2025 AWRA-WA Board of Directors

GREG MCLAUGHLIN

Greg is a Program Director with Washington Water Trust, where he has worked since 2006, opening the Ellensburg Field Office in 2008. His instream flow and water resource management projects have provided permanent streamflow to rivers and tributaries throughout Washington State. His work includes water right reviews, connecting project benefits to salmon recovery plans, and shepherding those projects through the Ecology review process. He is a frequent presenter statewide on water rights valuation and transactions, trust water, and water law. Greg has worked since 1997 on collaborative resource management projects from his hometown in rural Missouri to the Mekong River in Thailand. Greg currently lives in Lynnwood, WA, and spends his free time cross country and telemark skiing, traveling, and spending time with his wife and four sons. He is also the AWRA-WA newsletter editor.

ANURAG MISHRA

Dr. Mishra is a Senior Engineer at Geosyntec Consultants. He has more than a decade of experience in consulting, with a special focus on hydrology, hydrodynamics, and water quality modeling. He completed his master’s and PhD at Virginia Tech. His research focused on estimating uncertainty in water quality modeling. Before joining Geosyntec, he worked at AQUA TERRA Consultants/RESPEC and DSI. Dr. Mishra lives with his wife and high school aged son and enjoys all the natural outdoor activities that PNW has to offer, year round. He likes kayaking, skiing, hiking, biking, badminton, and running, in “no particular order”. His interest in improving the environment doesn’t stop at the work, and he regularly volunteers with the Sno-King Watershed Council in water quality data monitoring and habitat restoration.

ROBIN NIMMER

Dr. Nimmer is Senior Hydrogeologist and has worked as a project management lead at the Water Resources Division at Alta Science and Engineering for the last 14+ years. She has a B.S. in Geology from the University of Wisconsin Milwaukee, an M.S. in Hydrology from the University of Idaho, and a PhD in Geology from the University of Idaho. She is a Licensed Geologist in Washington, Professional Geologist in Idaho, and Registered Geologist in Oregon. Robin works on hydrogeology-related projects in the northwest and specializes in flow and transport in fractured rock. Her projects range from characterizing and remediating groundwater to helping individuals and communities have a sufficient water supply.

JAMES BUSH

James is a licensed hydrogeologist in Aspect Consulting’s Olympia, Washington office. He has over 11 years of experience assisting public and private sectors clients in water supply planning and development, groundwater-surface water interactions, water reuse, artificial groundwater recharge, and aquifer sustainability. At Aspect, James specializes in developing and applying groundwater models using a decision-support framework to identify water resources solutions in complex groundwater environments. He has advised clients and delivered technical solutions throughout Washington, Oregon, and the broader Western U.S. James holds a B.S. in Geological Sciences from the University of Idaho and an M.S. in Applied Geosciences at the University of Washington. He lives in Tumwater with his wife where he enjoys skiing and playing rec-league softball and volleyball.

KATHERINE RYF TAICLET

Katherine Taiclet manages the Quincy office of Landau Associates. Prior to joining Landau she served the public in the Water Resources Program for Washington State Department of Ecology, the Lands Division for Washington State Department of Fish & Wildlife and held various executive positions for family-owned agricultural growers and packers.

Katherine was raised in rural Franklin County, she is a native of the rolling dry land wheat hills of Kahlotus, Washington. She moved to the big city and eventually found her way back to rural living immersing herself in the arid Columbia Basin Project, where she gained over 20 years of professional experience with water rights and water supply solutions. Katherine is highly knowledgeable of Washington and federal water laws, agricultural practices, and real estate acquisition. She is a resource for farmers, industries, developers, and rural communities.

Katherine has a heart for community service as demonstrated by her current leadership roles on the Grant County Economic Development Council Board of Directors, the Northwest Horticulture Councils Workforce Committee, and the American Water Resources Association Washington Chapter. She joined AWRA board in 2020, served as the 2021 annual conference co-chair, 2022 annual conference finance & exhibitor committee co-chair, 2023 vice-president and events committee chair and is the 2024 president-elect.

Katherine is a graduate of Eastern Washington University with a BS in Environmental Biology.

RABIA AHMED

Rabia is Principal Economist and Managing Partner at Greene Economics in Seattle, a company she co-founded in 2018. She has served on the AWRA-WA Board for several years and held various positions, including the AWRA-WA Chapter President in 2019 and State Conference Co-chair in 2017. She is presently serving as the 2024-25 President of the Board for AWRA National and also Co-Chair of the 2022 AWRA National Conference. In addition, she is Past-President of Women in Environment. Rabia has over eighteen years of experience in water and natural resource economics, policy and regulatory economics, litigation support, and international development. Prior to work at Greene Economics, she spent twelve years at Maul Foster & Alongi, Ramboll, and Cardno. Her expertise in the water sector includes water law, water markets, surface and groundwater rights assessment and valuation, water supply security analyses, water rights permitting, and cost-benefit and feasibility analyses of water projects. Rabia has led water management projects in over twenty-five US states and internationally, including development work with some of the most remote communities of Pakistan and Bangladesh. She has an MS degree in Economics from Portland State University. She lives in Lynnwood, Washington, with her husband, two children, two sweet budgies, and a beautiful cockatoo. In her spare time, she likes hiking and sailing with her family.

COLIN BUTLER

Colin is a hydraulic engineer with Watershed Science & Engineering in Seattle. He specializes in river modeling and technical water resources projects, working on flood studies, basin-wide hydraulic and hydrologic analyses, habitat restoration, culvert replacements, and field data collection throughout the Pacific Northwest. He graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from the University of Washington where he worked in mountain and snow hydrology research and served as the UW AWRA Student Chapter President. He is a licensed professional engineer in Washington and California and an FAA certified remote pilot. Outside of his professional life, he loves to cycle, swim, ski, backpack, and support student-led outdoor education trips run by a local nonprofit. He also enjoys traveling, attending concerts, exploring new cuisines, and cheering on his local professional sports teams.

TIFFANIE ELLIS

Tiffanie Ellis is an Associate Attorney at Van Ness Feldman in Seattle, bringing extensive experience in water law, hydropower regulation, and energy regulatory compliance. Her water law practice includes conducting comprehensive water rights inventory analyses for municipal suppliers and advising on compliance with state water regulations. Her practice also encompasses Federal Power Act compliance and FERC proceedings, where she regularly represents hydropower industry clients. She has significant experience navigating the intersection of water rights with Clean Water Act, Endangered Species Act, and National Environmental Policy Act compliance for energy and infrastructure projects. Prior to joining Van Ness, Tiffanie worked at a California-based law firm where she assisted public agencies in implementing California emergency drought regulations and navigating complex water supply issues.

Her experience extends to federal water policy through her work at the Department of the Interior’s Office of the Solicitor, where she evaluated Tribal-U.S. water rights settlements and handled wetlands easement matters. As a judicial law clerk for the Washington State Court of Appeals, she analyzed complex civil and criminal appeals, developing a deep understanding of state law frameworks.

Ms. Ellis holds a J.D. from the University of California College of the Law, San Francisco, and she regularly publishes articles on water and hydropower law and policy. Her combination of private practice, government experience, and published scholarship in water law makes her well-suited for board leadership at AWRA’s Washington Section.

JENNA FRIEBEL

Jenna Friebel is the Executive Director of the Skagit Drainage and Irrigation Districts Consortium LLC, where she has worked since the Consortium was formed in 2018. The Consortium represents 12 special purpose member districts that serve approximately 60,000 acres of prime farmland in Skagit County, hundreds of miles of drainage infrastructure and 22 miles of marine dikes. In this role, Jenna provides leadership and technical support on a wide variety of issues including environmental policy, irrigation water supply, infrastructure design, construction, and maintenance, and environmental compliance. Jenna received an undergraduate degree in Biology from Oregon State University where she also played on the women’s soccer team. She also earned master’s degree from the University of Washington in Engineering and has spent over 25 years working in the field of hydrology. She currently lives in Mount Vernon with her husband, two kids, two dogs, six bikes, and a large garden.

JESSICA KUCHAN

Jessica is a partner with Confluence Law, PLLC where she helps clients with issues relating to water resources, land use and natural resources. Jessica works with local governments, non-profits, and private water users to find innovate solutions to complex water resource issues. Prior to law school, Jessica was an environmental scientist with the King County Department of Natural Resources researching the impact of water quality changes on freshwater mussels, macroinvertebrates and salmon. Jessica received a BS in biology from Gonzaga University and juris doctor from Lewis and Clark Law School with a certificate in Environmental and Natural Resource Law.

JASON MCCORMICK

Jason is Principal and Founder at McCormick Water Strategies (MWS) with fifteen years in water resources. Jason is recognized regionally as a water rights and water transactional expert. In 2015, Jason formed MWS after working in the private and non-profit sectors. His formative experience includes ten years specializing in water transactions, trust water, mitigation banking, permitting and water rights administration, water right due diligence and examination, representing private and conservation buyers and sellers, and geospatial water rights evaluation across Washington State. Early in his career, Jason worked as a permit writer for the newly formed Washington State Department of Ecology, Office of Columbia River, where he focused on water right permitting, project planning, geospatial water resources mapping, program outreach, and coordinating initial grant solicitations. From his experience in the private, non-profit, and public sectors, he excels at water right permitting and administration, water transactions, water banking, water right evaluations and due diligence, and complex water resources problem solving. In addition, he draws a strong appreciation for the communities and unique values of Washington State from his local roots in Central Washington.

TOM RING

Tom served as a hydrogeologist with the Water Resources Program of the Yakama Nation from 1990 until his retirement in late 2019. He worked on a variety of projects involving groundwater and surface water quantity and quality, water rights, irrigation and fisheries issues and planning for future water needs. He continues to be active in the Managed Aquifer Recharge component of the Yakima Basin Integrated Plan. Tom has BS and MS degrees in geology from Central Washington University and Northern Arizona University, respectively. He has taught geology and hydrogeology classes at Central Washington University and is a licensed geologist and hydrogeologist in Washington State. He enjoys getting out in the mountains, coasts, and deserts of the American west.

KORY SWABB

Kory is a water resources engineer at Jacobs Engineering Group in Bellevue, with 8 years of professional experience in Ohio and Washington. She specializes in hydrologic and hydraulic analyses, surface water modeling, geospatial analysis, flood studies, and the application of climate science. Kory completed both her Bachelor’s and professional Master’s degrees in Civil & Environmental Engineering with a focus on hydrology and hydrodynamics at the University of Washington. In addition to her professional work, Kory enjoys reading, adventuring in the mountains of western Washington, playing rec-league volleyball, trying new eateries, and spending time with family.

STEPHEN THOMAS

Stephen is lead hydrogeologist in the Redmond office of GeoEngineers, Inc. He has 30 years of experience as a hydrogeologic and water resources consultant. He manages and performs technical aspects of hydrogeological investigations for groundwater resources development, wellhead protection and groundwater management, groundwater contamination and waste disposal, dewatering, and environmental projects. A native of the United Kingdom, Stephen moved to Seattle in 2001, having previously lived in Los Angeles since 1992. He holds a BS in Geology from the University of Cardiff (Wales) and a MS in Hydrogeology from the University of Birmingham (England) and is a licensed hydrogeologist in the states of Washington and California. Stephen has been on the AWRA-WA Board since 2009, and has held positions of Vice-President, Secretary, and Treasurer, and has chaired the Dinner and Sponsorship committees. Stephen enjoys many outdoors activities, notably triathlons, skiing, and tennis, as well as annoying his neighbors with his guitar playing.

PATRICK VANDENBERG

Patrick is the Lead Water Resources Engineer at WSP, where he specializes in hydrology and hydraulic modeling. He received his BS from UCLA and his MS at UW, both in Civil Engineering. He was formerly the University of Washington Student Chapter Representative to the AWRA-WA Board. Patrick previously worked for Seattle Public Utilities and King County as a hydraulic modeling engineer for the local and regional drainage and wastewater systems. Before moving to Seattle, he worked as an environmental engineer for AECOM in Long Beach, CA. He enjoys playing ultimate Frisbee and volleyball. He is also the AWRA-WA website admin.

NOAH WENTZEL

Noah Wentzel is a legislative and policy planner with the Washington Department of Ecology's Water Resources Program. Noah is the legislative coordinator for the Water Resources Program and Office of Columbia River and has contributed to recent legislative proposals on water rights and water resource management. During his time at Ecology, he has also worked on policy development relating to trust water rights water banking, drought response, climate change adaptation, and interstate water resource management. Noah received a BA from Williams College and an MPA from the University of Washington with a concentration in environmental policy. Born and raised in Seattle, Noah enjoys spending his free time hiking, cross-country skiing, fishing, and otherwise exploring the Pacific Northwest as much as possible.