PHIL BARTO

Phil has spent most of his life in the Pacific Northwest and is an avid outdoorsman. He is a professional civil engineer with extensive background in construction and well know as a leader in his profession. After he and his wife graduated from WSU, they spent 10 years wandering around the country before they realized that they had come from paradise. They moved back to Spokane in 1974 and never looked back. His construction background led him to understand the need to protect the environment and he is ready to give back. He wants to help insure that his grandchildren, who are outdoors people, have as many of the outdoor opportunities as he had. The family spends much of their free time enjoying the solitude of “the lake”.

Toni Sharkey

I am a resource special education teacher at Rogers High School. This is my fifth year at Rogers, and I was fortunate enough to loop with my students, from freshman to senior year. My first loop graduated last year, and I have a new group of students this year. I was able to share and educate my group of students about environmental issues, from the documentaries Blackfish, Inconvenient Truth, and various lessons about the science of our planet. During Earth Week, a few of my students passed out baby ponderosa seedlings, made a video about Earth Day, and wrote statistics, in chalk around campus on Earth Day. Our principal, during her speech at graduation stated that the class of 2019 knew more about environmental issues and cared more about our planet than any class she has had in the past 🌎.

I was a teacher in California for 10 years and taught PE. My husband and I moved to Spokane about 10 years ago. He went to Gonzaga University and studied engineering. He works as an Energy Efficiency Engineer for Bonneville Power and he brought me here for a Hoop Fest, years ago. I was delighted that our city had such amazing qualities - craftsman homes, historical downtown brick buildings, and an amazing unique urban forest with 150-year-old grandiose trees in people’s lawns. We have two children Tommie (8) and Frankie (6) and they both attend Hutton Elementary School and of course they are awesome kids and their favorite Dr. Seuss book is The Lorax.

I am eager to serve on the board and to be more involved with The Lands Council. I want your mission and your work to be introduced to different groups in the city of Spokane. I am on the Rockwood Neighborhood Council, the PTG and Environmental Club at Hutton Elementary School, Citizens Advisory Committee for Urban Forest and a Lands Use group through city of Spokane. This group is informed of any land-use changes within city limits a year before the City Council votes on it. Because I am involved with these groups, I can then get the word out about The Lands Council and its efforts in Spokane and the surrounding areas. A big motivation for me to be on the board of The Lands Council is I want to see our Ponderosa Urban Forest stay intact within city limits for my kids and their grandkids. Of course, I support all river cleaning efforts, considering I float the river about once or twice a year. I also support reforestation efforts outside of the city but, our Urban Forest is so special, it makes Spokane a distinguished and a destination city. I’ve been part of a tree group called Ponderosa People and once a year, on Arbor Day we give certificates of appreciation. I found that in Spokane, rewarding someone for doing the right thing when it comes to our forest is better than reprimanding or putting development in a negative light. We can have responsible development in our City and Greenstone is proving that.

Lastly, I want to get my parents and close friends involved in our fundraising efforts. I look forward to the opportunity to be a part of a great environmental group in Spokane, The Land’s Council.

Katie vanskike

I moved to Spokane in 1998 from the Midwest, sight unseen, and after hitting the visitor’s center for an old-fashioned map, I went straight to Riverside State Park, fell in love with the PNW and made my home here. I enjoy our incredible regional parks and lakes, and my “happy place” is in a kayak on lazy stretches of the Spokane River. My daughter has moved away for college, I finished my master’s degree, and I need to fill my free time with something meaningful, like supporting The Lands Council.

David M. Whiting

David M. Whiting is new to Spokane but a 30 year resident of the Pacific Northwest. He has worked nearly his entire career in the environmental field and public service, from biological field work on the Alaska arctic and southeastern rainforests to managing the hiring and training of college students to become the next generation of environmental professionals. David holds both a Bachelor’s degree in environmental science and a Masters of Public Administration.