Scott Bruslind is the Board Chair for the Lacomb Irrigation District. Formed in the 1930s, it takes water at the confluence of Crabtree and Green Mountain Creeks (via an easement with the Weyerhaeuser Company) and distributes to over 200 members and 2000 acres for beneficial use. Scott first joined the SSWC Board in 2021, and serves on the Project and Education Committees. With his partner Linda, Scott has a food and beverage lab, Analysis Laboratory, which was spun off from OSU’s Food Science Department and has been working with Craft Brewers since 1997. Together they are co-founders of downtown Lebanon’s Conversion Brewing Company. Through Various 4-H projects, Scott has bred and raised Berkshire pigs and La Mancha goats. One of their Berk gilts jumped out of the trailer, on Hwy 20, coming home from the Linn County Fair, survived, and became a local celebrity. Snickers was some pig!

Marie is a lifelong Oregonian with a deep passion for the Santiam basin. She grew up playing on the banks of the North Santiam which helped foster in her a deep sense of love and wonder for the environment. She recently graduated from Oregon State University with a degree in Fisheries, Wildlife, and Conservation Sciences and a specialization in Fish Health. Her love for the environment extends beyond just fish: her other interests include plant ecology and taxonomy, invasive species ecology, and herpetology. When she’s not working, she enjoys sewing, gardening, spending time with her cats, and finding small bodies of water to look for critters in.

She previously interned with the North Santiam Watershed Council in 2021 helping with post-fire recovery efforts, and then came on as the Wildfire Adapted Communities Specialist which was a shared position between North Santiam Watershed Council and South Santiam Watershed Council in May of 2023. When the funding for the wildfire position ended, she joined the North Santiam Watershed Council full time as the Projects & Outreach Coordinator.

Kate Bentz (she/her) grew up in Linn County outside of Scio, Oregon on a multi-generational family farm. As a young person, she was inseparable from water: spending countless summers in nearby ponds, lakes, and Thomas/Bilyeu Creek. She graduated the University of Oregon with a B.A. in Planning, Public Policy and Management and started her career in the RARE AmeriCorps program working at the City of Roseburg. In Roseburg, she re-ignited her long-time love of hiking and the outdoors, and picked up new hobbies like foraging and plant taxonomy. Kate currently works at the Linn County Planning and Building Department, which provides services to the South Santiam Watershed, as an Associate Planner focused in rural land use planning and natural hazard mitigation. Her work includes maintaining a committee devoted to community wildfire planning & mitigation and it was through this she encountered the SSWC. In her free time she likes to garden, send postcards, and attend book club meetings.

Troy serves the Board in his capacity as the Program Manager of the Oregon Department of Agriculture’s statewide Noxious Weed Control and Native Plant Conservation Programs. Residing in Sweet Home since 2020, just steps away from the South Santiam River, Troy and his family have grown to love the watershed and the recreational opportunities and ecosystem services that it provides. He has been working in Natural Resources Conservation for 15 years across numerous disciplines including rare and sensitive plants, fish & wildlife and noxious weeds. That experience has traversed the private, non-profit and public sectors as a contractor and working in local, state and federal government. Troy graduated from Oregon State University with a degree in Rangeland Ecology & Management and is married with three daughters. When not working, Troy enjoys flyfishing, kayaking and driving his racecar at the dragstrip.

Collin is from the North Coast of Oregon, a handful of miles outside the small-town of Nehalem. Growing up alongside the South Fork of the Nehalem River and its tributaries, Collin developed a passion for fishing, camping, and exploring the watershed.

Fisheries Science became an obsession for him in high school where he and a team of his fellow students competed in the National Ocean Science Bowl winning state two years in a row and going to nationals both years.

Collin was awarded a full tuition scholarship to attend the University of Alaska Southeast to study biology/oceanography.

Although greatly enjoying Alaska and the subject, he decided to pursue a Classical Guitar Performance and Music Composition Degree at University of Oregon. After graduating and teaching guitar for a while, he decided it was time to get back outside and returned to college and received a degree in Fisheries and Wildlife Sciences from Oregon State University. Before working for the Calapooia Watershed Council, Collin held positions with ODFW on the coast and several positions in the Mid-Willamette valley. Collin was the CWC Habitat Restoration Program Manager from fall of 2015 until Spring of 2018 when he became the Executive Director.

In his leisure time, Collin is a fly fishing fanatic who likes to chase fish around whenever he has a chance! He also enjoys disc golf and camping with his wife.

“I started working at the watershed council focused on habitat restoration. This work is exciting and gives me an outlet to try and make a change in the watershed that we are here to improve. Over the years that I have been here, I am finding that youth education is equally as important and fascinating as restoration in that the current students we work with will be the future stewards of the watersheds we live in.”

In his leisure time, Collin is a fly fishing fanatic who likes to chase fish around on foot or by drift boat whenever and wherever he has a chance! He also enjoys disc golf and camping with his wife Jessica, daughter Edith, and four legged friend Bert.

Adam Fenner is a graduate from Oregon State University. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Agricultural Sciences with an emphasis on managed ecosystems. He currently works for a natural resource consulting firm as a silvicultural forester on a 12,500 acre privately owned forest. Adam became interested in joining the watershed council after meeting and working with representatives from the council on an Instream habitat improvement project on Thomas Creek, located within the forest that he works on.  While Adam enjoys working in the private timber industry, he is excited for the opportunity to work on projects for the broader community to enhance biological diversity, enhance ecological function, and improve wildlife habitat and water quality. During his down time, Adam enjoys outdoor activities with his family, exploring new places on his motorcycle, and working in his home-based metal fabrication shop.

My path later took me into electrical engineering and small‑business management, where I focused on equipment development, product testing, and building efficient, reliable systems for Hewlett-Packard. Over time, I found myself increasingly drawn to governance—how organizations make decisions, how policies guide outcomes, and how clear communication strengthens communities.

My goal is to help the South Santiam Watershed Council strengthen its organizational systems, deepen community trust, and support staff in delivering meaningful, science‑based outcomes across the watershed. I want to contribute to a governance culture that is transparent, collaborative, and steady—one that equips the Council to make clear decisions, build strong partnerships, and care for the South Santiam with long‑term stewardship in mind.

Matthew brings more than two decades of experience in forestry, including engineering, contract logging administration, and management. He has also served as a safety lead, helping shape strategies aimed at creating an injury-free workplace for both employees and contractors. Safety, efficiency, and strong leadership are central to his approach.

A longtime Oregon resident of more than 30 years, Matthew earned his bachelor’s degree in forestry engineering from Oregon State University. He lives in Albany with his wife and three daughters and remains deeply connected to Oregon’s working forests and communities.

Joe Schaefer grew up on a family farm in Molalla, Oregon, where he developed a strong connection to the land and natural resources. He currently works for Cascade Timber Consulting, Inc., where he is part of a great team that manages 145,000 acres in Linn County for the Hill Family. These lands have been sustainably managed for the family for over 100 years! Joe became interested in joining the South Santiam Watershed Council through collaborative project work and has since developed a deep appreciation for the watershed. He is committed to supporting its health and long-term vitality and enjoys contributing to efforts that help the watershed flourish. In his free time, Joe enjoys hunting and fishing, further strengthening his connection to the outdoors.

Travis Wilson, a third-generation Oregonian, grew up in Scio, Oregon. He is a small business owner with a background in construction and agriculture. Travis manages woodland properties along South Santiam tributaries and operates as an outfitter on the Deschutes River. From these experiences come a grounded understanding of rural economies, land stewardship, and resource management.

Travis’s lifelong passion for fishing and hunting has deepened his appreciation for conservation and responsible land management. He cares deeply about preserving Oregon’s rivers, forests, and wildlife for future generations, while supporting the families and communities that currently depend on them.

Travis is grateful for the opportunity to participate on the SSWC Board. He is dedicated to helping the organization make educated and thoughtful decisions that balance economic opportunity with the safeguarding of Oregon’s natural resources and beauty.