Joe Holtrop, District Manager
After a 31-year absence, Joe returned to Jefferson County Conservation District in 2021. Joe’s experience working for conservation districts began at King Conservation District in 1988. In 1989, he moved to the Olympic Peninsula where he split his time between the Jefferson and Clallam districts for one year before going to work full-time for Clallam. Raised on a small dairy farm in the Nooksack Valley of Whatcom County, Joe understands and values small scale agriculture. He also appreciates cultural diversity, having completed two tours as a Peace Corps volunteer, first in Nepal in the mid-1980s and then in Argentina and Guatemala in the mid-1990s. His education includes a BS in landscape architecture and a masters in adult education from Washington State University, and a master of landscape architecture degree from the University of Michigan. In his spare time, Joe enjoys gardening, sports and the great outdoors. Joe and his wife, Karen, have three children. jholtrop@jeffersoncd.org
Jessica Brittain, Bookkeeper/Administrative Assistant
Glenn Gately, Water Quality and Fish Habitat Specialist
Glenn is a Fishery Biologist who has specialized in water quality and salmon habitat for all of his career, including 10 years with the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service and over 20 years with the Conservation District. His experience includes running a water quality laboratory, fish contaminant reporting, acid rain research, and salmonid habitat improvement projects. Glenn likes seeing and reporting on the District’s projects that are improving water quality and salmonid habitat in the streams of Jefferson County. In his spare time, he likes cutting, splitting, and burning wood; helping his wife, Linda, with her garden; doing a little hiking and canoeing; and reading the Bible. gately@jeffersoncd.org
Sierra Young, Conservation Planner/Resource Specialist
A Washington native and lifelong outdoor enthusiast, Sierra joined the Jefferson County Conservation District in 2021. She has worked as an interpretive ranger with the National Park Service, has led and worked on conservation crews for the Student Conservation Association, and spent a year teaching English in Paraguay. Prior to her role with the Conservation District, she was a coach and manager for Twisters Gymnastics. She has a BA in environmental studies and geography from Middlebury College. She and her husband have a small, diversified farm in Beaver Valley. In her spare time, she enjoys hiking, unicycling, baking, and playing with her son. syoung@jeffersoncd.org