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MEET THE TEAM

Our TeAm

Katie Dougherty

Executive Director

Brad-2 (1)

Brad Parks

Conservation/Education Director

Operations and Finance Director

Project Manager

Community Engagement Specialist

Gallery Associate

Facility Maintenance

Donna Hutchison

Community Engagement Specialist

Art Assistant

2D Designer

Our Board

Bill Bradbury, 1950 – 2023

In memory of Bill Bradbury, former Oregon Secretary of State and long-time Chairman of the Washed Ashore Board.

Bill was a trailblazer who championed environmental issues and fought for small businesses and rural and coastal Oregonians. His legacy will last for generations, and he will be remembered for his zest for life, positive outlook, and commitment to public service in his beloved Oregon.

You will be forever missed at Washed Ashore. Thank you, Bill.

Join Our Washed ashore community

Volunteers are essential at Washed Ashore!

From cleaning miles of beaches, to washing debris, drilling holes, cutting wires and stitching plastics together we could not create our giant sculptures without the thousands of hours donated annually to Washed Ashore.

Our volunteers are an integral part of the Washed Ashore team. It is true that every action counts and many of Washed Ashore’s accomplishments are attributed to our dedicated volunteers.

Thank you for your continued support, we couldn’t do it without you.

Kevin Smith

Operations and Finance Director

Kevin Smith, a seasoned finance executive from Columbus, Ohio, boasts a decades-long career marked by substantial achievements in the corporate arena, primarily within the healthcare sector. His journey commenced in Columbus, where a robust work ethic and business acumen were cultivated. At Ohio State University, Kevin earned an honors Bachelor’s degree in Finance Accounting, showcasing leadership and financial analysis skills. His career soared at Cardinal Health, a Fortune 500 company in Dublin, Ohio, where he ascended to the role of Finance Executive for the Pharmacy Services Division. Post-retirement at 51, Kevin transitioned to purpose-driven work with organizations like Washed Ashore, aligning his values and passions to make a lasting impact.

Steve Wright

Artist

Steve is a lifelong musician born and raised in Colorado. While working as a welder, fabricator and pipefitter, he also created sculptures from repurposed metal. He moved to the area to fulfill his dream of living on the coast and dedicating more time to his art. His love of the ocean, creating artwork and protecting the environment made working at Washed Ashore a perfect fit. In November 2018, Steve began working full-time at Washed Ashore as our Facility & Production Manager, he became an Artist Apprentice soon after. Steve now leads new sculpture builds.

Abbie Bland

Project Manager

Abbie has lived in Southern Oregon her whole life, only a few hours away from the coast. Her family frequently took trips there over the summer or holidays, and she quickly fell in love with the ocean. It has always been a place that she can getaway to, and now enjoys bringing her own family there whenever she can. Abbie has always loved exploring and traveling, always stopping at a beach whenever she can. She has been to beaches on the Oregon and California coast, as well as the coast of Wales, in St. Davids. She has also visited numerous museums and historic sites throughout the United States as well as in England and Wales. As a traveling enthusiast who enjoys the cultures and histories of the world she’s excited to be part of a team working toward preserving our oceans and its inhabitants for her son, and the future generations.

Ellie Kingsbury

Community Engagement Specialist

Ellie is from a little town near Redding, California where she lived in the mountains surrounded by animals. She’s always loved the idea of working with and taking care of animals since she was little. In her free time, she loves going to youth groups and playing pickle ball and volleyball. Ellie will be graduating high school in 2024 and wants to pursue her dreams of animal rehabilitation and training while also taking what she has learned from Washed Ashore with her.

Mary-Jo Reese

Gallery Associate

Mary-Jo, a California native, cherished her upbringing in So Cal, where she had a fondness for soccer, softball, and even the art of baton twirling. Her summers were filled with joyous swims in the southern ocean, all within the charming confines of the coastal town, Seal Beach.

During her sophomore year in high school, Mary-Jo relocated to the Bay Area. It was there that she crossed paths with her future husband, Dave. Their enduring love story has spanned 35 years, resulting in a loving family with three children and two precious granddaughters.

Mary-Jo’s professional journey led her to become an Autism Specialist Para, dedicating 13 years to the field of Special Education. Her passion for advocacy extended to animals and the environment, driving her involvement with numerous non-profit organizations.

Currently residing on a multi-family property in Bandon, Mary-Jo shares her home with her mother, along with a diverse and furry family of 12 dogs, 5 cats, 3 goats, 8 chickens, 4 bunnies, and a beloved Bearded Dragon named Elliot.

In her present role as an Educational Assistant at the local elementary school in Bandon, Mary-Jo is grateful for her path intertwining with that of her childhood friend, Donna, at Washed Ashore, where she began her journey as a volunteer four years ago. Mary-Jo’s unwavering dedication shines through her commitment to Animal Rescue and the Environment.

Art McMahon

Facility Maintenance

Art worked for the Port of Port Orford and was retired when he decided he wanted to work alongside his daughter at Washed Ashore.  What he enjoys most at Washed Ashore is refurbishing sculptures and exhibits.  He likes and agrees with the Washed Ashore mission statement.  He is continuing to work alongside his daughter while pursuing the mission of Washed Ashore.

BAILEE MCMAHON

Art Assistant

Bailee has a Bachelor’s Degree in Earth Science.  Previously, she interned and volunteered at the Charleston Marine Life Center.  She enjoys doing art in her free time.  Washed Ashore combines het love for art and marine science together.  Being able to create art that sends a message to reduce plastic and improve the environment is amazing.  She enjoys building the sculptures.  The process of starting with trash, something that someone threw away, and making it into art that people can enjoy is awesome.  Bailee agrees with the Washed Ashore mission.  Teaching people about the problems with plastic pollution and inspiring them to reduce plastic use and reuse what they can be very impactful.  Every small change makes a big difference if everyone makes that change.

Vinnie Fowler

2D Designer

Born and raised in Auburn, California, Vinnie attended California College of Art and Design in Oakland. He worked for over 30 years in technical and architectural design and drafting for the casino industry in Lake Tahoe and Las Vegas. In 2010 Vinnie moved to Bandon, Oregon where he was introduced to Washed Ashore and he was hired to help conceptualize the early sculptures with Angela Haseltine Pozzi. For the past 4 years, V.C.Fowler Designs has assisted Washed Ashore in designing the larger sculptures, creating technical and engineering drawings for welders and beautiful illustrations.

Jenny Houck

HR Manager and Executive Assistant

Jenny has enjoyed a career in Workers’ Compensation as a claims adjuster and fraud specialist.  She later moved into administrative work and has recently been promoted to Washed Ashore as our HR Manager and Executive Administrative Assistant. Jenny’s skills, experience and commitment are a valued asset to the success of the organization.  She is a lover of the outdoors, weight lifting and music and passionate about people, education and animals.  

Kelly Bechtel

Operations/Community Engagement Coordinator

From an early age, Kelly and her family have been drawn to the excitement and beauty of the ocean. She owned a house on the coast for many years and when her children left for college, Kelly decided to make this a permanent home in 2020. Kelly is a current real estate broker and prior to that held an executive leadership role in Healthcare business development and technology sales. Kelly is a former resident of San Jose, California, and Medford, Oregon, and has enjoyed extensive professional travel throughout the country. She has two sons who are her pride and joy and she enjoys traveling to spend time with them as often as possible. Kelly enjoys any outdoor activity including kayaking, hiking, paddleboarding and golf. One of her passions is volunteering and working with volunteer teams and is currently a member of the Port Orford Parks Commission, where she is responsible for the coordination of programs and volunteers for the Visitors Center. She is also a member of the City Budget Committee. As a member of Washed Ashore’s staff, Kelly will work with visitors and volunteers to promote the passion our organization has for clean beaches, ocean health, education and art.

Donna Hutchison

Retail Assistant
Donna is originally from California but makes Bandon By The Sea her home now. She enjoys creating art and making jewelry in her spare time. She has been part of the Washed Ashore family for some time, starting as a volunteer. She does outreach with schools, children’s groups and other community groups as well as giving tours at our gallery and working in our Eco Shift Market.
Leah Ruby

Leah Ruby

Artistic Director

Leah began creating award winning exhibits and educational programs for museums and
non-profits over 25 years ago. She is dedicated to the idea that large-scale exhibits are a unique
form of art, capable of relaying complex messages across time and space, and if done well, hold the power to shift cultural perception for all types of people. She is so excited about the
Washed Ashore team and their mission of ocean conservation; she believes the Washed
Ashore model is the perfect medium to relay the urgent message of ocean stewardship.

A lifelong dedication to the preservation of the natural world was forged as a child traversing the
mountains of Northern Nevada in winter and exploring the shores of the Pacific Ocean during
summer. Work that fosters a love of the Earth and Earth’s systems is the kind of work she has
always done. Throughout her career, she has worked with a wonderful network of mentors,
artists, scientists, and cultural leaders to create exhibits that help people understand important
topics. Her independent exhibit company has a notable client list which includes the Governor’s
Office for the State of Nevada, the Nevada Indian Commission, and Oakland’s Museum of
California. She holds a MA in Museum Studies specializing in exhibition development and
education, as well as a graduate level teaching certificate in Art Education where she focused
her research on teaching science through art. She is licensed to teach grades K-12 Art in
Nevada and Oregon, and taught art at University of Nevada Reno and Sierra Nevada College.
Her BA is in Studio Art and Art History.

Working in a variety of mediums, Leah makes sculptures and plays music when she’s at home.
She got her first exhibit job in 1995 and has been striving to be single use plastic free since
2017.

Marilyn Wright

Logistics Manager/Art Assistant
Marilyn first began working with Washed Ashore as a volunteer and became part of the staff in June 2019. As the Logistics Manager, she travels to venues and ensures the traveling exhibits are set up and ready for the public to enjoy and learn from. She has a diverse employment background with experience in graphic design, marketing, building management and working with the DD/ID community. Marilyn is a musician and enjoys hiking area trails and beaches with her husband, cleaning up trash along the way.
Frank Rocco, Washed Ashore

Frank Rocco

Marketing Director
Born in New York City, Frank studied marketing and music and worked at Manhattan advertising agencies as a creative writer, art director and TV commercial producer. Later he moved to Europe and worked with McCann-Erickson in London, a major international ad agency where he wrote advertising for top global clients. In Amsterdam, Holland Frank launched The Creative Handbook-Europe, the first pan-European directory of advertising services that covered Belgium, France, Holland, Italy, Switzerland, and the UK. In 1989, he became a Managing Partner at CCMR Marketing Communications, a full-service U.S. advertising agency whose clients inclu
Brad-2 (1)

Brad Parks

Conservation/Education Director

Growing up on a small family farm surrounded by forests, streams and swamps, Brad’s connection to nature started early. Playing outside, building forts and damming the creek, and raising livestock like chickens, pigs, and cows, influenced his love of nature. Brad’s childhood dream of being a zookeeper was fostered by books, Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom, and trips to his local zoo, the John Ball Park Zoo. A family trip while in middle school brought his first encounter with the ocean. Brad had read about tide pools and all sorts of ocean creatures, so investigating the rocky Oregon coast was magical. A wildlife biology degree afforded early work with the Colorado Division of Wildlife studying grassland birds. His first zoo job was at the Royal Zoo of Morocco while serving as a Peace Corps volunteer. That experience sparked a career-long value of culturally-relevant conservation messages. Six years at Zoo Atlanta as a keeper and animal trainer preceded a 20 year period at Denver Zoo. As the Senior Director of Guest Experience he was proud to host Washed Ashore in 2016. In 2018 he completed a Master’s Degree in Organizational Leadership and went on to be part of the Denver Museum of Nature & Science’s Division of Experiences & Partnerships

Katie Dougherty

Executive Director

Katie has enjoyed a career in public, private, and non-profit business sectors in administration, grant writing, accounting, payroll, and human resources. She is a licensed tax preparer and real estate broker. As a private contractor, she has helped numerous businesses with accounting, payroll and tax work.
The daughter of a commercial fisherman, Katie (almost) literally grew up on boats. Cruising the Northern California and Southern Oregon coastlines with her father, she developed a deep caring for the ocean and its health. Today, she continues to explore Oregon beaches are shorelines as a certified master diver. A lifelong arts enthusiast, Katie became an advocate for arts and education as a parent volunteer when her daughter attended the Redding School for the Arts charter school in California.
Katie accepted the executive director position with Washed Ashore in February 2021. She shares her passion for ocean health, art and education, along with her business expertise, as operations and finance director for our organization.
Angela (1)

Angela Haseltine Pozzi​

Founder and Artistic Director​
Angela’s work as an artist and educator gained new focus in 2010 when she founded the non-profit Washed Ashore: Art to Save the Sea. Since then, her passion has inspired collaborative learning through art. Like a conductor leading an orchestra, Angela directs our talented Washed Ashore team members and volunteer artists to reach a growing audience worldwide. The uniquely beautiful sculptures at the heart of the Washed Ashore mission motivate us to learn more and do more to address the problem of plastic pollution in our environment and our precious oceans.
Angela was born in Portland, Oregon, to a family of artists and naturalists. As a child, she enjoyed a creative space in her mother’s studio with access to various art supplies, and she often used discarded items from the house to invent things. At the dinner table, she participated in lively discussions with her parents about art. And every summer was spent on Oregon’s ocean shore.
Angela believes in art for all— an accessible, participatory experience for every community member. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in Education from the University of Utah, followed by a Master’s degree from Portland State University with an emphasis in arts education.

Want to Help?

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED

Our volunteers are an essential part of the Washed Ashore team!

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Hosting an Exhibit

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