Board of Directors

Don McEnhill, President

Executive Director and Riverkeeper, Russian Riverkeeper

Don McEnhill helped to create and launch the Russian Riverkeeper program, and has served as Riverkeeper since 2001 when the organization was officially launched as a member of the Waterkeeper Alliance. From 2001-2006 he also served as the Executive Director. The Russian Riverkeeper has managed the Russian River First Flush, the largest volunteer water monitoring project in the North Coast and one of the largest stormwater monitoring projects in the country. Mr. McEnhill has lead numerous successful advocacy efforts such TMDLs, impaired waters listings, and efforts to bring attention to high Mercury levels in local fish and get the state to issue public advisories. Mr. McEnhill grew up on the Russian River as his father did before him and his main goal is to pass along a better river to his two children. He holds a Bachelor's degree in Business Administration from California State University Sacramento and is a state certified water quality monitoring trainer and is certified with several water quality monitoring equipment manufacturers.

Garry Brown, Vice President

Executive Director, Orange County Coastkeeper, & Acting Waterkeeper, Inland Empire Waterkeeper

Garry Brown is the Founder, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Orange County Coastkeeper (OCCK), an organization dedicated to protecting and preserving marine habitats and watersheds through education, advocacy, restoration, and enforcement. Undertaking numerous restoration and marine research projects, OCCK has built a reputation for generating good science, delivering projects on time with credible measurable results. As a native of Orange County, Mr. Brown has in-depth knowledge of marine and water runoff issues as well as water supply issues. During his time at OCCK, he has published Coastkeeper Magazine and established the first Coastkeeper Garden, a 2 ½ acre water conservation/education facility. Prior to opening OCCK in March 1999, Mr. Brown served as an Assistant City Manager, an advocate and executive director of trade associations in the real estate and building industries, and twice as president of a chamber of commerce. In 2001 he founded the Orange County League of Conservation Voters. Mr. Brown graduated with a degree in Government from the University of Redlands and sits on the Board of Directors of eight state and local environmental organizations.

Bruce Reznik, Treasurer

Executive Director & Coastkeeper, San Diego Coastkeeper

Bruce Reznik directs San Diego Coastkeeper's advocacy and outreach efforts to protect and restore the bays and coastal waters of San Diego County. During his tenure, San Diego Coastkeeper launched its successful Environmental Law & Policy Clinic, its bi-national Watershed Monitoring Program, and its Kelp Restoration and Education efforts. Mr. Reznik has been appointed to the statewide Public Advisory Group assisting the State Water Resources Control Board in its implementation of a Surface Water Ambient Monitoring Program and Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) Program and the City of San Diego's Clean Water Taskforce. He holds a Bachelors' degree in Political Science from the University of California Berkeley, and earned his law degree at the University of San Diego School of Law.

Kira Redmond, Secretary

Executive
Director & Channelkeeper, Santa Barbara Channelkeeper

Kira Redmond is Executive Director of Santa Barbara Channelkeeper, whose mission is to protect and restore the Santa Barbara Channel and its watersheds through citizen action, education and enforcement. Kira has worked in the environmental policy arena for more than ten years, at the international, national, state and local levels. Prior to joining Santa Barbara Channelkeeper, she managed advocacy campaigns addressing pollution from commercial vessels and helped to get legislation passed prohibiting cruise ship dumping in California waters. Kira also worked as a senior writer and editor for the International Institute for Sustainable Development's Earth Negotiations Bulletin, reporting on United Nations environmental treaty negotiations. She holds a Masters in International Affairs and Environmental Policy from Columbia University's School of International and Public Affairs, and a Bachelor of Science in Conservation and Resource Management from the University of California at Berkeley.

Pete Nichols

Executive Director & Baykeeper, Humboldt Baykeeper

Pete Nichols has been with Humboldt Baykeeper since its inception in October 2004. Humboldt Baykeeper was formed to safeguard our coastal resources for the health, enjoyment, and economic strength of the Humboldt Bay community through education, scientific research, and enforcement of laws to fight pollution. Mr. Nichols has a background in Conservation Biology and has been involved in north coast conservation for over ten years. Mr. Nichols has worked as Stewardship Director for a land trust, and served in the U.S. Coast Guard. He has also served on several non-profit Boards of Directors. Mr. Nichols was nominated for a Kenney Foundation Environmental Leadership Award in 2005.

Erica Terence

Riverkeeper, Klamath Riverkeeper

Erica was born and raised in the rugged, remote canyons of the Klamath’s Salmon River. Growing up, her mentors were smart, independent citizens who organized coalitions against irresponsible logging and mining that degraded streams in the Klamath watershed. After studying abroad and receiving a BA in environmental journalism, Erica returned to California to edit the Northcoast Environmental Center’s (NEC) respected monthly publication, the ECONEWS. In the wake of longtime NEC director Tim McKay’s untimely death, Erica stepped in to maintain the NEC’s seat at the Klamath dams settlement negotiating table, representing the nonprofit in those talks between 28 parties for more than a year. She initiated, funded and completed scientific scrutiny of the settlement, collaborated with a diverse range of interests and forged sound working relationships with many of the players in the Klamath dam relicensing process. As Riverkeeper, Erica works alongside the people who depend on a healthy Klamath River, helping to empower communities of the Klamath and their allies to speak out against environmental injustices and keeping pace with complex legal and regulatory processes that affect the fate of the river and its people.

Deb Self

Program Director & Baykeeper, San Francisco Baykeeper

Deb Self provides executive leadership for Baykeeper, focusing on strategic organizational planning, Board and high-level volunteer development, fundraising, fiscal management and senior staff mentorship. She plays a key role in program planning and evaluation. Deb joined Baykeeper in 2003 as Associate Director before being promoted to Executive Director in 2006. She serves as Treasurer of the Waterkeeper Alliance, which Baykeeper helped found with Bobby Kennedy, Jr. to create a network of grassroots pollution advocates worldwide. Deb has more than 25 years of experience in nonprofit organizational development, environmental advocacy and regulatory compliance. Her Masters in sociology focused on environmental justice, and she holds a bachelors degree in geology.

Steve Shimek

Executive Director, Monterey Coastkeeper & The Otter Project

Steve Shimek is the founder of Monterey Coastkeeper and also serves as executive director of The Otter Project. The mission of the Monterey Coastkeeper is to protect and heal coastal resources of the Central Coast. Steve also serves on the US Fish and Wildlife Service Sea Otter Recovery Implementation Team and is Co-Chair of the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary (MBNMS) Conservation Working Group. He is a member of the MBNMS Advisory Council and serves on the Marine Protected Area Working Group. Working with many others, notable conservation achievements include a plan for large vessel (tanker and container ship) passage along the Central Coast passed by the United Nations in 2001 and the creation of a 200 square mile network of marine reserves and conservation areas in 2007. He regularly communicates with members of his two organizations, members of Congress, other NGOs, and State Legislators. Steve graduated in 1975 from UC Santa Cruz with a BS in biology with an emphasis on marine studies.

Gordon Hensley

Coastkeeper, San Luis Obispo Coastkeeper

Gordon Hensley serves as Coastkeeper for the San Luis Obispo Coastkeeper, a program of Environment in the Public Interest (EPI) dedicated to enforcement of water quality, watershed, and coastal planning regulations in Northern Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, and Southern Monterey Counties. Mr. Hensley is a native central coast resident and a field biologist with extensive experience in permit compliance issues and environmental analysis. He is certified by the Ecological Society of America as an Ecologist, and served as Vice Chair of the Morro Bay National Estuary Program. Prior to San Luis Obispo Coastkeeper, Mr. Hensley served as an Environmental Analyst with the Environmental Defense Center where his advocacy efforts influenced many governmental policies and actions regarding environmental protection, natural resource management and land use regulations. Mr. Hensley holds a Master's degree in Biology and a Bachelor's degree in Ecology and Systematic Biology from California Polytechnic State University.

Mati Waiya

Executive Director, Ventura Coastkeeper & Founder, Wishtoyo Foundation

Mati Waiya created the Wishtoyo Foundation, a non-profit organization in 1997. Wishtoyo aims to preserve Chumash culture by using traditional beliefs, traditions and values to create a greater awareness and responsibility for our natural environment. Wishtoyo's strong ties to environmental preservation fostered the launch in February 2001 of the Ventura Coastkeeper, 54th member of the national Waterkeeper Alliance, dedicated to protecting, preserving and restoring Ventura County's marine habitat, coastal waters, and watershed. Mr. Waiya is the first Native American to become a Waterkeeper - an ombudsman dedicated to protecting, preserving and restoring our public waters and bridging the gap between pollution laws, as stated in the Clean Water Act, and the government's ability to enforce them. As a Chumash Elder, Mr. Waiya brings his special knowledge of Chumash culture and tradition, extensive knowledge of how natural resources sustained the Chumash for thousands of years and values of sustainability.

Liz Crosson

Baykeeper, Santa Monica Baykeeper

Liz gained environmental advocacy, community outreach and organizing experience working for several non-profits in Oregon and California. She was most recently involved in environmental litigation focused on protecting water quality, endangered species, and coastal and forest ecosystems.  Liz has an undergraduate degree from U.C, Berkeley where she studied Environmental Science, Policy, and Management. She also has an M.S. in Biology/Environmental Education and a J.D. from Lewis and Clark Law School with an emphasis in environmental law.  During law school, she was a member of the National Environmental Moot Court First Place team at Pace Law School. She currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Klamath-Siskiyou Wildlands Center and the Advisory Board of the Rogue Riverkeeper, both based in Ashland, Oregon.