- Outdoorsist
- Nonprofit professional
- Dog trainer
- Skier/hiker/adventurer
Elise grew up back and forth between a cattle ranch in eastern Oregon and a dairy farm in Connecticut. In both places her favorite place to be was outdoors, ideally with at least one dog and on a horse. She moved to the valley in 1985 for a ski season and aside from part time sojourns in Boise and Seattle, stayed put.
Elise has had multiple careers starting with designing and producing custom textiles for interior decorators - from raising angora goats and rabbits to dying the yarn to weaving the fabric. Other professional adventures have included raising, training and showing award winning cutting horses, fundraising for non-profits, starting a financial services nonprofit, Impact Assets, and consulting for foundations interested in aligning their investments with their missions.
Elise is a graduate of Yale University with a BA in fine art and from Antioch University’s School of Creative Change with an MA in Change Management. She has served on numerous boards including Ecotrust, Conservation NW, Idaho Women’s Network, Washington Progress Alliance and The Center for Conservation Peace Building.