Our Mission
We work to promote behavior change that reduces the human-caused spread of invasive species.
Our Staff
Sara Ricklefs
Executive Director
Jennifer Riddle
Programs Manager
Erin Bjorklund
Outreach Coordinator
Erin’s passion for the environment was born from the many days she spent tromping along the Oregon Coast as a child. This passion brought her to Montana State University, where she studied Environmental Science and Earth Sciences with a focus on water resources. While in school, Erin spent her summers working as an ecological technician; this is when she gained a deeper appreciation for wildlife and an interest in preventing the spread of invasive species. In her free time, Erin likes to spend her time skiing, camping, flyfishing, or getting cozy on the couch with a good book.
Our Founding
Robert Wiltshire founded the Invasive Species Action Network in 2008 realizing that the current efforts to address the aquatic invasive species problem fell short. With a well-rounded career conducting wild trout studies for the state of Montana for over 15 years, small-business entrepreneur in recreation and hobbies, and conservation non-profit manager for more than a decade, Bob navigated his role as executive director with ease. He played key roles in the management of invasive species over the years including serving on the Montana’s Whirling Disease Task Force, co-authoring the Western States New Zealand Mud Snail Management plan and serving on the National Invasive Species Advisory Committee to the White House. In 2019, Bob retired from ISAN to pursue his personal goals and hobbies.
Our Board
We consider ourselves lucky to have board members who are active in our local community and interested in helping us to get the word out about preventing the spread of invasive species.
Brant Oswald
Chair
Brant was given his first fly rod at age 10, and he spent most of his teenage years exploring small streams or paddling a float tube around southern Idaho’s desert reservoirs. His college career included two degrees in linguistics from the University of Oregon, but he left academia in 1983 to become director of Orvis’ fishing school program in California.
Brant has worked in nearly every segment of the fly fishing industry—as a commercial fly tier (his first paying job in his early teens), fishing school instructor/director (for both Orvis and the Mel Krieger schools in the 80s and more recently with the Sweetwater Travel guide schools and the School of Trout), fishing travel consultant, fly shop manager, and now as a guide, outfitter and instructor in Livingston, Montana.
Over the years, Brant has been active with conservation groups—including Oregon Trout, CalTrout, Trout Unlimited, and the Park County Environmental Council—and he served on the Governor’s Upper Yellowstone River Task Force from 1997 to 2003. He is a founding member of the Yellowstone Gateway Business Coalition, and he currently serves as senior advisor to the board of directors for the Fishing Outfitters Association of Montana (FOAM). He also helped found Guiding for the Future, a program designed to provide fishing guides with the knowledge to make them better stewards of the resource they work on.
Brant’s other interests include cooking, birding, photography, and bird hunting with his Labrador.
Todd Wester
Secretary
Todd Wester is currently Director of Curriculum at Livingston Public Schools. He previously taught science and worked as a fishing outfitter. Wester has been a lifelong fisherman, hunter, and outdoors enthusiast. He joined the ISAN board in 2020, with the belief that he owes it to future generations to contribute to the prevention of supplantation of native species by invasives. He has three grown children and two grandchildren, and all have touched a native cutthroat trout in ancestral waters. May the generations to follow always be able to!
Jacquelyn Werhand
Treasurer
Emilie Henry
Director
Beginning during her childhood years in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed, Emilie’s curiosity about the environment led her to study geology and participate in field projects to solve mysteries of Earth’s past. This same curiosity brought Emilie to Missoula, where she works as a Program Coordinator for the Western Montana Conservation Commission and promotes community engagement to protect aquatic resources. Understanding the important role humans play in conservation, Emilie is pursuing her M.S. in Resource Conservation at the University of Montana to study human-environment interactions. She joined the ISAN board in 2024 and is honored to work with this energized group. In her free time, Emilie enjoys hiking, knitting, and snuggling with her cats.
Dr. Jamie Barney
Director
Jamie is a retired optometrist, having practiced in Livingston, Montana for 33 years. His passion for the outdoors and particularly, waters inhabited by trout, led to a lifelong interest in the protection of our rivers, lakes and streams. Jamie became an ISAN director in 2025 and is proud to be a member of such a preeminent organization that is truly making a difference in the battle against invasive species. Jamie and his wife Shari still reside in Livingston. Their daughter Hanna is the second “Dr. Barney” in Livingston and their son J.J. is the C.O.O. of Kore Infrastructure, a renewable energy company. When not knee deep in a trout stream, Jamie can be found on his fly tying bench, on a pickle ball court or engaged in “play time” with his two grandchildren.
John Skakun
Director
John is an Attorney in Akron, Ohio. He aims to help build a better world by empowering communities to work together to develop innovative solutions to the dual climate and biodiversity crises. His legal research examines the efficacy of water use regulations affecting the Great Lakes basin and explores novel applications of innovative cooperative governance models to help ensure equitable access to dwindling water resources. John joined the ISAN board in 2025 and looks forward to working to support the important work of the organization. During his time off, John enjoys hiking and trail running in the Cuyahoga Valley National Park, camping up north, and spending summer days kayaking along the shores of Lake Erie.
Volunteering Opportunities
Interested in getting involved? Volunteer opportunities change depending on the location and time of year.
ISAN attends a variety of events, depending on the time of year. No specific skills are required, but an interest in the subject of the event you attend is helpful.
If you’re interested in any of our programs, feel free to reach out to learn how you can help!