RIVERS WITHOUT BORDERS

Chris Zimmer, Alaska Campaign Director
Chris has been working on environmental issues for over 20 years in Washington State, Washington, DC; Montana and Alaska, including nuclear weapons testing, Columbia River dams and salmon, forest campaigns and Southeast Alaska/British Columbia transboundary issues. For RWB, he works with a variety of constituencies focusing on wild salmon and those who depend on these magnificent fish for their livelihood and culture.

Terry Portillo, Finance and Operations
Terry is a certified public accountant and provides crucial operations, human resources, and administrative support for Rivers Without Borders. She has worked for nonprofit organizations in this capacity since 2002, and brings with her years of experience from the for-profit world in Silicon Valley. While she has always had a love of the natural world, becoming a parent many years ago heightened her awareness of the urgency of the issues we face. She is grateful for the support of her husband and family, which allows her the opportunity to contribute to the good work of the environmental community.

Nola Poirier, Communications Coordinator
Nola has years of on the ground experience working on various environmental and social justice campaigns, as well as a Masters degree in Environmental Studies.  She worked full-time for RWB from 2004 - 2007 and now works as a writer from her organic farm in southern BC. Nola is putting her energy to work for us once again, offering communications and outreach support for our campaigns.

Paula Terrell, Alaska Campaign Support
In addition to having been a commercial salmon troller in Southest Alaska for 30 years, Paula is an effective advocate for conservation, focusing primarily on sustainable fisheries and intact marine ecosystems. She has worked for numerous Alaska legislators, the Alaska Marine Conservation Council, and she has the distinction of having been the first staffer for RWB upon its inception.

Kristin Hoelting, Fisheries Research Intern
Kristin was raised in southeast Alaska.  She has a B.A. from Harvard, and is currently a graduate student in the University of Washington’s Marine Affairs program.  She’s also a research assistant with NOAA’s Northwest Fisheries Science Center, has studied salmon management in Norway, and crews on an Alaskan salmon boat in summer.  Somehow, in the midst of all that, she finds time to help Rivers Without Borders synthesize salmon research.

Ric Careless, Transboundary Watershed Policy
Ric has been recognized for his environmental achievements with the Order of BC (the province’s highest honour). For over 35 years as a wilderness campaigner he has played a key role in the preservation of more than 3.5 million hectares (8 million acres) of BC wilderness in the Tatshenshini, Stikine, Chilcotin, Kootenays, and Vancouver Island.

Steering Committee

Tim Bristol
Tim works in Juneau, Alaska as the Alaska Program Director of Trout Unlimited. Prior to joining TU in June 2005, he served as the Executive Director of the Alaska Coalition, as an organizer for the Southeast Alaska Conservation Council and as the Alaska Representative for the Save Our Wild Salmon Coalition.

Dan Fitzgerald
After years of a successful litigation practice, Dan recently returned to law school to earn an LLM in International Water Resources. He now works as an independent consultant on a variety of natural resource and environmental issues. He lives with his wife and daughter in Haines, Alaska.

Ben Kirkpatrick
Ben comes to RWB after two decades with the Alaska Department of Fish and Game. As the Area Habitat Biologist for northern SE Alaska he reviewed all mining projects in the region including the Kensington and Tulsequah Chief Mines.  Ben was also project manager for the Community Watersheds Project, establishing local watershed councils throughout SE Alaska and providing technical support regarding salmon habitat restoration projects.  
   

Katya Kirsch
A skilled facilitator, Katya has over 25 years of experience with Alaska conservation issues, including more than three years as the Executive Director of the Southeast Alaska Conservation Coalition and eight years as their Board President. Katya is our Steering Committee Chair and has been part of RWB since its inception. She lives in Haines, Alaska.

Wayne Merry
Wayne Merry has lived in Atlin, British Columbia for three decades.  Wayne has a degree in conservation and education, and a professional background with the National Park Service in the Pacific Northwest and Alaska, and as a teacher in Iqualit, Baffin Island. As well, Wayne is a highly accomplished climber, with numerous first ascents to his credit, and he is founder of the Yosemite Mountain Guide Service.

Dan Ritzman
Currently the Northwest and Alaska Regional Director for the Sierra Club based in Seattle, Dan has a long history of advocacy for northern environments. After 5 years in the wilds of Washington DC helping keep the Bush Administration from despoiling the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, he is happy to be back in the mountains of the west.  
 

Patricia Thomson
A naturalist and educator, Patricia Thomson is the Executive Director of the Stanley Park Ecology Society in Vancouver, BC. She is also one of Canada’s most highly respected expedition raft guides. Patricia is a member of the Explorers League and knows most of the BC-Alaska transboundary rivers intimately. 

Special Advisors

David MacKinnon
David lives in Whitehorse, Yukon Territory.  His association with RWB began in 2000, when he took on Canadian campaign work.  He served as RWB’s Executive Director from 2003 – 2008.

Bart Koehler
Bart is Director of The Wilderness Society’s Wilderness Support Center. He is a storied activist, with conservation victories under his belt from Wyoming to Alaska.