New Year and New Executive Board Members

January 11, 2021

As we welcome a new year, the Conservancy also welcomes three new members to our executive board. Debra Schultz, a founding board member, Toni Pessemier and Brian Behler. Learn more about them in this video and read their bios below.

Brian Behler is the CEO of Skils’kin, a nonprofit whose mission is to enrich the quality of life for adults with disabilities. Brian also brings his experience as a CPA and an entrepreneur. During the summer months you will find him on his sailboat on Lake Coeur d’Alene. Brian says “I am driven to protect the open spaces that were so important to me growing up and to ensure my grandkids have the opportunity to enjoy nature close to home.

Toni Pessemier is Avista’s American Indian Relations Advisor. “I am honored to learn from and work with regional Tribes as they protect important natural and cultural resources.” Toni enjoys many outdoor activities – hiking, biking, and camping are just a few. She brings to the board her long professional experience in our community.

Debra Schultz remembers the beginning days where conservation minded folks sat around a kitchen table and dreamed of what INLC could become. She is knowledgeable in soil science and environmental constraint planning and has been an educator, business owner, and community volunteer. “I am excited to work with a board and staff that are so competent and forward thinking about preservation of our local land and water.

We are thrilled to have these three on board and look forward to their skills and professionalism in guiding our mission, connecting people to nature by conserving lands and waters essential to life in the Inland Northwest.