Photo on right by Arlie Sommer, doubledutchphotography.com

NCAP said goodbye to several esteemed board members recently. Marianne Ober joined the board in 2016 and led NCAP through a staffing transition in 2018, and as Board President through the 2020 pandemic year. She steps away to allow more time for her career as a staff attorney at Legal Aid Services of Oregon. Her thoughtful, people-oriented approach to supporting the NCAP mission and strategic visioning will be missed.

Brianda Pape joined NCAP in 2019 and served most recently as Board Secretary. She helped NCAP advance our work with pesticide-free parks in Portland. Brianda’s attention to detail while simultaneously looking at the bigger picture were valuable in creating a new strategic plan and updating many of NCAP’s internal policies.

We are grateful for both Marianne and Brianda’s contributions of time, energy and finances and wish them the best in their future endeavors. We are also thrilled to welcome several new board members.

Kathryn Rifenburg (pictured above, left) joined the NCAP board in February of this year. She brings expertise in environmental biology and ecology to her role on the board. For the past 5 years, Kathryn’s work has focused on the impacts of pesticide use on Oregon's water resources.

We also welcomed Tamara Sloviaczek to the board in June (pictured above second from the right, next to husband and farm co-owner Tim Sommer). Tamara is a long-time supporter of NCAP and of organic agriculture in Idaho. She is co-owner of Purple Sage Farms, an organic farm in Idaho that has hosted several field days with NCAP and worked with us to install pollinator habitat. She also has corporate and fundraising experience.

Megan Dunn (above, center photo), former NCAP Program Director and current Snohomish County Councilmember, joined the board this July. We are excited to have Megan’s policy prowess and her knowledge of NCAP’s history on our board. Welcome back, Megan.

We also still have several open board positions, and we are in need of new folks to help lead the organization into the future! The NCAP board provides governance and oversight in support of the mission and fiduciary health of the organization. If you share a passion for protecting environmental health, addressing health equity and inspiring ecologically sound alternatives to pesticides, we encourage you to apply. We especially encourage young people, people of color, and people who have experienced pesticide exposure to apply. New board members join with an introductory term of one year, which can be renewed. Commitment of time is estimated at approximately four hours per month. Learn more about board service here. To apply or ask questions, contact [email protected].