Staff
Kelley Beamer Executive Director
Kelley Beamer serves as the Executive Director at the Coalition of Oregon Land Trusts, and has more than nine years experience developing strategic advocacy campaigns to advance land conservation. Prior to joining the Coalition of Oregon Land Trusts, Kelley served as the Advocacy and Outreach Manager for the Cascadia Green Building Council, where she implemented stated wide public awareness and advocacy campaigns, and managed a branch network in Portland, Bend, Klamath Falls, and Eugene. Kelley began her conservation work in Oregon in 2006 as the Conservation Organizer for Friends of Columbia Gorge, where she organized public support for protecting the unique values of the Gorge and advocated for Land and Water Conservation funds to support the US Forest Service land acquisition program in the Gorge.
Kelley’s extensive experience forging partnerships with diverse communities earned her recognition as one of Oregon’s “35 Innovators Under 35” by 1,000 Friends of Oregon. Prior to coming to Oregon, Kelley worked as a Policy Assistant for the Wildlife Refuge Program of the Wilderness Society in Washington, D.C. where she helped secure more funding for the national wildlife refuge system. Kelley has an effective history of working on local and national conservation campaigns and a lifelong passion for place-based advocacy. In her free time, you will find Kelley fly fishing or hiking with her husband Paul and their dog Lucy.
Kelley holds a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Notre Dame and a Masters of Arts in Environmental Policy from American University, School for International Service.
JEN NEWLIN Communications Director
Jen Newlin serves as COLT’s Communications Director. Before joining our team, she was a director of creative strategy for Metropolitan Group—a strategic consulting firm—supporting the company’s environmental focus area. Her clients included NASA’s Earth Science Division, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Save the Redwoods League and Audubon Society of Portland. Previously, she worked as a senior storyteller for a content strategy firm and, before that, spent seven years as a creative manager with The Nature Conservancy.
Jen found her career in conservation when working for The Cheetah Conservation Fund (yes, ask her about the cats) after serving in the Peace Corps. Now she volunteers for The Circus Project—connecting homeless and at-risk youth to circus arts—and she’s a board member of CLAWS, a nonprofit working to integrate the needs of predators and local livelihoods worldwide. She and her partner, Ken, are often found exploring the wilds of Oregon. (They tried, but their cat refuses to join them as an adventure pet.)
KATIE YOUNG Program Coordinator
Katie Young serves as COLT’s Program Coordinator. After graduating with a bachelor’s in Japanese from the University of Hawaii at Manoa in 2009, Katie worked at the Hawaii State Legislature for three legislative sessions and then served as COLT's Legislative Coordinator. Katie’s Japanese studies background helped her receive acceptance into the Japan Exchange and Teaching Program and she taught English in Kumamoto, Japan for three years. Many of her students were multigenerational farmers who had deep understanding of and ancient connections to the land. This inspired Katie to enter conservation in hopes to protect environmental values while preserving cultural traditions and connecting people to the land. Since moving back to the US, she has studied biological sciences and worked in aquaculture facilities, environmental organizations, land conservation, and policy.
NANCY Duhnkrack Pro Bono Program Manager/Volunteer
Nancy Duhnkrack is a long-term volunteer at COLT, managing our pro bono program. She's a 1985 graduate of Northwestern School of Law, Lewis and Clark College.
She retired in 2014 as Staff Attorney/Law Clerk for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit after 20 years at the Court. She was an Adjunct Professor at the law school from 1990-2010 and is a frequent speaker on conservation easement design and enforcement. Nancy coordinates our pro bono program and provides pro bono
legal advice to COLT and our members.
Jacqueline O'Keefe Legal Extern
Jacqueline O’Keefe currently attends Lewis & Clark Law School in Portland, Oregon, pursuing a degree in environmental law. Jacqueline grew up in Winthrop, Washington, where she developed a love for the wilds while hiking, riding horses, and skiing with her family and friends. Jacqueline first became motivated to pursue a law degree while working at a land trust in her hometown, as well as during her five summers working as a wildland firefighter, where she realized the impacts law and policy have on the lands she loves. Jacqueline is very excited to become a member of the COLT team and assisting our pro bono program.
Partners
If our name wasn’t evidence enough, we’re big believers in the power of partnership.
The work of conservation in Oregon could not be done without a greater community of passionate individuals and organizations who care deeply about our natural world, our culture, our history and our future.
Sincere thank you to these core partner organizations for all you do to help people and nature thrive.
- Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians of Oregon
- Confederated Tribes of the Warm Springs
- Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde
- Natural Resources Conservation Service
- Oregon Department of Agriculture
- Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife
- Oregon Department of Forestry
- Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board
- USDA US Forest Service