ASSISTANT EDUCATOR

Shaun is an artist, hide tanner and craftsman, living in Priest River, Idaho since 2014. He enjoys sharing his love of nature and local history with others.

In addition to being Assistant Educator he is also an instructor for Kaniksu Folk School.

Shaun worked for several years in Portland, Oregon teaching nature connection camps for kids and adults. After moving to Idaho in 2014, he worked for 5 years at the Sandpoint Waldorf School, teaching woodworking and art to the 5th through 8th grades.

A unique hobby of his is studying and giving presentations on the life and travels of the explorer and fur trader David Thompson, who travelled through the Inland Northwest in the early 1800s.

Shaun volunteers time throughout the year giving living history presentations through the Northwest Fur Trade Historians.

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

If you are running on our local trail systems early in the morning, you are likely to bump into Katie Cox. Katie’s love of nature was cultivated during her youth growing up in the wilds of Idaho. Summers were spent swimming in lakes, backpacking into the Frank Church Wilderness and taking long drives through the wheat fields of the Palouse. Born and raised in Moscow and Elk City, Idaho, Katie has always believed that spending time in nature is integral to one’s growth. She and her husband, Brian, believe in cultivating these same values and traditions in their three young girls. Katie and Brian are proud to be raising fifth generation Idahoans.

Katie received her B.S. in Education from the University of Idaho and a Masters in Architecture from the University of Washington. Thus far, Katie has focused her professional life in the fields of Education and Architecture, with a particular interest in building community.

The threads of Katie’s life have woven together her deepest passions — a love of the Idaho landscape, teaching and learning, building community, and spending time outdoors with her family.

ASTER NURSERY MANAGER

When KLT purchased Aster with the vision of creating a native-plant-focused nursery, Cara knew she wanted to be involved. Even before the job was posted, friends and chance encounters kept pointing her toward the opportunity. A longtime admirer of KLT’s work, she’s now a valued member of the crew as the Garden Manager at Aster.

Cara’s life centers on plants, education, and community. She holds degrees in herbal medicine, has a background in fine art, and brings decades of experience teaching, leading community initiatives, and managing teams. Her hands-on plant knowledge comes from greenhouse and nursery work in Alaska, organic farms in North Idaho, and her role as arboretum caretaker and volunteer coordinator for the Kinnikinnick Native Plant Society. Most recently, she served as Seed Library and Garden Coordinator for the East Bonner County Library District.

Raised in Sandpoint and Coolin, Cara is deeply rooted in Bonner County. As Aster Garden Manager, she’s dedicated to cultivating a welcoming space grounded in healthy land and community.

WATER PROJECTS COORDINATOR

Emerson grew up in Sandpoint, Idaho, just down the road from Kaniksu Land Trust’s Pine Street Woods, making the landscape KLT now stewards feel like home. As Water Projects Manager, Emerson brings a deep commitment to local conservation and a passion for the landscapes of northern Idaho.

She earned a B.A. in Environmental Studies with a minor in Japanese Language from the College of Saint Benedict in Minnesota. Emerson’s relationship with KLT began in 2021 as one of the organization’s first Conservation & Education Interns. Since then, her path has taken her from the ski slopes of Schweitzer, where she worked as an instructor, to Tokyo, Japan, where she spent a year and a half working at a university. Now back in her hometown, she’s thrilled to be working on water conservation initiatives in the mountains she knows best.

When she’s not at work, you’ll likely find Emerson skiing, exploring the outdoors, and enthusiastically looking for frogs.

EDUCATION DIRECTOR

KANIKSU FOLK SCHOOL COORDINATOR

Brianna has two true missions in life: spending her life in the outdoors and sharing her knowledge and passion with others. She has an innate ability to turn life skills such as primitive fire building, foraging and shelter making into an achievable skill for beginners and the experienced. Through her knowledge, and the use of the natural resources around us, she seeks to help others find a true connection with the land and the greater world.

She believes that the best way to teach is through games and creative exploration of nature. Brianna has gained this experience through years of intensive study and living off the land. Doing crafts by firelight brings a special connection to the past and the needs of the future.

REWILD COORDINATOR

A true northwest native, Gabriella has lived in Idaho, Washington and Oregon throughout her life. Growing up skiing Schweitzer, she knew she’d one day call Sandpoint home. She couldn’t help but be drawn back to this wonderful community and beautiful landscape. After almost a decade out of school, she’s decided to go back and study natural resources through Oregon State University’s College of Forestry. With a family lineage of loggers and environmentalists she felt drawn to conservation, preservation, stewardship and trying to figure out how to bridge the gap between logging communities and environmentalists by implementing eco forestry, practicing sustainable outdoor recreation and utilizing ethical trail systems.

Gabriella loves to spend as much time as possible outdoors during her work and free time. She’s centered her jobs around the outdoors having worked as a campground host, BLM day use area manager, wildlife rehabilitation technician and farmhand. She tries to spend as much time as she can hiking with her pup Hayward, trail running, biking, skiing, foraging and shed hunting.

OPERATIONS MANAGER

A member of KLT's staff since 2010, Anne is perfectly suited to managing the multitude of details that arise as a result of daily operations at a busy non-profit office. Anne studied French, German and Norwegian at the University of Southampton in England, and has been a teacher of English, a bookkeeper, an assistant financial officer, a loan documentation paralegal, a loan operations manager, and a note teller.

Anne’s family has been through the process of donating a conservation easement, so she has a good understanding of the steps involved and the experience from the viewpoint of various generations of family members. She is also the daughter of Mick and Nicky Pleass, founders of the Mickinnick Trail in Sandpoint. In her free time, Anne enjoys being outdoors, sailing, riding her bike, and hiking with her husband, Bill, a retired political cartoonist.

MONTANA OUTREACH COORDINATOR

The daughter of a Special Olympics coach, Kayla saw how her dad showed people how to have fun outdoors, despite physical challenges. She saw the powerful effect that the outdoors has on people’s physical, mental, and emotional wellness. She knew from a young age that she wanted to help people to discover the benefits of spending time outdoors, not only in sports, but in all areas.

At the University of Montana, she augmented her double-major in Parks Tourism and Recreation Management and Resource Conservation with a minor in Wilderness Studies. She interned with Challenge Aspen, a nonprofit in Colorado that teaches disabled persons to alpine ski. She also worked for the USFS on a trail crew in Thompson Falls.

When Kayla isn’t helping people to experience the outdoor recreation opportunities in Thompson Falls, she is spending time with her husband, two small children, and three dogs in the wilds and the waters of Sanders County, Montana.

CONSERVATION DIRECTOR

A native of eastern Washington, Regan came home to the Inland Northwest with her young family in 2007 after trying out 5 other states across the nation. None of them could compare with the rural lifestyle, 4 season climate, ready outdoor access, and often rugged landscapes of our region.

Regan graduated with a B.A. in biology from the Colorado College and a research-based M.S. in zoology from the University of Wyoming. She has worked on wildlife issues in multiple states and across a spectrum of fauna, has directed restoration work for the National Park Service and consulted as a technical writer, and is a certified science teacher. Regan has led the land conservation efforts of Kaniksu Land Trust since 2013. Her professional and personal interests have always shared the common thread of conservation and responsible stewardship, and she takes great pride in making a lasting contribution in her favorite corner of the world.

As much as possible, Regan spends her free time outdoors with her husband, Chad, their two kids, and a dog named Banjo.

OPERATIONS & DEVELOPMENT ASSISTANT

After many years in Alaska, moving to Sandpoint felt like coming home for Jeanine Smith. From Spokane originally, she enjoyed hiking and camping in Northern Idaho with her grandmother, and those early experiences helped shape her sense of adventure and love of the outdoors and huckleberries.

With a background in reporting (radio, television and print), as well as non-profit management, her time in Alaska included appreciation of outdoor spaces from Ketchikan to Glacier Bay, and some up-close and personal encounters with bears and whales. Jeanine holds degrees in journalism and political science from the University of Oregon.

When not sharing her love of KLT's missions with anyone who will listen, she enjoys Nordic and downhill skiing, hiking, and spending time on the water.

COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR

When Marcy heard about KLT for the first time in 2002, she immediately knew she would some day find her way there. With an A.S. Degree in Natural Resources and Communications and a lifelong love of nature and writing, she landed in several roles along the way including work at Idaho State Parks at Round Lake, serving as the Executive Director of the Downtown Sandpoint Business Association, and then becoming the Public Relations, Marketing, and Community Development Specialist at the East Bonner County Library District.

When Marcy joined KLT in 2020 her passions had come full circle.

With her three children now grown, she and her husband spend much of their time outdoors throwing a ball for their energetic dog, Chewie.

Meet our office dogs—the four-legged teammates who keep morale high, stress low, and tail wags plentiful. Whether supervising meetings, greeting visitors, or reminding us to take a walk outside, these pups are an important part of our team and our culture of balance, joy, and connection to the land.