Kathy Knowles

Project Manager

Kathy joined the Preservation Trust in July 2022 as an IT & Project Specialist, and quickly moved into the Conservation Program to help manage multiple acquisition projects. She is now back in the Operations Program managing several back-office initiatives and projects.   

Previously, Kathy’s 25-year career spanned a variety of project leadership roles in the corporate IT arena. She got her start as a Systems Engineer right out of college and soon found that the “people side” of Project Management was her passion. After 12 years at Intel Corp. managing large-scale IT projects, she moved into a consulting role specializing in cloud-based workflow-management software. 

Kathy was born and raised in southern California, where she and her family enjoyed the beach and a variety of outdoor activities, including camping and backpacking. She was raised to love and care for nature and has passed down those values to her children. She and her husband followed a family member to the San Juan Islands, and Friday Harbor became their permanent home in 2015. 

Kathy holds a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration Information Systems from San Diego State University and a master’s certificate in Commercial Project Management from George Washington University. She enjoys volunteering at the local animal shelter, and hiking around San Juan Island with her dog.  

“I’m excited to support SJPT staff in the important work they do,” Kathy says, “while also giving back to this very special community!”