Meet the Water & Environmental Center Staff:
Dave Stockdale (he/him/his)
Director of the Water & Environmental Center and Workforce Initiatives
Dave became Director in 2014. He previously served ten years as the Director of Education at the University of Washington Center for Urban Horticulture. After leaving Seattle, Dave was first the Director of the San Antonio Botanical Garden and then the Executive Director of the Hughson Botanical Garden in California’s central valley. Most recently he was Executive Director of the Center for Urban Education about Sustainable Agriculture, a San Francisco nonprofit whose mission was to develop and support family farms and educate consumers; the Center also operated the much lauded Ferry Plaza Farmers Market. He earned his B.S. in Agriculture from Purdue and his M.S. in Biology from U. of Houston. In his free time, he enjoys traveling, gardening, food/wine, and photography.
Email: [email protected]
Office: (509) 524-5193
Andrew “Drew” Trogstad-Isaacson (he/him/his)
Assistant Director of the Water & Environmental Center
Drew joined the WEC in July 2022. Hailing from rural southern Minnesota, he brings a variety of professional experiences to this role, including: managing outdoor trips at Whitman College; interpreting exhibits at the American Museum of Natural History; teaching as an environmental educator at a Minnesota State Park and at the McCall Outdoor Science School; instructing as a graduate teaching assistant at the University of Idaho and as adjunct faculty at the Colorado Mountain College in Vail Valley; serving as an AmeriCorps Member at the Palouse-Clearwater Environmental Institute; and, developing a natural resource internship for high school students at the Walking Mountains Science Center while also developing programmatic partnerships with the United States Forest Service, Colorado Parks & Wildlife, and local business and nonprofits. He earned his B.A. in Geology from Whitman College and his M.S. in Natural Resources with a Graduate Teaching Certificate in Environmental Education from the University of Idaho. In his free time, Drew enjoys a myriad of outdoor activities, including: hiking, skiing, whitewater rafting, camping, fly fishing, and birding. He also enjoys reading, cooking, playing guitar, photography, gardening, sharing fun facts about rocks, building aquaponics systems, and exploring/building tiny homes.
Email: [email protected]
Office: (509) 527-4250
Melissa Holecek (she/her/hers)
Assistant Director of Outreach
Melissa joined the WEC staff in September 2010. Prior to this she worked as a Bleak Intern at Taylor Ranch Wilderness Field Station, environmental educator at the McCall Outdoor Science School, stream research technician at the Idaho State University Stream Ecology Center, and a middle school math and science teacher. During her time at the college, Melissa has led WEC programing, overseen the Titus Creek Student Internship Program, and served as a faculty member teaching a variety of courses in workforce and academic transfer. Recently, Melissa changed roles to help with WEC special events, but spends most of her time working in WWCC outreach and marketing. Connecting people with programs and information has always been something Melissa enjoys. Melissa was born and raised in Walla Walla but didn’t move back to the area until after attending college in Idaho where she earned her B.S. in Natural Resource Ecology & Conservation Biology with a minor in Environmental Communication from the University of Idaho and a M.N.S. in Biology from Idaho State University. Melissa enjoys being outdoors with her husband and sons, spending time with her dogs Henry and Pippa, reading, baking, knitting, and quilting.
Email: [email protected]
Office: (509) 524-5208
Work Cell: (509) 386-7759
To see Melissa’s WWCC staff page visit: web.wwcc.edu/melissaholecek