Board of Directors President Ron Rolleri Vice President Dennis Murphy Directors Richard Mounts Walt Ryan Earle Cummings Associate Directors Bill Roop Pat Cummings Steve Thomas Matt Greene

Staff

Kara Heckert - Executive Director

Kara Heckert provides oversight for all Sotoyome RCD programs and builds partnerships with landowners, non-profits, consultants, and local, state, and federal agencies. Kara develops programs and secures funding for the SRCD's programs as directed by the SRCD Board of Directors. Kara has had over ten years of experience working in the field of natural resource restoration and has a strong background in watershed management. She previously worked at the SRCD as Restoration Project Manager, the Natural Resources Conservation Service as the Russian River Soil Conservationist, and for California State Parks as an Environmental Services Intern. Kara has a B.S. in Biology and Environmental Studies from Sonoma State University. Kara was born and raised in Napa County and has been living in Sonoma County since 1998.

Sierra Cantor - Watershed Biologist

Sierra Cantor has been working for the SRCD since 1998. Sierra manages the Water Quality Monitoring and Assessment Program. Sierra performs all stream monitoring data collection, analysis and reporting, data Quality Assurance/QAPP compliance, and assists in identification, design, implementation and effectiveness monitoring of restoration projects. Sierra is instrumental in the coordination of volunteers, training and data retrieval for the Coast-wide Snapshot Day and First Flush events for the Russian and Gualala Rivers and coordination and calibrations events for the Russian River Temperature Workgroup. Sierra has built strong professional relationships with landowners, community members, and agency partners. Sierra has also worked as a project coordinator for Laurel Marcus & Associates and a project and research associate for Circuit Rider Productions, Inc. Sierra has a B.S. in Biology and a B.A. in Environmental Studies from UC Santa Cruz. Sierra was born and raised in Sebastopol.

Greg Fisher - Restoration Program Manager

Greg Fisher oversees the development and successful implementation of a variety of restoration projects throughout our district, including rural road restoration, streambank stabilization and fish habitat enhancement projects, Arundo donax removal efforts, and riparian planting projects. Greg has experience designing and managing restoration projects, monitoring project success, and monitoring water quality and in-stream processes and uses his GIS background to enhance the RCD's mapping and assessment capacity. Prior to working at the RCD, Greg worked for several years at Circuit Rider Productions, Inc. in their Ecological Services division. Greg graduated from James Madison University in 1996 with B.A.'s in Anthropology and Media Arts and Design. He has pursued considerable additional training in agronomy, wetland botany, and general field botany.

Valerie Sherron - Project Coordinator

Valerie Sherron assists in the management of all SRCD contracts with local, state, federal, nonprofit and other agencies to assure compliance and successful completion. Valerie is involved with researching, writing and submitting grants, and completing permits for habitat restoration projects. She also assists with education and outreach activities, as well as SRCD's restoration, watershed assessment, and water quality monitoring programs. Valerie recently earned her B.S. in Biology from Sonoma State University, and is a member of the Leadership Institute for Ecology and the Economy Class of 2008. Valerie grew up in Sebastopol, and has been living in Santa Rosa since 2005.

Trisha Meisler - Development Coordinator

Trisha Meisler collaborates with RCD staff members to identify and acquire funding to support all of the Sotoyome RCD's programs. Trisha brings with her a background in both ecological research and natural resources management. A strong interest in plant conservation and travel led her to several different field biology positions from Colorado to Alaska to Hawaii and ultimately California. While earning her M.A. in Biology at Sonoma State University (2002), Trisha immersed herself in the ecological issues surrounding the impacts of feral pigs in California grasslands. Following graduate school, Trisha worked as a botanical consultant with Garcia and Associates and as an editor for the Sonoma Land Trust, co-authoring their Invasive Species Management Plan.

Andre Gauthier - Project Assistant

Andre Gauthier assists staff in watershed assessment, water quality monitoring, various restoration projects, and data management. He comes to the RCD with experience in native plant restoration, fire management, and Sudden Oak Death research, and he has spent considerable time working on Arundo donax removal projects, a component of Sotoyome RCD's work in the Russian River. Andre grew up in Louisiana and moved from there to Sonoma County in 2001. He received his B.A. in Environmental Studies from Sonoma State University in 2003.

Amy Richards - Bookkeeper

Amy Richards is responsible for the daily management of all bookkeeping activities including payroll, A/R and A/P, Federal, State and Local Audit reports, and annual budget preparation and financial reports. She is also responsible for the administration of the Wright Preservation Bank operated through the SRCD for the CA. Department of Fish & Game and the Laguna Valley Mitigation Bank.