Governor Inslee Appoints Two Locals to a State Rec Funding Board

Two local movers and shakers from Wenatchee, Shiloh Burgess, and Okanogan, Henry Hix, has been appointed by Governor Jay Inslee to serve on the Washington State Recreation and Conservation Funding Board. Burgess is the executive director of the Wenatchee Valley Chamber of Commerce and Hix is the chief of natural resource enforcement for the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation.

"Shiloh is well known to our agency because she served on the Governor’s Blue Ribbon Task Force on Parks and Outdoor Recreation back in 2014 and 2015," said Kaleen Cottingham, director of Washington State Recreation and Conservation office.  "And Henry Hix is well known to my agency because he's been very successful at applying for grants for the Colville Tribe."

The board has five individuals appointed by the governor and three individuals that represent the three land managing state agencies (WDFW, state parks and DNR)  to help make policy and funding decisions.

"It's an honor to be asked to serve in this capacity," said Burgess. "I'm looking forward to bringing Central Washington's perspective to this board and seeing a lot of great projects move forward through this organization."

The board is responsible for dispersing $250 million in grants every biennium for the development of parks, trails, boating facilities and other outdoor recreation opportunities and for the conservation of wildlife habitat and working farms and forests.

"Those two members bring a great deal of expertise in outdoor recreation, conservation and the importance of both of those to our economy in Washington," said Cottingham.