UCSRB Board Member Biographies
Commissioner Ron Walter
Ron Walter, Wenatchee, is a Chelan County Commissioner and has served the people of Chelan County since 2001. He is also a member of the Upper Columbia Salmon Recovery Board, Washington State Association of Counties Legislative Steering Committee, Washington Timber Counties Group, National Association of Counties Public Lands Steering Committee Member and Board Member on the Western Interstate Region of the National Association of Counties, Class 17 Graduate of the Washington Agriculture Forestry Education Foundation, member of Washington State Farm Bureau and Washington State Horticulture Association.
Ron moved with his family to East Wenatchee in 1961. He moved to Chelan in 1973 after graduating from Washington State University with a Bachelor of Science in Construction Management. Ron and his wife Deb have lived on a cherry orchard off Squilchuck Road in Wenatchee since 1976. Ron and Deb have three children and three grandchildren. Ron enjoys growing cherries, boating, camping, hiking, fishing, softball and snow skiing.
Mary Hunt is a Douglas County Commissioner and has served the people of Douglas County since 1998. She is also a founding board member of the Upper Columbia Salmon Recovery Board, lobbyist for the Washington State Grange, Agricultural Chairman of the National Grange, President of the Washington State Association of Counties, a member of the Douglas County Watershed Planning Committee, and a graduate of the Agriculture Education and Forestry Foundation Class 10.
Mary grew up in Ephrata and moved to Douglas County 44 years ago when she married her husband Terry. They reside near Coulee City and operate a dry land wheat and cattle ranch. Mary and her husband, Terry, have three sons and four grandchildren. Mary enjoys sewing, reading, camping and spending time with family.
Donald “Bud” Hover, Winthrop, is an Okanogan County Commissioner and has served the people of Okanogan County since 2005. He is a voting member of the Salmon Recovery Funding Board, president of the Board of Okanogan County Energy and serves on the board of directors for Okanogan County Electric Coop. He also is a member of the Upper Columbia Salmon Recovery Board, Washington State Association of Counties’ Legislative Steering Committee, National Association of Counties Public Lands Steering Committee and the Washington Timber Counties Group.
Mr. Hover grew up in Issaquah and attended Washington State University on a football scholarship. He graduated from Washington State University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Agriculture Education, Forestry, and Range Management. Upon graduation, he was drafted by the Washington Redskins in 1978 and played professionally in the National Football League for three years and in the Canadian Football League. He and his wife have lived in Winthrop for 33 years where he operates a hay farm with one of his two sons. He enjoys hunting, fishing and hiking.
Bill Towey has been involved in Columbia River management issues for the past 17 years; most recently as Policy Analyst for the Colville Confederated Tribes where he provides policy direction to the Fish and Wildlife Department Director and Chairman of the Colville Business Council’s Fish and Wildlife Committee. Bill is responsible for the oversight and management of the Tribe’s Upper Columbia Salmon Recovery Program, the Pacific Coastal Salmon Recovery Funding project, Lead Entity Program, and represents the Colville Tribes in Columbia River Basin policy forums.
He is currently serving, and has served, on many regional fish recovery committees and boards relating to enhancement and recovery of Columbia River fish and wildlife including the Upper Columbia Salmon Recovery Board, Bonneville Environmental Foundation and multiple committees within the Columbia Basin Fish and Wildlife Authority. He has co-authored several peer reviewed scientific articles which have appeared in Fisheries Magazine and Ecological Restoration.
Bill is a member of the Washington Native Plant Society, (NE WA chapter), a member of the Society of Wetland Scientists, Betz Elementary Parent Teacher Association, Girls Fastpitch Softball Coach and member of the Board of Directors Pathways to Progress.
Bill grew up in Eastern Washington (Spokane Valley) and graduated from Washington State University with a Bachelor of Science in Biology in 1990. He and his wife Karlyn have two daughters, Bailey and Avery. He is very involved in coaching softball and is currently the head coach for the Washington State University Fastpitch Softball team. Other interests include baseball, flyfishing, hunting, and operating combine during harvest for his relatives on the Palouse.
Paul Ward has over ten years experience in Columbia River fisheries management and is currently Fisheries Manager for the Yakama Nation. Prior to becoming Manager, Paul worked on fisheries habitat issues and also Hanford Nuclear Reservation issues as they relate to the Yakama Nation. Paul currently serves on a variety of boards including the Upper Columbia Salmon Recovery Board, the Yakima Basin Fish and Wildlife Recovery Board, the Nature Conservancy State Board of Trustees and the Yakima Valley Community Foundation.
Paul, an enrolled member of the Yakama Nation, graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in History from the University of Washington and a Juris Doctorate from the University of Washington, School of Law in 1996. Paul and his wife Kathy have four children and live on the Yakama Indian Reservation in Central Washington State. Paul hunts for reservation community needs and enjoys golf.