Meghan Quinn

Executive Director

Meghan is an accomplished entrepreneur and avid conservationist. With a solid background in finance and accounting, Meghan launched her own software business in New York City at 23 years old. She sold it three years later, enabling her to travel the world.

After four years of globe-trotting, Meghan returned to Jackson Hole because of its beautiful parks and her passion for conservation. Meghan launched Sage Consulting, a comprehensive fundraising and event management services company. She has created innovative fundraising strategies and has managed large, multi-day, and multi-faceted events. She has worked with The Wildlife Conservation Society and the National Parks Conservation Association.

Meghan is a graduate of Leadership Jackson Hole, a Wyoming Volunteer Firefighter, and an ultramarathon runner. She is featured in the book, “The Finding Forty Project”, a photographic and narrative journey to 40 domestic and international destinations, examining what it means to be 40 years old to a diverse set of women.

Matt Bambach

Water Resources Program Manager

Matt brings a robust background in outreach and research to the POWJH team. A lifelong reverence for the natural world led to a BA in Environmental Geography from Colgate University. Throughout this time, he had the opportunity to engage outside of the classroom on several levels; from leading classroom lessons on watershed ecology to conducting field research on the relationship between changing land use and childhood malnutrition in rural Uganda.

Having always wanted to live in bigger mountains, he then moved west to pursue powder turns and focus his professional interests on freshwater. After a summer internship collecting stoneflies along Montana’s Flathead River and winter spent teaching at Teton Village, he had the opportunity to return to school to study limnology. Matt earned his MS in Water Resources Science from the University of Minnesota-Duluth by examining the unique phytoplankton (specifically toxic cyanobacteria) communities of lakes, and their relationship to anthropogenic and natural watershed characteristics, across the state’s varied bioregions.

In the time since, his work has focused on regenerative agriculture, citizen science, and community engagement. He is a member of the Idaho Master Naturalists and helped implement a volunteer water quality monitoring program for Lake Pend Oreille Waterkeeper in Sandpoint, Idaho. After returning to the Tetons, he helped manage a biodynamic farm in Victor, Idaho, and completed the Conservation Leadership Institute from JH Conservation Alliance.

He believes our community has a responsibility to effectively steward the headwaters of one of our continent’s most important rivers. When he isn’t working to better understand, restore and protect our greatest resource, he loves to forage, garden, cook, and spend time on the water, in the forest, or among the high peaks. Finally, he is humbled to serve all who call this region home as an advocate for clean water.

Wendy Hagedorn

Communications & Marketing Director

Wendy has a strong history in design, education, and community engagement. She has two degrees in Apparel and Textile Design; a Bachelor of Science from the University of Wisconsin–Madison and an Associate in Applied Science from the Fashion Institute of Technology–SUNY. Her design career began in New York City and includes international apparel design, costume/wardrobe design for movie and Broadway theater productions, and metal-smithing as a jewelry design assistant.

Approached with the opportunity to teach design as an interim faculty member at UW–Madison, Wendy enthusiastically returned to her alma mater. After completing her contract, a desire to travel and connect with nature led her west to the mountains and then to Hawai’i where she pursued the passion to be an entrepreneur and launched her artisan jewelry company. Committed to arts and education in the community, Wendy also served on the Board of Trustees for a nonprofit art association and was part-owner of an artist cooperative.

She returned to the mountains near Jackson Hole when she married and has since turned her talents toward her love for the wilderness and helping to protect the unique resource of the headwaters of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem.

Brad Nielson

Chair

My wife Kristi and I live about a mile and a half north of Wilson where we are surrounded by beautiful Fish Creek and the many small streams and tributaries that feed into it. Living here, surrounded by water, I witness every day how critically important clean, sustainable water resources are to all of the wildlife and beauty that makes this valley such a unique and special place.

As with everyone else who calls this valley home, water is at the center of almost everything I do everyday. From my first cup of coffee in the morning, to fly-fishing, drift boating, kayaking, canoeing, or just sitting on the bank of a river, stream or lake and watching the raptors, waterfowl, ungulates and other multitude of wildlife that rely on clean, healthy, unpolluted water resources to thrive.

I joined the board of POWJH when it was known as Friends of Fish Creek. It was obvious at that time that the ecological health of Fish Creek was in serious decline. As POWJH studied the causes of that decline, it became apparent that all the sources of pollution negatively impacting Fish Creek are also impacting the surface waters and groundwater throughout our valley. Fish Creek, it turns out, is the proverbial “Canary in the coal mine” telling us that our valley’s water resources are under serious threat.

Water is the lifeblood of this valley. Our health, economy, housing, recreation, and wildlife are totally dependent on having healthy surface waters and groundwaters. Unfortunately, those responsible for protecting our precious water resources have failed, for over 40 years, to take this vital issue seriously and take steps necessary to reclaim and protect our water resources. That is why POWJH exists; to serve as a powerful advocate for reducing nutrient pollution and protecting water quality in the Jackson Hole Valley, both now and in the future. I consider myself fortunate to be able to serve on its board.

Bob Peters

Vice-Chair

We live south of town in Melody Ranch. I enjoy fly-fishing, rafting, photography, swimming, sightseeing, and hiking along the river.

I have a history of fishing the same property on Fish Creek for nearly 35 years. I’ve watched the results of water quality decline in the creek, particularly over the last 10 years.

I believe POWJH can help the rest of our community understand that there is a major water quality problem unfolding in our valley. I hope we will see private septic tank systems disappear on the valley floor and a wastewater treatment system that will treat nearly all of this community’s wastewater. That’s the only way we can permanently protect the incredible water resources we have been blessed with in Jackson Hole.

Valerie Brown

Secretary, Treasurer

My husband and I live full-time in East Jackson. I like to fish, scuba dive, raft wild and scenic rivers, and enjoy a hike and lunch by clear mountain lakes and streams where I can view the wildlife.

Without clean water, everything we love in this wonderful place is at risk. The disaster in Hoback, the E. coli in Fish and Flat creeks, the algae blooms in standing water throughout the valley, and the clear data that show our aquifer is being polluted by wastewater from the thousands of septic tanks in the valley makes the work of POWJH urgent and relevant.

The seeming lack of community awareness of these degradations in our water quality makes this one of the most critical issues our community is facing. POWJH is doing crucial work for the benefit of this community and our environment.

With my Board colleagues, POWJH staff, and the support of this community we can repair and preserve this precious resource. I hope that protecting and restoring the quality of drinking water from our aquifer and improving effluent discharged to our streams and wild rivers becomes the Number 1 priority for this community.

Ken Taylor

I live 3.3 miles south of Wilson on Fish Creek. My water interests are: first, potable water for human consumption; and second, clean water for the protection of the environment to include healthy fisheries and sustainable wildlife.

I was a founder and the first president of this organization, formed when fishermen and residents began finding increased algae growth, fewer insect hatches, and general deterioration of the water quality in Fish Creek.

My hope is that POWJH will educate and empower the community to demand implementation of a ‘Comprehensive Water Quality Management Plan’ for Teton County.

Bob Paulson

I live 2 miles south of Wilson on Fish Creek. Living on the creek for 25 years, I have witnessed the increasing impact of pollution, vegetation, and algae on the stream. I love fly fishing but I do not fish in my local stream. I prefer to watch the stream and the resident fish, and fish in places that offer cleaner water.

I have been on the board since the beginning seven years ago when a group of concerned residents decided the water pollution and the degradation of Fish Creek must be addressed because the county was not taking taking the needed action.

I know that this problem has developed over decades due to population growth, improper dependence on septic systems, and weak regulations. I realize that the solutions will take time as well, but I hope that I will witness the beginning of improvement to our local water quality for future generations. I hope my grandchildren will see cleaner water after I am gone.

Les Gibson

I currently live in Teton Village and have lived in the valley for 44 years. I am a paddler, windsurfer, skier, swimmer, and have always had a connection to water.

I joined the organization at the very beginning because I have seen the changes in Fish Creek. I have also been on the Teton Village Water and Sewer Board and the Indian Paintbrush Water Board.

As an engineer and conservationist, I believe the residences on the valley floor should be connected to a sewer system, if possible. My goal was, and is, to achieve a valley-wide collection system to connect to the existing sewage treatment plants, or possibly new ones.

Reynolds Pomeroy

I’ve lived just southeast of Wilson down Wenzel Lane for 35 years, on the east side of Fish Creek. I enjoy all things related to water: outfitting, recreating, stewardship and advocacy - and also clean drinking water! I’ve spent 60 years as a fisherman, paddler/floater/boater on rivers, lakes, and salt waters; 20 years as a fly-fishing guide and outfitter; 8 years as a fly-fishing guest ranch operator; founder and emeritus board member of the Snake River Fund with an active role in the Wild and Scenic designation of the Snake River Headwaters; and 9 years (and current) scenic commercial boatman in GTNP.

I joined the organization at the beginning seven years ago to continue and expand my participation in clean water stewardship efforts and advocacy on the Westbank, and installed one of the first private residential advanced sewage treatment systems along Fish Creek.

I hope POWJH has an impact on water quality in Teton County by focusing on comprehensive, scientific, practical, and overdue community attention on water quality challenges and historic policy inattention and failures. I would like to see across the board adoption of water quality best practices on all levels of human presence in the valley (residential, agricultural, commercial, and recreational) with an emphasis on remediation to start, followed by being the leadership-level example of policy and implementation within similarly situated mountain west communities.

Kristin Revill

I live north of town by the Snake River and some beautiful spring creeks. I grew up in Rhode Island and spent most of my childhood either on or in the water - sailing, fishing, swimming, waterskiing. I also have a graduate degree in Soil Chemistry and Environmental Microbiology and have always been interested in ecosystem health and resilience. Water is, of course, at the center of both.

Like so many people, I assumed the water in Teton County was pristine because we sit at the foot of two National Parks. Sadly, our water is far from pristine. Multiple studies have shown that both surface and groundwater are being polluted by the thousands of septic system that don’t function properly in our soil and during our cold winters. Both Fish and Flat Creek have been declared “Impaired” by the state. And, we have algal blooms in some of our most beautiful waters. This polluted water is threatening human health and the health of the incredible ecosystem we live in. I joined the board of POWJH to help bring this critical issue to the attention of our community.

I hope that POWJH can get water quality to the top of the priority list for this community. To really protect water long term, we need broad community awareness, support, and cooperation amongst individuals, businesses, elected officials, and our visitors. The good news is that this is a solvable problem. We can reduce the pressure on our water resources, but it will take a concerted effort by our whole community. POWJH is working hard to teach people that our water really does need our urgent attention.

Perk Perkins

I live just east of the Wilson bridge over the Snake River. My interests around water include pretty much everything – fishing, canoeing, multi-day float trips, recreation management, aquatic biology, and bird and wildlife viewing.

I joined the POWJH board because I was inspired by the people on the board and want to help the community improve and protect its aquatic resources. I believe Teton County should have a model water management plan, regulations, and infrastructure in keeping with our water resources which are some of the best in the nation.

Aaron Pruzan

I moved to Jackson Hole in 1990 and live north of Wilson with my wife Tamsen and our kids Noah, Nate & Neve. In 1995 I founded Rendezvous River Sports and as an instructor and coach, I have introduced thousands of people of all ages to paddle sports including founding the Jackson Hole Kayak Club to promote youth kayaking for local kids. Over the past three decades, I’ve been and continue to be involved with many whitewater expeditions, exploratory descents, and kayaking competitions including descents in Wyoming, British Columbia, Chile, Argentina & Siberia, and numerous podiums at kayaking races.

In addition to my activities on the water, I have worked tirelessly for river stewardship as a board member of American Whitewater, a founding board member of the Snake River Fund, helping lead the Wild & Scenic Campaign for the Snake River Headwaters, leading the effort to create a river management plan for Teton County, and the creation of Rendezvous Park on the Snake River.

I am on the river almost daily and the changes I’ve noticed with algae blooms and general water quality are troubling. This led me to my connection with Protect Our Water JH and I am honored to serve on the board. As we move forward, I hope we can reduce nutrient loading in the Snake River and its tributaries, clean up Fish and Flat Creeks, and develop and implement a wastewater plan for Teton County. We also need to do more to reuse the water we have and to develop systems for reusing greywater for irrigation and snowmaking.

Kerri Ratcliffe

I live in Teton Village. I enjoy rafting, kayaking, and hiking alongside or to our scenic lakes and waterways. In winter, I enjoy nordic skiing upon our beautifully frozen and snow-covered water bodies. Bringing my friends and relatives on a journey on our waterways always provides me with such joy and pride in our spectacularly scenic landscapes.

I joined the board of POWJH because I have governmental experience in planning for the protection and restoration of water quality and I was shocked to observe the serious and mounting threats and degradation to Teton County's ground and surface waters. I believe access to clean water is a basic human right for everyone and the lynchpin to a healthy ecosystem. Our current system for planning and oversight to protect our water is scattered, highly ineffective and frankly, it alarms me.

POWJH is the only local nonprofit organization solely dedicated to providing ways to guardian our groundwater, lakes, streams, and rivers. POWJH has the power of science behind all its work and is dedicated to bringing the entire community and its leaders and government agencies together to learn about and care for our water resources. It will take all of us as individuals and as a collective to protect, restore, and treasure our waters and I believe POWJH will be the trusted, guiding force in that effort.

Dan Heilig

I’m a 40+ year resident of Wyoming and live in Cottonwood Park in Jackson, a stone’s throw from Flat Creek, which, incidentally is listed as an impaired stream by the Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality and is not safe to swim in downstream of High School Road due to excessive bacterial contamination.

El Agua es Vida. As an avid sailor, former outdoor educator, and outdoorsman, I know this to be true. Our very existence as a species depends on clean water. Water for drinking, water for bathing, water for cooking, water for food. Although water covers 70% of our planet, less than 3% is fresh water. Here in Jackson, we are surrounded by water, and we are fortunate to have more lakes, rivers, and streams than any other county in Wyoming. But these water resources are threatened. Although virtually every living thing on our planet depends on water, we have abused it, polluted it, wasted it, and basically taken it for granted. Even here in Jackson Hole. Like the air we breathe, all of us have a basic human right to clean water, but increasingly that right is being denied. I am committed to doing everything I can to ensure we all have access to clean water now and for future generations.

I recently retired from the Wyoming Outdoor Council where I served as staff attorney and senior conservation advocate, and formerly as executive director. Much of my recent work with WOC focused on addressing a range of serious water quality challenges facing Teton County. It was through that work that I learned of POWJH. A number of important water quality initiatives including, most importantly, the development of a comprehensive water quality management plan, were launched during that period. As a board member, I hope to continue my involvement in local, state and federal initiatives to protect our precious water resources. Our community needs a strong voice for water quality protection, and POWJH fills that role.

Working closely with our partner agencies and organizations, POWJH has made significant progress addressing a number of pressing water quality issues, first and foremost, persuading the county to invest in a comprehensive water quality management plan. Our community developed a water quality plan in 1978, but that plan was put on a shelf and ignored. POWJH is committed to ensuring that history doesn’t repeat itself. POWJH is a powerful advocate for clean water. We will continue to raise awareness of our water quality problems, and build community support for action to address these challenges.

Anne Ladd

Jackson Hole has been home my entire adult life—I moved here in 1988, and with my husband, Len, have raised our two children in Wilson. I am most present in life when I am on the oars of a raft, navigating the rivers in our region.

Water is the great equalizer, bonding us regardless of gender, age, ethnicity, and socio-economic status. I joined POWJH because I believe that humans have a fundamental right to clean and safe water, and I want to help connect and mobilize my community to invest in structures and systems that result in the protection of our most vital resource. An eternal optimist, I believe that POWJH can unite, empower, and educate our neighbors to advocate for our aquatic ecosystem.

Bob Frodeman

I live on a small bluff above the Hoback River, close enough to toss a rock in the water. In the spring the river runs red with sediment; in the summer kayaks float by and the rumbling of the river serenades us to sleep. The fall brings low water, and across the winter we watch the freeze move from the banks toward the center of the river.

Other aspects of our water life are less benign. All of Teton County funnels down to Hoback. Drinking water wells here are contaminated with nitrate, and our homeowner's association spends mightily to remove them from our well water. Costs have gone up by an order of magnitude since we moved here 9 years ago. Other neighbors tell similar stories.

There is now some momentum to clean up our water in Hoback. I’ve spent much of the last three years trying to move the process along. I’m grateful that POWJH is helping with water issues in Hoback and across Teton County.

Kathryn Steele

I live in east Jackson. I love canoeing in the park, walking by our creeks, and floating the Snake River.

I joined the Board of POWJH because I have seen how far the organization has come and I truly believe in its mission. I want to see us achieve what we set out to do!

I hope that POWJH succeeds in alerting our community to the threat our waters face, and gathers enough support to put real protective measures in place.

Kay Modi

I have enjoyed exploring the rivers, lakes, and oceans around the world since childhood while kayaking, swimming, diving, birding, and fishing. I moved to Jackson in 2013 and live on Flat Creek where I see families and diverse wildlife in the creek.

I am a chemical engineer with 40 plus years of experience in industry, EPA, and consulting for improving health, safety, environment, industrial design, energy conservation, and corporate risks. I believe that human-caused adverse impacts can be effectively addressed to improve the ecosystems that support all life when there is community support.

I have participated in the restoration of water systems through industrial process improvements, remediation, regulatory initiatives, advanced studies in water and geology sciences, and public relations to improve communications. I support POWJH efforts to educate the public and officials serving the public well-being on water issues and related natural resources to improve the deteriorating health of Jackson Hole’s water resources. Together great works can be achieved to improve our knowledge of pollution sources and how to reduce their discharges.

Bill Mulligan

I live one mile southeast of Wilson between Fish Creek and the Snake River. I am a lifelong outdoor enthusiast and environmentalist, spending my free time fly fishing, boating, hiking, and skiing. I’ve spent my career developing solar and battery technologies that will help address the challenge of climate change.

When you look out your window at the scenic, wild wonder that is Jackson Hole, it’s hard to believe we have a water quality problem – but we do. Human-caused pollution is threatening the waters that sustain the animals and people living here. I joined the board to help protect and restore this amazing region that I’ve been enjoying for almost 50 years.

People caused this problem and only people can fix it. Through education, community engagement, and advocacy, my hope is that POWJH can catalyze real actions and projects that can restore and protect our precious water resources.

Lisa Franzen

I live in Wilson and am an avid skier and hiker. I also volunteer at String Lake in the summer. I grew up in a lakeside, resort community in the Northeast and spent my childhood in or on some form of water.

Clean water is our Valley’s most important natural resource and, for years, I took it for granted. Although I’d seen an increasing proliferation of algae in our surface waterways, it was a complete shock to me when I first saw the signs along Fish Creek warning against float tubing due to E.coli contamination. It was only through the advocacy of POWJH that those signs appeared. Research now shows that human sewage contributes nearly half of the identifiable fecal bacteria in Fish Creek and nearly a third in Flat Creek.

I joined POWJH because it has the interests of the entire Jackson Hole community at heart – clean water, for all, to drink and recreate in. I witnessed firsthand how under-regulation of septic systems and agricultural runoff in my childhood hometown led to algal blooms, fish kills, and the eventual demise of a once vibrant aquatic ecosystem. I hope to help POWJH prevent the same from happening here in Jackson Hole.