Meet the Team
OLT staff members handle the on-the-ground work of fulfilling OLT’s mission, both in the office and out in the field.
Kate Miller
Executive Director
she/her/hers
(509) 557-6306
Kate joined OLT as Executive Director in March 2021. Trained as an anthropologist, she held a career in research and teaching, including…
Show MoreKate joined OLT as Executive Director in March 2021. Trained as an anthropologist, she held a career in research and teaching, including on the relationship among people, livelihoods, and ecosystems.
For years, she dreamed of leaving academia and practicing what she preached. Having visited the Okanogan Valley several times, she was thrilled at the chance to move here and help conserve its natural and working landscapes.
Kate was born in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, but spent much of her early life traveling the world, thanks to her father’s work in global public health, before returning to the US for a BA at Reed College. While working on her PhD in cultural anthropology from the University of California, San Diego, she lived for a year and a half in the Hunza Valley in Northern Pakistan, where she studied the relationship between local cultural and religious values and international development.
She brings her anthropological skills as a listener and observer and her appreciation for the inter-dependence of social and natural systems to her role at OLT. She is happy to talk with anyone who cares about the Okanogan and its people, and she is eager to learn from as many perspectives as possible.
Kate is an avid cook and enthusiastic novice gardener. She enjoys camping and hiking with her husband, Kevin, and aspires to improve her cross-country skiing form now that she lives in a place where she doesn’t have to drive to the snow.
Desiree Wickwar
CONservation Coordinator
She/her/hers
(509) 557-6306
Desiree joined OLT as Conservation Coordinator in September 2026. To the position, Desiree brings 10 years of experience as an ecologist…
Show MoreDesiree joined OLT as Conservation Coordinator in September 2026. To the position, Desiree brings 10 years of experience as an ecologist, during which time she worked in a wide array of systems: from rangeland to wetland, corn to hay, apples to potatoes. Working with those who live with and manage lands has always been Desiree’s favorite part of any job*, and the intersection of applied science, land management, and community engagement is where Desiree has centered her work. Thus, she found a perfect fit here at OLT working with our community members and conservation partners to translate different types of knowledge—from the lived experience acquired from decades on the land to the quantitative understanding derived from research—into practical strategies that support ecosystems and livelihoods alike.
Having spent her life in arid regions of the Intermountain West and Pacific Northwest, Desiree brings a deep love of and appreciation for the ecosystems of the Okanogan Valley. Desiree was raised in Northern Colorado, completed her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in biology and ecology in northern Utah, and worked at a University of Idaho research and extension center in southern Idaho before finally landing here in the Okanogan Valley with OLT.
When not at work, Desiree can usually be found backcountry skiing, mountain biking, or hiking. She also enjoys embroidery and trying to master the baking of a perfect rye bread loaf.
*Only rivaled by her time spent studying weevils, for which she has quite the soft spot
chinook deveraux
Communications manager
she/Her/hers
(509) 557-6306
Chinook joined Okanogan Land Trust as Communications Manager in May 2026.
With nearly two decades of…
Chinook joined Okanogan Land Trust as Communications Manager in May 2026.
With nearly two decades of experience in marketing, business strategy, and multichannel communications, she brings a people-centered approach to storytelling, audience engagement, and organizational growth.
Before joining Okanogan Land Trust, she worked with SMBs and nonprofit organizations across B2B, B2C, and healthcare, translating vision into strategy and stronger relationships with the people they serve.
Land Conservation is a new chapter that Chinook is excited to step into, bringing her passion in modern marketing ecosystems to help people connect with, and support the landscapes that sustain this region.
She has deep roots in North Central Washington, having spent many childhood years in Ferry and Okanogan counties. Outside of work, Chinook is usually thinking about her next backpacking adventure, casting a line, settling into a good mystery, exploring with her pup Jo, or getting to know her new community.