Governor Ferguson appoints David Troutt to the Puget Sound Partnership's Leadership Council

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 17, 2026

MEDIA CONTACT: Jon Bridgman, 206-276-5309, jon.bridgman@psp.wa.gov 

OLYMPIA — Governor Bob Ferguson has appointed David Troutt to the Puget Sound Partnership's Leadership Council, the governing body of the Puget Sound Partnership. David has served as the Nisqually Indian Tribe’s Director of Natural Resources since 1987, overseeing a diverse department comprising salmon harvest management, two large salmon hatcheries, shellfish management, data operations, environmental management, wildlife management, dive services, legal, administration, and budget development and monitoring. 

“I look forward to working more closely with David Trout on the Leadership Council. He always asks the tough questions and then works collaboratively to solve them,” said Kate Dean, vice chair of the Puget Sound Partnership Leadership Council. “He will be a strong voice for the Puget Sound and for the Tribes he has worked with for many years.”

“The treaty tribes commend Gov. Ferguson for appointing David Troutt to the Puget Sound Partnership's Leadership Council. He has decades of experience around the table at the Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission and a strong record of collaboration on the Nisqually River," said NWIFC Chairman Ed Johnstone. "He has the leadership skills along with the technical expertise and policy experience needed to get the job done. He leads with the intention of leaving a place better than he found it, to ensure a healthy future for the next seven generations.”

He previously chaired the Washington State Salmon Recovery Funding Board and currently chairs the Puget Sound Salmon Recovery Council. He has been a leading voice in numerous regional efforts for salmon recovery. David received his Bachelor of Science from the University of Washington School of Fisheries and is a proud husband and father of two boys. He has served as the chair of the Nisqually River Council since 2006.

“I have been connected to the Puget Sound Partnership at numerous levels since its inception. I am honored to be considered to join the Leadership Council and help the Agency fulfill its promise of restoring Puget Sound and our salmon that are so critical to our tribal communities and our small towns in the State of Washington,” said David Troutt. “I hope to be a voice of bold actions and urgency to get our work done.”

“When David talks about salmon recovery, he talks first about people —about Nisqually Tribal Members being able to fish, exercise their treaty rights, and carry that way of life forward to future generations,” said Mindy Roberts, executive director of the Puget Sound Partnership. “That deeply personal commitment, combined with his decades of experience bringing people together, will bring an essential perspective to the Leadership Council and strengthen our shared work to recover salmon and restore Puget Sound.”

About the Leadership Council

The Leadership Council is the governing body of the Puget Sound Partnership. Its seven members are leading citizens chosen from around the Sound and appointed by the Governor to serve four-year terms.

About the Puget Sound Partnership

The Puget Sound Partnership is the state agency formed to lead the region’s collective effort to restore and protect Puget Sound. Working with hundreds of government agencies, Tribes, scientists, businesses, and nonprofits, the Partnership mobilizes partner action around a common agenda, advances Sound investments, and tracks progress to optimize recovery.

For more information, go to www.psp.wa.gov.