Maia D. Bellon is a Partner at Cascadia Law Group and its consulting affiliate Cascadia Policy Solutions where she advises Tribal government, municipal, and private clients on a wide array of complex environmental matters, including water resources, climate and energy policy, air quality, environmental justice, toxics cleanup, water quality, and Tribal law. Prior to joining Cascadia, Maia was appointed by Governor Jay Inslee, and unanimously confirmed by the Washington Senate, to serve as the director of the Department of Ecology (2013-2019). She was the longest-serving Ecology director in state history and led the agency to great achievements in environmental protection, including intentional integration of environmental justice and climate change policy into the management and regulation of land, air, and water. Before serving as director, Maia was on Ecology’s Executive Leadership Team and held positions as the deputy and program manager of the Water Resources Program (2010-2012). Prior to working at Ecology, she represented the agency for 15 years as an Assistant Attorney General at the Washington Attorney General’s Office providing client advice and litigation support on a broad range of environmental and natural resources matters and litigation. Maia received her J.D. from Arizona State University, College of Law in 1994, and was presented a Dean’s Award upon graduation. She was also awarded the Joseph Albert Dear Distinguished Alumni Award in 2015 from her undergraduate institution, The Evergreen State College (‘91 graduate). Maia is a descendant of the federally recognized Mescalero Apache Tribe, is adopted Yakama, and has deep ties with many Washington Tribes.

Vanessa Castle is a member of the Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe where she previously worked as a fisheries and wildlife technician on the Elwha River restoration project. She is a mother, fisherwoman and advocate for all salmon people. She currently works for Ridges to Riffles as a Tribal Engagement coordinator for the Klamath River Restoration Project making sure that tribes have a voice at the table during the largest river restoration project in the world.

Ron Charles was chair of the Port Gamble S’Klallam tribe for 23 years, and was a commercial fisherman during much of that time. He served as the NWIFC Commissioner representing the Point No Point tribes in the mid-1970s. He has served in many fisheries management roles over the years for Port Gamble, and currently serves on their fishing and hunting committees.

Chairman Jaison Elkins grew up on the Muckleshoot Reservation. He was raised to value the responsibilities of being a hunter and fisherman, and to respect tribal sovereignty and protect tribal interests. These are traditions and responsibilities he continues to cultivate through his work on the Muckleshoot Tribal Council. Elkins values the natural environment, social responsibility, and the promotion and education of youth. He’s eager to maintain and cultivate government-to-government relationships and community partnerships that address those values and the challenges facing our communities.

Roger Fernandes is a Native American artist, storyteller, and educator whose work focuses on the culture and arts of the Coast Salish tribes of western Washington. He is a member of the Lower Elwha S’Klallam Tribe, and has a B.A. in Indian Studies from The Evergreen State College and an M.A. in Whole Systems Design from Antioch University.

Phil Hamilton is a member of the Muckleshoot Indian Tribe and has served on their tribal fish commission for 43 years, including 18 years as vice chair. He served as the Muckleshoot representative on the NWIFC for 18 years. A business owner and artist, Hamilton began fishing shortly after the Boldt decision and continues to this day. Along with others on the tribe’s fish commission and tribal council, he helped shape and implement the tribe’s fisheries pro-grams. As co-managers of three watersheds in a metropolitan and highly urbanized region, the tribe developed management strategies for sustainable fisheries that will continue for generations.

Cleve Jackson is the Fisheries Policy Spokesperson for the Quinault Indian Nation, of which he is also a member.

Ed Johnstone has been NWIFC Chairman since 2021.He served as treasurer from 2009-2021, and as the Quinault Indian Nation’s commissioner to the NWIFC from 2000-2022. Johnstone also served on the Quinault Tribal Council from 1996-2002.Johnstone has extensive experience in the management of salmon, steelhead, crab, clams, black cod and halibut, and was previously Quinault’s fisheries policy spokesperson. He serves on the Southern Panel of the Pacific Salmon Commission and the Intergovernmental Policy Council, a forum of tribal and state co-managers of the ocean region that includes the Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary.

Ashley Lewis is the founder of Bad Ash Outdoors, and has over a decade of experience as a professional fisher. She is pursuing a PhD in American History at the University of California, Davis.

Micah McCarty is enrolled Makah and a Former Chairman. He is an artist and remains active in defense of the Treaty Ecology.

Connie McCloud is a Puyallup Tribal Elder, and is currently the Puyallup Tribe’s Heritage Division Manager. She has dedicated her career to preserving the culture and legacy of her people in the South Sound.

Mary Neil is a Lummi Tribal member.  She is an attorney for the Muckleshoot Indian Tribe. Prior to her representation of the Muckleshoot Indian Tribe, she represented the Lummi Nation for over 16 years in complex litigation involving treaty fishing rights and served as Lummi’s Reservation Attorney for 10 years. Mary graduated from Gonzaga University School of Law and was admitted to the Washington State Bar in 2003.

Jason Schaffler is a member of a federally recognized Native American Tribe and grew up in rural Oklahoma where he developed an interest in nature. He received a B.S. from Northeastern State University (Oklahoma), an M.S. from Clemson University, and Ph.D. from Oklahoma State University. He has worked for the Muckleshoot Indian Tribe since 2014 as the Senior Quantitative Scientist and is the current chair of the Pacific Fishery Management Council Scientific and Statistical Committee.

Scott Schuyler is member, elder and fisherman of the Upper Skagit Indian Tribe. He is a descendant of the tribe’s Pateaus sub chief who signed the Trea-ty of Point Elliott in 1855. Schuyler is employed with the tribe’s natural resources department and is the tribe’s policy representative on natural and cultural resources. He has spent much of his career in negotiations with the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife on co-management and with Seattle City Light on hydropower licensing. Schuyler is proud to have fished, hunted and gathered food sources from his homelands for the last 40 years just as his ancestors did. His mission is to ensure future generations have even more opportunities to exercise their treaty rights to continue those cultural practices.

Chet Tweed has previously been a member of the Quinault tribal council, he has also served in areas such as Fish and Wildlife enforcement and currently serves as a Policy Representative for the Quinault Indian Nation.

Tandy Wilbur is the Fisheries Manager for the Swinomish Indian Tribal Community. He also serves as the Swinomish Tribal Representative on the Skagit River System Cooperative.

Althea Wilson works as a policy researcher and office coordinator in the Office of Government Affairs and Treaty Protection of the Lummi Nation. She is also the Native environmental science curriculum development coordinator at the Northwest Indian College, where she received her Bachelor’s degree in Native Environmental Science.

Shawn Yanity served as a member of the Stillaguamish Tribal Board for 23 years, as Vice chair for 6 years and as Chairman for 16 years. For two decades he served as fisheries manager for the Stillaguamish Tribe and served as Vice Chair of the Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission.

Dr. Charlotte Coté (Tseshaht/Nuu-chah-nulth) is a professor in American Indian Studies at the University of Washington. She is the author of A Drum in one Hand, A Sockeye in the Other. Stories of Indigenous Food Sovereignty from the Northwest Coast (UW Press, 2022) and Spirits of Our Whaling Ancestors. Revitalizing Makah and Nuu-chah-nulth Traditions (UW Press, 2010) as well as numerous other publications. Dr. Coté has dedicated her personal and academic life to creating awareness around Indigenous health and wellness issues and to working with Indigenous peoples and communities in revitalizing their traditional foodways.

Cecilia Gobin is a Conservation Policy Analyst at the Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission. She has previously worked for the Tulalip Tribes on cultural resources issues and at the Hibulb Cultural Center, and for the United States House of Representatives, House Natural Resource Committee’s Office of Indian Affairs.

Nicole Doran is a PhD student in the School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences. She defended her master’s thesis in March of 2024, which explored themes of Indigenous environmental justice, food sovereignty, and the cultural-ecological resilience.

Julia Parrish is a Professor in the UW School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences, and Associate Dean of Academic Affairs in the College of the Environment.