Our Mission & Vision:

Our Mission: Friends of Vancouver Lake provides leadership to restore our magnificent resource by partnering with public and private entities to ensure that Vancouver Lake provides enhanced environmental, recreational, and economic benefits to our community for current and future generations.

Our vision: Vancouver Lake is home to diverse fish, animal, and plant species, attracts outdoor and water recreation enthusiasts, and returns economic benefits for our region.

Our Board:

Ken Imse

Ken is a retired commercial banker whose professional career began in forest ecology working for Georgia-Pacific in Florida and Oregon as a research forester and soil scientist. In the 1980s, he switched careers earning an MBA in finance and a enjoyed a 33-year career in banking. Following his retirement, Ken served for three years as the volunteer chair of the loan committee for a small community credit union until it was successfully merged with a larger institution.

Eric Hale

Philip Parshley

Philip has been a member of the Vancouver Lake Sailing Club since 1968, and has served on their Board of Directors for many years. An avid racer, his sailing has taken him to many sailing venues around the United States as well as internationally. This experience helps him appreciate the challenges at Vancouver Lake, as well as the potential for the lake to be a premier small boat sailing venue for the wider region.

Ted Gathe

Ted was the Vancouver City Attorney for 20 years. He has worked with and supported many conservation and water quality groups such as the Columbia Land Trust and the Watershed Alliance of Southwest Washington where he served as Chair and Board member for many years. He is the current Chair of Clark County’s Clean Water Commission. Ted is an avid outdoors-person who loves to kayak and spend time exploring the unique and beautiful areas of Vancouver Lake and the Lowlands.

Bob Chapman

Robert Chapman holds BS and MS degrees in civil and environmental engineering from Oregon State University. Now retired, he spent his 45-year career at an employee-owned engineering firm which grew to national and international prominence. He served as technical consultant and/or project manager implementing public water supply and advanced wastewater reclamation and reuse projects nationally. His career included management roles as Director of Water Supply and Treatment, and Water Technology Director for the firm.

Betty Sue Morris

A fifty year resident of Clark County, Betty Sue Morris is best known for her 20 years in elected office: eight in the Washington State Legislature and twelve on the Clark County Board of Commissioners.

Always a strong advocate for salmon and outdoor recreation, Betty Sue served for 6 years as vice-chair of the Fish and Wildlife Committee in the Washington State House of Representatives, and during her tenure on the Clark County Commission took the leadership role in developing the local response to the federal listing of Salmonids in our area as “Endangered.” Working with county commissioners in Cowlitz County she was the lead in creation of the Lower Columbia Fish Recovery Board which manages state grants for salmon recovery in the lower Columbia River region.

The recipient of dozens of awards during her elected years, Betty Sue is most proud of the Clark County “Sammy Award” which she received shortly after she retired in 2008. It was for her work in Salmon recovery in our region.

A graduate of the University of Missouri with an M.Ed. from Portland State University, she and her husband Bill raised two grown children, Bill Morris and Annie Price.

Betty Sue is active with Friends of Vancouver Lake because “Children and fish should be able to swim safely in our beautiful lake. And right now, they can’t. It’s time to clean it up!”

Jim Luce

Jim Luce is an attorney. He graduated from Washington State in 1968, served in Vietnam, and later graduated from the University of Oregon law school in 1973. Upon graduation he served as Economic Programs Manager for the City of Everett and later as a Snohomish County Deputy Prosecuting attorney. He then accepted a position in the Bonneville Power Administration’s Office of General Counsel in 1977, with lead responsibilities for managing Environmental Species Act issues, especially salmon, retiring in 2000. He was appointed to the Columbia River Gorge Commission and then to the Chair of the Washington State Energy Council, retiring again in 2013. Locally, Jim has served as a member of the Clark County Planning Commission and the City of Vancouver’s Board of Adjustment and now serves as a Board member of NAMI SW Washington.

Liz Luce

Liz Luce has extensive experience working with local, state and federal governments. Liz has worked for two United States Senators and two Governors. Liz has served as elected Clark County Auditor for 12 years. In 2005, Liz was appointed by Governor Chris Gregoire as Director of Department of Licensing in Olympia. As a community activist for over 40 years, Liz has worked extensively with boards and committees on behalf of the communities she has served. Born and raised in Everett, she was a teacher for several years before moving to Vancouver.

Conor Bullis

Conor is currently the President of the Portland Vancouver Rowing Association as well as a Trustee member for the Vancouver Lake Rowing Association (VLRC). Conor served as the Head Rowing Coach for VLRC from 2021-2023. Conor rowed in races on Vancouver Lake when he was 13 years old and is dedicated to providing the same experience he had on the lake for generations to come. He lives in Clark County with his wife and 3 young kids.

Rob Benke

Our Core Principles:

Visionary leadership

Action that leads to results

Collaboration

Evidence-based solutions

Focus on community needs and desires

Well-being and health of our community

Increasing public access to public places

Stewardship of our environment

Friends of Vancouver Lake Timeline:

The Eurasian Milfoil became an obvious issue to lake users

WA Dept of Natural Resources calls a meeting, held in Clark County, with representatives from WA DNR, WA DOE, WA DFW, Clark County , Port of Vancouver, City of Vancouver, Vancouver Lake Sailing Club, Vancouver Lake Rowing Club, and three other local rowing clubs.

Friends of Vancouver Lake forms to treat Eurasian Milfoil infestation

Friends of Vancouver Lake secures WA-DOE state permit to treat Milfoil

Lake Survey shows widespread Milfoil infestation

Planned treatment of Milfoil postponed due to adverse lake conditions

County Public Health Dept begins new testing for toxic algae with updated protocalls

Milfoil treated in lake and flushing channel

Treatment by Aquatechnex LLC,using ProcellaCOR

Cost: $150,000

Paid for by community donations and local public agency support

Post-treatment surveys show success

Economic study completed

Work begins with government agencies and elected officals to re-engage their interest and technical support

Begin working with Jacobs Engineering to look for long term solutions

New hydraulic modeling begins

Clark County hires Herrera Inc to begin work on a Lake Management Plan, with FoVL joining the Technical Advisory Group

Participation in Herrera Inc's Technical Advisory Group, working on Phase 1 of a Lake Management Plan

Worked with WA State Legislature to pass legislation so a recreational fishing license will no longer be required to fish for carp in Vancouver Lake.

Continued Participation in Herrera Inc's Technical Advisory Group, working on Phase 2 of a Lake Management Plan.

Our Mission & Vision:

Our Board:

Ken Imse

Eric Hale

Philip Parshley

Ted Gathe

Bob Chapman

Betty Sue Morris

Jim Luce

Liz Luce

Conor Bullis

Rob Benke

Our Core Principles:

Visionary leadership

Action that leads to results

Collaboration

Evidence-based solutions

Focus on community needs and desires

Well-being and health of our community

Increasing public access to public places

Stewardship of our environment

Friends of Vancouver Lake Timeline:

In Our View: Coordination crucial for Vancouver Lake’s future

Columbian story – Clark County takes proactive approach to Vancouver Lake’s algae blooms

Local View: Cooperative alliance for lake