Kasey Hovik

Executive Director

Kasey moved to Roseburg in 2011 from Minnesota and has been involved in volunteering for several causes and organizations including; Umpqua Watersheds, Douglas County Museum, US Forest Service, Nature Conservancy, Glide Elementary SMART program, and Umpqua Community College. He served on the Board of Directors for Umpqua Watersheds from 2012 to March of 2017 when he stepped off the board to become Executive Director of UW. He is President of the Partnership for the Umpqua Rivers Board of Directors.

He has a passion for education, critical thinking, and working collaboratively to find solutions to community and environmental issues. He has over twenty years of experience history working for large, medium, and small companies in business management and operations and has worked for nonprofit organizations over the last ten years. He has worked full-time at Umpqua Community College since 2013 in Financial Aid and is also the volunteer Natural Resources Program Coordinator. He has a master of business administration degree from the University of St. Thomas and a master of environmental law and policy degree from the Vermont Law School.

He enjoys hiking, biking, and exploring the great Pacific Northwest with his wife and 2 dogs, Lincoln and Tad.

Melanie MacKinnon

Office Manager

Melanie grew up in Juneau, Alaska and moved to Roseburg in 2008. Even then, she was no stranger to Roseburg, as she visited her grandparents here when she was young. She received her B. A. from Western Washington University and has a passion for solar energy, energy efficiency, and our local community.

MacKinnon Energy Solutions is Melanie’s own consulting business where she is an energy consultant and grant writer. She is a certified Solar Photovoltaic Technician and is a Board Member of the Douglas County Global Warming Coalition. Melanie has been significantly involved in several volunteer groups and events including the DC Smart Energy Group, Green and Solar Tour, and Earth Day and Energy Fair.

Her office hours are 1-5 Mon-Wed and 9-1 Thurs-Fri.

Stop in and say hi!

Ryan Kincaid

Former AmeriCorps Member

Now: Director of Education!

Ryan (she/her) is a native of the Finger Lakes region of New York, and ever since she was a child she loved exploring local woods and waters. Ryan earned a BA in Environmental Studies and a Master of Arts in Teaching. She has a passion for coordinating after-school programs which focus on environmentalism, community service, and the creative arts. Ryan served as our Environmental Education & Outreach Leader via AmeriCorps during the 2020-2021 term, and as of August 1st, 2021 will be our new Director of Education! She is excited to continue working with our organization in this new capacity.

In her “free” time, she enjoys gardening, hiking, singing, painting, volunteering at animal shelters, and in general making the world a better place!

Julie Lowe

Environmental Education & Outreach AmeriCorps

My name is Julie Lowe, and I’m delighted to be the Environmental Education and Outreach Leader for Umpqua Watersheds through the United Communities AmeriCorps program.

Born in Colorado and raised in Montana, nature has been my home and love from my earliest memories. Having lived in both the mountains and plains of Montana, nature was my first teacher, and I’ve never looked back. With a Bachelor of Arts Degree from Colorado College in Artificial Intelligence and Cognitive Science, I am a life-long learner and teacher. I have additional studies in Wilderness Management, and certifications as a Professional Knowledge Engineer, a Maryland Master Naturalist, and a Master Herpetologist. My expertise is with nature-based, hands-on science, and I have spent over 15 years teaching physics, chemistry and natural sciences to our youth through my own company “Cricket’s Critters.”  With a love of learning and an overwhelming enthusiasm to teach and inspire others, especially our youngest community members, I strive to embrace the quote from Naturalist David Polis in everything I do:

‘Why must we always teach our children with books? Let them look at the stars and the mountains above. Let them look at the waters and the trees and flowers on Earth. Then they will begin to think, and to think is the beginning of a real education.”

I began my professional career in Maryland as a Knowledge Engineer, then spent several years working with two national non-profit organizations, The Wilderness Society and American Rivers, learning the value of legislation on a national level as a tool to protect our most profound national treasures, our wild lands and our rivers. At the same time, I saw first-hand how working on the ground, at the grassroots level, is where the most important work can be accomplished as we reach the individuals and communities who are at the heart of any meaningful change.

I firmly believe that knowledge and education are key to empowering individuals, even children, with the knowledge, expertise, skills, and awareness to effect meaningful change where necessary, while reserving the finest in nature before it needs rescue – giving them the tools to “save the best and restore the rest.”

I’ve now been blessed to have recently returned to my home range in the northwest, where I am able to jump in with both feet into the one hundred valleys of the Umpqua! I have already met several incredible naturalists in the area, and was thrilled to participate in the Science Week camp by the Umpqua Natural Leadership Science Hub (UNLSH).

I am so excited to begin my work in education and outreach with Umpqua Watersheds. Our wildlands and rivers are truly the last of our very best places – national and irreplaceable treasures – and there is no better example than the Umpqua Valley. I feel I’ve come full circle as I return to my old stomping grounds, and I can’t wait to make a difference.

Robbin Schindele

Wilderness Committee Chair, Crater Lake Wilderness Coordinator

Our current campaign coordinator is Robbin Schindele. He has over thirty years experience in marketing and communications. He began as a photojournalist, has written for nearly every medium, been a video and film producer and director and ended his full time communications career as Vice President of New media for a Minneapolis, MN advertising agency that was the largest web developer in Minnesota in the early 2000s.

In 2003 he left that behind, moved to Idaho, and became a rancherand immediately became involved with the non-profit Back Country Horsemen of Idaho, Shortly thereafter he was elected to the State Board of Directors. From there he was elected to the National Board of Back Country Horsemen of America (BCHA) serving 14,000 members in 27 states. During his tenure on these two Boards he worked closely with the US Forest Service on local projects and national policy issues. IN 2006 he served on board’s leadership team creating the videotape portion of an Indiegogo.com crowdsourcing campaign that raised $125,000 for BCHA.

He has now brought his knowledge, experience and enthusiasm to Umqua Watersheds and is an invaluable asset in moving the CLWC forward.

Patrick Schneider

Programming Director

Patrick joined Umpqua Watersheds in the Fall of 2017 when the low power radio station was launched. Patrick has been invaluable in keeping the radio station running, making sure the appropriate permits, licenses, and fees are filed. A radio station requires a lot of work and Patrick has stepped up to the challenge.

Patrick was recently featured in the Umpqua Community College catalog. See page 13.