STAFF: Debbie Boswell- Administrative Director - (509)209-2400
Debbie has been with The Lands Council since 1991. Bookkeeping and administrative duties keep her busy and she tries to keep the staff happy and the office running smooth. Debbie is a native of Spokane and is married with two grown children, loves to travel, read and relax, especially at Priest Lake. Her favorite free time is spent sharing good food, conversation and laughter with family and friends.
Joe Cannon - Beaver Project/ Restoration Ecologist - (509)209-2402
Joe has been a life-long outdoor enthusiast, and has cultivated a zeal for the environment and preserving natural areas over the years. He is a native of Florida, where he earned his B.S. in Botany from the University of Florida. In the following years he worked with vegetation identification and other ecology monitoring crews, and completed an AmeriCorps position with wetland restoration. He came directly to Spokane from Corvallis, OR, where he completed an M.S. in Applied Science at Oregon State University in 2009. He has had aspirations of working with beaver for many years, and is eager for the opportunity to work full time with the Beaver Project. In his spare time he enjoys playing drums, cycling, films, and bowling. He also really likes cooking and creating new vegetarian recipes.
Kat Hall- Conservation Programs Director - (509)209-2403Kat's lifelong passion revolves around working with people and the natural environment. She is grateful for the many opportunities she's had...from studying in Australia to mentoring at-risk youth through trail maintenance and environmental education in Alaska to assisting in Katrina recovery efforts in New Orleans. She holds a B.S. in Natural Resources and a Master's in Environmental Management. A returned Peace Corps Volunteer (Cameroon '94-'98), Kat is passionate about teaching and learning, values community service, and finds peace, joy and spirituality in the natural world. In her free time, Kat can be found sailing and kayaking the lakes of the Inland Northwest, playing and coaching sports, and traveling the world with her life partner.
Jeff attended Southern Illinois University Carbondale. His scientific training included gaining his Masters and Specialists degrees in School Psychology at SIU-C. Jeff moved to Spokane June 2008 to begin his second term on staff with The Lands Council, after spending 15 years with the Ecology Center in Missoula working on forest and wildlife issues. Jeff is the Forest Policy Director at The Lands Council and works to protect and better manage national forest in the Northwest Rockies. In his spare time Jeff enjoys backpacking, skiing, river running, bicycling, Ultimate frisbee and disc golf.
Nicole is excited to work with The Lands Council as our new Americorps member. She will be working with the Beaver Solution and Project SUSTAIN as The Lands Council's new Beaver Solution Education Assistant. Hailing from Bellingham, Washington, Nicole is a recent graduate from Western Washington University. She received her degree in Environmental Policy from Huxley, Western's college of the environment. Nicole enjoys going new places and trying new things, having never been to Spokane before this past August. In her spare time, Nicole loves to play soccer and ultimate frisbee, read, knit, and go camping. Nicole also fosters a passion for music and performing arts, with past involvement in stage plays and video production, as well as playing the piano and singing in choirs.
Amanda Parrish- Watershed Program Director - (509)209-2408
After studying in the biodiverse ecosystems of Ecuador, Amanda completed her undergraduate degree in Environmental Studies at the University of San Francisco, California. She relocated to the Inland Northwest to work in forest monitoring with the Coeur d'Alene Tribe. In 2009 she served The Lands Council as an AmeriCorp member and is thrilled to continue working at TLC revitalizing the Inland Northwest through beaver restoration. In her spare time, in case you were wondering, she enjoys being in bodies of water, gluten-free baking, hiking, gardening, plant identification, Tapatio hot sauce, and good music.
Mike has been Executive Director of The Lands Council for eight years. Mike is a board member of a number of groups, including the Northwest Washington Forestry Coalition, the Coeur d' Alene Forest Coalition, and Farm Power. He is helping the City of Spokane write their Climate Action Plan and sits on the Spokane Sustainability Task Force. Mike has an MS in Mechanical Engineering from Colorado State and over 30 years in environmental advocacy. Mike has a weekly environmental talk show, Tuesdays at noon on KYRS 92.3 FM.
Amanda Swan- Director of Development & Communications - (509)209-2851
Amanda, born and raised in Spokane Valley, is a self-proclaimed "Child of the Wind". During her time at Eastern Washington University, she took advantage of every opportunity presented to her, including a summer session in Rome, Italy where she studied painting. Once she returned, Amanda began freelancing for The Liberty Lake Splash, and worked as a Marketing Intern for SCRAPS. In 2009, Amanda headed to Washington D.C. for an internship with Practical Horseman Magazine. As rewarding and exciting as the internship was, Amanda was never happier to get back to fresh air, green trees, and all things Spokane! Since graduating with degrees in both Journalism PR and Studio Art, Amanda worked in Marketing for a Real Estate company while remaining involved with SCRAPS as a volunteer. In her spare time Amanda enjoys riding her horse Roxy, painting and spending time with friends, family and her dogs.
Crystal- Office Dog - K911
Crystal, a 13 year-old Australian shepherd, is proud to serve as The Lands Council's office dog. A Washington native, she is trained in herding farm animals and chewing on bones. Her gentle manner and positive energy add to the office's warm and friendly environment. She is happy to be petted by staff and visitors alike, and always enjoys receiving treats. Crystal spends much of her time sleeping and keeping the kitchen floor (and Nicole's office) free of food debris.
Joe has been a life-long outdoor enthusiast, and has cultivated a zeal for the environment and preserving natural areas over the years. He is a native of Florida, where he earned his B.S. in Botany from the University of Florida. In the following years he worked with vegetation identification and other ecology monitoring crews, and completed an AmeriCorps position with wetland restoration. He came directly to Spokane from Corvallis, OR, where he completed an M.S. in Applied Science at Oregon State University in 2009. He has had aspirations of working with beaver for many years, and is eager for the opportunity to work full time with the Beaver Project. In his spare time he enjoys playing drums, cycling, films, and bowling. He also really likes cooking and creating new vegetarian recipes.
Kat's lifelong passion revolves around working with people and the natural environment. She is grateful for the many opportunities she's had...from studying in Australia to mentoring at-risk youth through trail maintenance and environmental education in Alaska to assisting in Katrina recovery efforts in New Orleans. She holds a B.S. in Natural Resources and a Master's in Environmental Management. A returned Peace Corps Volunteer (Cameroon '94-'98), Kat is passionate about teaching and learning, values community service, and finds peace, joy and spirituality in the natural world. In her free time, Kat can be found sailing and kayaking the lakes of the Inland Northwest, playing and coaching sports, and traveling the world with her life partner.
Jeff attended Southern Illinois University Carbondale. His scientific training included gaining his Masters and Specialists degrees in School Psychology at SIU-C. Jeff moved to Spokane June 2008 to begin his second term on staff with The Lands Council, after spending 15 years with the Ecology Center in Missoula working on forest and wildlife issues. Jeff is the Forest Policy Director at The Lands Council and works to protect and better manage national forest in the Northwest Rockies. In his spare time Jeff enjoys backpacking, skiing, river running, bicycling, Ultimate frisbee and disc golf.
Mike has been Executive Director of The Lands Council for eight years. Mike is a board member of a number of groups, including the Northwest Washington Forestry Coalition, the Coeur d' Alene Forest Coalition, and Farm Power. He is helping the City of Spokane write their Climate Action Plan and sits on the Spokane Sustainability Task Force. Mike has an MS in Mechanical Engineering from Colorado State and over 30 years in environmental advocacy. Mike has a weekly environmental talk show, Tuesdays at noon on
Amanda, born and raised in Spokane Valley, is a self-proclaimed "Child of the Wind". During her time at Eastern Washington University, she took advantage of every opportunity presented to her, including a summer session in Rome, Italy where she studied painting. Once she returned, Amanda began freelancing for The Liberty Lake Splash, and worked as a Marketing Intern for SCRAPS. In 2009, Amanda headed to Washington D.C. for an internship with Practical Horseman Magazine. As rewarding and exciting as the internship was, Amanda was never happier to get back to fresh air, green trees, and all things Spokane! Since graduating with degrees in both Journalism PR and Studio Art, Amanda worked in Marketing for a Real Estate company while remaining involved with SCRAPS as a volunteer. In her spare time Amanda enjoys riding her horse Roxy, painting and spending time with friends, family and her dogs. 
Crystal, a 13 year-old Australian shepherd, is proud to serve as The Lands Council's office dog. A Washington native, she is trained in herding farm animals and chewing on bones. Her gentle manner and positive energy add to the office's warm and friendly environment. She is happy to be petted by staff and visitors alike, and always enjoys receiving treats. Crystal spends much of her time sleeping and keeping the kitchen floor (and Nicole's office) free of food debris.