Meet the North Yakima Conservation District Staff:

District Manager: Mike Tobin

Mike was hired in 1989 as a Resource Technician.  He is a lifelong resident of the Yakima Valley.  Mike attended Yakima Valley Community College for 2 years and earned an A.A.  He than transferred to Washington State University where he earned a B.S. in Agricultural Mechanism (Agricultural engineering without the math) all within three glorious football seasons.  He continues to attend WAZZU every fall via home football games.  After many years of on the job training Mike took on the District Manager role in 1995.  As District Manager his role is to seek financial, technical and educational resources whatever their source and use them to achieve the resource goals of the North Yakima Conservation District.   

Bookkeeper/Admin. Assistant: Jackie Whitnall

Jackie was born and raised in Yakima.  She earned an unofficial degree from her 3 children in early childhood development and human behavior.  She then started with the District in 1988, and has worked closely with the District's educational programs facilitated in the 1990s.  She Designed the NYCD logo back in 1989.  She's served as the Bookkeeper and Administrative Assistant with the District since that time participating in the annual native plant sale, grant vouchering, and administrative duties.

 Natural Resource Specialist: Brian Schmidt

Brian started as a part time employee with the District in 1995.  He grew up in the Yakima Valley and earned a B.S. degree in Biology at Washington State University.  At the District he works on the implementation grant, contracts and/or memorandums of agreement of assigned programs relating to the District's annual and long range plans.  Further, his responsibilities include working with private landowners, local, state, and federal entities to identify, implement, and monitor best management practices that protect, enhance, and promote the wise use of natural resources.

 Yakima Tributary Access and Habitat Program Coordinator: Justin Bader

Justin was born in Alaska and grew up in the Kittitas Valley.  He attended Central Washington University, earning an undergraduate degree in Physical Geography and later a M.S. in Natural Resource Management.  He started with the district in 2008 and coordinates the Yakima Tributary Access and Habitat Program (YTAHP) for the District.  He will work with landowners on fish screening and fish passage barrier concerns and habitat improvement in high priority salmonid bearing streams.

Resource Technician: Jeremy Lieb

Jeremy began work at the District in October of 2008, coordinating the Irrigation Efficiencies Grant Program and the Water Metering program.  Jeremy grew up in northern California and moved to Bellingham as a teenager.  He attended Central Washington University earning a B.A. in Geography and an M.S. in Resource Management, and has been living in Ellensburg for the last seven years.  Jeremy is excited to help maintain the vital agricultural heritage and landscape of Yakima County though assisting irrigators in developing efficient water management solutions.