Our People
FISH Staff
Mark Clemens is a seasoned executive director with a strong non-profit background, a profound love for science, and a diverse professional journey. In New York, he worked for Scientific American (10 years), Popular Science, Sierra, Audubon and Discover where he has honed his expertise in scientific communication, project management and innovation. He has spent 20 years overseeing non-profits, specializing in key elements such as promotion, fundraising and community advocacy. Previously, Mark worked as the executive director of the Downtown Issaquah Association and a creative director for an innovation company. As a key member he spearheaded community development initiatives that fostered economic growth. Combining his passion for science, community engagement, and the environment, Mark describes his superpower as one of resilience that combines strategic vision with hands on implementation.
Mark Clemens Executive Director
Natasha is a technology enthusiast who is passionate about fish and community engagement. Born and raised on the Eastside, salmon conservation and environmental stewardship have always been a part of her life. She remembers raising and releasing salmon fry in elementary school and volunteering at habitat restoration and wildlife conservation events for organizations such as Mountains to Sound Greenway and the Eastside Audubon Society.
These experiences inspired Natasha to earn a bachelor’s degree in biology. While in college, she worked one summer as a seasonal interpretive ranger for the U.S. Forest Service at Mount St. Helen’s National Monument and another as an intern for the Champlain Valley Native Plant Nursery in Vermont. These positions enabled Natasha to gain valuable experience in volunteer coordination, environmental education, and outreach.
Returning home, Natasha fell in love with data and worked in business technology while strengthening her volunteer leadership skills. Her last position was supporting program operations for large technology companies, and she served for two years as the volunteer habitat restoration program manager for the Eastside Audubon Society. Around this time, she also caught the “fishing bug” and became an avid salmon and steelhead angler.
In December 2023, Natasha completed a master’s degree in business analytics from Seattle University where she realized that her dream job is working in the natural resources space in a way that has a positive impact on her community. In the spring of 2024, Natasha began volunteering with FISH to lead tours, so when the volunteer and outreach coordinator position opened, she could not wait to apply. Natasha is thrilled to be working at FISH and looks forward to leveraging her diverse background and skillset to support volunteers and grow the organization.
Natasha Kacoroski Volunteer & Outreach Coordinator
Taylor McAllister Education Coordinator
FISH Board of Directors
Heidi has lived in the NW her entire life and has been fishing with her father since she could hold a rod. She has had the privilege of fishing many amazing places, with her favorite being Campbell river and the Tyee fish club. After spending 20 years in the healthcare field, it was time to take a leisurely step back. In October of 2021 she started a position with REI as their Campus manager which led her back to the Issaquah Salmon Hatchery where she brought her children on School field trips. She had been looking for a place she was passionate about where she could give back to the community and to future generations and FISH was a wonderful fit. She is excited for what they are doing today and for what the future holds for our FISH community.
Heidi Dunbar President
Madeline is passionate about community engagement and the opportunity to educate Eastside residents regarding the Issaquah Fish Hatchery. An Issaquah resident since 1992, she loves living and hiking on Squak Mountain and working in Issaquah for another locally-based non-profit organization. She’s a VOICE mentor in the Issaquah School District and volunteers with other local organizations. She’s an avid reader and sourdough aficionado. She and her husband, Chris, love boating in South Puget Sound. Madeline joined the FISH Board in 2019.
Madeline Fish Secretary
Peter is honored to serve on the FISH Board. He brings the shared commitment and purpose of promoting conservation, education, environmental sustainability and supporting the overall mission of FISH.
A native Seattleite growing up on the Eastside, he was introduced to the significance of the Issaquah Salmon Hatchery in grade school (as well as the magic of Boehm’s Candies chocolates). Trips into the Issaquah Alps along with experiences with both Boy Scouts and Mountaineers heightened his awareness and the need to secure healthy fish habitats to support the runs of chinook, coho, sockeye, kokanee, trout and steelhead found in Issaquah Creek.
A CPA by training, he has 20+ years of finance & accounting leadership experience with a large professional services firm, experience beneficial to continuing the strong stewardship of FISH.
Peter Gowell Treasurer
Larry has served as a FISH Master Docent since 2010, and on the FISH Board of Directors since 2013. He has had the opportunity to apply his Fisheries degree from the UW to the many opportunities to share and educate about salmon and the watershed. Larry serves on the PR and Volunteer Committees. He has spearheaded the FISH Talks, and conducts many presentations per year out in the community and greater King County area. Larry looks forward to the opportunity to continue to serve FISH in whatever capacity he can.
Larry Franks
As an Eastside native, Mary Beth has had a connection to the Issaquah Salmon Hatchery since she was a little girl. Autumn Sunday drives were to the small town of Issaquah to observe the salmon coming home.
And as resident of Issaquah since 1984, the night before Salmon Days is a special family event, visiting the hatchery with the locals before the Saturday crowds and taking in the final journey of the salmon.
In 2001, Mary joined her Issaquah High School son, Liam and volunteered for several years at the hatchery, giving tours and helping out on spawning days. Mary has volunteered at several other local non-profits through the years, yet kept Friends of Issaquah Salmon Hatchery close to her heart.
Now retired, after 40 years with the Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Division as a Senior Investigator, Mary is contributing time to the FISH Board, to help this viable nonprofit charity continue to grow and thrive. Mary continues to love being a docent, sharing the science, the mystery, and awe of the sacred northwest salmon life cycle to our many visitor tourists.
Mary Beth Haggerty-Shaw
Jake has spent his whole life in various parts of the Seattle area, even attending UW as a computer science major. As a PNW native, Jake went on a tour conducted by FISH in grade school and still remembers the exciting experience of nearly getting hit by a salmon jumping out of the enclosure. Nowadays, he’s working as an Engineering Lead at Redfin where he’s been for over 6 years.
Jake is passionate about reconciling environmental sustainability with responsible city growth and using technology to improve the world we live in. As a member of FISH’s board, he is excited to bring his technological expertise and younger generation’s perspective to FISH’s board.
Jake Magill
Mary Lou is the mayor of Issaquah and has served as a FISH Board Member since 2013. She is a semi-retired civil engineer who worked for local governments as well as environmental consulting firms and has been an Issaquah City Council member since 2014. She is a Civil Engineering graduate from the University of Waterloo in Canada and has lived in Issaquah since 1993.
