Our Team

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR / CEO

Bethan is a fixture of the heritage railroad industry. She is the former General Manager of Mt. Rainier Railroad & Logging Company and the former Executive Director of the Adirondack Scenic Railroad. Bethan has successfully built coalitions of support between nonprofit and for-profit organizations, municipalities, and state governments to restore and revitalize railroads, and was an integral part of the Adirondack Scenic Railroad’s expansion to a 108-mile railway through New York State’s Adirondack Park. Bethan has served on many economic development committees and has led many alternative transportation initiatives. Bethan is an accomplished musician and enjoys playing jazz, funk, and classical music.

Rail Operations Manager

Rowdy began volunteering for MRSR when he was 12 years old, and with over 20 years of experience, he's a walking encyclopedia of our equipment. Under American Heritage Railways, Rowdy was our Shop Foreman and led a very successful mechanical team that put locomotives back into service and restored several passenger cars, all on time and under budget. In addition to his time skulking around railroads, Rowdy has a CDL, owns a successful excavation business, and likes to quote George Patton.

Betty serves as the Director of Economic Development for Pierce County. Betty’s career has focused on building communities with the knowledge that successful, supported businesses help a community thrive. Recently, her department has delivered $46.5M of CARES funding to small businesses and $40M of American Rescue Plan economic stabilization and recovery funds to County businesses. She’s a longstanding Rotarian and Paul Harris Fellow. She serves as Chair-Elect for the Washington Economic Development Association; on the Board of the Bonney Lake Food Bank, and is past Chairman of the American Chamber of Commerce Executives. For fun, Betty runs marathons, loves to travel, read, and entertain.

Seth is a licensed professional engineer with a great deal of experience in municipal and public works administration. Seth has served as Town Administrator, City Engineer, and as Public Works Director for various municipalities in the area. His significant experience in infrastructure development, site planning, and environmental considerations will be vital to our project as we begin our phased development. Seth is a resident of the Town of Eatonville. Seth is a renaissance man - an avid hiker, a piano player, and owns cattle and peacocks.

Bev was born in Denver, Colorado in 1953 and moved to Eatonville, Washington in 1962. Bev graduated from Eatonville HIgh School in 1971 and Pacific Lutheran University in 1979. She has been self-employed as an accountant for 42 years, 39 of which have been spent in Eatonville. Bev has two sons, two stepsons, and eight grandchildren. She enjoys tennis, hiking, and traveling.

Rich is an Eatonville native and retired President and Managing Partner of Associated Petroleum, leading its growth from a small local institution to a multinational company. Since his retirement, Rich and his wife, Ruthie, have actively given back to the community, restoring a dozen buildings in Eatonville and working with local residents to create revitalized small businesses. The Williams were founding members of the Eatonville History Committee which helped create the history units that are part of the Eatonville School District’s history curriculum.

Byron is currently employed at Microsoft, working in cybersecurity, in addition to being an active member of the Army National Guard. Byron grew up in Ashford, a small town located in the shadow of Mt. Rainier. He’s maintained his local ties and co-owns several businesses and real estate enterprises in the Nisqually Valley including Elbe Supply, Mashell River Cattle Ranch, Raining Mountain LLC, and Collins Family Industries and Landings at Mt. Rainier. When he’s not working, he loves to spend time with his wife Elysia, and his two sons on their ranch.