Kim Erion, President of LKE CORPORATION since 1993, has been self-employed for 24 years. Kim got an early start at age 6 selling painted pet rocks to neighbors. She grew up in the woods with one grandfather who owned a saw mill and trucking company and with another grandfather who worked for the USDA Forest Service and Oregon State Parks. Her father owned a logging company, and her mother owned the Mother Earth spirituality retail shop in Portland called the Goddess Gallery. As Kim grew up, she gravitated toward her own passions and started to refine her business prowess.

For over 18 years now, Kim and Jim, her husband, have been dedicated to restoration throughout the Pacific Northwest. LKE CORPORATION has completed hundreds of miles of watershed restoration and thousands of acres of wetlands and in-stream habitat throughout Oregon, Washington, Idaho and California. Kim and Jim are known for going above and beyond specification with passionate execution. Kim was inspired by her husband’s work in 1980’s on the Mt St Helen’s debris flows. Some of his in- stream restoration designs implemented on the Clearwater and Muddy are still key study areas for in-stream design. Their daughter, Malin, has been home schooled in the field and has done documentary photography that has been an essential part of monitoring successes and failures in new concepts of environmental restoration. Their entire team’s conscientiousness, combined with Kim’s unique “Naturalization Methodology” to engineered restoration, sets a higher standard that is recognized wherever they go. LKE’s team has grown to as many as 42 employees during busy times, and has experienced significant revenue growth during the last 3+ years.  

Kim does volunteer work for conservation organizations like Ducks Unlimited, Oregon Trout, Gifford Pinchot Task Force, ExCEL Academic League and is a home school mom. “It’s great to get kids involved and excited. An awesome feeling is when you inspire young adults to make a difference and to live a conservation lifestyle. They are always so intrigued about me, a little gal, playing with BIG rocks and BIG Machines making a BIG difference.” 

SBA and her community have recognized Kim and LKE with the 2011 MED Week Award, as an e200 Graduate Class of 2011, and with the 2009 District Director’s Award.