Board of Directors
The vision of TCAT's leadership is to live in healthy balance with each other and planet earth. Click here to view the most recent Board Meeting Minutes!
Christie Barchenger (She/Her)
Christie joined the TCAT board in Fall 2022. Hailing from small-town Illinois, she and her husband are raising their daughter in Olympia after living in Aberdeen, greater Thurston County, and Seattle. A former middle-school science teacher, Christie currently trains science teachers in schools across Washington State. She has worked in public and non-profit settings across the U.S.A. and in Bangladesh. Christie’s commitment to meeting the complex scientific and social challenges of climate change comes from her experiences teaching about and living the impacts of climate change. Her work has often been in communities that contend, on a daily basis, with both historical and current issues of environmental racism and economic injustice. As part of the TCAT board, she looks forward to being part of doing the real work, every day, of shifting towards an environmentally-sustainable and economically secure future that is healthier, safer, and more livable for all people in Thurston county and beyond.
Michael Bradley (He/Him), Vice President
Michael began serving on the TCAT Board in 2021. He has been an Assistant Attorney General for the Washington State Attorney General’s Office for the last six years, where he represents the State’s Department of Social and Health Services and the Health Care Authority. In addition to working with TCAT, Michael has been involved with Capital Land Trust and Thurston County Volunteer Legal Services. Michael lives in Olympia with his wife and twin daughters, who every day renew his commitment to facing the challenges of climate change and securing a just and abundant future for generations to come
Tom Crawford (He/Him/His), Secretary
Tom Crawford (He/Him/His), SecretaryTom is a founding member of TCAT, and served as board president for many years. He works closely with TCAT staff on developing and carrying out TCAT programs. He has lived and worked in Thurston County for over 30 years and has over 40 years experience working with community development, education, health, environmental, and transportation organizations. He has provided training on sustainability in Thurston County and throughout the Puget Sound region, with numerous presentations to elected officials. Tom has also worked with Native American communities in the Pacific Northwest and with state transportation agencies nationwide.
Geoff Glass (He/Him/His), Interim Board President
Geoff Glass (He/Him/His), Interim Board PresidentGeoff is the Senior Manager for Energy & Sustainability at Providence Health & Services where he has oversight for facility, security and medical equipment operations for two hospitals and 34 clinics. Geoff has dedicated his career to developing high performance healthcare facilities – having substantially improved energy efficiency at four major medical facilities in Western Washington. His current focus is on improving sustainability of Providence operations in Southwest Washington. Geoff is a licensed professional Engineer (Civil) in the State of Washington and Certified Energy Manager. In 2015, Geoff committed to a “car – free” lifestyle as a means of living out his value of environmental stewardship and personal responsibility for health.
Candance Penn (She/Her)
Bio Coming soon!
Terry Watness (He/Him), Treasurer
New on the TCAT Board in 2023, Terry Watness is a retired CPA after 30 years. He has been a treasurer of four organizations including the local chapter of the Ecobuilding Guild. He was also the Fiscal Director of a nonprofit and a local government. While working for the State Department of Commerce, he helped counties, cities, nonprofits and tribes to ensure their compliance with state and federal grant contract requirements. He looks forward to helping TCAT in its continued growth as a strong and active participant in local efforts to reduce climate disruption.
Gordon Wheat, MD (He/Him)
Gordon is a retired physician, practicing medicine in Olympia for over 30 years. He is the chair of the Olympia Physicians for Social Responsibility Climate Task Force and the vice-chair of the Phagebiotics Research Foundation. He has pursued public health work in various capacities and currently serves on the One Health Committee for the Washington State Department of Public Health, addressing antibiotic resistance. He is passionate about the public health and medical consequences of climate change and believes all people deserve the opportunity for health as our world warms.