Museum Open Daily • 10am – 4pm
Museum Open Sat & Sun • 10am – 4pm

Meet Our Staff

The People Behind the Mission

Passionate educators, naturalists, and community leaders dedicated to sharing the stories, culture, and environment of Grays Harbor.

Our Dedicated Staff

Get to know the individuals who bring the Coastal Interpretive Center to life through their knowledge, passion, and commitment to our mission.

Jacob Baker

Jacob Baker

Executive Director

baker@interpretivecenter.org

Before joining the CIC, Jacob has previously worked in the non-profit and educational fields.  He has a love of the outdoors and when he’s not in the office, you’ll likely find him up a mountain or out on the water!

Becky Stitt

Becky Stitt

Education Manager

bstitt@interpretivecenter.org

Becky has mainly lived in the Eastern U.S. including Tennessee, Wisconsin, Florida, and Georgia but her favorite place to be is anywhere she is enjoying gorgeous views and outdoor recreation opportunities. Her undergraduate studies were in anthropology and included completing archaeological field school in coastal Ecuador. After graduating she went into cultural resource management and museum studies specializing in archaeology and indigenous cultures before becoming more involved in natural resource management and visitor services. Becky has had the opportunity to work with many talented agencies and non-profit organizations including the Appalachian Trail Conservancy, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Forest Service, and the Florida Park Service. One of her goals as Education Manager at the Coastal Interpretive Center is to foster an environment of inclusion where the motto is “The outdoors is for everyone!” She graduated recently from the University of Florida having completed her Master of Science in Wildlife Ecology and Conservation. Her hobbies include reading, crafting, hiking, paddling, and road tripping.

Debbie LaFleiche

Debbie LaFleiche

Operations Coordinator & Docent

dlafleiche@interpretivecenter.org

Debbie LaFleiche went to Alaska to attend graduate school and then stayed for 25 years, working primarily as the CFO of a nonprofit. In 2017, she sold everything, bought an RV and hit the open road. She was a fulltime traveler for five years before landing in Ocean Shores in 2022 where se decided to, once again, plant roots.

Debbie is also a writer and had her first book, Alaska Shelter, published in early 2022. You can follow her travel/adventure/author website at www.SupersizeLIFE.com. In addition to publishing two more books, she is planning to walk the 600 mile Camino de Santiago in Spain in the next couple years.

SJ Francis

SJ Francis

Scientific Stewardship Coordinator

sjfrancis@interpretivecenter.org

SJ comes to join the CIC team with diverse experiences in the education and outdoor fields. She began her career as a high school math teacher in Flordia, while spending her free time enjoying Florida’s freshwater springs, everglades, and beaches. She moved to California and combined profession and passion by working as an Environmental Educator in Golden Gate National Recreation Area. SJ is excited to dive deep and build connection in the Washington rainforests with the CIC community!

Margaret Borron

Margaret Borron

Museum Docent

Margaret grew up in Seattle and one of her childhood dreams was to live in Ocean Shores.  She purchased her first property here in 1984 and was determined to make Ocean Shores her forever home.  After an extensive career in accounting and human resources management Margaret decided she wanted to fulfill another one of her childhood dreams, to become an educator. She left the corporate world in 2013 and went to work for the Kent School District as an elementary school paraeducator where she stayed until moving here.

Margaret moved to Ocean Shores fulltime in 2020. She loves our community and is active in many organizations. She is very grateful to have this opportunity to combine her love of nature, community service and education in her role here at the Coastal Interpretive Center.

Bob Dunne

Bob Dunne

Museum Docent

Bob Retired in 2022 after 5 years as a Certified Chef and 30 years in food service with the last 10 as a Director of Operations in 2 separate companies.  Bob lived in Southern Oregon until the age of 30.  While in Oregon, Bob was a river guide, leading rafting trips down the Rouge River.  During this time Bob Studied and then was certified as a chef under the American Culinary Institution.  At the age of 30 Bob relocated to Yakima, WA and switched carers to upper management in food service.

Bob’s dream was to retire in Ocean Shores as every year a vacation with his family was enjoyed here.  Bob loves all things in nature and especially the coastal environment. Bob spends his days when not working at the

Tina James

Tina James

Museum Docent

This is Tina’s third year on the Coastal Interpretive Center team! Tina retired in 2021 after 34 years working for a food distribution warehouse in Kent. Tina is a proud Grammy to 8 grandkids ranging in age from 4 to 20!! She has been happily married to Mike for 34 years. Together, they love to cruise and explore new places. They also enjoy the beautiful Ocean Shores sunsets from their back porch.

Miles Heisel

Miles Heisel

Water Quality & Habitat Monitoring Intern

Miles joins the CIC for Summer 2025 to focus on environmental monitoring in the field across the Grays Harbor Estuary.

Continue Your
Discovery

Watch marine biology come alive through field trips to actual tide pools and research sites.

Join Education Programs
Join Education Programs
A bird with a long beak standing on a beach.

Join Our
Community

Support our mission, get involved in educational programs, or contribute through donations and volunteering.

Volunteer
Volunteer

Our Sponsors

Too Cool Sports
4th Grey Gull
Foreset Service Department of Agriculture
Unmatched Reliability Vaughan
Great NorthWest Federal Credit Union
Sierra Pacific Industries
Bank of the Pacific
Seabrook Washington
Foss
Timberland Bank
Coast Communications
Friends of Nisqually
Oyhut Bay Seaside Resort
SeaBrook Community Foundation
1st Security Bank
KeyBank
Maritime Washington National Heritage Area
Grays Harbor Community Foundation
Weyerhauser
Unforgettable Grays Harbor
Grays Harbor County Marine Resource Committee
Rose Foundation
National Forest Foundation
State of Washington Tourism
City of Ocean Shores Washington
Washington State Recreation and Conservation Office
Too Cool Sports
4th Grey Gull
Foreset Service Department of Agriculture
Unmatched Reliability Vaughan
Great NorthWest Federal Credit Union
Sierra Pacific Industries
Bank of the Pacific
Seabrook Washington
Foss
Timberland Bank
Coast Communications
Friends of Nisqually
Oyhut Bay Seaside Resort
SeaBrook Community Foundation
1st Security Bank
KeyBank
Maritime Washington National Heritage Area
Grays Harbor Community Foundation
Weyerhauser
Unforgettable Grays Harbor
Grays Harbor County Marine Resource Committee
Rose Foundation
National Forest Foundation
State of Washington Tourism
City of Ocean Shores Washington
Washington State Recreation and Conservation Office
Too Cool Sports
4th Grey Gull
Foreset Service Department of Agriculture
Unmatched Reliability Vaughan
Great NorthWest Federal Credit Union
Sierra Pacific Industries
Bank of the Pacific
Seabrook Washington
Foss
Timberland Bank
Coast Communications
Friends of Nisqually
Oyhut Bay Seaside Resort
SeaBrook Community Foundation
1st Security Bank
KeyBank
Maritime Washington National Heritage Area
Grays Harbor Community Foundation
Weyerhauser
Unforgettable Grays Harbor
Grays Harbor County Marine Resource Committee
Rose Foundation
National Forest Foundation
State of Washington Tourism
City of Ocean Shores Washington
Washington State Recreation and Conservation Office
Too Cool Sports
4th Grey Gull
Foreset Service Department of Agriculture
Unmatched Reliability Vaughan
Great NorthWest Federal Credit Union
Sierra Pacific Industries
Bank of the Pacific
Seabrook Washington
Foss
Timberland Bank
Coast Communications
Friends of Nisqually
Oyhut Bay Seaside Resort
SeaBrook Community Foundation
1st Security Bank
KeyBank
Maritime Washington National Heritage Area
Grays Harbor Community Foundation
Weyerhauser
Unforgettable Grays Harbor
Grays Harbor County Marine Resource Committee
Rose Foundation
National Forest Foundation
State of Washington Tourism
City of Ocean Shores Washington
Washington State Recreation and Conservation Office

Name

Executive Director
email@interpretivecenter.org