Staff

Debbie Fassnacht, Executive Director

Deb fell into a pond as a small child and has been playing and working with water ever since. She is one of the founders of the organization, along with Wendy Sturgis and Eric Ringleberg. What began as a volunteer stream monitoring effort in 1996 has grown into a successful non-profit organization focusing on watersheds, wetlands and education. Deb brings science teaching and education/outreach experience to WEN. Deb is attending University of Montana for a Masters in Curriculum and Instruction with an emphasis in science education. She enjoys spending time with family and friends, field trips to the stream or wetland, skiing, hiking, and baking her delicious chocolate chip cookies.

Kitty Galloway , Programs Coordinator

Kitty Galloway started working with students outdoors when she was eighteen and hasn’t given it up since. She grew up in the Pacific Northwest spending most of her time exploring the ocean and forests, and has discovered her passion is to share with people of all ages the beauty and importance of preserving our natural resources. Kitty self-designed her major of Sustainable Agriculture and Environmental Education at Huxley College in Bellingham, WA, after transferring from Bates College in Maine. She took lots of time along the way to travel and learn more about rivers and streams around the world, which lead her to believe that experiential learning and teaching is often the most valuable kind. Kitty is a recent transplant to Missoula, and she hopes to bring an emphasis on inquiry-based learning to WEN. When she isn’t teaching, she is most likely skiing, exploring the beautiful mountains and rivers of Montana, baking treats to share, or spending time with her dogs.

Erica Thye , MTCC AmeriCorps*VISTA Development Assistant

Erica Thye is WEN’s 2011 MTCC VISTA member. She grew to love the outdoors growing up in Alaska and believes that every child should have an opportunity to explore outside. She graduated from the University of Montana with a BA in Environmental Studies with a minor in Non-profit Administration. Erica loves being outside doing anything, especially hiking and floating the Clark Fork.

Will Ridlehoover: Volunteer Coordinator, Montana Campus Corps Member

Having grown up in Los Angeles, will brings a unique appreciation of water and stream ecology to the WEN Team. After living all over the Rocky Mountain West, Will landed in Missoula last year and fell in love with it’s natural beauty and amazing community. He is a student of Environmental Studies and Biology at the University of Montana, and is grateful to have the opportunity to extend his education to an organization that centers around environmental education. He hopes he can inspire new (and loyal) volunteers to get excited about teaching our curriculum and protecting our watersheds. When he is not acting as Volunteer Coordinator, will can be found floating rivers, taking his dog on adventures, and hiking…oh, and studying.

Clinton Begley: Office Coordinator, Montana Campus Corps Member

Raised on the banks of the Mississippi river in Quincy, Illinois, Clinton Begley has grown up with an appreciation for water and all that it gives us.
His long cultivated love for rivers manifests itself in his continued enjoyment as a flyfisherman, whitewater kayaker and now W.E.N Campus Corps service member.
After nearly thirteen years working in health-care and finance, Clinton decided to shift gears and follow his true passion for the outdoors as a student of Nature Based Tourism at the University of Montana. Clinton also brings with him several years of experience working with a variety of non-profit organizations and is pursuing a minor in non-profit administration as well. After spending a summer internship in Georgia leading whitewater rafting and kayaking trips throughout rivers in the southeast for Georgia State University, Clinton now finds himself enamored with the natural wonders offered by the state of Montana, and the genuine and civically engaged people he has gotten to know here in Missoula.