Jeff Hernandez
President and Tualatin Valley Chapter Representative
Jeff grew up in the small town of Bend learning how to fish for trout at a young age. The passion continues to this day, only the fish have gotten bigger. Jeff lives in NW Portland with his wife Leslie and experiences the joy of teaching others to fish, almost as much as he enjoys catching a fish himself. He and his wife recently purchased their first fishing boat and have been enjoying fishing for trout, kokanee and salmon. Jeff joined the steelheaders back in 2007 when he was just learning to steelhead fish and has enjoyed the friendships he has made and the knowledge he has gained. Now he is passionate about sharing the information he has learned with others.
Rob Bitney
Vice President and Sandy River Chapter Representative
Born in Oregon but grew up in Montana, pursuing everything from Golden Trout to Catfish, Rob returned to Oregon after a stint in the US Navy and sporting a fresh college degree. When asked why Oregon, the answer was merely "the fish are bigger". Although salmon and steelhead have been taking the lion's share of Rob's fishing time, other species are always an option. Rob eventually found the Steelheaders in 2010 and has never looked back since. The feeling of community, the education, both continuing and for novice anglers and the opportunity to pay it forward gives the Steelheaders a special place in Rob's life.
Curt Ward
Treasurer
Curt attended his first Northwest Steelheaders meeting in 2005 and was drawn in by the passion for fishing, community, and conservation that was exhibited by the membership. He supports the Association’s efforts to enhance fish runs that include both wild and broodstock hatchery fish so that fishing can be enjoyed by anglers for generations to come. When Curt is not attending to the Association’s finances, he is a principal engineer for Intel Corporation. He lives in Forest Grove with his wife, two daughters, and numerous animals.
Bob Rees
Vice President of Conservation
Bob Oleson
Vice President of Government Affairs
Bob currently serves as Vice President of Government Affairs, and previously served as Co-President and Policy Advocate at the state capitol. He is a sixth generation Oregonian who spent his early years on a family farm near Scholls, bird hunting and fishing for bass and trout In the Tualatin River. He received a degree in political science from Lewis & Clark College in Portland, OR, and went on to spend most of his career in professional trade association management and public affairs. Now semi-retired, Bob is a self-proclaimed “advanced beginner” of salmon and steelhead fishing, going near and far to pursue the sport. Aside from fishing, his hobbies include biking, pickleball, and detective novels. He lives in Newberg with his wife, Patti, and their cats.
Norm Ritchie
Immediate Past Co-President
Norm has been a passionate angler for over 60 years, a conservation activist for over 45 years and member of Northwest Steelheaders Board of Directors for over 20 years. He represents the Association as a board member of the Save Our Wild Salmon Coalition and National Wildlife Federation. Recognized for conservation leadership, Norm was appointed to the ODFW Salmon Trout Advisory Committee (STAC) by two governors. Now retired after a 36-year career as a Professional Licensed Engineer at Daimler Trucks, Norm resides on the Oregon Coast for part of the year and travels extensively. He enjoys fishing for all the species the northwest has to offer, from Snake River steelhead to halibut and tuna 25 miles offshore.
Brad Garrett
Secretary
Brad was born and raised in Baker, OR where he spent his days on the surrounding local rivers and high mountain lakes chasing fish with family and friends. "Leaving something better than you found it" has always helped guide him and as such the Steelheaders mission and his passion for fishing lead him down the pathway of becoming more involved with the Association in 2021. Brad is currently serving as the Treasurer of the Sandy River Chapter and helps to coordinate the Chapter's newsletter, website and online store. Brad lives with his wife Heather in Corbett, OR and is a proud parent of their two children Delanie and Mac.
Michael Myrick
At Large Director
Mike grew up in Washington and Oregon and developed a love of fishing from his father at a young age. At Northwest Steelheaders, Mike served as the Sandy River Chapter treasurer for 13 years, as Education Director on the Board of Directors, and is now an At Large Board Member. Mike enjoys teaching kids to fish at Family Fish Camp and in classrooms through the Fish Eggs to Fry program. He also volunteers at the Association’s booth at the Portland Sportsman’s Show and at the Association's annual fundraiser. He served 3.5 years in the U.S. Army, two of which he was stationed in Europe where he learned to drive big rigs, leading to a 42 year career in truck driving. In 1988, Mike won the Oregon Truck Driving Championships. When Mike isn’t fishing or volunteering, he enjoys woodworking and world travel.
Bill Kremers
At Large Director and Past President
Bill is a charter lifetime member of the Association. Since joining the Steelheaders, he has served in a variety of positions at both the chapter and Association level, including four years as the Association president. He developed a passion for fishing in his early childhood in Michigan. That passion has never wavered, and his goal is to instill that same passion and love of the outdoors in his grandson, William. He moved to Oregon with his wife during the summer of 1977 after graduating from Chico State University. His first boss at the Oregon State Health Lab was a member of Northwest Steelheaders and invited him to a meeting in Beaverton. The guest speaker that evening was Buzz Ramsey, and by the next meeting, he was a member. A few months later, he accepted a lab position at Oregon State University in Corvallis and worked there until his retirement. Through his membership and participation in Northwest Steelheaders, Bill forged long term friendships, fishing partners and unforgettable memories, and has witnessed first-hand how fishing and stewardship of our waters, air and land go hand in hand.
Tamsin Fleming
At Large Director
Donald Hyde
Columbia River Chapter Representative and Chapter President
Donny was born and raised in Washington and has been fishing since he could walk, pursuing any and all species wherever he went. He joined the U.S. Air Force at age 18 and is currently still serving. He moved back home to Washington in 2009 and got serious about salmon and steelhead fishing and conservation activism. In 2011, he and his father, Keith, created the Columbia River Chapter of the Northwest Steelheaders, which is currently the only chapter in Washington. He served as the Vice President of the chapter from 2011-2014, and became Chapter President in 2015. He harbors a deep love for the community, his connection to local fisheries, and the volunteer projects he works to organize for the common good.
Ken Johnson
Emerald Empire Chapter Representative and Chapter President
Ken is an Oregonian and serves as Emerald Empire Chapter Representative and Chapter President. After being drafted and serving 2 years in the U.S. Army in the mid-1960s, Ken worked at the Bell System Telephone Company until his retirement. He then became a full-time RVer and now enjoys life in a small town. Through the Emerald Empire Chapter, he manages the Letz Creek Hatchery, which is a ODFW STEP hatchery where Northwest Steelheaders volunteers raise and release about 15,000 winter steelhead into the Siuslaw River system each year. The highlight of Ken’s many years of fishing was the 18 years he spent living in Newport, OR saltwater fishing. He enjoys all kinds of fishing and all species. Ken is a self-proclaimed “catch and fillet kind of guy” and has a “healthy appetite for all seafood.”
Kyle Smith
McLoughlin Chapter Representative
Jim Sallee
Mid-Valley Chapter Representative and Chapter President
Jim serves as the Mid-Valley Chapter President and Board Representative. He grew up in Lebanon, OR, and served in the U.S. Army for 5 years after graduating high school. Jim was a fishing guide for a couple of years with Denny Hanna in southern Oregon and then worked in metal manufacturing at Teledyne and Wah Chang for 6 years. He earned an associate’s degree at Linn Benton Community College and then returned to the U.S. Army Training NCO until an accident cut his career short. He then finished his bachelor’s degree at Western Baptist College before starting a CNC company prototyping parts and pursuing real estate ventures until his retirement. Jim loves all types of fishing for all kinds of fish and is passionate about archery hunting. Outside of his activities with the Mid-Valley Chapter of Northwest Steelheaders, Jim is a Range Safety Officer for Albany Rifle Pistol Club, a certified ODFW angler education instructor and hunter education instructor, a certified shotgun coach, a large/small game workshop instructor, and S3DA archery coach for ODFW.
Jay Wylie
Salem Chapter Representative
Staff
