Sam Garst, Chair

Sam Garst has owned and operated a variety of businesses over his 35-year career and is currently a financial advisor for Merrill Lynch. Prior to moving to Olympia, Sam and his wife, Christine, spent nine months traveling and visiting 225 sites in the National Park System and nearly as many state parks throughout the country. Sam is an active environmentalist with an emphasis on energy conservation and green construction. In 2006, the Garsts completed construction of what he believes is the most environmentally friendly green home in South Puget Sound. Sam is also a Board member of Thurston Energy and the Thurston Conservation Voters.

Ralph Munro, Vice Chair

Ralph Munro has worked on environmental conservation and restoration projects for many years. He helped create the bald eagle preserve on the Skagit River, the coastal strip of Olympic National Park and the Klondike Gold Rush National Park in the United States and Canada, and has worked to preserve and protect local parks and recreation areas. He and his wife, Karen, have been intimately involved in protecting the orca whale population of Puget Sound and the Canadian Gulf Islands. During his terms as Washington’s secretary of state, Ralph was instrumental in the creation of Lime Kiln State Park on San Juan Island—perhaps the best whale watching location in the continental United States. He has also been involved in several successful trail completion and right-of-way efforts. Ralph and Karen Munro continue to support numerous national, state and local organizations working to create and protect parks.

Andrea Archer, Treasurer

After graduating from Seattle University, Andrea Archer spent 20 years in the private sector prior to joining state government. She previously worked as a director for the State of WA Employment Security Department in the Olympic Peninsula area and covering the Seattle-King County Workforce Development Area. Andrea a native of the Pacific Northwest resides with her husband, Jon, and their 7 year-old son, Nicholas, in Gig Harbor. Andrea’s personal interests include getting more families outdoors --heading to the beach, camping, hiking--to experience and learn more about the wilderness, as well as just spend more quality time as a family enjoying all our region has to offer.

Jim Adams, Secretary

Jim Adams is the executive director of Discover Your Northwest and is a leader and social entrepreneur who combines his love for public lands with more than 30 years of retail experience. Drawing on an extensive background ranging from managing record stores in Detroit to opening one of Boston's first bookstore cafes, Jim's first social enterprise was with the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, where he managed its $50 million retail division.

Elizabeth Anderson

Elizabeth Anderson, AICP, came to Washington from her home on Maui 10 years ago to work as Tacoma’s historic preservation officer, and was immediately and deeply impressed with the glorious landscape and the wealth of state parks available to people in Washington.  She has held historic preservation, cultural resource management and urban and regional planning positions in Maui County, Tacoma, Steilacoom, Snohomish and San Juan Counties.  She has authored publications and prepared interpretive guides and museum exhibits in Hawaii and Washington, served on the Washington State Trust for Historic Preservation and received the American Planning Association Chapter Outstanding Project Award for a cultural landscape study in Hawaii. Currently residing in Bellingham, she brings her approximately 20 years of planning and interpretive experience and a great appreciation for the accomplishments of Washington State Parks to the board. 
 

Elizabeth Butler

Elizabeth works at Recreation and Conservation Office managing grants for conservation and parks projects. With more than 15 years experience working in the private, nonprofit and public sectors, she offers expertise in organizational development, philanthropy, program planning, real estate finance and project management. When she is not working to support land acquisitions or habitat restoration projects across the state, Elizabeth spends time letterpress printing, stewarding Fauntleroy Creek's reach to the beach and exploring the rich patchwork of local, regional and national parks around Washington. She lives in West Seattle with her partner, Chris Kim.

Randy Harrison

Randy Harrison moved to Washington from Florida nearly two decades ago after falling in love with its wealth of natural beauty. A former Army officer and journalist, Randy recently retired from The Boeing Company. Harrison also serves on the Issaquah Development Commission, and as a docent at the Issaquah Salmon Hatchery. An avid outdoorsman, Randy frequently visits state parks for camping, hiking and photography.

Ken Konigsmark

Ken Konigsmark works for The Boeing Company, who "loaned" his services to the Mountains to Sound Greenway project for 10 years from 1993-2003. He has been active in trail and open space issues for 20 years with Issaquah Alps Trails Club, Washington Trails Association and Spring Family Trail Fund, and as the hiker representative on the State NOVA Advisory Committee. Ken is an avid hiker, snowshoer and backpacker who greatly values the incredible Washington State Parks system.

Peter Reid

Peter was born and raised in Aberdeen, moving to Olympia after retiring from the faculty of Stanford Law School in 2006. He served as executive director of the Legal Aid Society of San Mateo County for many years. From 1964 to 1966, Peter served in the Peace Corps in Tanzania. He is currently vice president of the Olympia World Affairs Council. Peter received his undergraduate degree from Stanford University and his law degree from New York University School of Law. He also holds a master’s degree in African law from the School of Oriental and African Studies at London University. Peter’s grandfather and his brothers donated the land—including a large stand of old-growth timber—that became Schafer State Park in 1922. Peter is particularly interested in continuing that tradition by making the state’s parks better and more accessible through the Washington State Parks Foundation. Peter lives in Olympia with his wife, Barbara.

Beth Stipe

Beth Stipe hails from the “dry side” of Washington state, living in the beautiful Wenatchee Valley. She directs the Community Foundation of North Central Washington, serving Chelan, Douglas and Okanogan counties. Prior to moving to Wenatchee in 2003, Beth worked as director of a private family foundation in Fort Collins, Colorado. She has more than 13 years of experience in the field of philanthropy and a master’s of nonprofit management degree from Regis University. Born and raised in Indiana, Beth discovered her true love, the outdoors, after college. Making up for lost time, when not working—or sometimes while working—Beth, her husband, David, and their two yellow labs can be found skiing, hiking, climbing, biking, camping, supporting local wineries and pursuing their newest hobby—kayaking in Pygmy Kayaks made by David. Beth and David especially enjoy introducing their friends to the great Washington State Park campgrounds.

 Sandra Worthington

A Washington native, Sandra lives with her husband, Gary, near Olympia. She taught English in the Olympia School District until retiring in 2001. She grew up on Camano Island, Wash., at Cama Beach Resort, which her parents owned and operated from 1934 to the late 80s. She and her sister Karen Hamalainen donated much of that prime piece of historic waterfront property to the Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission and provided large cash donations to help develop the site as a new park. Sandra, Gary and Karen serve on the Cama Beach State Park advisory committee, which helped coordinate the park opening in June 2008. They frequently visit the state legislature to advocate for park funding. Sandra strongly encourages other citizens to do whatever they can to support and enhance our state's park system.

Joe Taller, Ex Officio Member

Joe Taller previously chaired the Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission and continues to serve as a commissioner. Joe worked for The Boeing Company from 1957-1997, serving in its engineering, industrial relations and community affairs areas, as well as directing the company's corporate giving program and K-12 education program. He also served as a Washington state representative for three terms, and was director of the Washington State Office of Financial Management from 1981-1985.

Executive Director, Jim King

Jim King brings over three decades of experience in government, parks and recreation advocacy, and fundraising to the Washington State Parks Foundation. Most recently, Jim has been serving as coordinator of Citizens for Parks and Recreation, a State Parks and outdoor recreation advocacy coalition active in legislative affairs. Jim has, since his youngest days,  fished, boated, hiked, and camped. A Tacoma native, he currently lives near the Capitol in Olympia.

Legacy Board and Leadership Circle

Honorable Daniel J. Evans
Honorable Booth Gardner
Honorable Gary Locke
Honorable Mike Lowry
Honorable Albert D. Rosellini
Honorable John Spellman

Clyde Anderson, Former President, Inland Paper Company
Greg Bever, Publisher, Spokane  Business Journal
Mark Hewitt, Consultant Argosy Cruises
Maryanne Tagney-Jones, Tagney-Jones Family Trust
Joan Thomas, Trustee, Peach Foundation