Environmental conservation nonprofit Lower Columbia Estuary Partnership welcomed E. Elaine Placido as their new Executive Director. Placido replaces Debrah Marriott, who retired after leading the organization since its inception in 1995. Placido’s first day with the Partnership was July 18.
Placido comes to the Estuary Partnership with more than 20 years of local government and nonprofit experience. She most recently worked as the Director of Community Services for Cowlitz County.
Prior to that, she worked for Humboldt County California as a health department analyst, and in Depoe Bay managing a non-profit that provided safe visitation programs for families and children impacted by violence. Placido is also a veteran of the U.S. Coast Guard.
From 2014 – 2020, Placido also volunteered on the Estuary Partnership Board of Directors and joins the staff with a solid background in the organization’s work. The Lower Columbia Estuary Partnership is a nonprofit and National Estuary Program, and leads habitat restoration projects and community education and engagement programs on the lower river, from Bonneville Dam to the Pacific Ocean.
Placido holds a Doctor of Public Administration from Valdosta State University, a Master of Public Administration from University of Nebraska-Omaha, and a Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice from Park University. She also holds certificates from the Grantsmanship Institute and FEMA Emergency Management Institute.
She lives on a family farm outside of Rainier. She is also dedicated volunteer who leads a 4H livestock club, and serves on her local school board and planning commission.
The Estuary Partnership was established in 1995 by the Governors of Washington and Oregon and the U.S. EPA to provide regional coordination, to advance science, and to get on‐the‐ground results in the lower Columbia River and estuary.
It is a collaborative program of the states of Oregon and Washington, federal agencies, tribal governments, non‐profit organizations, businesses and economic interests, and citizens. The Estuary Partnership restores and protects habitat, improves water quality and reduces pollution, and provides information about the river.
The lower Columbia River and estuary is an “Estuary of National Significance,” one of only 28 National Estuary Programs in the nation. The U.S. EPA administers the National Estuary Program, created in the 1987 amendments to the Clean Water Act. The Estuary Partnership is a 501(c)3 non‐profit corporation. For more information, visit www.estuarypartnership.org