Staff and Board - Tatoosh School

Peter Chaillé grew up exploring the forests and fishing the waters of the Pacific Northwest and Alaska. He received his BS in Aquatic Biology, MA in Comparative Physiology, and PhD in Ecology, Evolution and Marine Biology from the University of California, Santa Barbara. Peter is Undergraduate Curriculum Lead and faculty in the Department of Public Administration at Portland State University, where he teaches courses in civic leadership. Prior to his time at PSU, his work included studies of nearshore rockfish in the Pacific Rim, examinations of the effects of environmental changes on marine organisms, research collaborations with public agencies, companies and nonprofit organizations on sustainable use of marine and forest resources, and more than a decade instructing sea kayaking and outdoor leadership. Peter serves as the school’s co-director.

Erin Steinkruger was born and raised in the foothills of the Chugach Mountains in Anchorage, Alaska. She studied Political Science at Lewis & Clark College in Portland and is currently pursuing a PhD in Public Affairs and Policy at Portland State University with research in environmental governance and public service leadership development. Erin has paddled thousands of miles in southeastern Alaska, Baja California and southern Chile and her work in the communities and wild lands of the American West has made her a strong advocate for boots-on-the-ground understanding of rural landscapes and livelihoods. She serves as the school’s co-director.

Reyn Hutten was raised by two hardworking ecologists and the natural ecosystems they explored together; the compassionate communities and moss-draped landscapes of the northwest had a particularly strong influence, evident in her passion for these rare temperate rainforests and in her namesake! After a unique high school experience in rural Wrangell, Alaska, which included guiding tours of glaciers and bears, serving as an EMT for the Volunteer Fire Department, and welding a 20’ aluminum jet boat in marine fabrication class, she made the sizable cultural jump of studying for and receiving her BA in Ecology and Earth Sciences at Dartmouth College. Since graduating, she has found a calling both in coordinating field programs in natural sciences and in sea kayak coaching and expedition guiding, and now holds a WEMT and BC Sea Kayak Leader award. Reyn serves as the school’s Student Program Manager.

Katherine Wyatt works as Assistant Science Director for the Puget Sound Partnership, helping the state agency lead the Puget Sound region’s collective effort to restore and protect the sound. She previously worked with the Natural Capital Project’s Marine Team evaluating values of costal resources and the USFS Pacific Northwest Research Station assessing the vulnerability and adaptive capacity of western forests to climate change. Katherine received a MS from University of Washington’s School of Environmental and Forest Sciences and a BA in Environmental Studies from Lewis and Clark College. Katherine is a guest lecturer and serves on the School’s Board of Directors.

John Yeager (far right) moved to Wrangell, Alaska in 2004 after retiring from a lengthy career in the US Coast Guard. He is the co-owner of Alaska Charters & Adventures with his wife Brenda where he is a fishing guide and boat captain. Currently, John sits on several Fish and Game advisory boards including the Southeast Regional Advisory Council for the Federal Subsistence Board, and the subsistence seat for SSRAA (Southern Southeast Regional Aquaculture Association), which oversees salmon hatcheries in Southeast Alaska. He is also involved with the Wrangell Fish and Game Advisory Committee and fills an elected seat on the Wrangell Port Commission. John is a guest lecturer and serves on the School’s Board of Directors.