Ron is a national expert in flood management, federal water resources development, hydropower reform, and Wild & Scenic Rivers. He joined Friends of the River as Associate Conservation Director in 1987 and became its Senior Policy Advocate in 1995.
Ron was presented the prestigious River Conservationist of the Year award by Perception in 1996 for his work to stop the Auburn dam. In 2004, he received the California Urban Water Conservation Council’s Excellence Award for statewide and institutional innovations in water conservation.
Prior to coming to Friends of the River, Ron was Executive Director of the Merced Canyon Committee, where he directed the successful effort to obtain Wild and Scenic designation for the Merced River. He is a former member of the Governor’s Flood Management Task Force and currently represents Friends of the River on the Sacramento Regional Water Forum. Ron holds a BS degree in Plant Science from UC Davis and he loves to visit and botanize in California’s wild places.