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Futurewise Staff List

Executive Director

Hilary Franz
Hilary brings over 14 years of experience working on environmental, local government and public policy issues.  Prior to coming to Futurewise, Hilary represented local governments, non-profit organizations, and citizen groups on a broad range of land use and environmental law issues, including the Growth Management, Shoreline Management, Endangered Species, and State Environmental Policy Acts.  From 2008 to 2011, she served as a Bainbridge Island city councilmember and government leader, bringing together diverse coalitions of local, state, and national public and private entities and developing nationally recognized environmental policies and programs.

Hilary is an active leader in the local government and environmental arena.  She currently sits on the Puget Sound Regional Council Growth Management Board, the Puget Sound Regional Council Economic Development District Board, and the Puget Sound Salmon Recovery Council.  She was appointed by the Governor to Washington State’s Climate Action Team IWG on the State Environmental Policy Act.  She has served on numerous boards, including serving currently on the Conservation Northwest board and formerly on the boards for Washington Environmental Council, the Center for Environmental Law and Policy, and Friends of the Farms.

Hilary is a graduate of Smith College and Northeastern University Law School. She lives with her husband, three young boys, and a small herd of goats and chickens on a historic farm in Port Madison on Bainbridge Island.

Phone: (206) 343-0681 x116
Email: hilary@futurewise.org

Legislative & Field Programs

April Putney, Director, Statewide Policy & Advocacy
April coordinates Futurewise's statewide policy and field activities. Prior to joining Futurewise in 2006, April successfully worked to protect Washington's communities & citizens from the last takings initiative.  Before moving to the Pacific NW, April worked with NJPIRG & AmeriCorps on water quality, environmental advocacy, and citizen organizing efforts at both Rutgers and Princeton Universities. She has a B.A. from Syracuse University.

Phone: (206) 343-0681 x120
Email: april@futurewise.org

Kate Blystone, Whatcom County Chapter Director

Kate leads Futurewise's only local chapter in Whatcom County. Over the last 11 years, her work in planning and public engagement has brought her to communities across Washington state, from Spokane to Chelan to southwest Washington. She became passionate about land use planning growing up on her small family farm in eastern Washington and became a planner to protect rural and agricultural lands from uncontrolled development. Kate graduated from Western Washington University with a B.A. in environmental journalism in 2005, and from Eastern Washington University with a Masters in Urban and Regional Planning in 2012.

Phone: (360) 306-5708
Email: kate@futurewise.org

Brock Howell, King County Program Director
Brock leads Futurewise's Transit-Oriented Community Program as well as policy and organizing work in King County. Previously Brock was the policy advocate for Environment Oregon where he successfully worked to integrate climate change into state transportation planning and funding, protect state clean energy investments, ban offshore drilling, protect the Metolius River basin from over-development, and pass local resolutions for a ban on plastic checkout bags. From 2006 to 2008, he served as Futurewise's legal intern, pro bono attorney, and interim legal director.  Brock grew-up on a family orchard in Prosser, a small town in Central Washington. Brock graduated with a B.S. in Agricultural & Resource Economics from Washington State University in 2004 and a J.D. from the Vermont Law School in 2007.

Phone: (206) 343-0681 ext. 112
Email: brock@futurewise.org

Kristin Kelly, Snohomish County Program Director
Kristin leads grassroots organizing efforts in Snohomish County. As a small business owner, Kristin got her start on growth management issues as a volunteer activist in Snohomish County, organizing a citizens’ group in the Lake Stevens area. She also currently serves as Smart Growth Director for Pilchuck Audubon Society. Kristin has a B.S. in Natural Resource Communications from Humboldt State University.

Phone: (425) 923-8625
Email: kristin@futurewise.org

Kitty Klitzke, Eastern Washington Program Director
Kitty Klitzke is based in Spokane where she grew-up and leads Futurewise's policy and organizing work in Eastern Washington. Her service in the US Army inspired her to seek out a better way to save her country and the planet, influencing her to take a stronger stance on environmental and social justice. While majoring in art in college, she got involved in the Fair Trade and Environmental movements working as a volunteer on several campaigns. She went on to work as the Program Outreach Director and campaign organizer for The Lands Council and went down to part-time there in order to work for Futurewise as a Program Director. She now works full time for Futurewise.

Phone: (509) 838-1965
Email: kitty@futurewise.org

Planning & Legal Programs

Tim Trohimovich, Director of Planning & Law
Tim joined the Futurewise staff in January 2001. He has more than 25 years of growth management experience, most recently as Comprehensive Planning Division Manager at the City of Redmond, where he participated in GMA appeals and worked extensively with citizens, elected officials, and planners. Tim has also worked on land use issues as hearing examiner in McCleary and Elma, as a Legal Planner for the Department of Ecology, and in Grays Harbor. He is AICP certified and is a member of the Washington and Oregon State Bar Associations. Tim grew-up in Aberdeen.

Phone: (206) 343-0681 x118
Email: tim@futurewise.org

Dean Patterson, Shoreline Planner
Dean joined Futurewise as our first Shoreline Planner in August 2008. Dean was most recently a Planning Manager for Yakima County, administering the county’s Shoreline Master Plan.  He recently completed Yakima County’s Shoreline Master Program and Critical Areas Ordinance updates.  Dean graduated from the University of Washington with a BA in Architecture and a MS in Natural Resource Planning. Dean is located in Yakima.

Phone: (509) 823-5481
Email: dean@futurewise.org

Heather Trim, Science & Policy Director
Heather works to runoff into our waterways, improving shoreline management practices and policies and addressing a range of issues from community sustainability, habitats, and climate change

Heather has more than 20 years of experience in environmental work. Prior to joining Futurewise, Heather was at People for Puget Sound for over ten years where she focused on protections for the marine environment. Prior to that, she was staff scientist for the Los Angeles and San Gabriel Rivers Watershed Council focusing on various projects leading to the greening of the rivers, including water quality, stormwater issues, pollution assessments and habitat renewal. She also worked for the Regional Water Quality Control Board on water quality standards, regulatory permits, and pollution assessments of both surface and ground water for Los Angeles and Ventura Counties.

Beyond Futurewise, Heather has also been a leader of Zero Waste Seattle, which has run campaigns on food serviceware styrofoam ban, plastic bags and reducing unwanted phonebooks, among other waste reduction efforts.

Phone: (206) 343-0681 x118
Email: heather@futurewise.org

Franziska McKay, Education and Outreach Manager
Franziska (“Franzi”) joined Futurewise this February. She works to engage and educate the public about Futurewise’s programs throughout the state with a special emphasis on healthy waterways and shorelines. Originally from Germany, she moved to Seattle in 2008 and immediately fell in love with the beauty of Washington State. Franzi studied business administration with a focus on marketing and environmental economics at Ludwig-Maximilians-Universitaet in Munich. She started her career doing marketing for various for-profit industries. A few years ago, she decided to dedicate her skills and passion to the environmental field and joined People For Puget Sound as Community Educator. Her goal is to get people excited about our region, so they will become stewards of our land, resources, and creatures and support Futurewise’s mission to protect the land and build strong communities.

Phone: (206) 343-0681 x121
Email: franziska@futurewise.org

Urban Program

Monica Smith, Urban Policy Director
Monica leads Futurewise's Urban Policy Program. She has more than 25 years of experience in real estate, project management and sustainable development. Monica founded Bluegreen Consulting in 2006 to focus on real estate and green building consulting services. She was previously a partner at Catapult Community Developers, where she developed urban-infill and adaptive-reuse projects. While at Catapult, she also consulted to nonprofit and public agencies promoting affordable housing and sustainable development strategies.

From 1990-2000, Monica focused on international corporate real estate and conducted transactions and project management in over 50 countries.  She was the International Real Estate Manager for Microsoft Corporation, overseeing the real estate, design and construction of their international portfolio. While managing Novell Inc.'s Asian real estate portfolio, she was living and working in Bangalore, India.

Monica’s recent board activity includes the Seattle Chapter of American Institute of Architects, Seattle’s Urban Land Institute's Executive Committee, and Red Feather Development Group.  She is an advisory member of University of Washington’s certificate program in commercial real estate.  She's been LEED accredited since 2005 and was a faculty member for the United States Green Building Council's LEED program.

Monica has been a downtown Seattle dweller for more than 15 years.

Phone: (206) 343-0681 x113
Email: monica@futurewise.org

Administration & Fundraising

Angela Uhl, Associate Director

Angela oversees finance and operational activities for Futurewise.  She has extensive management, fundraising and marketing experience from her previous role as Executive Director at the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.  She also worked for Nordstrom for 11 years as NW Event Director, Sales Promotion Director, and in events, advertising and marketing positions for the company.  Angela joined Futurewise in 2006 as Development Director.  In 2007, Angela was appointed Associate Director with an emphasis on development and operations, and served as Co-Director during a leadership transition period from April 2009-Sept. 2011.   Angela is a graduate of Washington State University and a graduate student at Bainbridge Graduate Institute earning a Masters degree in Organizational Leadership.

Phone: (206) 343-0681 x117
Email: angela@futurewise.org

Andrea Johnson, Director of Development
Andrea comes to Futurewise with 14 years of experience at all levels of fundraising, events, public relations and communications management. Andrea has worked with some of our region’s most prestigious organizations including The Seattle Center, One Reel and Northwest Folklife.  Most recently Andrea was the Director of Development at Cancer Lifeline helping individuals, especially low-income cancer patients and survivors access support and resources at no charge. Prior to that, Andrea served as the Director of Development at Jubilee Women’s Center, a transitional housing program for homeless women. While at Jubilee, Andrea completed a multi-million dollar capital campaign and property acquisition, allowing Jubilee to serve even more women.   Andrea is an alumna of the WSU Edward R. Murrow College of Communications and is the co-chair of the King County Women’s Advisory Board, representing district 4.

Phone: (206) 343-0681 x122
Email: andrea@futurewise.org

Sharon Yamada-Heidner, Development & Administrative Coordinator
Sharon comes to Futurewise from Domestic Abuse Women’s Network (DAWN) where she coordinated the annual giving program.  Prior to that Sharon worked in Human Resources with a focus on recruitment and training, and at the YMCA managing their endowment program.  Both Sharon and her architect husband believe strongly in smart growth, creating healthy equitable communities, and protecting valuable natural resource areas.

Phone: (206) 343-0681 x111
Email: sharon@futurewise.org

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