MVIC Staff
David LaFever, Executive Director
David is an ecologist and educator who works or volunteers with a number of local nonprofits including the Winthrop Rink (volunteer hockey coach) and Methow Nordic (volunteer ski coach). In addition to his work as MVIC Executive Director, he is currently working as the Youth Hockey Manager at the Winthrop Rink. In summer, he works as a Senior Biologist with Eocene Environmental Group, an environmental consulting company. David loves teaching and does so in a variety of settings including homeschool, sports coaching, and public schools. With a background in wildlife biology, forest ecology, and education, David loves teaching in outdoor settings where learning really seems to come alive. David is a founding Board member of the indigenous nonprofit, Indigenous Roots & Reparation Foundation in Wenatchee, and serves as an advisor to another indigenous nonprofit, The Nature Immersion Program. He loves being in the backcountry, skiing, playing hockey, and writing poetry. He has been a student of Zen Buddhism for more than a decade.
Tiffany Ban, Administrative Director
Tiffany comes from a background in natural resources management and water resources engineering, but in the past several years, has focused on transitioning from technical roles to roles that align more with her interests and passions. She previously enjoyed working with The Mountaineers, an outdoor education and conservation non-profit, before finding her way to the beautiful Methow Valley. In her free time, she enjoys the outdoors, traveling and studying Spanish.
MVIC Board of Directors
Allison Ciancibelli, President – Allison grew up on the Lower Columbia and moved to the Methow in 2000 with her husband, settling up the Twisp River. Together they opened Twisp River Glass, a sculptural blown glass studio they operated out of their barn for 20 years. Along with raising 2 girls and a garden, Allison helped run the Methow Valley Community School from 2014-2018. She is currently an interior designer at Intrinsic Design, a home design studio she also owns with her husband. Allison is a hobby botanist and spends as much time outside as she can appreciating the flora and fauna of the Methow. She is passionate about education and ecosystem restoration and is excited to be involved with the Interpretive Center and everything it provides for this valley!
Bruce Morrison, Treasurer – Bruce is a local sculptor and teaching artist who has lived in the Methow since 1975. He is a founding member of the Confluence Gallery. Lead organizer of the Twisp Commons Park and Lecturer of the Twisp Valley Grange #472. Bruce was active in forest issues and timber planning from 1990 to 2000 and has enjoyed exploring the Methow Valley backcountry since 1974.
Jennifer Molesworth, Secretary – Jennifer settled in the Methow Valley in 1992 to take a job as District Fisheries Biologist for the US Forest Service in Twisp and Winthrop. She retired from Federal Service in 2019 as Methow Subbasin liaison with the Bureau of Reclamation. During her career Jennifer advocated for watershed wide habitat protection and restoration of the Methow River and her tributaries. She has deep admiration for all aquatic species and our rivers and streams. Jennifer is also an artist and enjoys painting with watercolor and helping curate art exhibits at Confluence Gallery in Twisp. She loves growing food in her garden, playing with grandkids, walking in the mountains and playing in the snow. She currently resides on Beaver Creek.
Carolyn Cilek, Board Member – Carolyn joined the board in 2013. She has worked for many years to make the Twisp Pow Wow a success. She is a massage therapist.
Natalia Tuller, Board Member – Natalia Tuller is the CEO of Sunridge Home, Inc., a local Methow Valley construction company she runs with her husband, Andrew. Prior to her valley life, she garnered a diverse skill set in environmental policy and stewardship, cross-agency collaboration, social entrepreneurship, event coordination, and project management. Organizing and guiding intergenerational women’s circles and spending time in nature are her passions.
Mel Merrihew, Board Member – Mel was born in the Adirondack mountains of upstate NY, moved west for higher horizon lines and longer winters, and has been a valley resident since 2014. Farming in Carlton was her introduction then, and she has since kept a close relationship to the land through ecosystem restoration with Twisp based businesses, Plantas Co. and Methow Natives. Water and land stewardship is an anchor in Mel’s life that she fosters through work and play. In her free time, you will likely find Mel on skis, skates, trails and rivers.
Advisors
Crystal Miller, Tribal Liaison. Crystal works for Colville Confederated Tribes and in the MVIC office. Her family still lives on one of the original native allotments in the Methow Valley.
Carolyn Schmekel, Founder. Carolyn began her business, Harmony House Interiors, in 1986 in the Methow Valley, after moving from San Diego California, where she worked with two design firms. She has an AA degree in interior design and became a professional member of the Interior Design Society (IDS) in 1982. She was a licensed Realtor in both the State of California and Washington for a number of years. Prior to that she worked as a tax preparer for Vasquez Tax services for 4 years in the early 1980’s. She sold Harmony House Interiors in 2009. In addition to her professional business background she was part of the original board of Cascadia; the Methow Music Association, starting in 1987 and resigning in 2005. As president of Cascadia she was closely involved in a sweeping change in the arts that took place locally in the early 1990’s, helping put into place valley wide collaboration (arts calendar, monthly meetings with non-profit board chairs for dialogue) in order to create an atmosphere where the arts would flourish.
Glenn Schmekel. Glenn has been a resident of the Methow Valley since 1972 and is a retired public-school teacher. He originated the “Alternative Learning Experience” in 1997, to help homeschool families continue to educate their children at home yet still be a part of the Methow Valley School District, creating increased funding for both the schools and support for the families. Currently, as founder and Executive Director of the COVE (established in 1998) Glenn is fully engaged with this charitable non-profit that has expanded into several projects; the Methow Valley Food bank, the Aid and Assistance fund, the Guardian Angels and Jamie’s Place (two adult family homes). He has been a recipient of “Keeper of The Place” award given for distinguished service to the community. He has personally been involved in the building and remodel of several homes in the Methow.
Rob Crandall has lived in the valley for twenty years. For the past decade, he has been operating Methow Natives, a native plant nursery focusing on container grown plants native to the Methow Valley. Methow Natives has been active in the salmon recovery efforts in the Methow for the past 8 years as well as working with numerous local landowners on restoration on private lands. Rob is an enthusiastic educator, heading up the Watershed Watchers program and River Camp.
Rich Davis, Archaeological Advisor. Rich has a diverse background in archaeology, ethics display construction and taxidermy. Rich is an active participant in several archaeology projects in the southwest and here in the Methow Valley.
Local Indigenous Elders/Advisors: Elaine Timentwa Emerson, Jimmy Timentwa, Tillie Timentwa Gorr, Mark Miller, Cyndy Miller, Bernadine Phillips, John Sirois, Randy Lewis, Ernie Brooks, Tlaqana qwinqinxn, Margie Timentwa, and Paul Myrick
Other Advisors: Richard Hart, Chuck Borg, George Wooten