Our Board Members
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Wilbert Warren
President & Chief Executive Officer Wilbert (Wil) Warren, is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of I’m Hooked Inc. Wil’s passion for fishing and the appreciation of the great outdoors began during his childhood years of fishing with his father. He has a strong passion for teaching, coaching and developing individuals to believe in themselves so they can reach their full potential.
Education Wil is a graduate of Grant High School class of 1973. He graduated from the Western Oregon University with a BA in Social Science and Secondary Education. He attended Warner Pacific College where he earned a master’s degree in Religion, specializing in Pastoral Care Counseling. Employment Wil has been employed in the Social Services industry for 30 years. He utilizes his education, background, experience and mostly his passion for supporting individuals to achieve their goals. Warren’s philosophy is working to build relationships, partnerships, education, and understanding within all communities by meeting people where they are through love, compassion, dignity and respect. |
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Donna Leslie
Vice President – Community Outreach Donna Leslie, a resident of NE Portland, Oregon, is the Vice-President of I’m Hooked, Inc. She graduated from US Grant High School and received a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism from the University of Oregon in 1988.
Donna has worked for Portland Parks & Recreation since October of 2000. She first became involved with I’m Hooked, Inc. by bringing volunteers to the Hagg Lake event in a 15-passenger van. She has participated in the Henry Hagg Lake free fish day event for about 20 years. She is committed to keeping this annual event, as well as other annual I’m Hooked, Inc. events continuing well into the future. Donna is passionate about serving youth, families, and communities in the Portland Metro, and surrounding areas by volunteering her time at I’m Hooked events that enhance positive youth development and outdoor experiences. She truly believes in actively participating in outdoor educational events that create fun, life-long memories and opportunities that may not otherwise be available to youth living in large cities. She just loves to be outdoors. Whether it’s biking, hiking, sailing, or just exploring, she is always game for a new adventure. Above is a picture of her exploring the outdoors: This is taken at the top of Independence Pass in Colorado. |
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Cherrell G Edwards El
Vice President – Public Relations Cherrell is a Portland native who earned her Bachelors degree in Business Administration from Warner Pacific College. She has 15+ years of experience as a Professional public health consultant.
In 2004 she founded Collective Care Services a non-profit that provided education and empowerment services to women and children at risk for and living with chronic health conditions. Which lead to the establishment of LiveWell With Cherrell a consulting firm that promotes wellness as and a lifestyle when put into action. She enjoys hosting workshops and events that build individual and community skills to Live Well by preventing and managing chronic health conditions. Cherrell joined I’m Hooked because she was amazed at the wonderful outdoor activities provided to youth and their families. She was impressed by the number of immigrant families who had access to I’m hooked and valued the inclusive and diverse approach of the program. Cherrell had a desire to see urban youth get better exposure to fishing, hunting, wildlife, and outdoor activities. As a single parent Cherrell wanted greater exposure to the outdoors for herself and her children so she began to volunteer and help to introduce more children and families to I’m Hooked events. |
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Jane Conner
Board Advisor - Financial Services Ms Conner provides I’m Hooked with financial oversight and recommendations for operational efficiency and compliance. Ms. Conner joined the I’m Hooked team as she was inspired by our mission, particularly as she has many fond childhood memories of fishing with her dad in mountain lakes and streams every summer.
Ms. Conner has been a key contributor to the success of many companies over her 40+ year career, providing hands-on guidance to early-stage companies, focusing on strategic planning and meeting milestones for success. When not enjoying time in the outdoors with her grandchildren, Ms. Conner serves as a CFO, directing finance, HR and other administrative functions. She began her career as an accountant with Deloitte. She holds an MBA from the University of Portland and a B.S. Degree in Business Administration from Humboldt State University. She is a Certified Public Accountant in the State of Oregon. |
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Michelle Eggers
Treasurer Born and raised in the Pacific Northwest, Michelle Eggers is no stranger to the natural beauty that thrives within this region. Throughout her childhood she enjoyed numerous camping adventures with her family that created in her a deep appreciation and respect for the great outdoors. As a parent of four children and PTA volunteer she understands the importance of helping individuals connect with nature at an early age and the lifelong benefits that come from developing familiarity with and a love for the natural world.
Michelle graduated from Lincoln High School in Portland, Oregon in 2002. She went on to achieve a bachelor’s degree in Accounting through WGU and currently works in the tech industry as a Project Manager focused on post-merger integration. She is a passionate advocate for learning and continues to pursue additional education through certificate programs and industry recognized career designations. Both the owner of Dalles City Bookkeeping LLC and full-time employee with Blue Mountain Networks, Michelle works primarily within the fields of accounting, project management, and IT related services. |
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Eileen Reynolds
Secretary Director Volunteer Services Eileen has a love for volunteer activities. As her now, 2 adult children grew up, she was an ever-present “parent” at the school helping foster amazing opportunities for growing teens. She has a love for the great outdoors and especially for anything around water.
Volunteering for I’m Hooked allows her to participate in exposing youth to new adventures that they might not otherwise get to do. Asking other adults to help in these exciting adventures is what her role on the Board is focused on! Eileen has lived all over the west coast, originally from California, before leaving to attend Arizona State University where she got her Bachelor of Science in Nursing. She went on to complete her Masters in Healthcare Administration providing over 40 years of caring for others. |
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William "Nate" Moreland
Director of Health and Wellness Nate is the founder and business owner of LIFTS (Life Improvement Training and Speed) LLC. LIFTS’ mission is to help both individuals and Oregon communities develop and improve fitness & health programs awareness which will be used by all ages to improve their health awareness, overall fitness and injury prevention.
Nate was born and raised in Portland, Oregon, and attended Jackson High School where he played football and ran track. In 1979, he was named all-state in football. He attended the University of Oregon on a track scholarship and in 1980 and 1981 qualified for the PAC-10 championships in the 100 meters, 200 meters, the 4 X 100-meter relay, and the mile relay. In 1984 Nate qualified for the Olympic trials in the 100 meters and 400 meters events. He holds SPARQ, APEX, ACE, and USATF Leve1 & Level 2 certifications. Nate graduated with a B.S. degree from the University of Oregon in 1981. Nate provides professional training for members of the NBA, WNBA, NFL, MLB, TRACK & FIELD, SOCCER AND LACROOSE, as well as Football State Champions, Track and Field State Champions and AAU National Champions. Nate states that – Parents, teachers, and coaches told me “I could do whatever I want to do, if I wanted to do it bad enough.” They inspired me to give my very best every play in every meet or game. Hard work, discipline with focused effort will take you very far in sports and life. Glory to God for great parents, family, teachers, and coaches! |
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Albert “Al” Weathersby
Director Outdoor Education Al has over 20 years of military service in the United States Army. Although he trained as a Vertical Construction Engineer, he served most of his years as an Elite Army Ranger.
As an Army Ranger, Al helped to mold young men into Rangers as a Ranger Instructor, and later as First Sergeant of the Ranger Training Brigade and interim Sergeant Major of the RTB at Fort Benning. While in the military Al served as mentor, trainer, and educator for the Fort Benning Fishing Chapter of the Bass Pro-am Circuit, working closely with local Boy Scout Troops to teach and educate young scouts about fishing and environmental stewardship. Al is currently a Construction Manager and Building Superintendent where his certifications in welding, FEMA mitigation and electrical wire assembly all come in handy. In his spare time Al enjoys fishing, spending time with family and friends and working on his own small business. |
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Saint Dely
Interim Mentorship Director Born in the Caribbean island of Haiti, Saint Dely was raised in Oregon, grew up in the north Portland neighborhood of St. Johns, and graduated from Roosevelt High School in 2006.
Currently an undergrad student at Portland State University, where he is working towards completing a bachelor of science degree in Social Work, Saint ultimately plans on attending graduate school and obtaining an MSW (Master of Social Work) and one day opening up a clinical practice Growing up in a religious household and being the son of a pastor, Saint has always been very passionate about social services and the betterment of people as a whole. He has worked many years with the Boys and Girls Club of America and has volunteered many hours with I’m Hooked Inc. Saint is currently employed at Legacy Health Systems as an Administrative Supporter. He is very big on fitness and considers himself an avid “gym rat” who prefers to live an active lifestyle. In his free time, Saint enjoys hanging out with friends and loved ones and his pup, Lincoln. When the weather permits, he enjoys being outside, whether it be catching a breeze at the park or doing some hiking on one of the many beautiful trails Oregon has to offer. |
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Alexis Jagelski
Director Angler Education Alexis grew up exploring the outdoors in Eastern Oregon and Wyoming. Fishing was a year-round activity and always had a luring element for Alexis. She discovered fly-fishing while living in Western Wyoming in 2017 and enjoys getting to know new waters around Oregon. When she’s not fishing, Alexis enjoys trivia, foraging for berries and mushrooms, skiing, puzzling, and eating good food.
Alexis graduated high school in Ontario, Oregon before obtaining a Bachelor of Arts in Spanish and History at the University of Portland in 2011. After working her fifth summer as a wildland firefighter, Alexis began her profession in education as a teacher’s aide. She then went on to obtain a Master’s in Secondary Education from Black Hills State University. She has worked for ten years in education, primarily as a Spanish teacher, and is currently a migrant education professional. Alexis enjoys helping others become more confident in the outdoors, especially youth. Working with I’m Hooked, Inc. allows her to be creative with her passions of community, Spanish, and education. |
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Kirk Wimmer
Equipment Manager Kirk Wimmer got hooked on I’m Hooked, Inc by his wife, Donna Leslie. Like his wife, he is also a long-time resident of NE Portland.
Kirk was born in Denver Colorado, and earned his Master’s degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of Colorado in Boulder. He moved to Portland right after college, was recruited to work at Tektronix in Beaverton, and has now retired after 44 years at that company. Kirk found his niche at I’m Hooked by untangling and repairing rods and reels. He is now responsible for preparing and distributing the fishing equipment at our events. It is ironic to have this responsibility because he had never actually caught a fish before an I’m Hooked event in 2021. Thanks to the mentoring from one of the angling instructors from the ODFW, he pulled in three trout from a well-stocked pond. Kirk takes great joy in seeing the smiles and excitement on the faces of kids as they catch a fish, which is probably the first time for many who have not had the opportunity before. This picture was taken while sitting across the table from Donna at a café in Estes Park, Colorado. |
Our children and young adults are the future of our state and country. It is vitally important to mentor young people through outdoor experiences and teach them outdoor skills. These I’m Hooked outdoor experiences and learned skills will provide them a lifetime of opportunity to safely enjoy the waterways, forests, meadows, and mountains. In addition, they can mentor and teach others these same skills. I believe that by mastering these outdoor skills, each participant will gain confidence not only in these skills, but in their daily lives.” I have a wide array of education and experiences to encourage this goal and objective. They include but are not limited to; Oregon Military Academy and Oregon State University Graduate-Business (Marketing)/Science Minor, Former- Captain- Oregon Army National Guard- Combat Engineer, Leadership Graduate, President- Slabtown Kiwanis (Northwest Portland), Volunteer Angler Education Instructor- 35 years Volunteer Angler Education Instructor -ODFW, Former Baseball Coach- T-Ball, through High School and American Legion, Former Wrestling Club Coach- Youth and High School.