Board of directors bio's

Deisy Bach (President)  is deeply committed to environmental stewardship, with a passion for marine mammals and hands-on volunteer work with organizations such as The Marine Mammal Center, Año Nuevo State Reserve, and SR3. Since retiring, she has focused on serving the Jefferson County community and advancing conservation efforts through her work with Friends of Fort Flagler. At FoFF, she developed the Natural History Program and the Rat Island Docent Program, helping connect the public to local wildlife while supporting habitat protection.  

Lee-Alison Sibley (Secretary). Lee has worn many hats in her long career – singer, actress, author, teacher. She was the Earth Day Network Representative in New Delhi and Yangon and was trained to be a Climate Reality Leader in 2015. She and her husband moved permanently to Marrowstone Island in 2022 and Lee decided to volunteer locally for causes that she supports. She joined the Friends of Fort Flagler Board in 2023 and has been secretary since 2024.

John Gonnella, Director. My wife Carol and I moved to Marrowstone Island 10 years ago after a little over 40 years working and raising our family in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. There I spent time in the ski industry, home construction, and 20 years as a restaurant owner. Born and raised in Seattle, I am delighted to be back in the NW. I have stayed active in a number of community non-profits and am honored to be on the FOFF board. There could not be a better group of dedicated volunteers to be associated with and to pursue and implement the goals of the Friends of Fort Flagler. 

Claire Jackson, Director.  

Claire Jackson is a writer and attorney whose professional roles have ranged from editor at an environmental consulting firm to legal counsel at Sound Transit in Seattle. Her writing has been published in various Northwest literary journals, including Crab Creek Review. A fan of classical music, she has volunteered with the Seattle Symphony, and as a fan of birds, she has worked with Birds Connect Seattle, where she contributed articles to EarthCare Northwest. She will walk any beach she can find, including on the Oregon coast, where she has friends and family. Currently, she is learning the ins and outs of community theater production and hopes to bring more performances to the Fort Flagler Theater.

Mark Secord, Director.  

Mark has been on the FoFF Board since the fall of 2019 and president from November of that year to December 2025.  Prior to retirement in 2016, he had a long career in health care administration, first as a member of the administrative team at Virginia Mason Medical Center and then as CEO of Neighborcare Health, a community health center providing care to 50,000 predominantly low-income people in Seattle. Mark and his wife Linda live adjacent to Fort Flagler, love life on Marrowstone Island and enjoy frequent trips to Seattle to spend time with their children and grandchildren.

Mark Peters, Director.  

Mark Peters is a Marrowstone Island resident who has supported Friends of Fort Flagler (FoFF) through volunteer work on special projects and now serves as a member of the Board. He brings a thoughtful, hands-on approach shaped by years of experience in engineering, innovation, and team leadership. We look forward to the many ways his skills and steady leadership will support FoFF’s mission and future initiatives.

Susan Isaacson, Director

I was a practicing dentist in Seattle, Washington for 40 years. My husband and I both retired in 2021 and we moved to Marrowstone Island full time, after spending weekends here since 2016.

We fell in love with community and built our dream house on the south end of the island, which was just completed at the end of 2025.

I currently volunteer at the Nordland General Store and work as needed for the Jamestown S’klallam Tribe Dental Clinic.