people
Our Team
Between now and June 2027, our community engagement process will build a coalition of community members and partners connected to one another and their waterways. The input we gather will guide how we extend council coverage into uncovered areas and how we will organize ourselves.
The West Willamette Watersheds (W3) Collaboration is being led jointly by Oswego Lake & Tryon Creek Watershed Councils’ staff and boards.
Alexis Barton Castro, she/her
Executive Director
Tryon Creek Watershed Council
In her position at Tryon Creek Watershed Council, Alexis enjoys wearing multiple hats on any given day whether they be in coordinating restoration projects, implementing workshops, planning volunteer events, or facilitating coordination and collaboration across organizations.
Alexis’ connection with Tryon Creek started as a Camp Instructor with Friends of Tryon Creek, while attending Portland State University to receive her B.S. in Environmental Studies. From 2016-2018, Alexis served for as a Confluence AmeriCorps member at Johnson Creek Watershed Council, where she led environmental education programming and supported both riparian restoration projects and volunteer management programs. Serving back-to-back terms in this equity-grounded position also allowed her to step into leadership roles with their Community Science program, early bilingual programming, and to advance equity-driven strategic planning; and, cemented Alexis’ commitment to incorporating equity and justice into all the work she is a part of.
Alexis represents Willamette Basin Watershed Councils as a Region 3 Director on the Network of Oregon Watershed Councils. She’s engaged with the Johnson Creek WC Community Inclusion Committee, City of Milwaukie Tree Board, and more. Alexis spends time away from work with her husband and their pets, experimenting both in the kitchen and on various crafts, and tending to their growing backyard habitat.
Jack Halsey, he/him
Executive Director
Oswego Lake Watershed Council
Jack Halsey (jack@oswegowatershed.org) joined Oswego Lake Watershed Council in September 2019 as the new Coordinator. His title now is Executive Director. Jack grew up in Oregon and began working with watershed councils in 2013 as a Fish Passage Intern with the Johnson Creek Watershed Council. Jack received his Environmental Analysis degree from Pitzer College, with a focus on Environmental Science. He was a seasonal Park Ranger at Tryon Creek State Natural Area for two years, working to improve recreation opportunities, educate visitors, and restore degraded habitat. Jack served as a Confluence AmeriCorps Member from 2018 to 2019 with Johnson Creek Watershed Council as Outreach and Riparian Specialist. In that role, he planned and implemented riparian restoration projects, volunteer events, and environmental education for student groups from under-served communities.
In his role with Oswego Lake Watershed Council, Jack most enjoys managing restoration projects and ensuring access to natural resources for all who live, work, and recreate in the watershed In his free time, Jack enjoys hiking, going to concerts, and making ceramic art.
Ruth Howell, she/her
Development Manager
West Willamette Watersheds (W3)
Ruth Howell has worked at the intersection of people, their environment, science, policy, and communications for over 20 years. She is passionate about bringing people and resources together to advance ecosystem protection and a high quality of life for human and non-humans alike.
Ruth joined the Oswego Lake Watershed Council in January 2026 as the Development Manager for the West Willamette Watershed Collaboration (“W3”). Prior to this role, she spent 15 years leading communications for the NOAA Fisheries West Coast Region (in Portland, OR) and Northwest Fisheries Science Center (in Seattle, WA). She also worked in Washington DC in NOAA’s Office of Budget, Outreach and Communications, and with the National Marine Sanctuary Program in San Francisco. She has an undergraduate degree in Biology from Middlebury College and two masters degrees from the University of Washington – Masters of Marine Affairs and Masters of Communications in Communities and Networks.
Closer to home, she volunteers with the Friends of Oaks Bottom Wildlife Refuge, the Portland Parks Foundation, the Oregon State Naturalist program and loves to take her 6 year old daughter and husky-german shepherd mix pup on nature walks and to swim spots around Portland. She’s an avid knitter, reader, bike commuter, Orange Theory enthusiast, and beginner sewer.