Advisory Board

Throughout 2020 and 2021, people from across the region helped chart the course ahead for the Maritime Washington National Heritage Area. Guided by a Management Plan Steering Committee and several working groups, this process culminated in a Management Plan that outlines the vision, goals, strategies, and policies for Maritime Washington.

Now, a new Maritime Washington Advisory Board—alongside a standing Tribal Working Group—takes the helm as Maritime Washington begins to implement that vision. The Advisory Board strives to be representative of the many perspectives, communities, geographies, areas of expertise, and organizations participating in the National Heritage Area, providing ongoing insight into the needs and priorities of Washington’s diverse maritime landscape. Advisory Board members serve two- to four-year terms and meet regularly to provide strategic guidance on the programming and administration of Maritime Washington.

Jay Baersten

Director of Heritage Outreach, Washington State Historical Society

Jay Baersten works as the Director of Heritage Outreach at the Washington State Historical Society, where her team works to develop and implement statewide programming that advances the field of public history and builds capacity for local and regional organizations dedicated to public history. Jay also manages the Heritage Capital Projects grant program which supports capital projects for history museums and historic buildings across the state. Previously, Jay worked as the Outreach Director for the Washington Trust for Historic Preservation, supporting communities statewide in best historic preservation practices and managing several programs including Washington’s Most Endangered Places, Youth Heritage Project, Valerie Sivinski Fund, and Heritage Barn Grant Program. Jay holds an MS in Architecture History and Theory with a Certificate in Historic Preservation from the University of Washington in Seattle. She also currently serves as a commissioner on the City of Tacoma’s Landmarks Preservation Commission and as a board member for Historic Tacoma.

Kevin Bartoy

Chief Sustainability Officer, Washington State Ferries (WSDOT)

Kevin Bartoy has worked for the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) since 2009, and Washington State Ferries (WSF, a division of WSDOT) since 2016. Kevin is the first Chief Sustainability Officer for WSF and recently helped to establish the Office of Sustainability and Environmental Services within WSF. Kevin’s work includes being lead author of WSF’s first Sustainability Action Plan, published in 2019, and its second plan which was published for the 2021-2023 biennium. Kevin’s work in establishing a sustainability program at WSF and leading WSF’s efforts to help recover the critically endangered southern resident killer whale was recognized with the Washington State Governor’s Leadership in Management Award in 2021. Kevin holds a BA in history from the University of Oregon, an MA in anthropology with an emphasis in historical archaeology from the College of William and Mary in Virginia, and a PhD in anthropology from the University of California at Berkeley.

Dr. Allyson Brooks

State Historic Preservation Officer/Executive Director, Washington State Department of Archaeology and Historic Preservation

Dr. Brooks is the State Historic Preservation Officer and Executive Director of the Washington State Department of Archaeology and Historic Preservation. She has been appointed to this position by three consecutive Governors. As the Agency Director, Dr. Brooks is the CEO, CIO, and CFO of the department, as well as the tribal liaison to 36 Native American tribes. She supervises staff in the areas of archeology, physical anthropology, historic preservation, grants and contracts administration, Information Technology and policy development. In addition to this role, Dr. Brooks has served as an instructor for the National Preservation Institute since 2004. Previously, she held positions with the Minnesota Department of Transportation, BRW Inc, the South Dakota State Historical Preservation Center, and USDA Black Hills National Forest. Dr. Brooks holds her Ph. D in Anthropology from the University of Nevada, her M.P.A. from the Daniel J. Evans School of Public Affairs at the University of Washington, her M.Sc. in Industrial and Historical Archaeology from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, and her B.A. from McGill University. She is active with Preservation Action, the National Conference of State Historic Preservation Officers, the National Academy of Sciences, the Thurston County League of Women Voters, and Temple Beth Hatfiloh. She currently serves as an ex-officio board member for the Association of Washington Archaeologists and the Washington Trust for Historic Preservation.

Liz Ellis

Aberdeen City Councilmember and Association of Washington Cities Representative

Liz Ellis serves on the Aberdeen City Council and the board of the Grays Harbor Historical Seaport Authority, home to Washington State’s official tall ship the Lady Washington. Liz grew up around boats and boatyards and has an appreciation of shipbuilding, the smell of oakum, and the vital role vessels of all types have in our state’s history, culture, and economy. Liz graduated from Washington State University with a degree in agriculture. She worked for many years for the City of Seattle in urban forestry and was appointed to the Washington State Urban Forestry Council, which she chaired from 1997 to 1998. Liz is inspired by art, music, and storytelling. She coordinated a bicycle relay for Arbor Month in 1997, with cyclists carrying pine seedlings from Washington’s west coast to Spokane. Tribal partners served as hosts and storytellers along the way. She collaborated on creating a found poem for a sidewalk repair project on Madison Street in Seattle and recently constructed a mini wearable ship for the Grays Harbor Historical Seaport Authority’s entry into Aberdeen Founder’s Day Parade.

Amy Frost

Executive Director, Lopez Island Historical Society

Amy Frost has served as the Executive Director of the Lopez Island Historical Society since 2019. Growing up in Michigan, she developed a love of maritime history and being on the water from a young age. Moving to Seattle in 2004 for a graduate degree in Museum Studies at the University of Washington, she was thrilled to learn to sail and was the proud owner of a classic Pacific Northwest Thunderbird 26. Wooden boats hold a special place in her heart, and Amy is now involved in efforts to turn Frank Prothero’s Glory of the Seas into a community tall ship. In her position as Executive Director of Lopez Island Historical Society, Amy is dedicated to an equitable and truthful telling of the complex maritime history of the Salish Sea.

Fred Goldberg

Founding Partner, Saltchuk Industries

Fred Goldberg is the managing partner of Goldberg Investments and vice chairman of the board of trustees for The Evergreen State College. He is currently a board member for the Gates Foundation Advisory Board, Supply Chain. Fred is the co-founder, principal, and retired director of Saltchuk Resources, Inc. He formerly served as a board member for the Initiative for Global Development and St. Peter Hospital. Fred is the retired director of Columbia Bank and Key Bank of Washington, retired chair of Tollycraft Yachts and the Civil Service Commission in Olympia, and previous advisor to USP, a pharmacological nonprofit watchdog group for world drug safety. Fred is a member of the Olympia Rotary Club, Founding Director of the Washington Center for Performing Arts and the Governors Festival of Arts, Founding President of POSSCA (Patrons of South Sound Cultural Activities), and a board member for Washington State Historical Association and Washington Trust for Historic Preservation. Fred has also published in Nature Reviews magazine with a focus on developing incentive for new antibiotic development.

Carol Hasse

Port of Port Townsend Commissioner and Washington Public Ports Association Representative

Carol Hasse sailed into Point Hudson in the early 1970s with her commune on the boat they built. She was immediately smitten with the town and rather quickly moved here. Carol had grown up in a small town on the Columbia River. One year of college was enough to convince her that activism on global issues was her path. By the time she hit Port Townsend, she had traveled extensively– hitchhiking through 23 countries. Sailing was her passion, so she worked as crew on global adventures. Once she arrived in Washington, Carol soon opened Hasse & Co, a sail loft in Point Hudson. She was one of the early forces behind the creation of both the Wooden Boat Festival and the Northwest Maritime Center. Over the years she has served on the board of both organizations. She sold her business to the Shipwright’s Coop in 2021. She’s now channeling her incredible energy into her position as Commissioner for the Port of PT. She wants to preserve our working waterfront and is determined to make it happen.

Peter Herzog

Interagency Liaison, Washington State Parks

Peter Herzog currently serves as Interagency Liaison for the Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission. Peter has been with State Parks for 30 years, holding early field positions as a park aide, interpretive assistant, and park ranger. He then transitioned to statewide environmental and park planning, prior to accepting management positions leading the agency’s resource stewardship and partnerships and planning programs. For the past 10 years, Peter served on State Parks’ executive management team as the Director of Parks Development before stepping into a new role coordinating recreation management and conservation activities across state lands with other federal, state, and local land management agencies and nonprofit conservation organizations. Peter graduated from the University of Washington with a Bachelor of Sciences degree in forest resource management and an emphasis in wildland recreation. He enjoys travelling with his wife Molly, pizza night with his three grown children, and is a proud dual citizen of the U.S. and Switzerland.

Guy Hoppen

President, Gig Harbor BoatShop

Guy Hoppen grew up next door to his family’s boatyard on Gig Harbor’s working waterfront. He has been commercial fishing since 1975, starting out as a purse seine crew member. In 1981, he and his wife Ann bought a southeast Alaska salmon gillnet vessel, and in 1990, they purchased the Ted Geary designed fish tender Beryl E, which they continue to operate. He is the founding director of the Gig Harbor BoatShop, located at the historic Eddon Boatyard, and has been a primary advocate for Gig Harbor’s future commercial fishing Homeport. His service on numerous local waterfront-oriented committees has broadened Guy’s understanding of those issues important in maintaining diverse and vital waterfronts. Guy graduated with a BA from University of Washington and earned a MA in Cultural Sustainability from Baltimore’s Goucher College.

Marie Kidhe

Senior Community Engagement Manager, Friends of Waterfront Seattle

Marie T. Kidhe is an effective and savvy community engagement leader, award-winning project manager, and event curator. She’s the Senior Community Engagement Manager for leading all engagement, outreach, and equitable community initiatives for Friends of Waterfront Seattle, the nonprofit partner to the City of Seattle responsible for helping to fund, build, steward, and program the park—today and into the future. Marie employs her project management, outreach, and event development expertise to achieve the highest degree of success to all projects, large and small. Her leadership has resulted in successful outcomes in her consultancy work with 4Culture, Métier Brewing Company, RVC, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation Discovery Center, Uncle Nearest Premium Whiskey, Seattle Chapter Black Panther 50th Anniversary Organizing Committee, and CD Forum for Arts & Ideas. Marie’s warm and collaborative leadership and management style were highly valued assets during her tenure at the Northwest African American Museum. Having cultivated numerous contacts and partnerships across the Seattle community, Marie brings collaborative and skilled organizing and strategic outreach approaches to all of her projects. Marie is a first-generation Ugandan-American and native Seattleite with more than 20 years of administrative and management skills—accompanied by a network of nonprofit, small business, corporate, and grassroots affiliations and relationships.

Mike Moe

Director of Strategic Partnerships and Tourism Development, State of Washington Tourism

Mike Moe is the Director of Strategic Partnerships and Tourism Development for State of Washington Tourism (SWT). He manages the new Destination Development and Travel Trade programs for SWT, building tourism infrastructure in rural communities in-state and promoting Washington as a tourism destination internationally. Mike has worked with SWT and its previous incarnation, the Washington Tourism Alliance, since shortly after its conception in 2011. A lifetime Washington resident, Mike lives in Seattle with his wife Shannon and two children Kieran and Mazie.

Linda Springmann

Director, Cruise Operations & Maritime Marketing, Port of Seattle

Linda Springmann is the Director of Cruise Operations and Maritime Marketing for the Port of Seattle. Her background is in the cruise industry, having spent most of her career with Holland America Group, which includes Holland America Line, Princess, and Seabourn brands as part of Carnival Corporation. Throughout her career, she has held product marketing, revenue management, and strategic deployment planning roles. Linda is a former board member of the Seattle Aquarium as well as the Alaska Travel Industry Association, where she chaired the marketing committee. Linda graduated from Willamette University in Salem, Oregon.

Devon Emily Thorsell

Vice President of Operations, Washington Maritime Blue

Devon Emily Thorsell is Vice President of Operations at Washington Maritime Blue, where she oversees nonprofit management functions including finance, HR, communications, facilities, membership, and more. Devon works to build a thriving and sustainable organization that is effective, efficient, and grounded in values of Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion. Before joining Maritime Blue, Devon was the Operations Manager for the Washington State Academy of Sciences. She holds an MBA, Masters in Marine Affairs, and Masters in International Studies from the University of Washington. Devon also sits on the Board of Earth Economics.

Dr. Stephanie Toothman

Board Member, Washington Trust for Historic Preservation

Dr. Stephanie Toothman retired in June 2017 as Associate Director of Cultural Resources, Partnerships, and Science after 39 years with the National Park Service. In May 2018, she returned to NPS as a Special Assistant to the Acting Associate Director under a special appointment authority for retired employees whose skills and knowledge can continue to benefit NPS. Before serving as Associate Director, Stephanie was the Chief of Cultural Resources for the Pacific West Region and also served as Regional Historian and Chief of Cultural Resources for the Pacific Northwest Region. She entered NPS as a historian with the National Register of Historic Places and spent two years with the Heritage Conservation and Recreation Service before it was folded back into NPS in 1981. Stephanie brings a multi-disciplinary perspective to resource management, with degrees in American Studies from Smith College and American Civilization from the University of Pennsylvania. She received the Distinguished Service Award in 2017. She is a member of the Washington Trust for Historic Preservation board of directors.

Steve Walker

Board Member, Working Waterfront Coalition

Steve Walker resides in Bellingham. His career in recreation and land management includes stints as a ranger with Washington State Parks, the adviser for Western Washington University’s Outdoor Center, the steward for Whatcom Land Trust, and two terms as Executive Director for the Community Boating Center. He currently serves on the City of Bellingham Parks Advisory Board and the boards of the Working Waterfront Coalition and Working Waterfront Foundation.

Katie Walters

Kitsap County Commissioner and Washington State Association of Counties Representative

Commissioner Katie Walters represents Central Kitsap as a Kitsap County Commissioner and joins the Advisory Board as the representative for the Washington State Association of Counties. With over 30 years of leadership experience in nonprofits and education, Katie is deeply committed to preserving maritime heritage and fostering community engagement. She holds a Masters in Communication from Washington State University and a Certificate in Museum Studies from the University of Washington. Katie has interned at the Harbor History Museum in Gig Harbor and, in 2023, helped launch Kitsap’s first “Pop Up Ferry” featuring the historic Carlisle II Mosquito Fleet vessel. She currently serves as Vice Chair of the National Association of Counties Arts & Culture Commission, advocating for arts, economic development, and historic preservation. We look forward to welcoming Katie’s diverse experiences and informed perspectives to the Advisory Board!