The People
Work is overseen by the Coalition members and carried out with the help of dedicated volunteers. The dedication and participation of the Steering Committee is instrumental in CWSC success.
Current Committee Members include:
John Callahan
Chair
“I joined the Chumstick Wildfire Stewardship Coalition because I have a strong interest in wildland fires and their effects on fish and wildlife as well as experiencing the Eagle Creek Fire, near my home, in 2013. I believe in implementing tangible boots on the ground projects to deal with forest health.”
John was born in Oakland, CA. but moved to Washington with his family shortly thereafter. He considers himself a Washington native and has lived on Eagle Creek near Leavenworth since 2008.
His career includes the machinery business and recycling equipment for 28 years as well as eight years with Caterpillar Inc. and NC Machinery.
Besides serving on the Chumstick Wildfire Stewardship Coalition, John is also past president of the Washington Fly Fishing Club, served on the Sea-Drunar Board (a nonprofit recycling organization), served as chair of the parish council of the former Our Lady of the Snows Catholic Church. He is a Vietnam Veteran of the Navy Seabees.
John has a Political Science degree from Seattle University.
He is married with two grown children and one granddaughter.
His hobbies include flyfishing, downhill skiing, and cycling.
Dr. David Nickinovich
Past Chair
“Five generations of my family have resided or spent significant time in this valley and the area means a lot to me. As part of the voice of the Chumstick Wildfire Stewardship Coalition, I enjoy connecting to the people of our community and educating future generations about fire safety and land stewardship. I believe the Coalition is in a unique position to address critical challenges such as overgrowth and fuel reduction with local property owners.”
“Five generations of my family have resided or spent significant time in this valley and the area means a lot to me. As part of the voice of the Chumstick Wildfire Stewardship Coalition, I enjoy connecting to the people of our community and educating future generations about fire safety and land stewardship. I believe the Coalition is in a unique position to address critical challenges such as overgrowth and fuel reduction with local property owners.”
David is a native of the Pacific Northwest, born in Seattle, and has spent summers and winters here with his family since 1946.
David volunteers as a consultant for the Chelan County Fire District #3 in a variety of capacities to assist and provide independent assessments as needed.
David has enjoyed careers in academic medicine at the University of Washington for 17 years and 25 years consulting with the American Society of Anesthesiologists (retired).
He has a Bachelor of Science degree in Sociology with an emphasis in Quantitative Research Methodology, a Master’s of Science degree in Sociology and a PhD with the same emphasis.
David is married with two adult children and three grandchildren.
His hobbies include farming grapes, apples, and alfalfa and working outdoors as well as reading and education.
Ross Frank
Founding Member
“If we do not deal with wildfire now, it will own us. We need to accomplish real work on the ground resulting in a healthy and wildfire resilient landscape. We also need to work culturally in our community to develop a wildfire resilient mindset.”
Ross Frank has been in the valley since 1974 arriving from Michigan one year out of college. He answered the call of the West and has been here ever since.
His careers include orchard worker, Mountain Skyliners logging, WI Peshastin Forest Products, and as an independent horse logger in 1984 for nine years. He started Red Tail Canyon Farm in 1984 and this year has completed his 37th year of sleigh rides.
Ross joined a Leavenworth neighborhood wildfire prevention group in 2003 which eventually evolved into the Chumstick Wildfire Stewardship Coalition and has been with the group ever since.
Ross served on the Board of Commissioners for Chelan County Fire District for 14 years, is a former board member of the Cascadia Conservation District, is past president of the Leavenworth Rotary Club and is a past president of the Washington State Horse Puller’s Association.
Ross was educated at the University of Michigan and graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Natural Resources.
Ross is married and has two grown children and four grandchildren.
His hobbies include “horsing around”, packing into the high country and teaching his grandchildren how to be horse people. He enjoys managing his 120-acre farm which includes 90 acres of family forest and is a registered tree farm.
Bob Keller
“One only needs to spend a short time out enjoying our forests and observing the wildlife to recognize the risk of devastating wildfires all around us. After attending educational seminars and steering committee meetings of the “Chumstick Wildfire Stewardship Coalition” I became motivated to be involved and help CWSC in their goal to make a difference in our community. Truth be told, about a month after expressing an interest to join the coalition, one afternoon due to a local fire, my wife and I received a level one evacuation notice at our new home off Eagle Creek Road. Getting to know my new neighbors watching our Fire Department go after and extinguish the fire was the final event to illustrate to me the need and benefit of CWSC.”
Kelly O’Brien/Dave Nalle
Chelan County Fire District 3
“Participating in the coalition is a logical choice because it collaboratively implements work on the ground to create fire adapted landscapes in the neighborhoods of our fire district.”
Kelly is a native of North Central Washington and grew up in the Wenatchee Valley.
Kelly is currently the Fire Chief at Chelan County Fire District #3 and has been with the district since 1988. He obtained a Fire Command and Administration, General Education degree from Wenatchee Valley College.
Kelly also attended Central Washington University for paramedic EMS.
In addition to serving on the Chumstick Wildfire Stewardship Coalition, he serves on the North Central Washington Valley Fire Chiefs Association, and the Fire Defense Board that reports to the Chief of the State Patrol.
He is married with two adult daughters.
Kelly’s hobbies include road trips, hunting and hiking.
Sharon Waters
Leavenworth City Council
“I love the Leavenworth community and I love serving others. I am committed to learning more about what we can do to prevent forest fires while helping others in our community. With only three exits out of town, it’s very important to educate folks about ways they can protect their family, their neighbors and their property.”
Sharon is a native of the Pacific Northwest, grew up in Seattle and was educated at Shoreline High School, graduating in 1962. She met and married a Leavenworth native Walter “Butch” Waters. She has lived in Leavenworth for 51 years and has been active in a variety of community and civic work ever since.
She spent 32 years with the Cascade School District and is entering her 38th summer of instruction at the Leavenworth (Parks and Recreation Service Area) Public Swimming Pool.
In addition to her position on the Chumstick Wildfire Stewardship Coalition Steering Committee, Sharon is active on many boards and civic organizations such as a member of the Leavenworth City Council and several other City Committees including Parks, Public Works, Residential Advisory Committee/Osborn Elementary Steering Committee, Housing Committee, Downtown Steering Committee, Festhalle Oversite Committee, Chelan Douglas Health District Board, Greater Leavenworth Museum Board, Chelan County Solid Waste Council, Mosquito District Board, Leavenworth Women’s Exchange.
She is the mother of 6 grown children, 16 grandchildren and 11 great grandchildren. Sharon’s hobbies besides spending time with family, teaching water aerobics, opening the Festhalle for “walkers” in the winter months, writing memoirs and regularly attending several local meetings in town.
Non-Voting Members:
HIlary Lundgren
Washington Resource and Development Council
Coming Soon!
Patrick Haggerty
“The Chumstick Valley is my back yard so fire safety in this community is in my heart. My passion is working with grassroots organizations in our community who are interested in improving forest health across landscapes and are taking actions to create a more fire-adapted community.”
Patrick grew up in North Bend working on a dairy farm and moved to the Wenatchee Valley approximately ten years ago.
His careers wildland firefighter, wildlife biologist, fisheries biologist, forester, commercial fishing, farming and ski patrol at Mission Ridge.
Patrick has Bachelor of Science Degree in Natural Resource Management from Western Washington University.
He is married with two children.
Patrick’s hobbies include being outside whenever possible, playing in the forests and mountains of the Northwest and spending time with family.
The CWSC also partners and collaborates with the Wenatchee River Ranger District of the US Forest Service, the Washington Department of Natural Resources, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, Cascadia Conservation District, the North Central Washington Forest Health Collaborative, and the Natural Resource Conservation Service.