Jennifer Weddle, Co-Executive Director
Jennifer Weddle (MSc, MIT) grew up on the east coast, attended college in Washington, and has been living in and learning about the Okanogan since 2009. Jen served as a member of OHA’s board from 2012-2019 and is excited to be taking on a leadership role as Co-Executive Director. She also enjoys her work as part-time teacher at the Tonasket Outreach Program. Jen and her husband, Jordon, have two children in elementary school, and she loves spending time her family, being outside, running, and reading.
Sarah Kliegman, Co-Executive Director
Sarah Kliegman, Ph.D. was born in Tonasket, WA and grew up in the highlands. Her involvement with OHA started at a young age, and OHA’s work to stop the open pit gold mine inspired her educational pursuits. She earned degrees at Reed College and University of Minnesota. Subsequently, she worked as an environmental chemistry researcher and a chemistry professor. Sarah loves to share and prepare meals with the plentiful produce of the Okanogan, travel and meet new people, and explore the natural world by foot, by bicycle, or on skis wherever she goes.
David Kliegman, Senior Advisor
David was a founding member of OHA and worked as a volunteer before becoming staff in 1994. Working as a legal liaison for OHA, he coordinated a campaign that used science and the law to stop the large-scale, open-pit, cyanide-leach mine proposal on Buckhorn Mountain in 2000. Since then he has persistently scrutinized the subsequent underground mine, urging the mining company and regulatory agencies to do their jobs to reduce environmental damage. Under David’s leadership, OHA purchased and maintains the Lost Lake Wetland and Wildlife Preserve, and began and sustains robust education and restoration programs. David enjoys his family, being outdoors, hiking, and gardening. He is a woodworker, manages a woodlot, and operates a portable sawmill. He has made the Okanogan Highlands his home since 1980.
Hanna Kliegman, President
Hanna Kliegman has made the Okanogan Highlands her home since the fall of 1980. Her children were born and grew up in the here. Hanna worked as Technology Director at Tonasket School District until retiring. Hanna has been involved with OHA from early on and has been a member of the Board of Directors since 1996. From the early days of the organization, many OHA tasks and meetings took place at the Kliegman home, their whole family participated, and OHA has been large part of Hanna’s life. She has folded many a newsletter, reviewed articles and documents, cooked numerous meals for board members and organizational events, attended countless meetings with agency personnel and government leaders, and helped organize many fundraisers. She is currently on the Executive Committee serving as Treasurer, and is on the Get Lost! Trail Race committee, the Education Committee, and the Hiring Committee.
Rick Massey, Vice President
Rick Massey joined the OHA board in September 2019, and brings fresh perspectives, resources, and connections to the organization. He has special interests in protecting the wild places around Tonasket, and in developing a larger network of trails and areas for recreation and education. Rick shared with OHA, “When I was a kid, mountain biking and being outdoors was one of the main things my family did together. I would love to have our kids grow up with access to a wonderful network of trails. My greatest hope is to raise the next generation to protect and cherish our local outdoor spaces.” Rick grew up in a small town on the “wet side” of the state, lived in California and Japan, and returned to Washington fifteen years ago. Rick and his family moved to Tonasket about five years ago to be closer to his wife’s (Erin VanderStoep’s) family. They have two boys, Sol (age six) and Abe (age one), who are already learning to be outdoor adventurers.
John McReynolds, Treasurer
John McReynolds moved to the area in 2017 from Bellingham. John’s wife, Alisa was excited to return to her hometown of Tonasket, and John was excited to raise his two children in this community. John is the Chief Operating Officer at North Valley Hospital, and currently serves as the North Valley Community Associate Vice-President and enjoys spending this time outdoors hiking, fishing, and hunting. John wants to be an advocate of sustainable and responsible land use and stewardship of our wild areas.
Charlie Walker, Secretary
Charlie moved to Tonasket in 2021 with his wife Helen and their dog Zeus. Since moving here, he’s been enthralled with the beauty of the Okanogan (particularly the wildflowers). What he loves most is sharing the adventure of the outdoors with friends and family. He grew up backpacking the Cascades and Siskiyou mountains of Southern Oregon where he learned about permaculture and multiple benefits of outdoor education. He received an interdisciplinary degree in sustainable economic development from Western Washington University, was a Peace Corps Volunteer in Panama, worked for USAID in Ethiopia, received his MBA from NYU, and currently works remotely from his home.
Paul Gelineau
Paul joined the OHA board in 2020. Paul and his wife, Sarah, retired and moved to the Okanogan in 2009, and have immersed themselves in the mountains, forests, and strong community they found here. He spent his career as an engineer while also enjoying hobbies such as flying airplanes, mountain and road biking, driving a motorcycle, mountaineering, and studying astronomy. He is motivated by values such as open land, starry skies, and the quiet of the mountains.
Tia Wold
Tia Wold was born, raised and educated in Washington state and in the fall of 2021 she and her husband Aaron moved to Okanogan County to make this place home. Tia works as a Physical Therapist at North Valley Hospital in Tonasket. When not working, she enjoys exploring wild spaces by foot, bike, raft and skis. One of her favorite parts about moving her body is working up an appetite and sharing delicious food with friends. She is learning how to forage, garden, hunt and cook harvested foods. Tia is excited about helping people explore and experience the Okanogan Highlands, specifically via trail access and outdoor education.
Bertha Villa-Maldonado
Bertha has a Bachelor of Arts in Education, endorsed in Spanish, English Language Arts (ELA) and English as a Second Language (ESL) from Eastern Washington University. She received a Masters in Foreign Languages/Cultures and Pedagogy from Washington State University and completed PhD courses in Literature at Arizona State University with an emphasis on Mexican-American Literature. An experienced and gifted teacher, Bertha currently teaches at Tonasket Outreach School. She loves her job because it offers her the opportunity to work with students and make a difference in their lives. When she is not working, Bertha loves to spend time dancing, reading, traveling, spending time with her family and friends, and eating anything her husband cooks. She and her husband Rene are the proud parents of two wonderful sons, Andres and Alejandro.