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Marine Board Members

MISSION: Serving Oregon's recreational boating public through education, enforcement, access, and environmental stewardship for a safe and enjoyable experience

The Oregon State Marine Board is comprised of five members of the boating public who volunteer their time and expertise. These individuals are appointed by the Governor and confirmed by the Senate. Members serve a four-year term and may apply for a second term of service. Members represent different geographic regions of the state and different boating activities. Our Board members are also boaters. They own and use motorized boats and paddlecraft. Many own more than one type of watercraft. 
The agency holds four quarterly meetings per year. Agency staff, at the direction of the board, may also host public hearings or work sessions in areas of the state to gather important feedback to aid the board in its decision making. 

Laura Jackson, Board ChairBoard Chair Laura Jackson, Portland

Jackson began her love for boating in 3rd grade when her parents bought a cruising sailboat. That summer she learned to sail an El Toro in San Francisco Bay. Throughout junior high and high school, she sailed with her family and grew her skills in racing dinghies. In high school and college, she became a national-caliber sculler. Beyond school, she competed for a seat on the US Rowing team and took up kayak racing. Today, one of her mottoes is "any seat, any boat, any time."

Serving the community is also a theme in Ms. Jackson's life. Whether working for a government agency, serving on various citizen advisory committees, or volunteering for a cause, she seeks to give back to the communities that have given her so much. She is currently President of the Oaks Park Community Boathouse in Portland and has served as a youth rowing and paddling coach. She also volunteers at The Oregon Humane Society in their Second Chance team, where she also works in their volunteer administration group.

As a Marine Board member, she hopes to work in a collaborative environment to create ways to share our waterways and find a means to reach the group of boaters who do not realize they are boaters (e.g. SUP and kayak paddlers). As a participant in many aspects of boating, she is keenly aware of safety issues, especially those related to the conflict between user groups, and would like to find ways to resolve these challenges through education and courtesy rather than more regulation.
Term: 2023 – 2027

Steve LambertImage of Steve Lambert and his K-9 companion

Steve Lambert, is the newest Board member and a Jackson County resident. He also serves as a Jackson County Parks Manager.

Steve has worked in public park management for three decades. He began his career in parks and recreation in eastern Washington while earning a degree in Natural Resource Management from Washington State University. After college, he spent a short amount of time working for the US Army Corps of Engineers on the Snake River in Clarkston, Washington, where his duties included patrolling the river to ensure safe and responsible use. In 1999, he relocated to the Willamette Valley and managed recreation facilities on three reservoirs, including Clear Lake in the Willamette National Forest. In 2009, he and his family moved to the Rogue Valley, where he currently manages county park facilities on five reservoirs and the Rogue River. 

Steve is passionate about providing boating access for Oregonians in a close-to-home experience. No matter where he has worked, he has seen the joy boating brings to families, both by paddle, oar, and motor. Whether building boating facilities including boat ramps and marinas, or operating public rental businesses where those who may not own a boat can easily experience boating, he is devoted to meeting the recreational needs of his fellow Oregonians. In his spare time, you can find him paddling the waters with his wife and their two dogs.  

On the Board, Steve hopes to help the agency plan for future challenges amidst environmental shifts, ensuring Oregonians always have safe, local access to the waters they cherish.
Term: 2023 - 2027


Craig WitheeBoard Member Craig Withee

Withee is a retired Civil Engineer who relocated to Bend in 2013 after spending over 30 years of his professional career in Alaska. After becoming a paraplegic from a car accident in 1969, Withee completed his college education with a Bachelor's Degree in Civil Engineering in 1973 and a Master's Degree in Environmental Engineering in 1975 from the University of Colorado. His 38-year professional career was spent in Facilities Engineering, operations, and management for the Department of Army and the Federal Aviation Administration.

Throughout his life, Withee has maintained a love for the outdoors, especially for boating, cruising, fishing, and hunting. He's owned and operated many motorized and non-motorized boats in lakes, rivers, and the ocean, including Alaska bush country, busy ocean harbors, and large river drainages. Withee's outdoor enthusiasm has continued into retirement with boating on the high lakes and rivers in Central Oregon and the coastal communities in Reedsport, Florence, and Newport. Most of his outdoor experiences have included his wheelchair, which has not hampered his pursuit of life and adventure.

Withee says, "Whether it was floating remote waters, jet boating whitewater rapids, or cruising in a bay, boating has always provided me with challenges, serenity, camaraderie, and fulfillment over the years. Life for me would have been incomplete if those opportunities were not available."
Term: 2021 – 2025 (second term of service)

Jorge GuzmanBoard Member Jorge Guzman

Guzman's boating experience and water recreation started with surfing on Oregon's coast and other beaches around the world.

His passion and interest in water sports then expanded to Stand Up Paddleboarding, kayaking, and canoeing. Guzman's passion for water sports continues to grow and he now enjoys exploring Oregon's waterways on his personal watercraft.

A priority for Jorge Guzman as a Board Member of the Oregon Marine Board is to improve water access for everyone and introduce new communities to safe boating experiences for recreation, stewardship, and economic development.
Term: 2021 - 2025

Dax Messett

Dax Messett has spent his whole adult life working in the outdoor industry as a guide, outfitter, sales representative, international destination travel coordinator, writer, photographer, and featured guest speaker. Dax has been a commercial and recreational boater on Oregon's waterways for over 25 years. After a lifetime of working and playing on a vast and diverse array of waters worldwide, Dax gained tremendous experience and valuable insight into waterway use and management.

Dax hopes to use his decades of experience on the water to help make thoughtful insights and policy decisions that will work best for all user groups during his time on the board. In doing so, he hopes to promote education, reduce conflict, and increase awareness of user impacts on waterways to ensure the long-term enjoyment of Oregon waterways by all.  

Dax is from Medford, Oregon and spends as much time on the water as possible with his wife Leslie and dog Marlee, fishing, white water rafting, jet boating, and finding a place to park all of their boats.
Term: 2024 - 2028



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AGENCY CONTACT:

Jennifer Cooper, Executive Assistant to the Director
503-378-2617
Jennifer.Cooper@boat.oregon.gov


Statutory Authority: 
Oregon Revised Statutes Chapter 830

830.100 Boating safety policy. It is the policy of this state to promote safety for persons and property in and connected with the use, operation and equipment of boats and to promote uniformity of laws relating thereto. 

830.110 Powers and duties of board; rules


FUTURE QUARTERLY BOARD MEETINGS:

2025

  • January 23 - Salem
  • April 24 - Salem
  • June 24-26 - Roseburg
  • October 28-30 - Bend

2026

  • January 29 - Salem
  • April 21-23 - Tillamook
  • July 28-30 - Madras
  • October 27-29 – Bandon

For meetings outside of Salem, agency staff will coordinate nearby facility tours or hold work sessions the day before the quarterly meeting date.