LaTrisha Suggs

LaTrisha Suggs joined the Washington Water Trust as a board member in 2021. She is an enrolled Jamestown S’Klallam Tribal member, from the Cook-Kardonsky family. LaTrisha has been involved with natural resource issues throughout her career in Indian Country. Her work focus has been in environmental policy and planning since 2001. Her college intern project focused on on-site septic system and the fecal coliform outbreaks that resulted in annual shellfish closures near the mouth of the Dungeness River, which impacts Tribal Treaty rights. LaTrisha graduated from Western Washington University/Huxley Program with a bachelor’s in Environmental Policy and Planning and has over 300 hours of federal acquisition regulation training and holds a certificate in municipal leadership.

LaTrisha worked for Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe for 16 years on the largest hydroelectric dam removal project on the Elwha River. Now, she works with Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe, since 2017 in the habitat program, as the restoration planner. She is the first Native American to serve as a council member on the City of Port Angeles Council, since January 2020. She serves on the Economic Development Authority, Health committee, and the Cannabis board for her Tribe, Jamestown S’Klallam. In addition she serve on three committees for the City of Port Angeles. Her work in Indian Country includes advocating for natural resources at the federal and state levels.

LaTrisha has lived on the Olympic Peninsula, in Port Angeles, almost her entire life. Her ancestors have lived there since time immemorial. LaTrisha is passionate about protection of natural resources and proud of the work Indian Country to carryout restoration, conservation, and protection of natural resources for the next 7 generations. We need to be bold in preservation of ecosystem services and move towards a “net gain impact.” It is vital to plan for and work towards solutions that provide water for communities while providing 100% of the needs of watersheds.