Dave Schaub
Executive Director
Dave joined Inland Northwest Land Conservancy as Executive Director in 2017. An outdoorsman with deep ties to Spokane, Dave has the ideal combination of qualifications and experience: conservation, education, and business.
Dave has a BA in Psychology from Swarthmore College and is a 2017 graduate of Leadership Spokane. He was a board member and a past president of the Dishman Hills Conservancy and is a member of the Spokane County Parks Advisory Committee.
Prior to his involvement in conservation work, Dave’s professional experience includes owning a green building supply business in Montana and teaching public school in Seattle.
Dave’s outdoor experience includes serving as a NOLS Alaska Instructor and hiking the entire Pacific Crest Trail from Mexico to Canada. A proud father of two children, Dave and his wife Heidi spend as much time as they can exploring the beautiful lands and waters of the Inland Northwest on foot, by bike, on skis and by boat throughout the year.
dschaub@inlandnwland.org
Vicki Egesdal
Associate Director
Vicki joined the land conservancy in 2001 when it was known as the Inland Northwest Land Trust. Previously she was finance director for Spokane AIDS Network. She also was a law office manager for more than 10 years.
Vicki was in charge of all development and communications for Inland Northwest Land Trust from 2001 until 2014 when she became Associate Director and handed off some of those duties to others. She managed INLT’s Family Forests Forever project to conserve private working forests, helped develop the Latah Creek Watershed and Bayview to Hayden Conservation Plans, and ran a campaign to purchase and protect the first parcel at Reardan’s Audubon Lake in 2006. As Program Manager she is once again involved with land protection, community conservation, and communications.
vegesdal@inlandnwland.org
Chris DeForest
Senior Conservationist
Chris is the Senior Conservationist of Inland Northwest Land Conservancy. He started out as the executive director of Inland Northwest Land Trust in June 1997 when he was hired as its first full-time employee, and transitioned in 2014 to full time land protection work.
He enjoys helping people protect the lands they love, as working farms and forests and homes for our native wildlife, from hummingbirds to trout to elk and moose, plus wildflowers and native plants.
Chris has an undergraduate degree in economics and an MBA and Master of Forestry degrees from Yale University. Chris also worked on land-use policy and economics at the University of Georgia School of Forest Resources, then on land management issues for the US Forest Service in Walla Walla and Portland OR.
A Seattle native, Chris spends summer vacations at his great-grandfather Henry Hart’s log cabin on Lake Pend Oreille. Chris and his wife and two young sons live in Spokane. They enjoy cross-country skiing on Mt Spokane, the South Perry Farmers Market, and time with family members on the East and West coasts.
cdeforest@inlandnwland.org
Rose Richardson
Stewardship Manager
Rose joined Inland Northwest Land Conservancy in October 2019 and her work supports the Conservancy’s evolving land protection efforts. She monitors protected lands and designs hands-on restoration and volunteer programs to enhance the existing habitats that host our beloved wildlife.
Growing up in Spokane, Rose has strong ties to the lands of the Inland Northwest and returned to the area after studying and working in western Washington. She earned her BA in Geography from Western Washington University.
Prior to her work with the Conservancy, she was the Stewardship Associate for Whatcom Land Trust in Bellingham, Washington, where she monitored lands, designed restoration projects, and engaged volunteers on the land. Before her work with the land trust community, Rose worked with the NW Region Department of Natural Resources to build trails, do restoration work, and fight wildfires.
rrichardson@inlandnwland.org
Carol Corbin
Philanthropy & Communications Director
Carol joined Inland Northwest Land Conservancy in February 2020. Although she grew up in Pennsylvania less than a mile from the Appalachian Trail, for the last 12 years she has worked in Spokane for REI, most recently as an outdoor programs coordinator for retail operations. She has also served on the Dishman Hills Conservancy board and volunteered with Evergreen East Mountain Bike Alliance.
Carol holds a BA in journalism and photography from Andrews University, and MSEd from Southern Adventist University with an emphasis in experiential, place-based outdoor education. After college she spent a year teaching in Guam.
Carol strives to live an intentional, locally focused life. She is “constantly amazed by the power of the outdoors to transform people” and writes, “I want to help INLC find a very clear, cohesive, and compelling voice in the Spokane community, one that doesn’t just speak to like-minded conservationists, but to the average person.”
Spokane and INLC are a perfect fit for Carol and her son, who live near Dishman Hills. Together, they hike, run, bike, build trails, kayak, climb, camp, snowshoe, and snowboard. In addition, Carol has folded over 5,000 paper cranes. Her favorite local areas are Dishman Hills, Mica Peak, Mt. Spokane, and the Little Spokane River Natural Area.
ccorbin@inlandnwland.org
Todd Dunfield
Community Conservation Program Manager
Todd Dunfield joined Inland Northwest Land Conservancy as the Community Conservation Program Manager in 2018. He is a big trail enthusiast, who can often be found hiking, biking or leading trail maintenance work parties in the greater Spokane area. Todd has a background in higher education and non-profit management having worked at Gonzaga University for over ten years and serving as the executive director of both Spokane Nordic Ski Association and the North Idaho Centennial Trail Foundation.
Todd has served on the board of the Spokane Mountaineers, Friends of the Spokane River Centennial Trail, and Washington Trails Association. He has a BA in History from Gonzaga University and a Master’s in Education from Seattle University. Todd and his family live in the Millwood area east of downtown near the Spokane River. As a family, they often recreate on the Centennial Trail, mountain bike through Beacon Hill and Rock Climb at Minniehaha Rocks.
tdunfield@inlandnwland.org
Michael Crabtree
Land Protection Specialist
Living in Coeur d’Alene, ID with his wife, kids, and their covid pup, Jackson, Inland Northwest Land Conservancy’s newest staff member, Mike Crabtree says, “I am passionate about future generations enjoying wide open spaces, outdoor recreation, and renewable resources as much as I have benefited them in my life. I can think of no better use of my time and energy than protecting clean water, clean air, wildlife habitat and open spaces for the future.”
Mike joins the Conservancy team as Land Protection Specialist, focusing on the big picture of what conservation in the Inland Northwest looks like now, and what it could be in the future. “I’d like to see a world in which people have a greater appreciation for and connection to the outdoors and natural surroundings. Undeveloped land is precious.” He points out that once it’s gone, it’s gone forever so this work is immediate and important.
Born in Madison, Wisconsin and raised in Oregon, Mike grew up skiing, camping, and playing sports. He earned a degree in geography from Oregon State and most recently, worked for the Yamhill Soil and Water Conservation District in McMinnville, Oregon. Of the Inland Northwest, Mike says, “I love the beauty and the diversity. The mountains, lakes, and rivers offer endless possibilities to connect with nature. As a parent, I especially love the opportunities for my children to enjoy the outdoors year-round.”
mcrabtree@inlandnwland.org
Kasey Bader
Donor Relations Specialist
From the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Georgia to the wide cattle ranges of western Colorado, Kasey Bader has traveled far, to land right here in the Inland Northwest. Brand new to the area, she joins the Conservancy team to provide support for philanthropy and communications. “My favorite thing about the Inland Northwest is the accessibility to so many recreational spots,” she says of her new home. Spots where she looks forward to running, skiing, hiking, and exploring local rivers as lakes with her fly fishing gear. Growing up visiting places like Great Smokey Mountain National Park and the Appalachian Trail, and watching her childhood home of endless pastures and trail systems cave to the march of development and “progress,” taught her that protecting places we love is vital.
As a project manager for Badger Creek Ranch, she managed a cattle herd in alignment with holistic goals supporting healthy landscapes and livestock. She also worked in fundraising and education to support the ranch’s conservation and sustainability. As the Conservancy’s newest team member, she says, “ My hope is that through my work with the Conservancy, the community and beyond will feel a deeper sense of connection to the land. I hope to convey that this work allows us to breathe a little deeper and have a sense of peace knowing green spaces, clear water, and clean air are protected for us and our families. I hope my work helps provide access to educational and recreational resources for those who haven’t felt that it was readily available in the past. “
Kasey’s skills as a competitive rodeo rider will likely come in handy as she works with the Conservancy team to engage with the community and instill curiosity and connection to our natural environment. And her affinity for the “resilient and gritty” coyote in Coyote America by Dan Flores (the last book she read) will make her fit right in, here in the self-proclaimed gritty Inland Northwest. Welcome, Kasey! We are glad you’re here.
kbader@inlandnwland.org