Friends of the San Juans

Ken Carrasco PresidentBoard of Directorshe/him/his Ken is a retired biologist and resides on Orcas Island where he lives with his wife Mariann, a retired wildlife biologist. He holds a bachelor’s degree in zoology with an emphasis on marine invertebrates and also has a master’s degree in Dungeness crab ecology from the University of Washington, although ... read more

Bruce Rylander Co-TreasurerBoard of Directorshe/him/his Bruce joined the Friends board in 2015 because it was an opportunity to apply his skill set to an organization, with a mission that resonated with Bruce’s commitment to preserving the environment and the character of the San Juan Islands. Bruce provides crucial expert insight into the decision process as ... read more

Bob McPherson SecretaryBoard of Directorshe/him/his With a BS in Nuclear Engineering and an ME in Environmental Engineering, Bob began his career in the areas of radiation protection, nuclear criticality safety, and the fate and transport of radionuclides. For several years, he worked as a research scientist in the field of Health Physics. He later received ... read more

Tom Reynolds Board of Directorshe/him/his Tom joined the board of FSJ in 2024 to bring his experience and expertise in governance and collaboration skills to the organization. Tom and his wife Mariluz have resided full time on Brown Island since 2011, and participated with Friends of the San Juans and adjacent neighbors on a beach ... read more

Shannon Davis Deputy Directorshe/her/hers Shannon works to safeguard the Salish Sea from the net zero home she and her husband built in Port Townsend. She holds a Master’s degree in Urban Planning with an emphasis on natural resource management and an undergraduate degree in Environmental Studies. As Deputy Director, Shannon helps the Executive Director with ... read more

Jess Newley Community Science and Education Directorshe/her/hers Jess Newley joined our team in 2018. Passionate about marine conservation and life under the surface, she has been SCUBA diving the Salish Sea waters for 10 years now and wouldn’t want to be found anywhere else. In 2013 she graduated from Western Washington University with a Master’s ... read more

Lovel Pratt Marine Protection and Policy Directorshe/her/hers Lovel joined Friends in 2018. Her previous consulting work focused on maritime shipping and oil spill prevention on behalf of environmental groups, including Friends of the San Juans. Lovel served on the San Juan County Council for one term and represented WA State counties on several regional and ... read more

Last month we sent out an action alert regarding the Washington State Department of Ecology’s rulemaking. This rulemaking will establish financial responsibility requirements for refineries, pipelines, and other large bulk oil handling facilities. Here’s an update on all the progress made! Thanks to everyone that made comments and amplified our action alert. The final rule ... read more

In May 2023, Friends of the San Juans received a concerning anonymous alert regarding changes at the Phillips 66 Refinery in Ferndale, apparently without a permit. These changes could allow the refinery to function as a transshipment facility, receiving diesel for resale in Canada via rail and truck.  Acting swiftly, Friends submitted a Code Enforcement ... read more