Our Team
CREST employs a seasoned and dedicated team of project managers, biologists, environmental planners and GIS specialists who provide leadership and consultative guidance on planning and habitat restoration initiatives throughout the Lower Columbia River. The CREST team is also experienced in building and maintaining community partnerships to ensure collaborative efforts advance ecological and economic sustainability for the region.
CREST employs a seasoned and dedicated team of project managers, biologists, environmental planners and GIS specialists who provide leadership and consultative guidance on planning and habitat restoration initiatives throughout the Lower Columbia River. The CREST team is also experienced in building and maintaining community partnerships to ensure collaborative efforts advance ecological and economic sustainability for the region.
Photo Credit: Trav William, Broken Banjo Photography
Instagram: @BrokenBanjoTrav
Twitter: @BrokenBanjoTrav
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Photograph of Garrett Phillips by Garrett Phillips; Photograph of Jess Hoch by Jess Hoch; Photograph of Jay Horita by Jay Horita
Instagram: @BrokenBanjoTrav
Twitter: @BrokenBanjoTrav
Facebook: BrokenBanjoPhotography
Photograph of Garrett Phillips by Garrett Phillips; Photograph of Jess Hoch by Jess Hoch; Photograph of Jay Horita by Jay Horita
Denise Löfman, Executive Director
Denise joined the CREST team as Director in July of 2012 and has applied her professional passion to resource management of regional watersheds since moving to the Oregon Coast in 2004. She is dedicated to working in partnership with communities to find solutions to natural resource issues. Read More...
Jason Smith, Director of Habitat Restoration & Monitoring
Jason grew up in Seaside, Oregon, just south of CREST’s home base in Astoria. His strong connection to the local community and natural environment inspired his career in conservation. Joining CREST in 2009 as a biologist on the monitoring team, Jason was driven by a passion for preserving the Columbia River estuary’s vital habitats and species. Read More...
Mandy Flaitz, Director of Finance & Operations
Mandy joined the CREST team in September 2021 and served for three years as the Accounting and Administrative Support Specialist before moving into the role of Director of Finance & Operations. Mandy oversees the coordination of all fiscal activities including preparation of the annual budget. She also provides operations management and serves as the human resource administrator for the organization. Read More...
Narayan Elasmar, Associate Director of Monitoring
Narayan joined the CREST Monitoring Department in 2014. In that time, he has worked on the implementation of countless juvenile salmon habitat restoration projects in the Lower Columbia River estuary. Narayan leads the monitoring department, and the overall objective is to monitor the development of tidal restoration projects undertaken by CREST or other partner organizations. Read More...
Jess Hoch, Habitat Restoration Project Manager
Jess joined the Habitat Restoration team as a Project Manager in 2023. She brings a background in plant community ecology, plant-soil interactions, and GIS. Much of her professional experience centers on multi-stakeholder restoration planning and on ecosystem monitoring to inform adaptive management of ongoing restoration projects. Read More...
Jay Horita, Habitat Restoration Project Manager
Jay joined the Habitat Restoration team as a Project Manager in 2024. After many years with the federal land management agencies, Jay began looking for a different approach to environmental work. He joined CREST because of its forward-thinking crew and its ability to get complex projects across the finish line. Read More
Zach Bigelow, Habitat Restoration Project Manager
Zach joined CREST in 2024 as a Habitat Restoration Project Manager, bringing with him a decade of experience leading habitat restoration crews for the National Park Service. His experience working in the mountains of the Pacific Northwest have imbued him with a deep and enduring respect for the abundant waters of the region... Read More...
Kyle Purdy, Habitat Restoration Biologist
Kyle joined the monitoring department in early 2024 as a Field Technician, later that year he moved into the Habitat Restoration Biologist position. He brings experience in field data collection from past work as a marine fisheries observer and other nearshore fisheries study positions. Read More...
Garrett Phillips, Senior Coastal Planner
Garrett Phillips re-joined CREST in 2022 as the Coastal Planner, after previously serving in this role from 2014 to 2016. Garrett provides planning services to local cities, counties and ports to help them manage how they change with their local natural systems. Read More...
Robert Henicksman, Staff Accountant & Contracts Coordinator
Robert came to CREST in May 2018 as the Financial & Administrative Assistant. In January 2020 he became the Staff Accountant & Contracts Coordinator. He has a Bachelors of Business Administration with a major in Accounting and is also a Certified Public Accountant. Before coming to CREST, Robert spent most of his career as an auditor. Read More...
Becky Onsgaard, Accounting & Support Specialist
Becky joined the CREST team in December 2024 as the Accounting and Executive Support Specialist. Her role at CREST includes managing accounts payable, payroll, quarterly and year end reports, as well as coordinating and record keeping of CREST Council meetings, Safety Committee meetings and vehicle maintenance. Read More...
