About Us – Friends of the LA River

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Mission

We build capacity for communities, students, and future leaders to advocate for nature, climate, and equity on the Los Angeles River.

Vision

We envision a verdant Los Angeles River that supports vulnerable communities in climate adaptation. The River will be transformed into a dynamic, functioning ecosystem that reduces flood risk, cleans the air, cools temperatures, and supports the biodiversity essential to our collective well-being.

FoLAR’s Equity Statement

The LA River traverses through diverse communities of people, plants, and geographies. It provides an opportunity to reshape our environment in a way that is more inclusive, equitable, and just. We are committed to building a team, leadership, and a River Movement that is as diverse as the communities the River touches. We believe in working with nature and alongside communities to achieve climate resilience, park equity, and environmental health for all.

Land & River Acknowledgement

The land and the River we work on is the ancestral homeland of Indigenous peoples who were dispossessed of their land. They are the original stewards of the Los Angeles River and these lands. We acknowledge our presence on the unceded territory of the Gabrieleño-Tongva, Fernandeño Tataviam, Gabrieleño-Kizh, and Chumash peoples, and are deeply grateful to the Ancestors, Elders, and Relations.

Read Our Strategic Plan

Our History & Impact

The LA River is where our region began. For generations, it sustained people, wildlife, and vibrant ecosystems. That connection was broken in 1938 when the River was encased in concrete and fenced off from public life.

In 1986, poet and activist Lewis MacAdams cut a hole in that fence and declared the River open to the people. From that simple act, Friends of the LA River was born with a mission to restore the River’s natural ecology and reconnect Angelenos to it.

For over 30 years, FoLAR has been working to rebuild that relationship. We have mobilized tens of thousands of volunteers to remove invasive species, plant native habitat, and fight for policies that protect the River and the communities that surround it.

As climate change puts more pressure on our city, we believe the future of the River has to be rooted in equity and shared well-being. A healthier LA River means healthier communities: more shade, cleaner air, safer access, and space to connect with nature and each other. Everyone deserves that. We believe that by connecting people to the River, we can inspire a shared sense of responsibility for the River itself and for the future of Los Angeles.

Check Out FoLAR's Digital Archives thanks to our friends at the UCLA Library

2024

FoLAR Leads Taylor Yard Equity Strategy

FoLAR is named one of three organizational leaders in the Taylor Yard Equity Strategy, a key initiative to ensure that development around the River serves the needs of all Angelenos, especially those in underserved communities.

The project is focused on ensuring that the development of a community resource like Taylor Yard should not lead to displacement of longstanding local residents.

2024

FoLAR Appointed to Lower Watershed Steering Committee

FoLAR has been appointed to the Lower LA River Watershed Steering Committee, where we now serve as the Environmental Justice seat. This role gives us a direct voice in decisions that will shape the River’s restoration, ensuring that historically marginalized communities have a say in the future of their River.

2023

Fellows Program Launches

FoLAR launches the River Fellows program, a paid workforce development initiative that provides River adjacent youth with immersive outdoor experiences, exposure to green career pathways, and hands-on experience in restoration, advocacy, and environmental STEM.

Fellows don’t just shadow River work, they shape it. They dig into policy, capture inspiring stories about the River, and restore habitat, all while bringing their own perspective and voice to the movement.

2022

Candice Dickens‑Russell named President & CEO

Born and raised along the Lower LA River, board veteran Candice Dickens‑Russell steps into the role of President and CEO after nearly 20 years of dedicated environmental leadership in California, including many years working side‑by‑side with FoLAR. With her roots deeply embedded in environmental equity, education, and climate resilience, Candice brings a fierce passion for transforming the LA River into a vibrant community and thriving natural habitat.

2020

Habitat Restoration Days at Sepulveda Basin Begin

Though FoLAR had been doing some work in the Sepulveda Basin for decades, in 2020 we started hosting the current version of our Habitat Restoration Days at the Sepulveda Basin Wildlife Reserve, teaming up with the California Native Plant Society and San Fernando Valley Audubon Society. Volunteers join us to pull invasive weeds, plant native species, and take bird walks through one of the most vibrant spots along the River.

2019

FoLAR hosts the 30th Anniversary of the Great LA River CleanUp

At eleven sites throughout all three stretches of the LA River, FoLAR hosts the largest urban river cleanup in the nation once again for its 30th birthday, proving our CleanUp is Thirty & Thriving. Our CleanUp mobilized several thousand volunteers to remove over 100 tons of trash from the River, preventing harmful waste from reaching our ocean and providing Angelenos with a way to make a hands-on, immediate impact on our River’s health.

2018

Proposition 68 Passes

FoLAR joins in a statewide coalition to mobilize voters behind passage of a $4 billion parks and water bond aimed at delivering environmental restoration and water infrastructure projects, increasing park equity across the state, and preparing California to remain resilient in the face of climate change. Funding favors underserved counties – like Los Angeles – and enables deeper investment into opening new and maintaining existing parks, while also funding programs aimed at activating youth and communities to visit parks. Los Angeles is expected to receive over $140 million, some of which is specifically set aside for restoration projects along the LA River and within its watershed.

2017

Dedication of Lewis MacAdams Riverfront Park

At FoLAR’s annual Gala, in honor of his commitment to the restoration of the LA River, the Mountains Recreation & Conservation Authority surprises Lewis by renaming Marsh Park after him. A monument of Lewis is also installed in the park, so that his mark on the River outlasts the concrete channel.

2017

LA Purchases the G2 Parcel

The City of LA purchases the G2 parcel of the Taylor Yard, the “crown jewel” of the Alternative 20 vision set forth in ARBOR. The G2 parcel is 41 acres and adjacent to the River, Río de Los Angeles State Park, and the Bowtie Parcel. At the council meeting, Mitch O’Farrell recognizes Lewis MacAdams as the “Father of the River” and credits him for his steadfast vision and the tireless work of FoLAR in making such an investment in the LA River possible. The G2 parcel is set to be transformed into critical public open space, with opportunities for extensive habitat restoration and connections to the River.

2017

Los Angeles State Historic Park Opens

Thanks in large part to the grassroots activism of FoLAR and the Chinatown Yard Alliance, the Los Angeles State Historic Park opens in Chinatown, named in honor of its culturally significant location as the site of the historic zanja madre, the original water supply system for El Pueblo and the city. The park’s opening fulfills the aspiration of local community members and delivers a resource to one of the most underserved neighborhoods in the city.

2017

The Nation’s Largest Urban River Cleanup

After mobilizing well over 6,000 volunteers to remove some 60 tons of trash from 15 different sites along the upper, middle, and lower stretches of the LA River, FoLAR’s Great LA River CleanUp is officially named the nation’s largest urban river cleanup by American Rivers.

2016

Marissa Christiansen Named Executive Director

After 30 years at the helm of FoLAR, Lewis MacAdams decides his visionary work is best served from a board position and hands over the reins to Marissa Christiansen as Executive Director.

2016

LA City Council Approves ARBOR Alternative 20

After mobilizing thousands of community members to send emails directly to LA City Council in support of ARBOR’s most ambitious and comprehensive plan for restoration, the City Council votes unanimously to approve Alternative 20 as their locally-preferred plan, thereby kicking off the planning and design process for 11 miles of River restoration. Alternative 20 calls for some degree of concrete removal and wetland restoration, habitat restoration and connectivity, and the incorporation of public access and recreational opportunities.

2014

State Approves $100 Million For LA River Restoration

Proposition 1 is a $7.5 billion water bond written by Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon to address California’s water infrastructure needs, including crucially allocating $100 million towards LA River restoration specifically. Applauding the State’s approval of Prop 1 in 2014, FoLAR hopes to see these funds go towards multi-benefit River projects which support watershed protection, capture and treat stormwater runoff, create open spaces for people, and reestablish natural habitat for urban wildlife.

2014

FoLAR Launches the LA River Rover

The LA River Rover is FoLAR’s 38-foot mobile River museum that can be found traveling all over the LA River Watershed to bring the River to the people with interactive exhibits that teach visitors about the River’s past, present, and potential future. The US Fish and Wildlife Service selected the LA River Rover as one of the eight original Urban Wildlife Refuge Partners, a program to engage urban dwellers with ecology and inspire environmental stewardship. Since launching in 2014, the LA River Rover attracts some 10,000 visitors of all ages and backgrounds each year.

2014

FoLAR Opens the Frog Spot

Our community roots and the River residents that support us are our most valued asset. To strengthen our ties to the community and further our impact in creating River stewardship, FoLAR opens the Frog Spot, a seasonal River visitor center and community space in the Los Angeles neighborhood of Frogtown. Every summer, the Frog Spot would attract thousands of people to the River for a wide variety of free or low-cost activities, engaging over 40,000 Angelenos total from 2014 until its closing in 2017.

2012

FoLAR Funds the Army Corps ARBOR Study

The US Army Corps of Engineers is short on funds needed to complete the ARBOR Study. In true advocate fashion, FoLAR raises $1 million and gifts it to the Army Corps to complete the study.

2012

FoLAR Co-Authors SB 1201

Having been deemed a navigable waterway in 2010 by the Environmental Protection Agency and thereby earning the LA River protection under the Federal Clean Water Act, FoLAR co-authors SB 1201 with State Senator Kevin de León, which establishes recreation zones along the LA River in the Sepulveda Basin and the Elysian Valley.

2011

FoLAR Launches Source to Sea Education Program

After launching in 2011, FoLAR’s Source to Sea Watershed Education Program becomes the only program in LA to connect original, standards-based curriculum about the LA River to classroom content. Designed for students in grades 3 through 12, Source to Sea connects young people to the LA River through hands-on learning and scientific exploration. Whether students visit the River in person or engage with FoLAR educators in their classroom, Source to Sea builds critical thinking skills while diving into the River’s history, ecology, and future.

2006

Army Corps Begins ARBOR Study

The US Army Corps of Engineers begins its ARBOR Study, a look into the potential of restoring an 11-mile stretch of the LA River running from Griffith Park to Downtown Los Angeles. The most ambitious urban waterway restoration project proposal of its kind, the study’s completion becomes threatened after funding runs out.

2005

Re-Establishing the River’s Identity

As the city begins to turn its collective attention to the River, FoLAR works with the City of LA to develop official river signage. You will now find these iconic royal blue signs, which feature a Great Blue Heron, dotting the streets, highways, and bridges that cross over the LA River.

2001

Purchase of Río de Los Angeles State Park and Bowtie Parcel

Growing public interest in a restored LA River encourages the purchase and development of two more park spaces adjacent to the River in the Glendale Narrows. In 2001 and 2003, after another successful lawsuit filed by the Coalition for a State Park at Taylor Yard – which included FoLAR, The River Project, and many other environmental and social justice organizations – California State Parks acquires two parcels of land, both formerly part of the Southern Pacific railyard at Taylor Yard and slated for industrial development, with the intention of transforming those parcels into much-needed greenspaces and public parks in a very park-poor neighborhood of LA. Río de Los Angeles State Park opens to the public in 2007, and, at the Bowtie Parcel, local community members and River-goers can enjoy special events and activations curated by Clockshop in collaboration with State Parks.

1998

FoLAR Hosts Historic Conference

FoLAR, the Sierra Club, and the Urban Resources Partnership host The River Through Downtown, a historic conference aimed at re-imaging the LA River and spurring collaboration and creativity when thinking about the future of the River and the role it can play in the city. Among the tangible outcomes is the selection of the Cornfield, a former Union Pacific railyard in Chinatown, as having the potential to be the “downtown Central Park for Los Angeles.” When a developer reveals plans to purchase the Cornfield for industrial warehouse development, FoLAR helps to form the Chinatown Yard Alliance, a coalition of community and environmental organizations, to sue the developer. The Cornfield is successfully purchased by the Trust for Public Land, who sells it to the State of California for the creation of a state park.

1997

Lewis Protests Dredging

After learning of the County’s intention to dredge the riverbed in the Glendale Narrows and destroy the life that thrives there – oak trees, cottonwood trees, nesting birds – Lewis MacAdams stands as a human obstacle in front of the bulldozers. This leads to a meeting with the County Dept of Public Works, during which Lewis fiercely defends the River’s identity as so much more than merely a flood control channel.

1995

FoLAR Sues the County of LA

In response to the County Flood Control Dept. and the Army Corps’ proposal to raise the channel walls along the Lower LA River, FoLAR and Heal the Bay file a lawsuit against the county.

Although the lawsuit is not successful in completely halting the project, some aspects of the project are altered, and more importantly, the Los Angeles and San Gabriel Rivers Watershed Council (now the Council for Watershed Health) is formed to guide public agencies on more environmentally-friendly watershed management practices.

1989

First Great LA River CleanUp

Calling for 10,000 Angelenos to come together for a day of service for the River, FoLAR’s first Great LA River CleanUp has an encouraging turnout of 10 people in Los Feliz, starting what would turn into a yearly tradition of organizing LA River CleanUps each spring.

1986

Founding of FoLAR

Dismissing the mindset of the time of the River as a concrete scar that ran through the city, poet and activist Lewis MacAdams, along with two friends, whiskey in their blood and wire cutters in their hands, cut a hole in the chain link fence separating the River from the city, declaring the LA River “open to the people.” With that, Friends of the LA River is founded. Realizing its potential for habitat restoration, open space, and recreation, FoLAR begins fighting to change the cultural perception of the River and restore its identity as an amenity to its communities.

1930

Flooding and Channelization

With a booming population, more and more land in the River’s floodplain is converted into residential, commercial, and industrial development. A series of dramatic storms and devastating floods in the 1930s leads civic leaders, under the supervision of the US Army Corps of Engineers, to channelize the entire length of the River with millions of cubic yards of concrete, transforming the River into a flood control channel and destroying much of its natural riparian environment.

1876

Railroads Arrive in LA

Southern Pacific Railroad arrives in Los Angeles, followed shortly thereafter by the Santa Fe Railroad and the discovery of petroleum in the city, spurring dramatic population growth and expansion. To accommodate this growth, leaders build increasingly complex water projects, such as the Los Angeles Aqueduct, which displaces the LA River as the primary water source for the fledgling city.

1781

Founding of the City of LA

In 1781, Spanish settlers established the original pueblo near what is now Olvera Street, drawn to the area by the River and its fertile surroundings. That same year, Los Angeles’ first water system was built: a gravity-fed ditch called the Zanja Madre, or “Mother Ditch,” which carried water from the River to the settlement. Tongva laborers dug the channel by hand. It supported crops, livestock, and daily life in early Los Angeles. The Spanish settlement would eventually grow into the city of Los Angeles, which remained a small agricultural and ranching community for much of the following century.

1771

Missions
and Colonization

The San Gabriel Mission is established by Spanish Missionaries, marking the beginning of colonization of what would become greater Los Angeles. Five years later Juan Bautista de Anza, following native footpaths along the LA River, would lead an expedition from present day Los Angeles to present day San Francisco. Missions enslaved native populations and marked an end of undisturbed native life in California.

Click here to learn more about the Anza Trail and varying perspectives on his expedition on our YouTube.

0000

Indigenous Peoples
in the LA Basin

The original caretakers of this area now called Los Angeles have been living in this region for thousands of years. The LA River Watershed and greater Southern California region was, and still is, the homeland of several indigenous tribes including: the Gabrieleño Kizh, the Gabrieleño Tongva, the Fernandeño Tataviam, and the Chumash. Indigenous peoples lived in harmony with our streams and rivers, and organized their lives around the bounty of natural resources for food, shelter, and sustenance.

Click here to learn more in our Native Narratives playlist on YouTube.

Time Immemorial: Indigenous Peoples in the LA Basin

Our Impact in 2024

This year, our community showed up for the River again and again and again.

We restored habitat, removed invasive species, and welcomed thousands of volunteers. We expanded our education programs, supported local artists, and built partnerships to push for a healthier, more accessible LA River. We fought for policies that protect communities, not just concrete. And we made space for joy, too through RiverFest, Bats & Brews, and quiet morning walks along the water.

It all added up. Take a look at what we accomplished together:

Director of Community Engagement

(he/him)

Natasha Keefer

Board Chair

Natasha Keefer

Board Chair

Vikrum Aiyer

Jaime Carlson

Sean Fahmian

Brooks Van Horn

Brenda Eddy

M-K O’Connell

Treasurer of the Board

M-K O’Connell

Treasurer of the Board

Ed Othmer

Amanda Begley

Nathan Nunez

Tashanda Giles-Jones

Mike Kelley

Mia Lehrer

Pauline K. Louie

Ocean MacAdams

Ruth Coleman

Dan Rosenfeld

Nestor Valencia

Alex Ward

Jessica Jewel

Steve Veres

Bruce Reznik

Edith de Guzman

Ben Orbison

Director of Strategic Communications (he/him)

Ben Orbison is a communications strategist, writer, and creative producer based in Los Angeles. He currently serves as Director of Strategic Communications at Friends of the Los Angeles River, where he leads storytelling, design, and outreach efforts to strengthen the organization’s mission of education, equity, and environmental stewardship across all 51 miles of the River.

Prior to joining FoLAR, Ben developed and wrote award-winning branded films and creative projects with m ss ng p eces, including JetBlue’s Humankinda and Hedgehog Land, a Kids & Family Emmy-nominated children’s series developed with the Child Mind Institute.. He also contributed to development work on Darren Aronofsky’s Postcard from Earth for the Las Vegas Sphere and has written for outlets such as Esquire and Defector.

Candice Dickens-Russell

Chief Executive Officer (CEO)(she/her)

As a native of the Lower LA River, Candice is a leader in sustainability, equity, and education across the State of California. She has been working in the nonprofit sector for over 20 years, with experience working with school districts, government agencies, utilities, and municipalities on sustainability and environmental education. As a leader in equity and environmental justice, Candice has guided several organizations in their equity strategic planning. Candice lives along the Rio Hondo in a hidden eco cottage with her husband and ten year old daughter.

Erin Viera

Chief Operations Officer (COO)(she/her)

A seasoned environmental leader committed to community-led conservation, Erin called Northern California home before moving to the Valley with her family, near the LA River. With over two decades of extensive experience in environmental leadership and strategic management, Erin’s expertise lies in guiding transformative initiatives that bridge the connection between people and the natural world.

Her background includes fostering community engagement, championing environmental education, and driving sustainable grassroots movements. Erin’s commitment to advancing environmental causes has been instrumental in her career, reflected in her dedication to fostering sustainable practices and empowering communities to make a meaningful impact on their ecosystems.

Jason Schlatter

Chief Development Officer (CDO) (he/him)

A native of Michigan, Jason and his partner have settled in the valley as residents along the Northern LA River. Jason is a leader in equity, intercultural relations, and organizational development with over 15 years of experience improving bottom-line performance and strategic partnerships within and across corporate, nonprofit, and civic sectors for international, national, and regional agencies.

Since focusing his efforts on philanthropic development, Jason has raised nearly $10 million in government contracts, corporate sponsorships, grants, and in-kind resources benefitting the public health, environmental, and socio-economic outcomes of Angelenos. He has led multiple collective impact initiatives to reduce poverty, reverse homelessness, and increase environmental literacy and workforce development throughout the state of California and beyond.

Danette Bouzanquet

Youth Engagement Manager (she/they)

My name is Danette Bouzanquet and I’m Friends of the L.A. River’s Youth Engagement Manager. I’m an educator and an artist, and the drive for both these passions stems from my grandparents teaching me how to live amongst their fruit trees, volunteer tomato plants, and blackberry brambles in their L.A. backyards during my early childhood. I took their lessons with me to the San Francisco Art Institute where I made films about human relationships to each other and to the ground below us during a time of climate crisis. After earning my Bachelors in Fine Arts from SFAI I found that same passion here in L.A., teaching kids about the land they live on and how our future is dependent on its health. I feel grateful to have the opportunity to impact children and help them come into their power as people who will live through the climate crisis.

Heather Selwitz Briglia

Operations Manager (she/her)

Heather is a former photojournalist who traveled the globe exploring oceans and waterways from the back of a personal watercraft. Her work has been published in magazines around the world. After taking some time off to raise a child and run a few restaurants she has decided to get back to her water roots. This time around she will be learning, exploring and helping educate herself and the community about the LA River.

Dan Mott

Environmental Educator (he/him)

Dan has been on a educating journey working with kids for the last 6 years in science and the arts. After volunteering with nonprofits and doing some after school enrichment programs, the pandemic threw him into being a head teacher for a kindergarten pod in Atwater Village. With this trial by fire under his belt, he was hooked. Dan spent the last few years at a Waldorf school incorporating his love of art and the natural world into various forms of curriculum. After spending the summer as a River Educator at FOLAR, he is excited to share his passion for science, art, and mindfulness.

Kristen Brown

Development and Fundraising Projects Manager (she/her)

Kristen Brown (she/her) grew up in the Crescenta Valley and later attended Pitzer College, where she received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Environmental Analysis and Critical Global Studies. As an undergraduate, she studied abroad in Ecuador and welcomed new students to the campus community with New Student Orientation. Kristen has a few years of experience with environmental nonprofits, most recently completing a fellowship focused on green workforce development and streamlining weatherization custom data reporting. She looks forward to interfacing with supporters of Friends of the Los Angeles River and ensuring the organization’s continued impact with the Development team. In her free time, you can find Kristen going on her daily walk, cheering at Angel City home games, and cat-sitting for local friends and family.

Rebekah Geiselman

Education Site Supervisor (she/her)

Rebekah grew up in New York where she found her passion for outdoor recreation and stewardship. She has a decade of experience working in the nonprofit sector focusing on education and community initiatives for arts organizations. In 2023 she moved to Los Angeles to start a new chapter in the outdoor industry and share her love for the environment with the community around her. In addition to her work with FoLAR, Rebekah works as an wilderness skills educator and guide on kayaking and backpacking trips in Southern California.

Ryan Mayeda

Director of Community Engagement (he/him)

Growing up in Mid-City and eventually moving to Culver City, Ryan has deep roots in the LA area. His passion for the environment started in elementary school during field trips to the La Ballona Creek and Wetlands to remove litter and non-native plant species. Living near the ocean inspired him to study marine biology at UC Santa Cruz, but his career path took an alternate path when he joined the National Park Service as an education and interpretation ranger.

Ryan was immediately hooked as he took his first group of students on a nature hike around the Marin Headlands in the SF Bay Area! His career led him to work for museums and environmental nonprofits as an educator and program administrator. As Board President of the California Association for Environmental and Outdoor Education, he enjoys supporting the organization’s growth as a backbone organization for educators and environmental organizations across CA.

His teaching and leadership experience has helped youth and adults alike to learn and change their lifestyles to better care for this one Earth that we all call home. In his free time, Ryan enjoys camping with his young kids, going on solo hikes, and coaching his son’s little league baseball team!

Natasha Keefer

Board Chair

Natasha Keefer has spent her career in energy and water sustainability, with experience working with public and private stakeholders to implement measurable environmental and social outcomes. Natasha is the Head of Origination and Power Marketing within Prologis’s Energy and Sustainability offering, where she leads in front of the meter solar and storage offerings to utilities, community choice aggregators, and grid communities. Natasha’s prior experience includes sustainable infrastructure development, energy finance, and strategic planning impacting Southern California communities within her past positions at Clean Power Alliance, Renewable Resources Group, Berkshire Hathaway Energy Renewables, and Southern California Edison. She earned an M.B.A. from Columbia Business School and a B.S. from the University of Southern California. Natasha, her husband, two children, and two dogs, are Elysian Valley residents and love to spend the weekend enjoying everything the LA River has to offer.

Vikrum Aiyer

After leaving the Obama Administration, Aiyer built and oversaw the public policy & strategic communications practice for the tech startup, Postmates, managing the company’s legislative advocacy, COVID-19 response, and electoral efforts up through its $2.6B acquisition by Uber. As Vice President, he led the unicorn’s policy efforts on state, federal, and international matters ranging from privacy & tax, to the future of work & the gig-economy. Aiyer also helped manage the company’s executive communications, crisis communications, and corporate social responsibility arm (where he spearheaded its partnership with FoLAR and advised the CEO on housing, homelessness, reproductive rights, immigration, and social justice commitments).

He currently lives in San Francisco, where he serves as Mayor London Breed’s Commissioner on the Workforce Investment Board (WISF). Previously, he was a senior official in the Obama Administration serving as Senior Advisor in The White House for innovation & manufacturing policy, and as the Chief of Staff to the Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property.

Jaime Carlson

Jaime Carlson is Chief Operating Officer at Lunya. Lunya is a luxury lifestyle brand focused on building meaningful leisure. Lunya is disrupting traditional fashion in terms of sustainable supply chains, sales channels and online community.

Previously, Jaime has specialized in alternative asset investment, with a focus on energy, in the Americas. Jaime works on Strategy and Investments for Softbank Energy in North and South America. Prior to Softbank, Jaime was head of Operations at Cypress Creek Renewables, the largest private integrated solar platform in the US with 3 gigawatt of operating assets, and Global Director of Finance at TerraForm Group, a $2B publicly traded renewable energy operating company. She also led mergers & acquisitions in US, Asia, and South America for Rentech, Inc., a Blackstone-backed $550MM revenue natural resource company. Jaime served in President Obama’s first term as a senior advisor to former Secretary of Energy Steven Chu. During her three years, Jaime advised on financial instruments to expand US energy innovation and directly oversaw the deployment of over $35B in Recovery Act funds. Bloomberg New Energy Finance named her one of the country’s thought-leaders in Alternative Energy.

Jaime was a founding member of international award-winning production firm Apertura Films in Panama. Jaime received an MBA and MEM from Yale University and a BS from Tufts University.

Sean Fahmian

Brooks Van Horn

Brenda Eddy

Brenda has been a coach specializing in senior executive leadership development for more than 30 years. She is known especially for her work with officers facing large new responsibilities at the enterprise level. She often works with non-traditional leaders who were originally trained in other arenas like law, medicine, engineering or media production.. or those never really trained at all, just natural leaders. She helps these officers learn to lead organizational units amid the complexities of global, multi-functional, multi- cultural organizations. She has also founded and run 3 successful start-ups and understands first-hand the difficulty of stewarding small organizations. Brenda is also interested in non-profits and the educational sphere. She has coached extensively with leaders from universities, charter schools and charities.

Brenda was educated at USC and the Harvard Business School where she earned an BA. Early in her career she worked at BM, Booz Allen and Hamilton (a strategic consulting firm) and Audience Studies, a marketing research company which tested TV programs and movies. Next, she spent almost a decade teaching, primarily in the Business School at Georgetown University in Washington DC. ere she began her coaching practice working with government leaders and International Development executives from organizations like CARE and UNICEF.

After Georgetown, Brenda spent the next decade running organizations, first as a non-profit leader herself and later as an officer in several small companies, including a start-up. The last of these was an international organization providing high-end leadership development for CEOs of large companies where she was responsible for the U.S. operation.

The most recent chapter of Brenda’s career has been focused specifically on coaching and career development for senior officers. She started this period as head of the os Angeles office of a boutique consulting firm specializing in executive career development, Janotta Bray, which was bought by a larger firm in the same field, Right Management. At Right Brenda became the Senior Vice President responsible for the executive practice in the western U.S. Right was eventually purchased by an even larger international firm, the Manpower Group, where, with the blessing of Right’s U.S. leadership, Brenda took the western region’s senior executive consulting team out of the company and formed Eddy Associates. Right Management then out-sourced to Eddy Associates the practice that Brenda had previously managed. Brenda has now been head of Eddy Associates for more than a decade. er recent clients include NASA’s et Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), HBO, Disney and Fox, Loyola Marymount University and Farmers Insurance. She loves coaching and the chance to work with the truly exceptional people that it provides.

M-K O’Connell

Treasurer of the Board

M-K O’Connell joined M2O, Inc. as a Managing Director in 2009. The firm invests in growth business, particularly those in which a founder is looking to transition his or her company to the next generation of entrepreneurs. M-K is responsible for meeting with potential entrepreneurs and helping them source acquisition opportunities. He also helps ensure a smooth transition from the founder to the new management team.

When he is not monitoring the progress of portfolio companies, M-K can often be found wandering the trails of Griffith Park with his dog and two children. Of course, you’ll find the whole family plucking refuse from the river at the Glendale Narrows during the annual Grand Limpieza.

M-K received his B.S, magna cum laude, from Boston College and his MBA from The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania where he was the recipient of the Thomas P. Gerrity Leadership Award.

Ed Othmer

Ed Othmer, PE, CPESC, CPSWQ, QSP/D ToR, QISP ToR, ENV SP, PMP is Vice President and the North America Wet Weather Sector Leader for Stantec and has more than 27 years of engineering experience as a stormwater practitioner. Ed is a registered civil engineer in California and has maintained a variety of other certifications. Ed received his Master’s in Civil Engineering from Tufts University.

Ed is passionate about the stormwater market. Keeping up with trends helps deliver work with integrity and confidence, which allows him to serve as a trusted advisor. As the North America Wet Weather Sector Leader, Ed is responsible for strategic planning, business development, project execution, and revenue growth. Ed has served as Principal-in-Charge and
Project Manager on hundreds of stormwater projects across the United States for federal, state, local, and private sector clients.

Ed routinely teaches stormwater classes for many organizations including UCSD Extension Program and Lorman Education. Ed serves on several stormwater technical advisory committees in California. Ed also serves as the Past President and Board Member of the Industrial Environmental Association, Co-chair of the San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce Sustainability & Industry Committee, a San Diego State University Civil, Construction, and Environmental Engineering Faculty Advisory Board Member, and Storm Water Solutions Magazine Editorial Advisory Board Member.

During his spare time, Ed spends it with his wife and two daughters. He also might be found ocean kayak fishing or hiking some of North America’s tallest mountains.

Amanda Begley

Amanda earned a Bachelor of Arts in Urban Community Environment and a Master of Arts in Urban Sustainability, both from Antioch University, Los Angeles. She serves as Watershed Coordinator in the Safe, Clean Water program (LA County Measure W, 2018) for the Santa Clara River Watershed, working to develop stormwater management projects. In addition, Amanda works on project development through the WaterTalks program or the Disadvantaged Community and Tribal Involvement Program (DACTI). She also serves on the LA Metro Sustainability Council and is Co-Chair of the Los Feliz Neighborhood Council Transportation and Mobility Committee.

TreePeople, an award-winning non-profit organization serving Southern California, provides expertise in the areas of urban forestry, green infrastructure, multi-benefit projects, and environmental education. They possess significant experience in public-private stakeholder facilitation, planning and project development, and regional and state water policy strategy. TreePeople’s staff of more than 100 professionals also specializes in social equity and community engagement to grow a greener, shadier, more water-secure region.

Nathan Nunez

A descendant of a Native American village in the San Gabriel Mountains, Nathan is guided by his cultural practices of living in a reciprocal relationship with nature. Nathan is the founder, CEO, and owner of NNCS, and in his free time leads a volunteer group called Canyon City Environmental Project (CCEP). He is an active leader, instructor, and advocate in the outdoor community. Nathan holds a Bachelor’s degree in Kinesiology, is a seasoned sports coach/Recreation supervisor, and worked previously as a Health Educator for an urban Indian Health clinic. His work is grounded in hands-on interventions and practice by working directly with the community. Nathan Nunez has provided outdoor instruction, cultural education, group leadership, and coaching for a thousand people in the last 5+ years. His vast experience working with different cultures and ages provides him with a unique ability to form enduring and authentic relationships with the communities he works with.

Tashanda Giles-Jones

Mike Kelley

Mike understands the intersection of nature and cities from an unusual perspective – he grew up on a farm in rural Missouri with nature stretching for countless miles in every direction, but since graduating from university he has lived either years or months in Los Angeles, Chicago, New York City, Seattle, Moscow, Sydney and Florence. Seeking out the best examples of overlapping nature and urban landscape has been a pleasure for many years now.

Living in Los Feliz with his wife, a native Angelina, three young sons and giant Bernese Mountain Dog, on weekends he can be found hiking Griffith Park with his family, chasing his kids in the surf, or showing off his backyard grilling skills for friends. He has also been known to drag his family down to the LA River for an impromptu cleanup and discussion about the importance of community service.

Mike has spent his career in finance – in his role as Senior Vice President for Cascadia Capital, he leads the aerospace and defense investment banking practice for the firm, advising executives and business owners in mergers and acquisitions. Mike holds a masters in business from Stanford University where he was a Sloan Fellow and a bachelors in finance from the University of Missouri.

Mia Lehrer

Mia Lehrer leads Studio-MLA through the design and development of a diverse range of ambitious public and private projects that include urban revitalization developments such as Hollywood Park and San Pedro Waterfront, large urban parks such as Vista Hermosa Park in Los Angeles and Orange County Great Park at the El Toro Marine Base, and complex commercial projects like a Bio-tech Corporate Campus in Thousand Oaks. In recent years, several interesting historic renovation projects have been added to her repertoire; these include Union Station in downtown Los Angeles, the glamorous Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel, and Santee Court, an urban housing development that pays tribute to its interesting context – L.A.’s fashion district. Studio-MLA is a consultant for the Los Angeles River Revitalization Master Plan, leading efforts to identify and plan a comprehensive open space network that interfaces with channel restoration and urbanism.

Pauline K. Louie

Pauline Louie served as the Watershed Ambassador for the Los Angeles River from 2012-2016 as part of the Urban Waters Federal Partnership, a national program started in 2011 to coordinate and accelerate a variety of sustainability, economic and community development projects connecting communities with their urban waterways.

Ms. Louie has coordinated local and federal engagement for the U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development for nearly 20 years on issues of sustainability, housing, economic development and community resiliency. Ms. Louie has managed projects involving Federal Empowerment Zones, Brownfields Redevelopment, Homelessness, farmworker housing, and grant-writing training. She is recognized as one of HUD’s key field staff in disaster recovery, having coordinated long term recovery planning, and served as the lead Housing official in FEMA long-term community recovery efforts following devastating events in Florida and California.

Before coming to HUD, Ms. Louie worked for Keyser Marston Associates, Inc., where she consulted on redevelopment and BRAC reuse issues to cities and developers in California and Nevada. Prior to that, she was a Contracts and Grants Administrator for the University of California during which she coordinated several job retraining grants and fundraising efforts.

Ms. Louie attended UCLA where she earned Bachelor’s degrees in Political Science, and in Geography/ Environmental Studies. Also from UCLA, she completed her Master’s degree in Urban Planning, with a focus on environmental and transportation policy and planning. She has also completed an executive program in Community Building at the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University.

Both Pauline and her husband Tim have fond memories of being raised near the Los Angeles River; they continue to make their home in the area.

Ocean MacAdams

Ruth Coleman

Ruth Coleman has held positions in the public and nonprofit sector for twenty-six years. Currently, Ms. Coleman serves as the Executive Director of the Relationship Coffee Institute (RCI), the non-profit affiliate of Sustainable Harvest Coffee Importers. In this capacity, she is responsible for overseeing the organization’s operations and managing strategic relationships. In 2013 The Relationship Coffee Institute was selected by Bloomberg Philanthropies to bring its innovative economic Relationship Model of development to low-income rural women based in Rwanda. Ms. Coleman manages multi-year project to improve the livelihoods of 25,000 low-income Rwandan women coffee farmers through training and connecting the farmers to the international market.

Prior to joining RCI, she served for ten years as Director of the California Department of Parks and Recreation. Earlier in her career she worked for the California Legislature as a fiscal analyst as well as a natural resources policy advisor.

Ruth was a Peace Corps volunteer in Swaziland, Africa. She is a graduate of Occidental College and has a Master in Public Administration from the Harvard Kennedy School.

Dan Rosenfeld

Dan Rosenfeld is a real estate investor who alternates between private and public-sector service.

In the private-sector, Mr. Rosenfeld served as a senior officer with The Cadillac Fairview Corporation, Tishman-Speyer Properties, and Jones Lang LaSalle. He was a founding member of Urban Partners, LLC, a nationally recognized developer of urban infill, mixed-use and transit-oriented real estate. Among the firm’s major projects are Del Mar Station, Wilshire/Vermont Station and the Caltrans District 7 Headquarters. Mr. Rosenfeld is currently developing and managing real estate in Los Angeles and Seattle.

In the public sector, Mr. Rosenfeld served as Director of Real Estate for the State of California and City of Los Angeles, and as a Senior Deputy for Economic Development with Los Angeles County.

Mr. Rosenfeld is a graduate of Stanford University and the Harvard Business School. He is married to noted choreographer Heidi Duckler and lives in Los Angeles. The couple have three grown children Anya, Austen and Ellery.

Nestor Valencia

Nestor Enrique Valencia is a champion of social causes, including health care quality, the environment, public safety, and youth and senior programs. Endorsed by the Los Angeles County Democratic Party, he served as Bell’s Mayor and as a member of the Bell City Council until his retirement from public service in 2020. He is also a full time health care administrator.

Alex Ward

Alex Ward is an architect with over thirty-five years of experience designing projects from Tokyo and Beijing to Hong Kong and London, New York, Chicago and Los Angeles, including airports, churches, private homes, office towers, stage sets and bridges. He has lectured and taught design at schools from the Rhode Island School of Design to Cal Poly Pomona. He has installed solar panels on roofs in underserved neighborhoods for Grid Alternatives. A hiker and bird-watcher and avid student of urban design, he believes that a restored Los Angeles River is a vital part of the future of the city of Los Angeles and region.

Jessica Jewel

I’m a communications and digital strategy expert with 10 years of experience across global brands and nonprofit organizations dedicated to growing a more equitable future for people and the planet.

Some areas of my expertise include multichannel creative campaigns, storytelling, high-impact strategic partnerships, public relations, advocacy campaigns, influencer and celebrity engagement, social media, content creation, editorial calendars, video production, strategic planning, public policy communications, web management, staff and vendor management, media outreach, project management, fundraising, content strategy and writing.

Steve Veres

Steve Veres served the Los Angeles Community College District as a member of the board of Trustees from 2011–2015. After a 2-year hiatus, he returns to the board for a new 5 year term beginning July 2017. He has served as President and Vice President of the Board as well as chair of the Board’s Institutional Effectiveness Committee and Facilities Management Committees.

As Deputy Chief of Staff to State Senate Leader Kevin de León, Steve works hard every day to protect and empower middle class families. Working with local lawmakers, he helped clean up the LA River, expanded access to higher education, and secured funding to build 17 new parks in Los Angeles. In 2014, Steve helped lead the effort to triple California’s Film and Television Tax Credit and make it more accountable to taxpayers. The bill was praised as one of the most significant steps to protect California’s film industry jobs in the past 100 years.

He is appointed to Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy and has been active on the redevelopment and restoration of the Los Angeles River.
Steve’s long record of public service includes elections to the San Fernando City Council, where he served as Mayor, and appointments to the Metropolitan Transit Authority’s San Fernando Valley Service Sector Governance Council, the Mobile Source Air Pollution Reduction Review Committee, and the Metropolitan Water District.

He has been an Adjunct Instructor at Los Angeles Trade-Technical College and is a former public school teacher. He has also taught various college courses at UCLA. A Los Angeles native, Steve attended Loyola High School and earned his undergraduate degree from UCLA. He was a graduate student and teaching assistant in UCLA’s History department. Additionally, he worked as a journalist and news editor.

Steve and his family live in Sherman Oaks.

Bruce Reznik

Bruce Reznik took the helm of LA Waterkeeper (LAW) in September 2015, where he directs the organization’s advocacy and programmatic work. Reznik previously spent eleven years running San Diego Coastkeeper, where- under his direction- the organization grew into the region’s most effective voice for clean water and helped dramatically reduce sewage, stormwater and industrial pollution of area waterways and educated and engaged tens of thousands of San Diegans in clean water efforts.

Immediately prior to joining LAW, Bruce served as Executive Director for San Diego Housing Federation, where he promoted affordable housing and sustainable community development to ensure all San Diegans could afford a safe and stable place to call home. He also has led the Sacramento-based Planning Conservation League, where he directed the organization’s efforts to promote sustainable water, land-use and transportation policies for California, as well as the Sustainable San Diego collaborative dedicated to ensuring the long-term vitality of the San Diego/Tijuana region’s communities, environment, and economy by strengthening and integrating regional planning. Bruce also worked to promote sustainable land-use and transportation planning for the LA based consulting firm Gladstein, Neandross & Associates.

A California-licensed attorney, Reznik holds an undergraduate degree from UC Berkeley and his law degree from the University of San Diego.

Reznik has served as an Alternate on the California Coastal Commission, and has sat on numerous local, state and national boards and commissions, including the international Waterkeeper Alliance for six years. After too many years away from Los Angeles, Bruce is thrilled to be back home with his rescue dogs, Kayla and Taco.

Edith de Guzman

Environmental researcher-practitioner, consultant, educator, artist, and wilderness explorer working with diverse audiences on climate change solutions.