Board & Staff

Executive Director, Ilana Jakubowski: Ilana was born and raised in the Willamette Valley and is deeply connected to this bioregion. Ilana’s most cherished childhood memories were playing underneath the wide canopy of Oregon White Oaks near her home. Ilana has worked in social services, outdoor education, and local nonprofit management for almost twenty years. She holds a Master of Social Work and is passionate about the intersection between social work and environmental work. Ilana believes that healing can occur when communities are able to connect with the natural world, and this in turn will inspire people to protect their environment. Outside of work, Ilana loves to further explore Oregon’s wild areas by camping, hiking, and backpacking. You also may see her on the dance floor as part of the local Salsa dance community!

Facilities Manager, Connor Reinecke: Connor grew up in Northwest Washington State surrounded by trees, rivers, and mountains. After receiving his B.S. in Physics from Western Washington University, Connor travelled around the West Coast performing wildlife surveys, working construction, and teaching at outdoor schools. Connor loves riparian areas and enjoys running trails, reading a good book, and bird watching. His favorite foods are fresh carrots from the garden and ice cream.

Communications and Volunteer Coordinator, Grace Olscamp: Grace hails from the Midwest and East Coast, but moved to the West after graduating from Boston College with a degree in Political Science. For the last decade, she has worked at several non-profits where she managed communications, outreach efforts, and various environmental campaigns. Grace loves reading, crafting, baking, horseback riding, swimming, and exploring nature with her husband and their beloved two dogs, Diorite and Mako.

Site Assistant, Josh Head: Josh has worked at Mount Pisgah Arboretum since 2018. He was born in Wyoming but moved with his family to Oregon at about the age of one. Throughout his childhood he lived all over the northwest and ended up going to three different elementary schools, two different middle schools, and four different high schools. After high school Josh moved back to Eugene because it had always felt like home for him. Since then, Josh has stayed in Eugene, working various jobs and attending Lane Community College before fortunately ending up at Mount Pisgah Arboretum. In his free time Josh enjoys being in nature with his dog Boogie, hiking and camping in the summer, and photography. 

Environmental Educator, Kevin House: Kevin was born and raised in Oregon where he grew up camping, hiking, and enjoying the outdoors. He has a master’s degree in biology and spent several years teaching biology and ecology classes at a community college in Southern California before driving around the country in an RV with his partner Marli and eventually moving back up to Oregon to work in outdoor education. Kevin loves watching birds, finding fungi, and talking excessively about cool nature stuff.

Development Manager, Leisha Wood: Leisha grew up in Eugene and has been tromping around Mount Pisgah since she was three years old. Leisha received her BA in Environmental Studies from the University of Oregon, and has gained experience in the non-profit sector in community education and outreach and program management. Leisha joined Mount Pisgah Arboretum as the Venue Manager in 2018 and loves working in a place that has been so special to her throughout her life. In her off hours, Leisha spends her time printmaking, sewing, adventuring, and snuggling with her two cats Lucy and Lemon.

Office Coordinator, Mackenzie O’Connor: Mackenzie was born and raised right here in Eugene. Growing up she spent many weekends at Mount Pisgah with her grandparents – working on trails, searching for peacock feathers, and catching ladybugs in the barn. After graduating high school she has spent most of her professional life working as a legal clerk and office assistant. She is thrilled to be working at the Arboretum where she can connect with and give back to the community she grew up in. In her free time she enjoys reading, hiking, playing board games, and spending time with her crazy cat Freya.

Habitat and Trails Manager, Patrick Wegner: Patrick joined the Arboretum in the spring of 2020. Born and raised in Oregon, He graduated from Oregon State University’s Natural Resources program with an emphasis in Recreation and Tourism Management. Patrick has held several positions throughout Oregon with the Oregon State Parks and Recreation and the North Clackamas Parks and Rec dept., and volunteered with various natural resources organizations. He has extensive field experience performing habitat restoration and monitoring projects, plus outdoor education experience. He is excited to bring his knowledge and passion to the Arboretum. During his free time, he can be found spending time outside hiking, fishing, hunting, or traveling with his girlfriend. 

Education Manager, Sara Spoden: Sara was born and raised in California and became enamored by the Pacific Northwest while attending college at Humboldt State University. With a degree in Environmental Education and Interpretation and over eight years experience in the field, Sara has a passion for connecting community members to the natural world. She believes that nothing is more rewarding than cultivating a sense of place within nature: which is for everyone to enjoy. When she is not leading nature walks at the Arboretum for kids and families she spends her time in and along the river and hiking with her partner and their dog Maxine. 

Venue Manager, Tawnia Ross: Tawnia brings many years of event and operations management experience to her job. Originally from Alaska, she has called Eugene home for the past 24 years. In addition to being a mother and wife, Tawnia is also an outdoor enthusiast. When she’s not managing the venue at Mount Pisgah, you can find her spending quality time with her family, traveling, kayaking, and sauntering through the woods.