As a lifelong boater, Michelle has always loved being out on the water and an encounter with a pod of Southern Resident Orcas while boating in the San Juan Islands in 2012 ignited her passion for this endangered species. Michelle learned of Captain Paul Watson’s work in 2010 and was immediately drawn to him because of their mutual passion for the ocean and its inhabitants. After meeting Captain Watson in person in 2017, she knew marine conservation was her calling, specifically in the local waters of the Puget Sound and Salish Sea. Michelle brings more than10 years of experience in animal rights activism, fundraising and event management to Team Washington.