For the first time ever, YP is coming to Wenatchee! On February 24th from 2-4pm, join us at the beautiful Faire Le Pont Winery to discuss local economic, environmental, and agricultural issues. This event will feature two Washington Policy Center researchers, Todd Myers and Pam Lewison, as well as local pear orchardist and agricultural consultant Ray Schmitten. Light appetizers and wine will be served.
Pam Lewison is the Director for the Washington Policy Center Initiative on Agriculture and is based in the Tri-Cities office. She farms in Eastern Washington and is a tireless advocate for agriculture both in Washington state and around the country.
Before entering the public policy world, Pam spent nearly a decade as a journalist in the Northwest and got her feet wet as the coordination clerk for the Odessa Groundwater Replacement Program. She holds a Master of Science from Texas A&M University (Gig ‘em!) and a Bachelor of Arts from Washington State University (Go Cougs!).
When she is not in the office, you can find her helping with irrigation and other work on her family farm, shuttling kids to 4-H meetings, or working as the superintendent for the agriculture building at the Grant County Fair.
Todd Myers is the Director of the Center for the Environment at Washington Policy Center. With nearly two decades in environmental policy, Todd's experience includes work on a range of environmental issues, including spotted owl habitat, energy policy, old-growth forests and salmon recovery. Currently, he serves as a member of the Puget Sound Salmon Recovery Council and was a member of the executive team at the Washington State Department of Natural Resources.
Todd is a nationally recognized expert in free-market environmental policy, including issues ranging from energy, climate, forestry and salmon-recovery. He has appeared before the Canadian Parliament, provided Congressional briefings, and worked with legislators from several states and provinces. His writing has appeared in the Wall Street Journal, the BBC, National Review, Seattle Times, USA Today, and he has appeared on numerous news networks including CNBC, Fox News, and CNN.
A former computer programmer, Todd has a bachelor’s degree in Politics from Whitman College and a master’s degree in Russian/International Studies from the Jackson School of International Studies at the University of Washington. He and his wife Maria live in the foothills of the Cascade Mountains in Washington state with 100,000 honeybees.
Ray Schmitten is an orchardist in the Wenatchee River Valley of Washington state. Ray grew up in Cashmere, WA, where his family homesteaded -- including a sawmill and logging operation -- in 1902. After graduating from WSU in 1985 with a degree in Tree Fruit Production and Agriculture Economics, Ray went on to work as an agricultural consultant on apples, pears, and cherries for various growers and fruit packing operations throughout the state.
He and his wife Trish have raised 4 boys on their family farm in Dryden. He and Trish have been active in many start-up businesses together, including fruit packing-operations, a recreational snowcat skiing business, a laundromat, and commercial greenhouses.
Ray's heart is anchored in Agriculture and his sons represent the 5th generation of the Schmitten family making a living on the same Wenatchee River watershed. He currently farms 90 acres of pears with his son, Mike. He is the Director for Ag Services for Washington's largest pear-packing cooperative, Blue Star Growers, in Cashmere. He enjoys his industry advisory rolls in pear marketing and promotion at the Pear Bureau Northwest and the PNW Pear Research Committee.