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Staff Profiles
Core Staff
Judy Kelly, Director
Judy manages the overall implementation of the CCMP and the various projects being accomplished by SFEP staff. She has spent most of
her career working in the area of water and resource management. For the state of Washington, she helped establish instream flow
requirements for Eastside streams and worked on developing marine land policies. In Washington DC, she managed federal coastal
programs for NOAA working directly with a number of coastal states and US Territories. At EPA Region 9, she worked on the team
that crafted the Bay Delta water quality standards and with the San Francisco Estuary Project during its early development.
For the Regional Water Quality Control Board, she worked on regional monitoring issues. In 1996, she went to the CALFED Bay Delta
program in Sacramento where she was promoted to Deputy Director. Over the years, she also spent time at a private water company,
a non-profit organization, and at a major financial services company.
Judy was appointed as a Commissioner to the Bay Conservation and Development Commission and served from 1995 to 1999. She is from San Francisco, is a graduate of University of California, Berkeley and received an M.S. from Oregon State University in water resources and geography. JAKelly@waterboards.ca.gov, 510-622-8137
Debbi Egter van Wisserkerke is the Communications Specialist for the San Francisco Estuary Project. She has over twenty years experience working in communications and administration for the Association of Bay Area Governments. She currently manages conferences and workshops including graphic design, registration, and logistics. She also does graphic design for a wide range of publications and coordinates education and outreach to the general public. DEgtervanwissekerke@waterboards.ca.gov, 510-622-2304
Athena Honore Athena Honore managed pollution prevention campaigns and partnerships as Save The Bay's Policy Associate from 2005 to 2008. Most recently, she led advocacy efforts to reduce trash pollution of San Francisco Bay and to develop broader infrastructure for Bay-safe disposal of unwanted medications. Prior to joining Save The Bay, Athena helped pass school bond measures and get candidates elected to office with Tramutola Public Mobilizations and supported a grassroots group protesting shoreline development in North Richmond. Athena brings three years of project management and editing experience from her work at McGraw-Hill/Osborne. A San Francisco Bay Area native, Athena co-holds a patent in Germanosiloxane polymer synthesis from her early undergraduate work in chemistry, while finishing up at Reed College with a B.A. in English. Athena can be contacted at 510-622-2325 and ahonore@waterboards.ca.gov. ahonore@waterboards.ca.gov, 510-622-2325
Karen McDowell received a B.A. degree in biology from UC Santa Cruz, and a Ph.D. in marine ecology from the Florida Institute of Technology. She then worked as Project Coordinator for California Sea Grant’s West Coast Ballast Outreach Program (WCBOP) for five years coordinating ballast water issues along the west coast of the US, and with federal and international programs. She began work as an Environmental Planner with the San Francisco Estuary Project (SFEP) in January 2004. She is the lead staff for aquatic invasive species issues, she manages the Clean Vessel Act Education Program (limiting the impacts of sewage discharge from recreational boats), and she is the conference coordinator for the Biennial State of the San Francisco Estuary Conference. Efforts on Aquatic Invasive Species include working on California’s State Aquatic Invasive Species Management Plan (which was signed by the governor in January 2008), serving on the Executive Committee of the Western Regional Panel on Aquatic Nuisance Species, representing the SFEP as an ex-officio member on the federal Aquatic Nuisance Species Task Force, and serving on technical advisory groups for California’s Marine Invasive Species Act. KMcdowell@waterboards.ca.gov, 510-622-2398
Paula Trigueros has over 20 years experience working on Clean Water Act grant projects. She develops project life budgets, overall financial management, and contract initiation, negotiation and management functions. Her research and writing efforts range from drafting environmental impact statements, work plans, and contract work scopes to grant writing. Her experience has largely focused on engineering and science project implementation. Her six years with the San Francisco Estuary project have covered implementation of a wide range of environmental projects. She has a BA and MA in English. PTrigueros@waterboards.ca.gov, 510-622-2499
Project-Specific Staff
Jodi Bailey works in the Planning and TMDL Division of the Water Board under a grant-funded contract sponsored by the Clean Estuary Partnership and managed by SFEP. She was involved in development of the PCBs TMDL during its final stages. She currently works on preparing documentation to amend the San Francisco Bay Basin Plan to include new EPA standards for bacteria as well as a risk management program to address risks from eating fish caught in San Francisco Bay. She has a Ph.D. in Geography from UC Berkeley, with a specialty in the political ecology of international conservation. As the recipient of Fulbright and Aspen Institute Fellowships, she spent more than 20 months in the field doing her dissertation research in Ecuador and Washington, D.C. on international environmental organizations and their role in conservation in developing countries. In addition to her background in teaching and research, she also has prior work experience in land use planning for the State of Hawaii and land management at an environmental nonprofit. JOBailey@waterboards.ca.gov, 510-622-2448
Margarete (Maggie) Beth Margarete Beth (Maggie) is an Environmental Specialist in the Watershed Division at the Regional Water Quality Control Board, under a contract funded by the Santa Clara Valley Water District (SCVWD). Maggie will review and comment on CEQA, permit applications, and documents related to stream and wetland impacts including preparing permit conditions and mitigation and monitoring requirements for SCVWD projects. Maggie graduated with honors from San Francisco State University (SFSU) in May 2008 with a B.S. in Environmental Studies - Natural Resource Management and Conservation. While attending SFSU, Maggie worked as an intern at the S.F. Water Board where she reviewed water quality applications under the Clean Water Act Section 401, wrote Water Quality Certifications for wetland and stream impact projects, reviewed and commented on CEQA documents, mitigation and monitoring plans, waste discharge requirements (WDRs) for wetland and stream impacts, and confined animal facilities (CAF's). Maggie can be contacted at 510-622-2338 and mabeth@waterboards.ca.gov. mabeth@waterboards.ca.gov, 510-622-2338
Janet Cox is Communications Officer for the Planning/TMDL Division at the SF Bay Water Board, an SFEP position funded by contracts from the State Water Board. She worked for 12 years as a consultant to Bay Area municipalities, developing and implementing a wide range of local and regional public participation and public education programs related to water pollution prevention and watershed management. In previous lives, she edited the natural history magazine at the California Academy of Sciences, worked on a number of daily and weekly newspapers, and was an elected official in a small town in Massachusetts. Janet has a Master's degree in regional planning from the London School of Economics and a B.A. in English from Stanford University. JWCox@waterboards.ca.gov, 510-622-2334
Xavier Fernandez is an environmental scientist with more than eight years experience in wetland monitoring, wetland policy analysis, habitat impact evaluation, and ecological risk assessment. He currently assists the San Francisco Regional Water Quality Control Board with regulating the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission’s Water System Improvement Program by reviewing environmental documents and preparing 401 Water Quality Certifications, National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System Permits, and Waste Discharge Requirements. He received a B.S. in Environmental Science from Dominican College of San Rafael and an M.S. in Environmental Management from the University of San Francisco. Xafernandez@waterboards.ca.gov, 510-622-5685
Jennifer Krebs is a Senior Environmental Planner who is involved with developing and/or managing a wide variety of regional initiatives including Green Infill – Clean Stormwater, the Erosion Control Workshops for Contractors and Local Government Inspectors, and the EcoWise IPM Certification Program. Jennifer also works on a number of projects at ABAG including the Hazardous Waste Planning Program and Projections/Research. She helped design and implement the Joint Aquatic Resources Permit Application, the Bay Area Dioxins Project and the Bay Area Green Business Program. Jennifer has also worked as a local government haz mat specialist and taught physical geography to community college students. She has a Masters Degree in Geography and a Bachelors Degree in International Affairs. JKrebs@waterboards.ca.gov, 510-622-2135
Ben Livsey is an Environmental Specialist working with the San Francisco Regional Water Quality Control Board on the development
of a Stream and Wetland Systems Protection Policy. Prior to joining SFEP in 2005, he worked with an environmental consulting firm
providing water quality and GIS support and assisted in the assessment and prioritization of fish passage barriers in Southern
California streams. He has also worked with the various local, state, and federal resource agencies on monitoring and assessment
of populations and aquatic habitat conditions of endangered species in California. Ben received a Bachelor of Arts in environmental
studies and geography and a Master of Environmental Science and Management in water resources management, all from the University
of California, Santa Barbara. BLivsey@waterboards.ca.gov, 510-622-2308
Leslie Perry is an Environmental Specialist in the Watershed Division at the Regional Water Quality Control Board, under a contract funded by an Alameda County Flood Control and Water Conservation District grant managed by the San Francisco Estuary Project. She reviews and issues permits for Clean Water Act Section 401 Water Quality Certification on Alameda County’s projects. Leslie has worked at the Water Board for nearly three years and previously served as Data Manager for the Surface Water Ambient Monitoring Program. She has an M.S. in Environmental Law from Vermont Law School and received a B.S. in Environmental Studies with a minor in Geography from the University of Oregon. LPerry@waterboards.ca.gov, 510-622-2312
Jeremiah J. Puget received a B.A from Sonoma State University in Environmental Studies focusing on conservation, restoration and biology. He currently works on 401 Dredge and Fill Water Quality Certifications at the North Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board. Before joining SFEP, he worked as a Project Manager / Environmental Scientist for a consulting firm, focusing on soil, ground water, and surface water quality assessments and remediation. JPuget@waterboards.ca.gov, 707-576-2220
Brendan Thompson has been an Environmental Specialist at SFEP (since August 2005) working as the point person for State wetland fill and stormwater permitting issues involving Caltrans projects. Prior to that, he was a student intern and a Phase II Municipal Stormwater Program Coordinator at the San Francisco Bay Regional Water Quality Control Board. He has a BA in Physical Geography from San Francisco State University, specializing in water and soil resources. BThompson@waterboards.ca.gov, 510-622-2506