Staff Members
Biographies for Washington Conservation Voters' staff members.
Leah Barbaree, Development Manager
Leea Brady, Administrative Director
Jesseca Brand, King County Conservation Voters
Brendon Cechovic, Executive Director
Lauren Fitzgerald, Events and Development Coordinator
Edie Gilliss, Political Director
Nicole Keenan, Field Organizer
Kathy Malley, Development Director
Shannon Murphy, Program Manager
Clifford Traisman, State Lobbyist
Brendon Cechovic, Executive Director
Brendon Cechovic is the new Executive Director of Washington Conservation Voters, previously serving as the organization’s Political Director. He is a veteran of statewide, legislative, and ballot measure campaigns in several states, and has lived in Seattle with his wife Kerri since 2006.
In his leadership role, Brendon’s focus is on turning our shared environmental values into political priorities. He believes that the key to lasting environmental protection is to inspire and activate Washington’s environmental majority.
Brendon is an avid marathon runner, fly fisherman, and mountain climber who never passes up an opportunity to get outside and explore Washington.
Phone: 206-631-2622 Email: brendon (at) wcvoters.org
Leah Barbaree, Development Manager
Leah leads major donor development for Washington Conservation Voters. Leah comes to WCV from Oregon where she was Finance Director for John Kitzhaber’s 2010 campaign that elected him to an unprecedented third term as Governor. In 2008, she was Deputy Finance Director for the challenger campaign that elected now U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley.
When Leah moved to the Northwest from the South in 2006, she found herself instantly at home with the region’s regard for its natural resources. She’s been working hard ever since to elect candidates and advance agendas focused on preserving and protecting the environment. Aside from work, Leah loves bicycling, yoga, exploring and spending time on the water (she lives on a boat!).
Phone: 206-631-2626 Email: leah (at) wcvoters.org
Leea Brady, Administrative Director
Leea serves as the joint administrative director for Washington Conservation Voters and Washington Environmental Council. She comes to Washington Conservation Voters with a strong administrative background, formerly working in the airline transportation industry. Leea attended the University of Washington where she focused her studies on urban issues and landscape architecture, receiving her Bachelor’s degree in Community, Environment & Planning in 2008. Since she was a child, Leea has always had a passion for the environment; being native to the Seattle area as well as growing up on a farm, she has a love and an appreciation for nature and the outdoors. She loves camping, biking and swimming. When she isn’t working Leea can be found taking care of her vegetable garden or training for triathlons with her husband Shane and their dog Wally.
Phone: 206-374-0760 Email: leea (at) wcvoters.org
Jesseca Brand, King County Conservation Voters
Jesseca joined Washington Conservation Voters in December 2009. Jesseca grew up in Kennewick, WA and remembers fondly hours of play in open fields and swimming in the Columbia River. She moved to Seattle in 1998 to finish her Political Science degree at Seattle University. Jesseca worked as the Outreach Director for six years for Futurewise and has played key roles in several initiative and local candidate elections. Before joining WCV staff, Jesseca served on the King County Chapter board. Jesseca along with her husband Adam, spend most of their free time chasing after their two kids, Audrey and Lewis. Their favorite things to do as a family is visit all the great local farmland and bring home tasty treats.
Jesseca works with the King County chapter to endorse and elect environmentally friendly candidates and engage community leaders on critical environmental issues in King County.
Phone: 206-631-2611 Email: jesseca (at) wcvoters.org
Lauren Fitzgerald, Events and Development Coordinator
Lauren comes to Washington Conservation Voters after previous work and volunteer experience in the non-profit development sector. She has a Master's in Social Work, with a focus on non-profit management, from the University of Washington and a BA in Sociology from Boston College. Originally from the Chicago area, she has lived in Seattle for close to three years after detours in Boston and the mountains of Wyoming. While not hard at work, she can be found riding a bike (on the road or in the mountains), skiing, on her yoga mat, or searching for the best bakeries in Seattle.
As the Events and Development Coordinator, Lauren works on organizing and running our events, primarily our annual Breakfast. She also assists the Development Director with the day to day development operations.
Phone: 206-631-2629 Email: lauren (at) wcvoters.org
Edie Gilliss, Political Director
Edie Gilliss is the Political Director at Washington Conservation Voters.
Before joining WCV, Edie served as Senior Advisor to Washington State’s Lands Commissioner Peter Goldmark. For more than a decade, Edie has been honing her political chops by planning and implementing campaigns for non-profits and candidates. She was previously the Washington State Director for Progressive Majority and during her career has helped elect numerous candidates to school boards, city and county councils, the State Legislature, and statewide offices.
Edie holds a bachelor's degree from Duke University and a Masters in Public Affairs from the University of Washington. She is married to another political junkie and has two charming children and two badly-trained dogs.
Phone: 206-631-2622 Email: edie (at) wcvoters.org
Nicole Keenan, Field Organizer
During the election season, Nicole works with the WCV chapter network to directly support the campaigns of environmentally friendly candidates. She is committed to environmental justice and is excited to work with an amazing team to support candidates that will protect Washington’s environment for everyone. Prior to working at WCV, Nicole was the Outreach Manager at the Washington Bus where she built the volunteer committee structure and coordinated Candidate Survivor. Nicole has her MSW from the University of Washington and her B.A in public policy from William and Mary. She hails from the east coast where she worked for Green America in Washington, DC. She moved to Seattle not only because it is lovely, but also to work for El Centro de la Raza. Nicole is also fond of taking naps on Sunday afternoons, practicing piano, and having adventures.
Phone: 206-631-2606 Email: nicole (at) wcvoters.org
Kathy Malley, Development Director
Kathy leads the overall fundraising and development activities for both the Washington Environmental Council and Washington Conservation Voters and works with Joan Crooks and Brendon Cechovic on strategic organizational development issues. Kathy has over 20 years of fundraising experience, nearly all of it in the environmental sector. She was lured back to WEC/ WCV after a six year absence, during which time she worked as the Development Director for Resource Media, a nonprofit communications firm that specializes in environmental policy debates. During her tenure there she helped to nearly triple the organization’s budget, and as a member of the organization’s management team, established the structure and systems that successfully guided Resource Media through this period of rapid growth. From 1995 to 2005, Kathy was WEC’s Development Director, creating the organization’s overall fundraising framework.
Kathy is a graduate of Colorado State University and also has a certificate in Non-profit Management and Fundraising from the University of Washington. She and her husband are slowly remodeling an old home and restoring its gardens. When not pondering which native plants grow best in dry shade or how to repair a stone wall, they spend time riding their bikes and hiking.
Phone: 206-631-2640 Email: kathy (at) wcvoters.org
Shannon Murphy, Program Manager
Shannon Murphy is the Program Manager at Washington Conservation Voters where she develops and implements outreach strategies for WCV’s electoral and legislative work. Shannon also manages the Voter Education Program for our partner organization Washington Environmental Council which specializes in voter engagement and capacity building for Washington’s environmental community.
Prior to joining Washington Conservation Voters in 2008, Shannon was the Pierce and South King Field Director for the 2007 Sound Transit campaign. She also worked on a successful state legislative race in 2006. Shannon has a bachelor’s degree in Communications and minors in Public Affairs and Spanish from Pacific Lutheran University. A native northwestern, Shannon loves to hike, play tennis, practice yoga, and explore every restaurant in her Seattle neighborhood.
Phone: 206-631-2628 Email: shannon (at) wcvoters.org
Clifford Traisman, State Lobbyist
Clifford has been the full-time state lobbyist for both Washington Conservation Voters and Washington Environmental Council since November 2002. He is responsible for the state lobbying programs for these two statewide environmental organizations. Clifford has over 20 years of public and private sector experience both in Washington state and Washington, D.C. During his 11-year tenure in D.C., Clifford held positions as a political consultant; a staff member and congressional investigator for the House Energy and Commerce Committee, chaired by John D. Dingell (D-Michigan); and a federal lobbyist in the private sector for the Grocery Manufacturers of America. Since arriving in Seattle in 1995, Clifford has held senior level local government posts as a legislative assistant for Seattle City Council member Martha Choe and as the City of Seattle's Director of Intergovernmental Relations under Mayor Paul Schell. He has also consulted on intergovernmental matters for the City of Seattle's Department of Public Utilities. Campaign experience includes a role as Research Director on Patty Murray's successful 1992 campaign for U.S. Senate. Clifford is a graduate of University of Kansas and lives in Seattle with his wife, three sons, one daughter and two dogs.
Clifford spends much of his time in Olympia lobbying on behalf of the environmental community Priorities. He works with lobbyists in the community and other Washington Conservation Voters staff to produce the weekly Hot List for the House and Senate every Monday during the legislative session.
Phone: 206-369-2235 (cell) Email: clifford (at) wcvoters.org
Richard Yang, Accountant
Richard is the accountant for Washington Conservation Voters. Born in Guilin, China, Richard graduated from Seattle University with a degree in accounting. Richard is excited to work with the WCV team and support their work as a statewide political voice for the environment.
In true accounting fashion, Richard “debits” ping pong and “credits” badminton on his activity T-Table. He also takes advantage of every opportunity to play tennis and enjoy his favorite food, tofu skin.
Phone: 206-631-2627 Email: accounting (at) wcvoters.org
