Introducing our new JV Management Board Members

The SFBJV has undergone many transformations since August 2023, with a new Coordinator, Management Board Chair & Vice Chair, and 12 new Management Board members. The Management Board guides the work of the JV, ensuring that our partnership is achieving the 2022 Implementation Strategy goals. We are incredibly grateful for the support and leadership from the JV Management Board. 

Learn more about our newest Management Board members and why they are excited to join the Board and how they spend their time in the Bay Area.

Meghan Hertel: Deputy Secretary, Biodiversity and Habitat – CNRA

  • I am excited to be part of the SF Bay Joint Venture Management Board because of the incredible breadth and depth of expertise of the organizations that are working together through the JV to achieve habitat restoration and management for birds, fish, and wildlife. This is a highly developed and complex region that is incredibly important to birds and wildlife in addition to the communities and people that live here. The JV is a solution-oriented organization that is helping drive strategic habitat restoration and management, creating real change on the ground.
  • So many things! Camping in Golden Gate National Recreation Area. It is amazing that you can feel like you are far away from people but still see the outline of San Francisco from many of the campsites.

Cameron Carr: Director of Policy & Chief Operating Officer, Bay Planning Coalition

  • I’m excited to be a part of the SF Bay Joint Venture Management Board to collaborate with fellow partnership members in advancing restoration and adaptation for a resilient San Francisco Bay region.
  • For fun, I enjoy exploring the great food and outdoor spaces the Bay Area has to offer. I am always amazed by the countless parks and trails that are easily accessible in the region.

Evyan Borgnis-Sloane: Deputy Regional Manager, State Coastal Conservancy

  • I’m excited to be on the SF Bay Joint Venture Management Board because I know the restoration community can rise to the challenge of climate change and equity when we work together.
  • I like to take my children swimming all over the Bay whether that be at Bay beaches, the ocean, rivers, lakes, and even those weird East Bay artificial lagoons!

Eileen White: Executive Officer: San Francisco Bay Regional Water Quality Control Board

  • I am excited to be on the San Francisco Bay Joint Venture Management Board because I am passionate about protecting the environment for future generations, and I look forward to contributing to restoring wetland habitats.
  • I enjoy running and hiking in the great outdoors.

Sara Morton Sadler: Senior Land Planner, Pacific Gas & Electric

  • I am excited to join this board because I care deeply for its mission to make our bay ecosystems more resilient to climate change and look forward to being part of a community of members who have dedicated their careers to this goal.
  • I enjoy running along the shoreline!

Tami Church: Environmental Planner, US Army Corps of Engineers

  • The group is made up of dedicated and passionate individuals with a wealth of experience!  I’m excited to be plugged into these important conversations around creative approaches to conservation.
  • Simple joys — I like a nice cup of coffee while enjoying our great Bay Area weather.

Karen McDowell: Senior Environmental Specialist, San Francisco Estuary Partnership

  • I’m excited to join the SFBJV Management Board to be a part of the collaborative effort to increase the pace and scale of protection, restoration, and enhancement action needed to provide critical habitat to species and to keep pace with sea level rise.
  • I enjoy riding my bike along the shoreline and watching shore birds. I also love sailing on the Estuary. Whenever I am outdoors, I always have my binoculars within reach so that I can watch the wildlife.

Matt Putnam: Senior Director Environmental Management, Pacific Gas & Electric

  • I am excited to be a part of the SF Bay Joint Venture Management Board to help unite public and private interests to foster a Bay Area where a thriving ecosystem coexists harmoniously with the community and economic growth. 
  • I love being outdoors and exploring new place with family and friends.  I also enjoy the summer days and nights at kids’ baseball and softball tournaments, surrounded by a community of friends and watching their children compete and have fun. 

Keith Lichten: Division Manager, Watershed Management Division, SF Bay Regional Water Quality Control Board

  • I feel lucky to be a part of the Bay Area wetland conservation community, and to consider how we collectively—and my agency, the Water Board—can facilitate wetland conservation.
  • Like Groucho Marx says, outside of a dog, a book is man’s best friend, and inside a dog, it’s too dark to read! Outside of the Joint Venture, I’ve fenced epee for more than 30 years, about ten on the U.S. team.

Tessa Beach – Chief of Planning and Environmental Services, US Army Corps of Engineers 

Madeline Drake: Assistant Secretary for Biodiversity and Habitat with the California Natural Resources Agency

Lyndsey Tu: San Francisco Bay Water Quality Improvement Team, Environmental Protection Agency