Nancy has lived on Orcas since 2020 coming here as an empty nester with her avid sailor husband. Nancy is New Mexico born, raised in Singapore and then has had many other stints up and down the West Coast. She has over 30 years in the non-profit industry always working in the areas of arts, culture, literature and heritage. She has a BA degree in Economics from Scripps College and a MA in Urban Planning from UCLA with an emphasis on the history of the built environment.
Debbie Durand
Museum Administrator
An Orcas resident since 2017, Debbie has family ties to what feels like half of Olga and beyond. She teases she knows more of her husband’s family history than he does. Debbie is our museum admin, but also bookkeeper for many island businesses, and treasurer to several non-profits beyond the park.
Michelle Hassebrock
Program Administrator
Michelle (she/her) grew up in Whatcom County and has lived on Orcas Island since 2020. In the spring of 2022, she joined the Museums as a weekly docent. Within a year, Michelle decided to bite the bullet and become a full-time staff member. She now works as the Program Administrator, and is currently working on revitalizing the Oral History Project and designing new exhibits.
Parker Pavitt
Operations Coordinator
Parker Pavitt (they/them) is a graduate of Orcas Island High School Class of 2011 and holds a degree in History from Mount Holyoke College. Parker joined the Museums staff in December 2025 as the Operations Assistant; in this role they will be supporting organizational communications, collections development, and engaging community stories.
Terri Vinson
Collections Specialist
Terri Vinson has been involved in the Museum for many years. She started as a volunteer in 2012, working alongside her grandmother doing archival organization and research, and she eventually became the program director for the Saving Orcas Voices phase of the oral history program. She currently works in the archives, digitizing and preserving decades worth of backlogged treasures.
Peter Fisher
Trustee
Peter Fisher made history in the 1980’s by instigating and stewarding three transformative community organizing projects: The Preservation of Madrona Point with a $2.2M Congressional appropriation in 1989; the creation of the San Juan County Citizen’s Conservation Land Bank by popular vote in 1990 (income exceeds $125M to date); and the establishment of OPAL Community Land Trust (over $50M raised for permanently affordable housing) in 1989. Since then he has created one of the largest collections of Historic Orcas photographs and Maps in San Juan County (www.petercfisher.com). Come see his Historic Island Maps exhibit at the Museum through Spring 2025.
Bruce Culver
Board Treasurer
Bruce is a retired physician, University of Washington emeritus professor and long-time Orcas property owner, now living here full-time since 2013. The Culver family has had a continuous presence on the island since the 1890’s, including the state registered historic Alderbrook Farmhouse. Bruce grew up at the former Point Lawrence Lodge Resort and attended Nellie S Milton school in his early years.
Carol Kulminski
Board Secretary
Carol moved to Orcas Island 20 years ago where she and her husband owned a successful B&B that was originally built in 1910 and can be found on the Homestead map in the museum. She has always loved history and when traveling loves to visit historical sites and read all about their history.
Tony Giefer
Trustee
Tony has been on Orcas since 2005 and is a retired physician He has been a docent at Crow Valley School for many years. Each area of our country has its own individual history.How fascinating to discover Orcas and the San Juan Islands.
Mark Jenks
Trustee
After 39 years, Mark recently retired from Boeing as Senior Vice President responsible for commercial airplane programs. He has owned property on the island for about ten years, and now calls Orcas his full-time home. He has always been interested in history and recently published a book on Orcas Island history.
Glenn Aust
Trustee
Glenn is part of a 7th generation homestead family on Orcas Island. He lives full time in Deer Harbor and is grateful for this great community.
Glenn works and owns a media production company and spends his free time volunteering on Orcas. In addition to the Orcas Museum board, Glenn is also Vice President and Historian of the Deer Harbor Community Club. He is also a SJC Cemetery Commissioner serving Orcas. All of these provide a fulfilling opportunity for serving our community.