Lisa Seales Joins the DRC as Programs Manager
Lisa is the DRC’s new Programs Manager. She is a native Oregonian and traveled the world visiting over 30 countries and most of the US before deciding to make Bend her home. Prior to joining the DRC, Lisa earned a BS in Geography and Environmental Studies from the University of Oregon in 1998. After nearly a decade working as an environmental educator for the Bureau of Land Management and a non-profit organization, Lisa earned an MS and PhD in Interdisciplinary Ecology from the University of Florida’s School of Natural Resources and the Environment. As a National Science Foundation (NSF) Integrated Graduate Education and Research Traineeship (IGERT) Associate, Lisa trained with multi and interdisciplinary teams to analyze and address large-scale, collaborative water management issues in the Florida Everglades and the Okavango Delta in Southern Africa; her dissertation research focused on collaborative governance and water policies in Oregon and specifically in the Deschutes Basin.
Lisa taught natural resource management courses at Oregon State University-Cascades and Central Oregon Community College for nearly six years, before joining Farmers Conservation Alliance, where she worked in the Irrigation Modernization Program supporting farmers to identify infrastructure improvements, funding sources, and strategic partnerships that enable irrigation improvements. In recent years, as a private contractor, Lisa has also worked as a Legislative Research Consultant for the Central Oregon Intergovernmental Council, the Bend Central District Visionary Board Facilitator for Central Oregon LandWatch, the On-Farm Program Development Consultant for the DRC, and the Deschutes Basin Water Collaborative Outreach Committee Facilitator. She also serves as the chair of The Environmental Center’s Board of Directors. Lisa is excited about continuing her work to find creative, collaborative ways to resolve the water management issues facing the Deschutes Basin, and she is absolutely thrilled to be joining the exceptional staff at the DRC!
When she’s not working, Lisa enjoys spending as much time as possible outdoors with loved ones, preferably on or near the water; she loves paddle boarding, kayaking, rafting, sailing, Nordic, skate, and downhill skiing, mountain biking, and hiking.
