He has been serving as an Advisor for the Middle Fork Willamette Watershed Council since 2021. He lives in Eugene with his wife, Annette, and has a daughter and son in college. Steve enjoys fishing, disc golf, playing guitar and live music.
Sarah Ruggiero
Member-at-Large
Sarah Ruggiero-Kirby is the Secondary Science Specialist (TOSA) and Outdoor School Coordinator for Eugene 4J School District. She is a founding member of Oregon Educators for Climate Education (OECE), working on comprehensive, integrated K-12 climate education legislation across Oregon. She serves on the Board of Directors for Oregon Science Teacher Association (OSTA) and the Middle Fork Willamette Watershed Council, is co-chair of the OEA Climate Caucus, and serves on the Leadership Team of Oregon Science Leaders (OSL). She has been teaching for 25 years in middle and high school science classes, 12 of which were spent teaching in a Natural Resource Management CTE program at Churchill High School, with a strong focus on hydrology, forestry, sustainability, renewable energy and climate resilience.
Jo Niehaus
Member-at-Large
Jo Niehaus, a Springfield resident, joined the MFWWC Board in 2024. Jo works as a Policy Advisor for the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department and holds a Master of Public Administration from the University of Oregon. Her interest in watershed stewardship and resource protection really took off after the 2020 Labor Day Wildfires when she was deployed to the state’s Office of Emergency Management to coordinate and facilitate a statewide multi-agency task force for natural and cultural resources recovery. Outside of work, Jo enjoys climbing, gardening, collecting pinecones and paddle boarding with her dog.
Ian Appow
Member-at-Large
Ian Appow is the founder and Principal Consultant of ECO System Solutions, where he focuses on community forestry, wildfire resilience, and making technical forestry concepts accessible through science communication. He collaborates with communities, policymakers, and agencies to develop practical strategies that enhance sustainable forest health. Ian’s passion for conservation and commitment to collaborative problem-solving guide his work as a board member with the Middle Fork Willamette Watershed Council.
Cary Hart
Timber Representative