Casey Dennehy (he/him) | President
Favorite native species: Dodecatheon (shooting star); American kestrel
Casey brings a range of experience to the Ecostudies Institute board, having worked for the National Park Service, The Nature Conservancy (TNC), the Center for Natural Lands Management (CNLM), the Surfrider Foundation, and the Washington State Department of Ecology. While working for TNC and CNLM, Casey led and supported numerous conservation projects in the Puget Sound region, including invasive species management, endangered species monitoring and habitat restoration, native plant propagation, and prescribed fire. He has also served in leadership positions on several other boards and advisory bodies. In his free time, Casey enjoys spending time with his family, hiking, biking, and surfing. As a board member, Casey aims to support and guide the growth of the Ecostudies Institute so that it will continue to protect, preserve, and restore the amazing natural treasures of our region long into the future.
Kerri Wheeler (she/her) | Vice-President
Favorite native species: sandhill crane
Kerri has lived in Olympia for over 10 years now and considers it her home. She is a federal liaison for the Washington State Department of Transportation, working very closely with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and National Marine Fisheries Service, specializing in fish passage barrier corrections and advising the agency on all topics related to the Endangered Species Act. Her background includes several years of work in the prairies, the Chehalis River basin, the hills and valleys of Mount St. Helens, and various other field locations. She decided to become a board member because of her love of the prairie ecosystem and her desire to stay involved in the conservation of these lands. Kerri enjoys not only negotiating for conservation, but exploring our natural lands as well. She spends her free time birding, backpacking, biking, mountaineering, and running the hills with her sled dogs.
Paul Yaeger (he/him) | Treasurer
Favorite native species: all of them!
Paul joined the Ecostudies Institute board in 2014 and has thoroughly enjoyed growing with the company while learning from the diverse, talented, dedicated, and incredibly knowledgeable team members. By profession Paul is a Composites Engineer focused on aero structures including space, military and commercial aircraft. He is currently in engineering management at Boeing but has previously worked on projects across the aerospace spectrum from Blue Origin to Northrop Grumman and Lockheed Martin. He enjoys nothing more than spending time outdoors with his family; from hiking local trails to traveling to far away jungles and beaches. Paul believes that it is our responsibility to preserve these natural environments for future generations.
Charlie O’Toole (he/him) | Secretary
Favorite native species: Ceanothus velutinus (snowbrush); varied thrush
Charlie moved to Seattle with his wife in 2019 and immediately fell in love with the region. From the Puget Sound to the Columbia River to the mountains and prairies, he still can’t believe how many varied landscapes exist within a day’s journey. Charlie is a lawyer admitted to practice in New York and Washington. Before moving to Seattle, he was a corporate associate at two large firms and currently works with all kinds of municipalities across the country on creating, maintaining and improving their legal codes. He loves birding, foraging for mushrooms and hiking with his wife and two dogs, and is grateful for the opportunity to contribute to the Ecostudies Institute’s work protecting one of the most beautiful places on the planet.
