Board of Directors
Pete Hammer, President
Pete has been with the Land Trust since 2018, and he took on the role as Board President in 2022. He arrived with a simple idea — to plant trees. Pete believes the simple act of planting trees may have the most direct impact that any individual can have to help the global effort stave off climate change.
Pete’s career spans several decades of teaching our youth, most recently at the Nisqually Indian School where he found joy in getting kids outside to learn about the wonders of nature.
By joining the Board, Pete committed to working with and educating others in all capacities to help the Chehalis River Basin be healthy.
Jan Robinson, Vice President
Jan moved to Lewis County in 2001 with her husband after retiring from state employment. She loves the lifestyle found here and enjoys the trails on her 18 acres.
In 2004, Jan saw a newspaper article about a restoration effort on the Chehalis River and thus learned about the Land Trust, which gave her an opportunity to see the beauty and variety of lands throughout the basin.
Jan believes that we play a part in creating a future that includes natural landscapes that will provide the best living conditions for residents and visitors.
Jan has a B.A. from the University of Washington with a degree in Recreational Leadership and an emphasis in Outdoor Education. Her other interests include time with family, reading, and being outdoors.
Karen Knutsen, Treasurer
Karen’s bio is coming soon.
Donna Albert, At Large
Donna is a retired Civil Engineer who fell in love with the rainforests, rivers, mountains and ocean beaches of Washington. She first came to the Land Trust in 2024 and joined the Board shortly thereafter.
Donna is active in Grays Harbor as a climate advocate and a musician. As a musician she loves to perform—even doing so at some of our functions! She’s also and avid photographer and you’ll see some of her images in our Spotlights.
Donna and her husband have two children and five grandchildren and she loves taking them on outings to learn about nature in the Basin. Donna is currently naturalizing her backyard to attract native insects.
Jacob Marley, At Large
Jacob joined the board in 2025, after participating in a tree planting event at the Chehalis River Discovery Trail. From the peaks of Mt. Rainier to the lowlands of the Chehalis River Basin, Jacob has fallen in love with Washington’s natural beauty; and he joined the board to help preserve our environment and ensure that future generations inherit an even more beautiful and thriving planet.
Jacob, a graduate of Dickinson State University, has spent time working in the Washington State Legislature and currently serves in the Office of the Governor. His time in the Legislature deepened his appreciation for our state’s pristine landscapes and displayed just how fortunate we are to call this place home.
Staff
Ryan Johnson, Outreach Coordinator
Born in New York and raised in the desert southwest of Arizona, Ryan has been fascinated by science and biology since early childhood. Prowling the wildlife mountain preserves and parks of his hometown were just the beginning of a lifelong dedication to learning everything he could about the natural world.
Ryan is a professional outdoor educator by trade, and serves the Chehalis River Basin Land Trust as the Outreach Coordinator and Internship Manager. Stewardship, Conservation, and protecting wild lands are of the utmost import to Ryan and fuel his dedication to his work with the Land Trust along the Chehalis, a place he has the privilege of calling home.
Laurie Christomos, Marketing & Administration
Born and raised in Centralia, Laurie returned home in 2024 year after decades away. A lover of nature, Laurie feels as comfortable on the trail or water as she does in a board room.
One of the first things Laurie did when she returned to Centralia was to look for volunteer opportunities to help preserve the nearby wild spaces. That led her to CRBLT and an opportunity to help plant trees along the Chehalis River at Discovery Trail. This, in turn, led her to learn more about the amazing work CRBLT is doing to conserve, protect, and restore lands in the Chehalis River Basin. After attending a board meeting, she discovered an opportunity where she could put her communication and business expertise to work helping support CRBLT with their marketing, administrative and organizational needs.