Friends of the Petaluma River is a non-profit organization that is dedicated to celebrating and conserving the Petaluma River, its wetlands, and wildlife.
Our mission: To promote stewardship of the Petaluma River. We work throughout its watershed; providing access opportunities, educational materials, and conservation programs. We also provide a voice for the River’s inhabitants and resources in public affairs.
Our Goals: Access, Education, and Conservation
- To establish a permanent presence in the watershed; becoming the first non-government organization to work fulltime for the betterment of the Petaluma River . and its inhabitants
- To pursue outreach and educational activities that will foster enthusiasm and commitment in the watershed for long term sustainable stewardship.
- To monitor conditions and engage in activities that will reduce or prevent pollution and lessen other harmful impacts on the River and its wetlands.
- To create a River Heritage Center as a community resource. A place to archive information, host events, administer programs, and coordinate river related activities.
Board of Directors
Patrick Campbell, Chair
For the past eight years, several times a week, I have done my kayak training on, and occasionally in, the Petaluma River. The river has been good to me, and it’s time to give back. I’m particularly interested in encouraging human-powered boat use and discouraging wetlands development. Since 1994, Patrick has farmed vineyards on Sonoma Mountain. In addition to his local operation, he produces wine in Argentina and Lodi. During much of this time, he has had leadership roles in national wine industry organizations and been actively involved with local land use issues. Patrick has a BA in English literature from Pomona College and a MA in philosophy from Harvard University. His wife, Faith, and he have three grown daughters.
Elizabeth Howland, Treasurer
Elizabeth is a principal in andHow, a marketing organization focused on helping companies more effectively reach the women’s market. Before founding andHow, she was Vice President of Marketing at Athleta, the premier women’s sports apparel retailer, where she oversaw all marketing functions and spearheaded the design and production of the Athleta catalog. Before joining Athleta, Elizabeth spent several years in executive positions for direct marketing firms including Triplex, Gymboree and Bio Bottoms. Elizabeth helped found the Petaluma Wetlands Alliance, an organization currently devoted to education and stewardship of the Petaluma Wetlands. She has lived in Petaluma for 25 years and is an active outdoor enthusiast.
Elizabeth Mori, Secretary
Elizabeth Mori is inspired to devote her time and energy to community organizations which advocate public access to natural environments. She is the Co-founder of the Save La Cresta Coalition, a Petaluma neighborhood organization dedicated to preserving west Petaluma open space. She is a member of the City of Petaluma’s Development Codes and Advisory Committee, and is former member of the Petaluma’s Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee. During her career in the private financial sector, she was a Vice President of Operations, responsible for technology and organization change. She was the principal of Webwise, a consulting firm assisting technology industry teams develop strategic plans. She was also a member of the Firefund Credit Union Board of Directors. She has a degree in Anthropology from the University of California, Riverside. Elizabeth and her husband have lived in Petaluma for 30 years, and have two adult children.
Andy Rodgers, Vice Chair
As a consulting geologist, Andy has been working in the environmental management profession since 1986. His focus has been evaluating and managing issues related to soil, groundwater and surface water quality. In 1999, Andy founded ECON (Environment, Community & Opportunity Network) – a for-profit cooperative network of independent professionals and specialists.
Important to Andy is giving back to the community in which he lives and works. Andy is involved with various volunteer efforts including;
- Vice President – Sonoma County Regional Parks Foundation
- Advisory Council Member – Sonoma County Agricultural and Open Space District
- Treasurer – Petaluma River Works
- Council Member – North Bay Watershed Association
- Chair – Sonoma County Business Advisory Group (to the 4 Sonoma County CUPA’s)
- District 2 Citizen Advisory Committee – Sonoma County General Plan 2020 Update
- Former Board Member – Sonoma County Economic Development Board, Business Environmental Alliance
- Leadership Petaluma – Class of 2002 Graduate
Andy is married with two daughters and lives on a small farm north of Petaluma in the Liberty Creek subwatershed.
David Hansen
New Zealand born landscape architect David Hansen recently retired from a very successful career working for three Bay Area open space districts. His work over the past 33 years with the Marin County Open Space District (Planner and Acquisition Manager), the Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District (Land Manager) and the Sonoma County Agricultural Preservation and Open Space District (General Manager) was recently honored at several events by the boards of each agency and the Bay Area Open Space Council of which he was a founder and first chair. David was responsible for the acquisition and management of over 70,000 acres of open space and farm land in four counties of the Bay Area. He was also a co-founder and Board member of several environmental non-profit organizations including the Bay Area Ridge Trail, The Trail Center, Whole Access and LandPaths of which he currently serves as Board Chair. He is also a recent appointee to the Board of the newly formed Marin Open Space Trust. Among numerous avocations David enjoys singing with Sonoma Chanson, gardening, backpacking, running and kayaking. David has an art degree from Willamette University and studied for his Masters in Landscape Architecture at U.C. Berkeley. He was a Peace Corps volunteer in Brasil for three years in the 60s, served as Director of the Oakland Zoo Society in 1974 and was a planning commissioner in the town of Fairfax in the late 70s. David lives in Santa Rosa with his wife Marjorie and has two adult children Alexander and Miranda.
Penny Wells
Penny Wells brings a strong set of credentials to the Board of Directors. She was one of the founding members of Bay Area Sea Kayakers, did guiding for Environmental Traveling Companions and was on their board for about 10 years. Currently she is president of the board of Bay Access and am very involved in the Water Trail–both with the planning process at BCDC and with the implementation with the Coastal Conservancy. She is on the Board of Trustees for the Farallone Marine Sanctuary Association. Penny likes to sea kayak, canoe white water, has lived on a sailboat once upon a time, and has done a fair amount of blue water cruising.
Mike Simpson
Since moving to Petaluma with his wife, Merideth, in 2001, Mike has loved and appreciated the beauty of the river, wetlands, and marsh lands that provide a wealth of activities and adventures. Mike is the former principal of Petaluma High School and currently serves as the Superintendent/Principal of Two Rock School. The Simpsons have three grown children and Merideth is a Registered Nurse with Kaiser of San Rafael. Among other things, Mike’s priorities as Board member include outreach to Petaluma-area schools for the educational opportunities Friends and the River afford, and restoration of the cabins in the Petaluma Marsh.
J.T. Wick
J.T. Wick is a principal with Berg Holdings, responsible for government affairs, design and development. Wick has secured $26 million in Federal funding for Port Sonoma, a multi-modal transit center and ferry service. His work also includes office, mixed use and ranch development. He holds degrees in law from Golden Gate University and political science from UCSB.
J.T. lives with his wife and four daughters at the L’il Peckers Egg Farm in Petaluma. Wick is a Past President of the Petaluma Area Chamber of Commerce, and a member of PACC Governmental Affairs Committee, P-RAP, Bank of Marin Petaluma Advisory Board, The Construction Coalition, Petaluma TLT, and Redwood Empire and Athletic Soles running clubs.
Friends of the Petaluma River Staff:
David Yearsley; Executive Director
David launched the Petaluma Riverkeeper program, sponsored by San Francisco Baykeeper, in 1998. In conjunction with his Riverkeeper work he was founding chairman of Petaluma Wetlands Alliance from 2001-03; which successfully promoted constructed wetlands as part of Petaluma’s new waste water treatment & recycling facility. In 2004-05 he led Friends of Tolay’s successful grassroots campaign for the acquisition of Tolay Lake Regional Park, preserving a pristine 1,800 acre valley adjacent to Petaluma River. David collaborates with many other organizations that promote stewardship of the river and its wetlands including; the San Francisco Bay Joint Venture, Bay Area Audubon Council, the Petaluma River Cleanup Committee, the Petaluma River Authority, and the No Wetlands Landfill Expansion group. He served 4 years in the USAF during the Viet Nam war, 1965-68, and earned a B.A. magna cum laude, from San Francisco State University in 1975. He lives in Petaluma and has been active in the Petaluma Watershed for over 30 years as a recreational user and conservationist.
Advisory Council Members:
Abbie Walther
Andrew Packard
Babs Kavanaugh
Brian Grays
Cari Pace-Koch
Christian Lind
Christina Kauk
Christopher Gilkerson
Dr. John Shribbs
Fran Brigmann
Grant Davis
Jaimey Walking Bear
Jim Hage
Nancy Hage
MurrayRockowitz
Pamela Asselmeier
Patricia Menadier
Ron Miska
Scott Hess
Stephen Johnson
Vasanti Jayaswal
