Lincoln County Conservation District
Staff
Elsa Bowen
District Manager
Elsa joined the District in December 2001. Elsa grew up on a wheat and cattle ranch in Lincoln County and graduated from Davenport High School. She attended Big Bend Community College and Eastern Washington University and graduated with an Associates of Arts & Science Degree along with a B.S. in Financial Business Administration & Economics. Elsa enjoys the outdoors and the variety of grant projects the District completes.
Contact information:
ebowen@lincolncd.com
509-725-4181 ext 117
Dean White
Soil & Water Resource Technician
Dean grew up on a cattle ranch in south central Lincoln County and graduated from Ritzville High School. He attended Washington State University and graduated with separate B.S. degrees in Environmental Science and in Soils. Dean worked as a soil scientist with NRCS before coming to work for the District in December 2001. Dean enjoys working on outdoor projects that also involve some office work. Dean works with the annual tree and shrub sale, maintaining tree and shrub plantings, stream flow and well level measurements for watershed planning, gathering headquarters and landscape information to assist with EQIP Energy contracts, GIS and map making, and other task order work as needed.
Contact information:
dwhite@lincolncd.com
509-725-4181 ext 114
Delaini Disher
Outreach & VSP Coordinator
Delaini is a Michigan native, where she earned a B.S. in Environmental Biology with a Communications minor from Cornerstone University. Before moving to Eastern Washington, Delaini worked for the North Country Trail Association and for a conservation nonprofit in Northern Michigan. She joined the District in 2020 and completed a M.S. in Agriculture from Washington State in 2022. She enjoys hiking and camping, scary movies, gardening, Detroit sports, and baking.
Contact Information:
ddisher@lincolncd.com
509-725-4181 ext 119
Brean Nieman
Financial Coordinator
Brean was raised in the Yakima Valley, where she grew up on a 10-acre cherry orchard and worked in the family business that manufactured aluminum orchard ladders and installed garage doors. After earning degrees in Information Technology and an Associates of Art from Spokane institutions, she settled in Davenport, contributing to Lincoln County for the past 20 years. Outside work, Brean finds joy in outdoor pursuits like hiking, backpacking and volunteering with the Spokane Mountaineers. She also enhoys reading, photography, yoga, travel, and cherishes time with family.
Contact Information:
bnieman@lincolncd.com
509-725-4181 ext 116
Elayne Hovde-Knudson
Natural Resource Technician
Elayne joined the LCCD in January 2023. Prior to joining the district, Elayne worked as a Project Manager for the Bureau of Reclamation, where she managed water conservation grants for irrigation districts. Elayne also worked 10 years for the NRCS as a Rangeland Management Specialist, Soil Conservationist and Resource Conservationist, throughout Washington and Idaho. She earned an M.S. in Rangeland Ecology and Management from University of Idaho, where she studied prescribed grazing using cattle and sheep on yellowstar thistle. She brings over 15 years’ experience in natural resources. She and her husband Del have recently moved and are building on their property in Steven’s County.
Contact Information:
ehovde@lincolncd.com
509-725-4181 ext 118
Matthew Rosman
Wildfire Preparedness Technician
Matthew was raised on a wheat farm here in Lincoln County and attended high school in Davenport. He attended Carroll College in Montana where he received his B.A. in Chemistry and a minor in Biology. Prior to taking his position for the Conservation District, he took part in an infectious disease fellowship program with the Association of Public Health Laboratories. Matthew enjoys running, basketball, dancing, and many of the outdoor activities offered by Lincoln County and the Pacific Northwest.
Contact Information:
mrosman@lincolncd.com
509-725-4181 ext 109