Meet the Team
Rika Ayotte
Executive Director
Rika has been the Executive Director of Discover Your Forest since 2015. Her background is in museums and she also brings experience in executive leadership, public programs and education. Rika’s role is to grow the philanthropic support base, ensure our financial future and enable us to better serve our Public Lands. She works to develop new partnerships, set forth strategic goals, and oversee the execution of all aspects of our missions. Rika is a big dreamer, determined leader and true quipster, setting the tone for a fun and encouraging workplace. When she’s not working, she is likely chasing after her toddler and exploring our local trails.
Karen Gentry
Education & Volunteer Program Director
Karen has been with Discover Your Forest since 2010. While she has served in nearly every role possible for us over the years, Karen serves as our interpretation guru. She oversees the creation and facilitation of all of our programming; spanning seasons, topics, audiences and forests. She also acts as the trainer for our volunteer interpreters, as well as leading community projects throughout Central Oregon. A botanist, award-winning interpreter and educator, Karen’s wealth of knowledge and skill are vital for the quality programs we provide to our community. For fun, Karen likes to SUP on the Cascade Lakes, ski, flyfish and weave.
Gail Whelan
Retail Operations Coordinator & Business Manager
Gail joined the Discover Your Forest team in 2012. She is responsible for managing 13 sites in Central Oregon, including 6 Ranger Stations, 2 Welcome Stations and 5 Visitors Centers across the region. Gail coordinates and oversees recreation pass sales, chooses and stocks all our retail items, and oversees several seasonal staff members. Gail also does HR and bookkeeping for us. Extremely knowledgeable, organized and helpful, Gail ensures that we reach our goal of improving visitor experiences across the Deschutes and Ochoco National Forests and the Crooked River National Grassland. When Gail is not at work, she enjoys spending time with her daughter, son-in-law and 4 grandchildren.
Stacey Cochran
Community Engagement Director
Stacey started with Discover Your Forest in 2014 as our Event and Volunteer Coordinator. As Discover Your Forest grew, so too did Stacey’s role. Currently, Stacey serves as our Community Engagement Director. She cultivates relationships with community members to support their success as volunteers, making sure they have everything they need for an incredible and rewarding experience. She also manages our Career Pathways program, fostering mentored experiential learning for youth who are passionate about the health of our public lands. Stacey brings kindness, energy and a contagious laugh to our workplace. When she’s not working, she is likely exploring, taking care of her various critters and keeping up with her kids.
Amy Jensen
Marketing & Events Director
Amy has been part of the team since early 2019. Her role at Discover Your Forest includes the planning and execution of all our major annual fundraising events such as Stars Over Newberry, Campout for Public Lands and Backcountry Film Festival. As the Marketing Director, Amy oversees all our marketing efforts, works to develop new partnerships, runs our membership program and works strategically with our partners to create and disseminate information. A quick thinker and extreme extrovert, Amy will at least try to make friends with everyone she meets. After work hours, you can find Amy on her SUP, backpacking or snowboarding throughout the Cascades.
Becky Yaeger
Conservation Education Specialist
Since 2018, Becky has been coordinating conservation education programs at Public Lands sites across Central Oregon. Typically, Becky spends a lot of her time developing and leading our free fieldtrip programs. As in-person gatherings were paused, she led our efforts in developing high quality virtual programs. Becky creates virtual exploration programs like video lessons, online activities, live virtual tours, and other creative avenues for allowing many students to continue participating in our programs despite distance learning. Becky is creative, adaptable and engaging – all important for educating the next generation of environmental stewards. On her days off, Becky and her husband are usually out adventuring and exploring the Pacific Northwest.
Jillian Malone
Conservation Education Workforce Trainee
Jillian is the newest addition to the Discover Your Forest crew! She is joining our Education Team to develop virtual programs for 3rd – 5th graders. Jillian completed her Environmental Science & Policy degree from California State University Long Beach, and is currently in the process of finishing her graduate degree at Portland State. The bulk of her experience has been in Habitat Restoration in salt marshes and riparian areas throughout the Californian coast. Jillian is excited to find new ways to meaningfully engage our youth to the outdoors. Her creativity, drive for knowledge and willingness to step into a brand new role is inspiring! Jillian shows her appreciation for Public Lands by volunteering with trails crews, hiking and backpacking.