About Our Staff

Melissa Smothers joined the Water Resource Division in December 2009 as an Environmental Specialist and has been employed by the Nez Perce Tribe since June of 2007. She graduated from Humboldt State University in 2005 majoring in Biological Sciences and is completing her Master of Arts degree program December 2010. She can be reached at (208) 843-7368 ext. 3902 or at melissas@nezperce.org

Judy Goodson joined the Water Resource Division in April 2010 as a GIS Specialist. She graduated from Lewis-Clark State College in 2008 majoring in Engineering Technology. She is an experienced draftsman and cartographer and is a licensed surveyor in training. She can be reached at (208) 843-7368 ext. 3888 or at judyg@nezperce.org

Elisabeth Brackney

Elisabeth has worked as the Wetlands Planner for the Tribe since 2003. She is currently monitoring water quality in wetlands. Previously she conducted an inventory and functional assessment of wetlands on the reservation. She particularly enjoys doing fieldwork and identifying wetland plants.

Elisabeth is a native of Austria. After coming to the U.S. in her twenties, she obtained a B.S. degree in Biology with a second major in Art from Fort Lewis College in Durango, CO, where she met her husband Kevin. After raising two sons, Elisabeth returned to school and received an M.S. degree in Fishery Resources (emphasis on Aquatic Ecology) from the University of Idaho in Moscow.

Her varied experience includes jobs as a secretary, loan officer, entomology lab assistant, greenhouse worker, water quality technician (sampling tributary streams for a lake restoration project), and program associate/editor for a nationwide program inventorying and mapping biodiversity.

Elisabeth’s hobbies are hiking, canoeing and rafting, and cross-country skiing as well as visiting art museums. She can contacted at (208) 843-7368 ext. 3886 or at elisabethb@nezperce.org

Hello my name is Jerrod Rickman. I am the Underground Storage Tank (UST) Inspector for the Nez Perce Tribe. UST's are most commonly found at gas stations, but are also found on some private farms. UST's are the tanks that hold a product such as unleaded gas or diesel. I inspect the records at any given site. The records include but aren’t limited to product line leak detection, cathodic protection, continuous statistical line leak detection and any upgrades or repairs that the owner has done to his or her system. I inspect spill buckets, dispensers and tank sumps. At the conclusion of the inspection I inform them if they passed or failed the inspection. If they failed I inform them of what changes are needed to be completed to get back in compliance. If they passed the inspection I will write them a letter saying so. I can be reached at (208) 843-7368 ext 3896 or at jerrodR@nezperce.org

Jon Paisano is the Energy Efficiency/Conservation Technician IV. Jon earned a Associate of Applied Science in Geospatial Information Technology from SIPI. Jon is an enrolled member of the Nez Perce Tribe and has worked for the Tribe since 1998. He is a member of the Nez Perce Energy Committee and is currently working with other Tribal programs to improve energy efficiency at Tribal facilities as well as work with consultants to facilitate a comprehensive strategic energy plan. Jon can be contacted at (208) 843-7368 ext 3892 or at jonp@nezperce.org