Terica Ginther, President
Terica Ginther was born and raised in Skagit County, and she helped form a local wildlife tour company, Deception Pass Tours, with her husband Brett. Terica and her husband, Brett, have two grown children, two dogs, two cats, and have lived in Oak Harbor for more than a decade.
Terica has an extensive background in Non- Profit Management, specifically in Tourism and Economic Development. She is a Nationally and Regionally awarded Economic Development professional, and a Paul Harris Fellow.
Terica previously served as Vice President of the Deception Pass Park Foundation Board of Directors, and has maintained constant connection to the Foundation through various partnerships.
Alicia Vertefeuille, Secretary
Born and raised in Kitsap County, Alicia relocated to Deception Pass in 2018 as a volunteer caretaker for Ben Ure Island. Although she knew very little of the area before moving here, her love of the park developed immediately!
She joined the Foundation in 2019 as part of the social media committee and has continued to expand her role here, recently undertaking the position of secretary. She is an avid kayaker, backpacker and dog lover with a full time job making ice cream for Lopez Island Creamery. When she’s not at work she loves exploring Rosario Beach, combing the shores of Cornet Bay, and walking the local beaches at night when the bioluminescence is active!
Cathy Rockwell, Treasurer
Cathy is a multi-generation Washingtonian. She was born and raised in King County and raised her family in Burlington. In 1998, she returned to college and earned an Accounting degree from Western Washington University and in 2009, she moved to Anacortes and fell in love with island life. She left her controller job in 2013 and opened Cathy’s Accounting and Bookkeeping. Cathy recently closed her business and is very excited to have joined an accounting firm in Oak Harbor.
Cathy family loves the outdoors and one of their favorite places is Deception Pass State Park. From the day her grandson walked over the bridge, to the countless hours spent at West Beach by all, she has come to adore the park and wants to see it thrive. With this spirit, Cathy joined the Foundation in Fall 2019.
Dave Myers
Dave Myers joined the Deception Pass Park Foundation in 2017. He is a Retired Navy Veteran that still works for the Navy where he is the Manager of Cliffside RV Park. Dave is an avid hiker and burgeoning naturalist whose passion is sharing his knowledge and love of the outdoors and the spectacular places of Whidbey Island with others new to, or visiting the wonderful world of Island Life. Deception Pass has always held a special place for him, it’s his go-to getaway to relax and unwind, The Tursi Trail is his new favorite hike, so if you see him out there take a moment and say “Hello”! Dave heads up the Education Committee for the Foundation.
Carol Bromel
Carol grew up in upstate NY, graduated in Education from the State University of New York at Brockport, taught elementary education for a couple years and moved west. Arriving in Seattle in the mid 70’s she opened a kitchen store, Mrs. Cook’s in University Village in Seattle. She served on the UV board for many years and after 43 years in business, she retired and moved to Anacortes. She enjoys the outdoors, hiking, skiing, boating and her two dogs. Carol joined the foundation in the fall of 2019 and is heading up The Lake Store.
Mary Jane Feller
Since moving to the Pacific Northwest in 2000, MJ has never wanted to leave. The water, forests and mountains give MJ and her family plenty of opportunities to do things that they love such as hiking, camping, biking and skiing. With a career in healthcare, MJ has always enjoyed helping people whether it be volunteering at Church, The Humane Society and now here at Deception Pass.
Deception Pass State Park is one of MJ’s favorites because it offers so many of the activities that she enjoys. Her goal is to spend a great deal doing whatever she can to make it your favorite park too!
Jason
Armstrong, Park Manager and Advisory Member
Jason retired from the Washington State Patrol in 2015 as a lieutenant; supervising Skagit, Island and Whatcom County. After retiring from the Washington State Patrol Jason worked for the Washington State Department of Corrections as a Community Corrections Supervisor, managing a small parole office in Whatcom County. Jason took over as the Area Manager for the Deception Pass Area in 2017, which includes Deception Pass, Kukutali Preserve, Hope Island, Skagit Island, and Dugualla. Jason’s favorite place in the park is Bowman Bay as it offers some mild hikes and a beautiful view from the Bowman Bay Pier.
Abdiel Ramirez
Abdiel Ramirez moved to Washington state in December 2019, and joined the foundation in March 2021. He is an Active Duty Sailor in the Navy, stationed at NAS Whidbey Island. Interested in volunteering at Deception Pass State Park after having been recommended to by a friend, he reached out to Louanne and soon began volunteering. After a few events, he saw an opportunity to pull more volunteers from his fellow Sailors, and began working more closely with Louanne to increase the volunteer force. Once a position in the Board opened up, Abdiel joined the Foundation and he has been involved with the volunteering and website efforts ever since.
Abdiel loves the Washington outdoors and enjoys hiking, mountain biking and snowboarding. His favorite thing he’s done so far in Deception Pass State Park is the North Beach to Goose Rock trail; the hike is challenging and the views are serene, making it an ideal day-hike.
Emily Gilbert
Emily joined the foundation in June 2021. She has spent every summer in a small cabin down the road from Deception Pass State Park (except for one when she was an intern in Indonesia) and it has been a major influence on her life. Now she operates a kettle corn and ice cream business called Sister Sister Snack Co. at West Beach in the summer – the perfect office.
She has a background in communications. When she is not working, Emily can usually be found on or near the water. Her favorite place in the park is Rosario Head because of the short walk to a panoramic view.
