Plenary Presentations

Janine Castro

Project Leader, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Vancouver, WA

Janine Castro is the Project Leader for the Columbia River Fish and Wildlife Conservation Office (CRFWCO) in Vancouver, Washington. It is the mission of the CRFWCO to assist in determining the status of imperiled natural fish stocks, to evaluate management measures for recovery and assist in the recovery of these stocks, and to prevent future ESA listings. As the Project Leader, Janine provides leadership to a highly diverse technical staff that address a wide variety of fisheries issues, including: (1) fish passage and aquatic habitat restoration, (2) bull trout recovery and lamprey conservation, (3) marking and tagging of nearly 40 million hatchery fish annually to support tribal, recreational, and commercial mark-selective fisheries, (4) mark-recapture studies of wild fish to determine occupancy, distribution, abundance, trends, and population growth rates, and (5) providing analytical support to project design, evaluation, and information management.

Janine provides national and international training on stream restoration, river science, and public speaking for scientists. She has worked for the Fish and Wildlife Service for 19 years and spent the preceding 10 years working for the Natural Resources Conservation Service. Janine is co-founder of Science Talk, one of the five founding members of River Restoration Northwest, adjunct faculty in the Environmental Sciences and Management Department at Portland State University, and the Technical Director for the PSU River Restoration Professional Certificate Program.

Education: BS Geology and BA Geography, 1991, CSU Chico; MS Interdisciplinary Studies, Environmental Geomorphology, 1993, CSU Chico; PhD Geosciences, 1997, Oregon State University, Corvallis.

Specialties: Aquatic Habitat Restoration, Geomorphology, Science Communication

Stan Gregory

Department of Fisheries & Wildlife
Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR

Dr. Stan Gregory is an Emeritus Professor and Distinguished Professor of Fisheries in the Department of Fisheries & Wildlife at Oregon State University. He began studying streams in the H.J. Andrews Experimental Forest since 1971. He has been a faculty member in the Department of Fisheries & Wildlife at OSU since 1981 and has been a leader of the Stream Team for more than three decades. He taught undergraduate and graduate courses in stream ecology, limnology, and restoration ecology at OSU for more than 30 years and retired from teaching in 2014. He was co-chair and member of the Independent Multidisciplinary Science Team for the state of Oregon. He currently serves on the Independent Scientific Advisory Board and the Independent Scientific Review Panel for the Northwest Power and Conservation Council.

Paul Hessburg

Research Landscape Ecologist, USDA

Dr. Paul Hessburg is a Research Landscape Ecologist with the USDA Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station (PNWRS), where he studies management influences on forest landscapes and their disturbance regimes. Paul has worked in R&D for 41 years, researching the landscape and disturbance ecology of western US and North American forests. His team explores climate change effects on forest and nonforest patterns, wildfire resilience mechanisms and their persistence under climate change, reburn influences on forest fuel succession and wildfire behavior, and tool development for landscape evaluation. He co-led the Landscape Assessment of the Interior Columbia Basin from 1993-2000, which was the largest bioregional assessment conducted anywhere in North America, and he led the Landscape-Climate Interactions Team of the PNWRS for a decade ending in 2011. He holds a PhD in Botany and Plant Pathology from Oregon State University (1984), a BS in Forestry from the University of Minnesota (1978), and has authored more than 200 refereed articles, books, and book chapters. In 2017, he received the PNWRS and the USDA-FS Chief’s Distinguished Scientist awards. He resides in Wenatchee, WA, is married with grown kids, and he and his wife Mary have six nearly perfect grandchildren.

Sara LaBorde

Executive Vice President, Wild Salmon Center, Portland, OR

Sara joined the Wild Salmon Center in August 2012 and has over 30 years of professional experience in natural resources policy, business management, and environmental education. Sara earned a B.S. and M.S. in Natural Resource Management from the University Wisconsin-Stevens Point. She brings a wealth of experience in working with federal and state agencies, Tribes, local governments, and other stakeholders in salmon protection and recovery. Prior to joining WSC, Sara was the Special Assistant to the Director of Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) where she worked on salmon recovery, hatchery and harvest reform, and the development of alternative fishing approaches for the Lower Columbia River. She served as WDFW’s federal liaison in Washington DC and was the Regional Director for WDFW’s Coastal and Hood Canal region as well as Special Assistant to the Washington Wildlife Commission. Sara also served as the Chair of the North American Salmon Stronghold Partnership.

Sara is very passionate about WSC’s mission and brings a combination of energy, experience, and strategic thinking to the organization and its conservation programs. She lives in Portland, Oregon and enjoys golfing, catching fish and sampling small-batch American whiskeys.

Eric Quaempts

Director, Department of Natural Resources, Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation

Eric Quaempts has served as the Director for the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation’s (CTUIR) Department of Natural Resources (DNR) since 2004. He developed and implemented the First Foods management approach in 2006, and has overseen the implementation of the CTUIR’s “River Vision” beginning in 2008. Previously, Eric spent eight years as a Wildlife Biologist in the CTUIR DNR’s Wildlife Program and eight years on the Umatilla National Forest where his career development included inter-disciplinary rotations in Forestry, Wildlife, Range, Reforestation, Fisheries, and Fire Management Programs on the Walla Walla Ranger District.

As the CTUIR’s DNR Director, Eric oversees DNR Administration, Cultural Resources Protection, Water Resources, Fisheries, Wildlife, Range/Ag, Forestry, Energy and Environmental Sciences, and First Foods Policy programs. Eric served as the Oregon Tribal representative to the Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board from 2009 – 16, including five as co-chair. Eric received Potlatch Fund “Billy Frank Jr. Award for Natural Resource Protection” in 2011 and was an Eco-Trust Honoree for Indigenous Leadership in 2014. He also served on the Athena-Weston School board from 2011-12 and currently serves on the Oregon Water Resources Commission. He earned his Bachelor’s of Science in Wildlife Science from Oregon State University in 1990.

An enrolled member of the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation, Eric has spent most of his life living on the Umatilla Indian Reservation, where his cultural and personal experiences contributed to the development of the CTUIR’s First Foods management approach.

Eric’s personal interests include family (His daughter, Sascha, is nine), fly-fishing, photography, biking, traveling, cooking, and dining, fine or otherwise.

Hilary Franz

Commissioner of Public Lands
Washington State Department of Natural Resources

July 26 & August 2, 2021
2:00pm

Welcome to Portland/Vancouver and PNW

Elected in 2016, Commissioner of Public Lands Hilary Franz protects and manages nearly six million acres of public lands in Washington State – from coastal waters and aquatic reserves, to working forests and farms, to commercial developments and recreation areas. Commissioner Franz is committed to ensuring our public lands are healthy and productive, both today and for future generations. She holds a bachelor’s degree from Smith College and a juris doctor from Northeastern University Law School.

Jerry Franklin

University of Washington
Seattle, WA

Jerry Franklin is a world-renowned forest ecologist who has been called “the father of new forestry.” He is a leading authority on sustainable forest management and the maintenance of healthy forest ecosystems, and was responsible for integrating ecological and economic values into harvest strategies. In addition to his research, he has served on numerous committees and working groups, and has been President of the Ecological Society of America. Throughout his distinguished career, he has received numerous awards, including an Award for the Environment from the Heinz Foundation, and a LaRoe Award for lifetime contributions to conservation biology, from the Society for Conservation Biology. He was recently was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, where he has been recognized as a leading visionary in forest ecology and conservation. In 2016, he received the Eminent Ecologist Award from the Ecological Society of America and was awarded the Pinchot Medallion by the Pinchot Institute for Conservation.

Jerry’s early experiences in Oregon and Washington forests inspired his career as a forest ecologist. A research forester and chief plant ecologist for the U.S. Forest Service in Corvallis and professor of forest sciences at Oregon State University, he was an early advocate for applying New Forestry methods of ecosystems theory to the management of old-growth and other forest stands in the Pacific Northwest. Franklin developed an innovative approach that linked American forestry with broader initiatives to monitor, understand, and manage ecosystems in an integrated, global network of scientific cooperation. He was appointed professor in the University of Washington’s School of Forestry in 1986, and in 2016 was named professor of ecosystem analysis (as of 2016-2017) in what is now the School of Environmental and Forest Science.

Nick Aumen

Regional Science Advisor
South Florida, U.S. Geological Survey, Davie, FL

Dr. Nick Aumen is an aquatic ecologist and Water Quality Branch Chief for Everglades National Park (U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service), and oversees an interagency team of scientists and engineers tracking the progress of the south Florida ecosystem restoration program. His team, located at the Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge near West Palm Beach, Florida, assesses the potential impacts of restoration programs on Everglades National Park and other sensitive federal lands. Formerly, Nick was the Research Director at the South Florida Water Management District in West Palm Beach, directing a team of 120-plus scientists and engineers conducting research in support of ecosystem restoration.

Nick received his B.S. and M.S. in biology at the University of West Florida, and his Ph.D. in microbial ecology at Oregon State University. After finishing his Ph.D., he took a faculty position in biology at the University of Mississippi, and was a tenured Associate Professor of Biology until 1991, when he returned to Florida. Nick presently is an Adjunct Professor of Biology at Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton, Florida, and has directed several M.S.-level students' theses on environmental research projects.

Nick serves on the advisory board of the Interamerican Water Resources Network, and helped organize two of the three triennial Dialogues on Water Management (Miami and Panama City). Nick also is on the Board of Directors, and serves as the national Vice-President, of the Sierra Club, a 109-year-old, 750,000-member US conservation NGO.

Amber Inggs

Conference Co-Chair, Environmental Science Associates (ESA); Immediate Past President, Large Scale Ecosystem Restoration Section (LERS); Society for Ecological Restoration (SER), Santa Barbara, CA

Amber Inggs is a Civil Engineer/Hydrologist for ESA (Environmental Science Associates) in Southern California. Amber’s work focuses on the restoration of lagoons, coastal systems, large tidal wetlands, emergent wetlands and streams, as well as coastal hazards and adaption planning analysis. In her group, she serves as a hydrology and hydraulics technical analysis lead. Mrs. Inggs’ environmental restoration and conservation experience spans a wide geographic range including the Pacific, Latin America, and South Africa, along with the eastern and western coastal US. She received her B.S. in Environmental Engineering from the University of Central Florida and is an Envision Sustainability Professional (ENV SP). She has been involved with the National Conference on Ecosystem Restoration for 4 years now. Previously, she had a role with Louis Berger WSP as Civil/Environmental Engineer in the northeast US working on coastal and fluvial restoration projects and green infrastructure.

Bruce Roll

Director, Natural Systems, Enhancement & Stewardship, Clean Water Services and Clean Water Institute (CWI), Hillsboro, OR

Bruce Roll is the Director of Natural Systems, Enhancement & Stewardship for Clean Water Services (www.cleanwaterservices.org) and the nonprofit Clean Water Institute (CWI) in Hillsboro, Oregon. He is also a founding member of the Intertwine Alliance (www.theintertwine.org) and key developer of the Tree For All Landscape Conservation Program (www.jointreeforall.org). For more than 30 years, Bruce has worked with public utilities and local governments interested in the conservation of natural resources.

Since 2007, Bruce has helped manage one of the United States’ largest and most successful landscape conservation programs the Tualatin Watershed of northwest Oregon. During his tenure at CWS, more than 140 river miles have been restored across more than 30,000 acres in the Tualatin Watershed.

Bruce attended Colorado State University where he received a BS in Environmental Microbiology. In addition, Bruce received a MS and PhD from the Water Resources Research Center at the University of Hawaii and a MPH in management from the School of Public Health.

Robert Johnson

Director, South Florida Natural Resources Center (SFNRC), a division of Everglades National Park (ENP), National Park Service, Homestead, FL

Robert Johnson has served as Director since October 1995, seeing the Center through the settlement of the Water Quality Lawsuit, through much of the planning and implementation of the Modified Water Deliveries Project, and through the development of the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP). Bob has represented the National Park Service on more than 20 advisory and technical committees charged with protecting and restoring the south Florida environment. These committees have spanned a broad range of topics from water quality protection and water supply planning, to watershed management, land use planning, and interdisciplinary science coordination. Bob has been called to serve as a technical expert on more than 25 litigation cases in federal and state courts and has represented NPS positions before Florida's Governor and Cabinet as well as other state and federal legislative bodies.

Bob holds a B.S. in Geology from James Madison University and an M.S. in Environmental Sciences/Water Resources from the University of Virginia with additional graduate coursework completed at Florida International University. He started working for the Center in 1983 as a staff Hydrologist, later serving as Supervisory Hydrologist, and then as Branch Chief both for Physical Resources and for the former Ecosystem Analysis and Modeling branch. Bob has received numerous NPS awards including the Southeast Region Director's Award for Science in 1990 and in 1992, an NPS Honor Award for Superior Service in 1995, and two awards for Natural Resource Management in 2001: The Southeast Region Director's Award and the NPS Director's Award. Also, in 1997 he received the George Barley Award for sustained public service at the annual Everglades Coalition Conference.

Esther Duke

Western Program Director, LightHawk, Denver, CO

Esther Duke is the Western Program Director at the conservation non-profit LightHawk where she accelerates conservation success through the powerful perspective of flight. Esther is passionate about building capacity for collaborative and performance-based conservation. She develops and manages projects and partnerships to realize conservation outcomes using flight campaigns throughout the Western United States, Canada, and Mexico.

Esther is also a member of the Sonoran Joint Venture board. Previously, Esther directed outreach and capacity building programs focused on conservation social science, human-wildlife conflict mitigation, environmental market design, and nature-based tourism at Colorado State University (CSU).

Esther received her M.S. in Human Dimensions of Natural Resources at CSU and her B.A. from Illinois Wesleyan University.

Luke Runyon

Reporter
Colorado River Basin, KUNC Radio Station, Greeley, CO

Thursday, July 29, 2021
11:30am

Luke Runyon reports on the Colorado River basin and western water issues for a network of public radio stations in the southwest, based at NPR member station KUNC in Greeley, Colorado. He frequently files stories for NPR’s Morning Edition, All Things Considered, Weekend Edition and APM's Marketplace. Prior to KUNC, Luke reported for Harvest Public Media, Aspen Public Radio and Illinois Public Radio. He has a master’s degree in public affairs reporting from the University of Illinois Springfield and his work has received awards from the Radio Television Digital News Association, the Colorado Broadcasters Association and Public Radio News Directors, Inc.

Jeremy Monroe

Founder & Director, Freshwaters Illustrated, Corvallis, OR

Jeremy Monroe founded Freshwaters Illustrated, a non-profit organization that educates a diverse public audience about the beauty and conservation of freshwater ecosystems through illustrative science-based resources including films, photographs and workshops.

Freshwaters Illustrated helps create more immersive imagery and stories that carry the beauty, biodiversity, and value of freshwater ecosystems. Jeremy sees his job as helping to reconnect people to the intricacy, wonder, and needs of rivers, lakes, and wetlands.

His background in aquatic ecology helps him access stories that celebrate the vibrance and value of freshwater life, and with a talented group of visual artists and communicators, he works to make those stories as immersive as they can be. Jeremy holds degrees in Aquatic Ecology and Fishery Biology from Colorado State University.

David Bulova

CBC Chairman
Virginia House of Delegates (D-37)
Chesapeake Bay Commission (CBC), Richmond, VA

David Bulova and his family live in the Middleridge community of Fairfax. David and his wife Gretchen met while attending Robinson Secondary and have been married for 27 years. They have three wonderful children, Alex, Josette, and Grayson. David and Gretchen are proud of their hometown. They want to raise their children to have the same opportunities and with the same community-focused values they had growing up here.

Both David and Gretchen grew up in Fairfax. David received a BA from the College of William and Mary, a Master's in Public Administration and Policy from Virginia Tech, and is a graduate of the Sorensen Institute of Political Leadership at the University of Virginia.

Professionally, David is a Project Manager at Wood Environment & Infrastructure Solutions, Inc. and works to help local governments and industry comply with state and federal environmental regulations.

David was first elected to the General Assembly in November 2005. He currently serves on the General Laws, Appropriations, Education, and Agriculture, Chesapeake, and Natural Resources committees. He is chair of the General Laws Committee and chair of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Agriculture, and Natural Resources. David has been appointed by the Speaker to serve on the Chesapeake Bay Commission (chair), Housing Commission, State Water Commission (chair), and Major Economic Investment Commission. He also serves on the Legislative Advisory Council to the Southern Region Education Board and the Legislative Advisory Board to the Virginia Water Resources Research Center. From 2003 to 2005, David was an elected representative on the Northern Virginia Soil and Water Conservation District Board.

David is passionate about community service. He is currently on the Board of Trustees of Brain Injury Services, which provides support to survivors of brain injuries and their families, the Board of the City of Fairfax Band, and the Board of Advisors for the William and Mary Public Policy Program. His is also an honorary member of the Rotary Club of Centreville-Chantilly. Other community service includes: former coach with Fairfax Little League and Burke Athletic Club soccer; former member and treasurer of the Rotary Club of Annandale (1999-2002); former member of the Fairfax County Tree Commission (2004-2005); and, former Governor's appointee to the Chesapeake Bay Local Assistance Board. David and Gretchen served as co-chairs of the annual Middleridge community National Night Out crime prevention and awareness event for seven years.

In their spare time, David and Gretchen are avid hikers and David enjoys serving as the co-chair of the General Assembly's Outdoor Recreation Caucus.

Sarah Elfreth

Senate of Maryland (D-30)
Chesapeake Bay Commission (CBC), Annapolis, MD

Elected in 2018 to represent Annapolis and southern Anne Arundel County, Senator Sarah Elfreth is the youngest woman ever elected to the Maryland Senate. She is passionately committed to serving her constituents both in the State House and in the community. In her first two legislative sessions, Sarah worked with colleagues across the aisle to pass 20 bills she sponsored on issues ranging from supporting the City of Annapolis, libraries, and small businesses, addressing the backlog of untested rape kits, and protecting oysters and clean water. Sarah serves on the Budget & Taxation Committee, as the Senate Chair of the Joint Committee on the Chesapeake & Atlantic Coastal Bays Critical Area, and as one of two senators representing Maryland on the multi-state Chesapeake Bay Commission.

She was recently chosen to serve as Chair of the Pensions Subcommittee, Chair of the Joint Committee on Administrative, and Legislative Review, and serve as a member of the Senate President’s Workgroup on Equity & Inclusion. Sarah’s success in passing legislation earned her the designation on of Baltimore Sun’s “Freshman of the Year.”

Prior to being elected, Sarah spent her educational and professional career as a tireless advocate for protecting the environment and expanding education opportunities. She graduated magna cum laude from Towson University where she was appointed by the Governor to serve on the University System of Maryland Board of Regents. After earning a master’s degree in Public Policy from the Johns Hopkins University, Sarah spent four years as the Government Affairs Director of the National Aquarium in Baltimore, working on legislation to protect our natural resources and increase public support for one of Maryland’s largest nonprofit organizations. Outside of the Senate, Sarah teaches political science and public policy at Towson University’s Honors College.

Scott Martin

Senate of Pennsylvania (R-13)
Chesapeake Bay Commission (CBC), Harrisburg, PA

Scott Martin is a lifelong Lancaster County resident in his second term in the Senate of Pennsylvania. Twelve of Scott’s bills have made it to the Governor’s Desk, with 10 being signed into law in his first two and a half years.

Scott currently Chairs the Senate Education Committee and serves on the Appropriations, Environmental Resources and Energy, Health and Human Services, and Judiciary Committees. In addition, Scott serves on the PA System of Higher Education Board of Governors, Chesapeake Bay Commission, PA Athletic Oversight Committee, Pennsylvania Higher Educational Facilities Authority, State Public School Building Authority, Education Commission of the States, Adult and Family Literacy Interagency Coordinating Council and Special Education Funding Commission. Scott serves as one of two senators representing Pennsylvania on the tri-state Chesapeake Bay Commission.

Prior to his election to the state Senate, Scott served as a Lancaster County Commissioner, reducing debt, lowering taxpayer costs, and downsizing government. He chaired the Republican Caucus of County Commissioners within the County Commissioners Association of Pennsylvania for 8 years.

Before entering public service, Scott was successful in the private sector as a licensed Realtor and local landlord. In addition, he worked in the Juvenile Justice system for 13 years, including serving as Director of the Lancaster County Youth Intervention Center overseeing the effective operation of a $5.5 million budget and 150 employee organization. Scott was also the elected Vice President of the Juvenile Detention Centers Association of Pennsylvania and served on the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime & Delinquency’s Detention Steering Committee.

Scott is a graduate of Lancaster Catholic High School where he was a PIAA & National Heavyweight wrestling champion, and Millersville University, where he graduated with a degree in Sociology/Criminal Justice and became a three-time 1st Team PSAC Defensive Tackle and two-time All-American. After his college career, Scott was a free agent camp invitee of the New York Giants in the NFL and had three different stints in the Arena Football league. Scott has been inducted into the Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame - Susquehanna Valley Chapter and was named one of the 150 greatest players/contributors in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference history. Scott served on the Board of Directors of the Dr. Gene A. Carpenter Football Foundation and volunteers as a youth sports coach in wrestling and football.

Scott and his wife Amber are the proud parents of four children, Alexia, Hayden, Alivia and Gavin.

Ann Swanson

Executive Director
Chesapeake Bay Commission (CBC), Annapolis, MD

Ann Swanson has served as a leader in the Bay restoration for nearly 35 years, the last 29 as the Executive Director of the Chesapeake Bay Commission, a tri-state legislative authority serving the states of Pennsylvania, Maryland and Virginia. It is the Commission’s responsibility to sponsor legislation at the state level and to work with state legislators, members of the U.S. Congress, and the federal and state regulatory agencies to coordinate programs aimed at restoring the Chesapeake Bay.

Although Ann operates in a highly political environment, she is trained in the sciences. A trained wildlife biologist and forest ecologist, she graduated with honors from the University of Vermont and Yale University; she served as a member of the University of Vermont’s Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural Resources for 23 years and as its Chairman for 11. Among her many awards, in 2001, she was awarded the Bay region’s highest Conservation Award, Conservationist of the Year, in 2008 was recognized by general assembly resolutions in Pennsylvania, Maryland and Virginia, in 2011 was awarded the YMCA Outstanding Women in Industry Twin Award, in May 2012 received an honorary doctorate from the University of Vermont, in 2013 received the Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay Environmental Leadership Award, and in 2015 she was recognized as an Admiral of the Chesapeake Bay in the state of Maryland. Ann has been married for 32 years, is a published illustrator, an accomplished gardener, backpacker and sea kayaker, and is a mother of two boys.

Rachel Dawson

Program Director - Delaware River, National Fish & Wildlife Foundation, Northeastern Regional Office, Washington, DC

Rachel is the program director for the Delaware River at the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation where she administers a growing $13 million fund for habitat and water quality restoration projects in the Delaware River watershed. She is responsible for program development and fundraising, partner and collaborator coordination, and regional investment strategy and planning. Previously, she was the legislative representative for the water restoration team at the National Wildlife Federation where she advocated on behalf of clean water laws, policies and programs for large-scale ecosystem restoration—and a policy analyst at the Northeast Midwest Institute, focusing on issues in the watersheds of the mid-Atlantic, including the Delaware River Basin. Rachel received her Master’s degree in Environmental and Natural Resources Policy from the George Washington University and her Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Planning from the University of Miami. In her free time, she’s an avid hunter, angler and outdoor mentor.

Matthew Harwell

Supervisory Ecologist, U.S. EPA, Pacific Ecological Systems Division, Office of Research and Development, Newport, OR

Dr. Harwell is a Supervisory Ecologist at the Pacific Ecological Systems Division, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in Newport, Oregon USA. Matt has spent 25 years working on restoration science in multiple systems including Chesapeake Bay, Lake Okeechobee, South Florida and the Greater Everglades, and soon, the Pacific Northwest. Matt’s areas of specialization include ecosystem assessment, integration and communication of science for decision makers, adaptive management, and ecosystem restoration. Matt has been involved with the National Conference on Ecosystem Restoration since its inaugural year in 2004. Matt has a B.S. in Biology from University of South Florida and a Ph.D. in Marine Sciences from Virginia Institute of Marine Sciences (College of William and Mary). Matt is a foundational member of LERS.

Matt Grabau

Conference Chair, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; Immediate Past President, Large Scale Ecosystem Restoration Section (LERS); Society for Ecological Restoration (SER), Tucson, AZ

Matt has over 12 years of experience working in ecological restoration, with a combination of applied research and program management roles. He is currently a Science Coordinator for the Southwest Region of US Fish and Wildlife Service in Tucson, Arizona. He works with partners on collaborative conservation and restoration programs, including landscape-scale assessments and developing tools to prioritize where projects are implemented on the ground. Previously, Matt worked at the Sonoran Institute, where he managed riparian restoration for the Colorado River Delta Program in northwest Mexico. During this time, he also worked with US-Mexico binational working groups to determine how to maximize ecological and social benefits of environmental flows to the Delta. Previously, Matt worked as an environmental consultant with GeoSystems Analysis, Inc., where he focused primarily on applied research on riparian restoration and eco-hydrology on the lower Colorado River.

Ryan Clark

Research Scientist/Deputy Director of Strategic Partnerships, The Water Institute of the Gulf, Baton Rouge, LA

Ryan Clark is a Geologist with 15 years of experience in large, multidisciplinary coastal projects in both the private and public sectors. His work at the Institute includes research on surface and groundwater resources management, flooding, and environmental flows. He is the project leader (Principal Investigator) for multiple projects at the Institute.

Prior to joining the Institute, Clark was a Project Scientist at ARCADIS, an international consultancy based in The Netherlands. He served in the Integrated Water Resources Planning practice as the co-project manager for the United States Army Corps of Engineers – New Orleans District/Federal Emergency Management Agency - Region 6 Joint Coastal Surge Study. His duties included management for large, multi-agency, multidisciplinary, and multinational flooding studies for the cities of New Orleans and Houston following Hurricanes Katrina and Ike. Clark provided technical expertise for a project developing a comprehensive sediment management plan for the Atchafalaya Basin, the only region along the Louisiana coast that is currently experiencing land gain through deltaic formation.

Clark is a Registered Professional Geoscientist in the state of Louisiana. He was elected as the President-Elect of the Society for Ecological Restoration – Large-scale Ecosystem Restoration Section in 2014 and continues to serve as Past President.

Clark provided technical, database management, and GIS support for a project developing a comprehensive sediment management plan for the Atchafalaya Basin, the only region along the Louisiana coast that is currently experiencing land gain through deltaic formation.

Clark was part of the team that developed Louisiana’s 2012 Coastal Master Plan. He served as a local liaison to the Master Plan project team and as a High-Performance Computing Principal Investigator for the usage of LSU/ Louisiana Optical Network Initiative (LONI) supercomputers utilized in the project. He performed reviews of storm surge modeling results, and contributed to the hydrodynamic component of the final report.

Darcy Austin

Science Manager, State Water Contractors (SWC), Sacramento, CA

With more than 20 years of public- and private-sector experience in water, Ms. Austin previously worked for Delta Stewardship Council’s Delta Science Program, where she managed the science-based adaptive management unit. Prior to that, Ms. Austin served as the Acting Chief of Science Communications for the United States Geological Survey’s (USGS) California Water Science Center. She has a master’s of public health degree in environmental health from California State University, San Diego, and a bachelor’s of science in biology from Colorado State University.

Ms. Austin is responsible for soliciting proposals for research and supporting authoring articles to be published in professional, scholarly and scientific journals. In addition, she selects and manages consultant contracts, giving presentations to scientific and technical audiences, policymakers, boards of directors and stakeholders, and working collaboratively with biologists and scientists from resource and regulatory agencies and stakeholder groups.

Howie Gonzales

Program Manager, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Jacksonville, FL

Howard "Howie" Gonzales Jr., was born and raised in New Orleans. He graduated from the University of New Orleans in 1994 with a bachelor degree in mechanical engineering and earned a master of science degree in engineering management in 1998. He earned an MBA in 2001. Gonzales began his 18-year career with the Corps while he was still a college student. He worked as a project manager for the New Orleans district until 2004, worked at the Albuquerque District from 2004-2007, and the Sacramento District from 2007 to 2009. In Jacksonville, he is in charge of overall planning, design, and construction of South Florida Ecosystem Restoration programs and projects.

Homer Wilkes

Director, Gulf of Mexico Ecosystem Restoration Team, USDA, NRCS, Madison, MS

Dr. Homer Wilkes, a native of Port Gibson, Mississippi, currently serves as Director of Gulf of Mexico Ecosystem Restoration Team. He is one of the five Federal Executive Council member to oversee the rebuilding of the Ecosystem of the Gulf of Mexico after the BP Oil Spill of 2010. He served as the Acting Associate Chief of USDA/Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) in Washington during the period of 2010-2012.

During Dr. Wilkes’ tenure with the United States Department of Agriculture, he also served as State Conservationist for Mississippi; Chief Financial Officer for NRCS in Washington, DC; Deputy State Conservationist for Mississippi; Chief of Administrative Staff for the South Technical Center for NRCS in Fort Worth, Texas; Budget Analyst and Financial Manager in Washington, DC.

Dr. Wilkes also served as Naval Supply Officer in the United States Navy Reserves from November 1984 – December 2010. He received his Bachelors, Master of Business Administration, and Ph.D. in Urban Higher Education from Jackson State University. He also successfully completed the USDA Senior Executive Service Candidate Development Program (SES CDP) through American University’s Key Executive Leadership Certificate in Public Policy Implementation Program. Dr. Wilkes and his wife, Kim, have three sons. He enjoys fishing and family activities.

Ellen Herbert

Ecosystem Services Scientist, Conservation, Ducks Unlimited, National Headquarters, Memphis, TN

Dr. Herbert the Ecosystem Services Scientist at Ducks Unlimited (DU), a nonprofit organization committed to wetland conservation across North America with special emphasis on wetland and grassland habitats critical to waterfowl populations. To date, Ducks Unlimited has conserved over 14.5 million acres of habitat and influenced over 177 million acres of habitat through policy measures. Dr. Herbert works as a member of DU’s International Science Team to evaluate the ecosystem services outcomes of Ducks Unlimited’s conservation work across the continent through a combination of field experimentation, numerical modeling, and data synthesis. This work supports DU’s goal of accelerating wetland conservation through public awareness, public-private partnerships, and public policy.

Dr. Herbert is a member of the Steering Committee of the Natural Infrastructure Initiative and the Verification Committee of Field to Market: The Alliance for Sustainable Agriculture. Prior to joining Ducks Unlimited, Dr. Herbert researched the functional development of restored wetlands in the agricultural wetlands of the Midwest, assessed the impacts of sea level rise on vegetation and geomorphology of wetlands across the San Francisco Bay-Delta, studied the impacts of saltwater intrusion and eutrophication on tidal freshwater wetlands at the Georgia Coastal Ecosystems LTER, and developed models of coastal wetland response to climate change.

Dr. Herbert received her Ph.D. in Environmental Science form the School of Public and Environmental Affairs at Indiana University, where she was a graduate research fellow for the National Science Foundation and completed her post-doctoral research in the Department of Physical Sciences at the Virginia Institute of Marine Science.

Rolf Gersonde

Forest Ecologist
Seattle Public Utilities, Seattle, WA

Rolf is a forest ecologist in the Watershed Management Division of Seattle Public Utilities. His team implements the upland and aquatic restoration programs for the Cedar River Habitat Conservation Plan and Watershed Management Programs. Their focus is on monitoring and implementation of the upland habitat restoration programs, and designing and implementing forest restoration projects aimed at improving habitat and functional resilience of the forests in Seattle's mountain watersheds. Rolf serves as the Vice President of the Northwest Chapter of the Society for Ecological Restoration, and chairs the Chapter Relations Committee of SER. He is also involved in organizing the Ecological Restoration Professional Series in collaboration with the University of Washington Botanic Gardens. Rolf lives at the foot of the Cascade Range and enjoys exploring the mountain wilderness.

Gordon Reeves

Emeritus Scientist
U.S. Forest Service, Corvallis, OR

Gordon Reeves is an emeritus research fish ecologist at the Pacific Northwest Research Station in Corvallis. He retired in 2018 after more than 35 years of working for the US Forest Service. His expertise is in the freshwater ecology of anadromous salmon and trout, conservation biology of those fish and aquatic aspects of landscape ecology. He has studied the ecology of anadromous salmon and trout in the Pacific Northwest, northern California, Idaho, Alaska, Taiwan, Japan, Russia and New Zealand and published more than 75 papers on the ecology and effects of land management activities on their habitats, conservation plans for them, and dynamics of aquatic ecosystems in the Pacific Northwest. He led committees that developed and evaluated options for managing federal lands in the Pacific Northwest and Alaska and was a member of the NOAA Fisheries Technical Recovery and Biological Review Teams for ESA listed Coho salmon in coastal Oregon. Additionally, he was a member of the panel that reviewed the EPA report on the Pebble Mine in Alaska and was part of a group of scientists who commented on the Corp of Engineers’ Draft Environmental Impacts Statement for this project. He was recently inducted into the Freshwater Fishing Hall of fame for his work on fish conservation.

James Tillman Sr.

SE Regional Conservationist
USDA, NRCS, Washington, DC

James E. Tillman Sr. is the Regional Conservationist for the Southeast. In this role he oversees NRCS conservation programs and activities for the 11 Southeast states and the Caribbean Area.

James served as State Conservationist in Georgia for nine years. Prior to that, he was the Deputy State Conservationist in California and served as Assistant State Conservationist for Programs and Acting State Administrative Officer in Texas. In Illinois, James served as the Assistant State Conservationist for Resource Assessment and Technology.

In his 32-year career with NRCS, James has also held positions as Soil Conservationist, District Conservationist, Resource Conservationist, and USDA/1890 Liaison Officer. He has worked in seven states (Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma, Illinois, Texas, California and Georgia) and Washington, DC.

James obtained a Bachelor of Science in Agricultural Economics from the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff. He and his wife, Patricia, have three grown children.

Matthew Young

Fish Biologist
U.S. Geological Survey, California Water Science Center
Sacramento, CA

Matthew Young is a fish biologist with the U.S. Geological Survey, and has been with the California Water Science Center since 2016. He received his B.S. and Ph.D. degrees from the University of California, Davis. His work research is focused on interactions of native and non-native fishes with their environment, including novel ecosystem elements such as altered hydrology and proliferating non-native habitat engineers such as submersed aquatic vegetation. Currently he works in a variety of systems exploring relationships between native fishes and changes to their environment. This includes the spread of non-native species and potential displacement/competition, habitat alteration and the loss of underlying ecosystem processes, and the potential for habitat restoration to provide key mechanistic benefits to native fishes and other aquatic organisms.

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