Our Mission

is to cultivate a resilient and inclusive Pacific Northwest community.

Our Vision

Positive, place based action for an inclusive and unified Pacific Northwest with a recognizable culture of bioregional sustainability.

Rachelle Martin

President

Rachelle and her daughters live in Olympia, WA after many years in rural Pacific County. She works for Timberland Regional Library, specializing in supporting staff and patrons during difficult times. Rachelle is an avid proponent of worker's rights. She is an active board member of the Thurston-Lewis-Mason Central Labor Council, is the head of the Industrial Section of the Washington State Labor Council as well as vice president of her union local. She is also enrolled in the practicum to become a mediator with the Dispute Resolution Center in Thurston County. 

Rachelle is passionate about food security and easy access for all. She is a championship baker and food preservationist. She seeks to connect all interested parties in reaching their collective goals. 

Nic Bowcut

Vice President

Nic is an avid Cascadian and engaged community member living in Spokane, WA. He is a founder of the Northeast Farmers Market, served as Chair to the Whitman Neighborhood Council, the Community Assembly and Transportation Advisory Board, and is the current Facility Services Coordinator for the NE Community Center in Spokane. He is a hockey enthusiastic, film and music buff, and has a daughter, Cassidy, and a pit bull mix named Cody. He is passionate about creating awareness of Cascadia, and working to improve issues affecting the quality of life for Cascadians, and hopes that through his participating in the CN! Board, that he can allow for greater representation and action for Eastern Washington organizing.

Interested in joining our board of directors? Please click here to download and application.

Bethany Clochard | (She/her)

Projects Director

bethany@cascadianow.org

Bethany brings over 30 years experience as a habitual volunteer and employee of nonprofits to her role as the “concierge” for CN!’s fiscally sponsored projects. Bethany’s skills can be summarized this way: build awareness, understanding, and relationships. Regular and ongoing communications ensure project leaders get answers to widely-varied questions. Bethany ensures project web pages and donation forms are created and updated, assists with project events, publicity and finances, and is the key staff person for CN!'s fiscal sponsor program.  She also facilitates on-line programs and trainings that foster a sense of shared community among our project leaders; since they are geographically dispersed and seldom get to meet one another face-to-face, this is a key benefit to support them.

Bethany’s pride in Cascadia comes from having lived in every corner of the bioregion. It never made sense to her to honor being from only one town, state or country, so she’s delighted to be a Cascadian! In her spare time, Bethany is out exploring this beautiful bioregion, preferably via camping with her pets but also in her kayak or on her skis.

Kristin Pederson | (she/her)

Operations and Resources Director

kristin@cascadianow.org

Kristin grew up exploring the Cascadia bioregion and has developed a great appreciation for everything it has to offer, from the whales in the Salish Sea to the nudibranchs in the tide pools, and the orchards and vineyards east of the Cascades - she'll even admit to liking the rain! 

After graduating from the University of Washington with a BS in Microbiology, she spent much of her professional life working on the water as a sailing instructor and captain, and on land as the Programs and Operations Manager at The Center for Wooden Boats on Lake Union. After nearly a decade teaching sailing, she has introduced many Seattleites, new and old, to the joys and unique perspective of experiencing the region from the water. While working at The Center for Wooden Boats, she helped ensure equitable access to the waterways for all residents and visitors to the area. Her non-profit experience also includes serving on the board of a local non-profit dedicated to bringing solar-powered energy to off-grid communities.

When she's not working, you can find Kristin trail running in the mountains, on the water sailing, or underwater diving with the largest octopus in the world - right here in Puget Sound!