Board of Directors
Patrick Williams, President
Patrick is a Seattle-based attorney with a solo practice dedicated environmental, land uses law, and water law. His litigation experience includes challenges to land use decisions and water right permits. He has litigated at all levels; from administrative boards to the State Supreme Court. Prior to opening his practice in 2009, Patrick was staff attorney for the Center for Environmental Law and Policy for three years. During that time he worked on water policy issues including rule making and oversight.
Steve Robinson, Vice President
Steve is the owner of an Olympia-based public relations company which specializes in serving Native American Tribes. He was Public Affairs Manager and Policy Analyst for the Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission for 26 years, working closely with the late, great Billy Frank, Jr. He has also worked in corporate public affairs, served as Chief of Public Information and Public Affairs Director for the Washington State Department of Natural Resources, Advertising Manager for a major real estate company in Portland, Oregon and worked several years as a daily newspaper reporter. He is a journalism graduate of the University of Oregon and a veteran of the U.S. Army. He has served as President of the Washington State Information Council, of the Salmon Homecoming Alliance and has been active with numerous other committees and organizations, including the Affiliated Tribes of Northwest Indians and the National Congress of American Indians. Steve is a board member of Washington Wild, the University of Oregon Climate Change Project and The Sierra Club and adviser to the Pacific Education Institute, the Climate Reality Project, the Olympia Arts & Heritage Program and JRMD (Berundi, Africa Youth School & Orphanage) and the Clearing Environmental Education Magazine Board. He has received numerous awards for journalism and citizenship, ranging from two Emmy Awards for film production to the George Washington Medal of Honor.
Eric Hirst, Treasurer
Eric has been an environmental activist since he was a graduate student in engineering at Stanford University in the mid-1960s. Most of his career as an energy policy analyst at Oak Ridge National Laboratory focused on energy efficiency. Eric moved to Bellingham in late 2002. He helped create a local chapter of Futurewise and served on its Steering Committee from 2007 – 2009. Eric was a member of the board of directors for RE Sources for Sustainable Communities from late 2010 through early 2015 and remains an active supporter of the organization.
Recently, Eric has focused on local water issues, researching and writing articles for local media. Although very much an environmental advocate, Eric has reached out to those with different perspectives, especially farmers, to discuss possible solutions to our water problems.
Jim Weber, Secretary
Jim has been a policy analyst working on salmon habitat protection on behalf of Pacific Northwest Indian tribes. Over a 35 year career, Jim worked at the Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission, the Skagit River System Cooperative, and the Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission, along with a stint as an in-house attorney for the Confederated Tribes of the Chehalis Reservation. Jim has a B.A. from Pitzer College and earned his J.D. from the Northwestern School of Law at Lewis and Clark College. He is also a member of the Oregon and Washington State Bar Associations. Jim Joined the board in December of 2018.
Lori Carpenter
Lori is a senior professional wetland scientist, certified by the Society of Wetland Scientists and is an FAA certified unmanned pilot. She has worked extensively as a wetland hydrologist and regulatory scientist within surface waters and the vadose zone in the arid west. Her work focuses on watershed functions of wetland and stream environment zones within aquatic resource delineations and mitigation projects which includes water rights, land use and habitat assessments. She studied surface water hydrology and chemistry at the University of Nevada, Reno and then followed with a Master of Science degree in Hydrology and Hydrogeology assessing climatic conditions that form seasonal wetlands. She utilizes drones with remote sensing to better understand watershed conditions via vegetation and habitat mapping at the field spatial scale, cross referenced with Landsat imagery. Lori joined the CELP board in December of 2021.
Willie Frank III
Willie Frank III, a Nisqually tribal member, serves as the 7th council member on the Nisqually Tribal Council. He says, “I believe we need to work toward moving our tribe forward while continuing to protect our treaty rights and tribal sovereignty. I believe that our salmon and natural resources are still the foundation for who we are today”.
Stephen J. Hirschey
Steve been a manager and policy analyst working on many aspects of water resource management across the state over a 33-year career. With the Washington State Department of Ecology, Steve developed and promulgated instream flow rules, and water right administration policies and rules. He spent time managing 22 staff implementing the Water Code and well drilling programs in Ecology’s Bellevue office, and also served as a senior analyst for water resources. With the King County’s Department of Natural Resource and Parks, Steve worked with local land use and water issues including water and land use planning, reclaimed water, asset management, utility wastewater management, and public water service issues. Steve also chaired the King County Utilities Technical Review Committee, tasked with reviewing local utility plans and making recommendations to the King County Council for plan approval. Steve received a B.S. in Natural Sciences from St. John’s University, and his M.S. in Environmental Studies from the Evergreen State College. Steve is married and the father of two children and enjoys snow skiing, hiking, and gardening.
Brady Johnson
Brady is the son of CELP founder Ralph W. Johnson and has been a life-long supporter of a rational water policy. Professionally Brady is retired from a long career litigating a wide variety of cases including criminal defense, civil rights, mental health and civil commitment, torts, class actions and for the last 15 years of his career, antitrust and consumer protection. Brady has appeared before trial and appellate courts in several states, and in federal trial and appellate courts in the 2nd, 3rd and 9th Circuits and in the U.S. Supreme Court. Brady holds a B.A. from the University of Washington and a J.D. from the University of Puget Sound School of Law. He also holds a Certifcate in International Law from the McGeorge School of Law. He is a member of the Washington State Bar. Brady joined the CELP board in May 2015.
Phil Katzen
Phil is Of-Counsel to Kanji & Katzen and continues to work with the firm on a contract basis. Phil was a founding member of Kanji & Katzen and he served as the firm’s Managing Attorney until converting to Of-Counsel on June 1, 2016. Kanji & Katzen is a law firm dedicated to advocacy on behalf of Indian tribes and peoples. Phil earned his A.B. from the University of California, Berkeley in 1970 and his J.D. from the University of California, Berkeley (Boalt Hall) in 1977. Phil has represented and consulted with tribes across the country on a wide variety of issues, including sovereignty and governance, treaty fishing and hunting rights, Indian gaming, environmental protection, reservation boundaries, taxation and jurisdictional matters. Prior to starting his own firm, Phil served as a staff attorney and Native American Project Director for Evergreen Legal Services (later Columbia Legal Services) in Washington state.
Douglas Kilgore
Doug was born and raised in the Connecticut River Valley. He then traveled west, gathering degrees at Reed College and University of Chicago. For 20 years he represented janitors and hospital workers as a staff member and elected officer of SEIU Local 6 in Seattle. In 2003 he became the Executive Director of the Worker Owner Council- a Building Trades organization representing interests of workers by engaging companies where pension funds are invested and advocating good corporate governance and fair treatment of workers and suppliers. In 2021 he retired with plans to continue this work as a consultant.
Since 1987 he has lived in Roslyn where he played a leading role in the community organization, RIDGE, prior to its dissolution in 2011. RIDGE initially focused on reform of Washington forest practice regulations but later turned to land-use and water resource issues in Kittitas County- especially those presented by the development of the Suncadia Resort adjacent to Roslyn. In 2011 RIDGE, Futurewise and the KCCC won a victory at the Washington State Supreme Court that led to a comprehensive settlement of water and land-use regulations in Kittitas County. Between 2014 and 2017 he served on the Roslyn City Council. Doug joined the CELP board in September of 2021.
Adriana Maestas
Adriana is the daughter of Roberto Maestas, the founder and longtime Executive Director of El Centro de la Raza. Born into a local activist family with strong ties to communities of color and tribal communities in Washington State, Adriana has a long history of social justice activism and advocacy work. She is deeply committed to combatting the climate crisis and environmental and ecological matters, including resource preservation and wildlife protection. Adriana has undertaken pro bono legal work on immigration, child advocacy and voter protection cases. Professionally, Adriana is a banking lawyer with 15 years of experience, currently serving as Senior Legal Counsel for Lloyds Banking Group and Secretary of the North America Executive Committee. Prior to entering private practice, Adriana was a law clerk to Judge Weinberg de Roca at the Appellate Chamber for the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda in The Hague, Netherlands. Adriana holds a B.A. from Stanford University and a J.D. from Stanford Law School. She is a member of the Washington Bar, the New York Bar and is pending qualification as a solicitor in England and Wales. She is also a member of the Stanford Law School Alumni Executive Committee. Adriana is fluent in Spanish.
