Dave Coffman is RES' Director of North California and Southern Oregon Operations, a Senior Fluvial Geomorphologist, and the Klamath River Renewal Project Restoration Program Manager. Dave has spent his career studying, developing, permitting, and implementing large scale ecological restoration projects across the country. David has worked on the evaluation and design of over 1 million linear feet of stream restoration, erosion protection, and streambank stabilization projects on fluvial systems ranging in size from small streams to the largest rivers in North America. David feels extraordinarily honored and blessed to lead a team of first-class restoration designers, engineers, fisheries biologists, ecologists, botanists, permitting specialists, and construction implementation crews on the largest dam removal and river restoration project in the world. His goal is to set an example, and the bar, for future dam removal projects and other mega-restoration projects.
Dave Coffman is RES' Director of North California and Southern Oregon Operations, a Senior Fluvial Geomorphologist, and the Klamath River Renewal Project Restoration Program Manager. Dave has spent his career studying, developing, permitting, and implementing large scale ecological restoration projects across the country. David has worked on the evaluation and design of over 1 million linear feet of stream restoration, erosion protection, and streambank stabilization projects on fluvial systems ranging in size from small streams to the largest rivers in North America. David feels extraordinarily honored and blessed to lead a team of first-class restoration designers, engineers, fisheries biologists, ecologists, botanists, permitting specialists, and construction implementation crews on the largest dam removal and river restoration project in the world. His goal is to set an example, and the bar, for future dam removal projects and other mega-restoration projects.
Danielle Frank is a Hupa and Yurok changemaker from the Klamath River Basin, committed to Indigenous sovereignty, youth empowerment, and environmental justice. She recently transitioned from her role as Native Youth Coordinator at Native Americans in Philanthropy to serve full-time as Director of Development and Community Relations at Rios to Rivers. In this role, she works predominantly on the Paddle Tribal Waters program, a youth-led initiative uplifting the next generation of river protectors, scholars, and storytellers in the wake of the Klamath dam removals. Danielle has worked across movements at the intersection of philanthropy, cultural revitalization, and land stewardship, always centering the voices of tribal youth. Her leadership is rooted in ancestral knowledge, intergenerational organizing, and a deep love for her homelands. Whether coordinating a first descent of the newly free-flowing Klamath or building bridges between funders and frontline communities, Danielle’s work is grounded, visionary, and guided by responsibility to her people.
Danielle Frank is a Hupa and Yurok changemaker from the Klamath River Basin, committed to Indigenous sovereignty, youth empowerment, and environmental justice. She recently transitioned from her role as Native Youth Coordinator at Native Americans in Philanthropy to serve full-time as Director of Development and Community Relations at Rios to Rivers. In this role, she works predominantly on the Paddle Tribal Waters program, a youth-led initiative uplifting the next generation of river protectors, scholars, and storytellers in the wake of the Klamath dam removals. Danielle has worked across movements at the intersection of philanthropy, cultural revitalization, and land stewardship, always centering the voices of tribal youth. Her leadership is rooted in ancestral knowledge, intergenerational organizing, and a deep love for her homelands. Whether coordinating a first descent of the newly free-flowing Klamath or building bridges between funders and frontline communities, Danielle’s work is grounded, visionary, and guided by responsibility to her people.
Christine Colvin is the Policy lead for Freshwater at WWF International. Christine has worked in Europe and Africa on water policy and law development and has extensive advocacy experience, building community-public-private- partnerships for water resilience. She has an M.Sc in Hydrogeology and is passionate about better use of groundwater resources, particularly as a nature-based solution for drought in the climate crisis. Christine led the Freshwater programme in WWF South Africa for 9 years, establishing strategic Water Source Areas and developing the Journey of Water with her colleagues. More recently in the UK she was Director for Advocacy and Communications with The Rivers Trust and played a critical role in strengthening the UK’s new Environment Act on sewage pollution. Christine works with the WWF global network, plus the members of the Freshwater Challenge, to link nature restoration and climate adaptation and ensure that living solutions give long term water resilience for people and nature.
Christine Colvin is the Policy lead for Freshwater at WWF International. Christine has worked in Europe and Africa on water policy and law development and has extensive advocacy experience, building community-public-private- partnerships for water resilience. She has an M.Sc in Hydrogeology and is passionate about better use of groundwater resources, particularly as a nature-based solution for drought in the climate crisis. Christine led the Freshwater programme in WWF South Africa for 9 years, establishing strategic Water Source Areas and developing the Journey of Water with her colleagues. More recently in the UK she was Director for Advocacy and Communications with The Rivers Trust and played a critical role in strengthening the UK’s new Environment Act on sewage pollution. Christine works with the WWF global network, plus the members of the Freshwater Challenge, to link nature restoration and climate adaptation and ensure that living solutions give long term water resilience for people and nature.
Ana Lucía Maya-Aguirre
Director and co-founder of the Center for Marine Justice. Lawyer and specialist in constitutional law from the National University of Colombia. She holds a master's degree in environmental and energy law from Tulane University, which she completed with the support of a J. William Fulbright scholarship. She was a visiting professor in the Environmental Constitutionalism program at the Global Scholar-in-Residence at Delaware Law School, Widener University. She was a fellow at the Environmental Law Alliance Worldwide (ELAW). More than 19 years of experience working on: advocacy in legislative and environmental public policy; research and university teaching; and building capacity of coastal and insular communities). She coordinated the Law and Displacement Network, made up of 14 Colombian universities with programs to assist populations displaced by violence, a project supported by UNHCR and the Norwegian Refugee Council. Author of publications on: environmental constitutionalism, environmental governance and international law.
Ana Lucía Maya-Aguirre
Director and co-founder of the Center for Marine Justice. Lawyer and specialist in constitutional law from the National University of Colombia. She holds a master's degree in environmental and energy law from Tulane University, which she completed with the support of a J. William Fulbright scholarship. She was a visiting professor in the Environmental Constitutionalism program at the Global Scholar-in-Residence at Delaware Law School, Widener University. She was a fellow at the Environmental Law Alliance Worldwide (ELAW). More than 19 years of experience working on: advocacy in legislative and environmental public policy; research and university teaching; and building capacity of coastal and insular communities). She coordinated the Law and Displacement Network, made up of 14 Colombian universities with programs to assist populations displaced by violence, a project supported by UNHCR and the Norwegian Refugee Council. Author of publications on: environmental constitutionalism, environmental governance and international law.
Beth Lambert is the Director of the Massachusetts Division of Ecological Restoration (DER), a US state agency dedicated to the restoration of rivers, wetlands, and watersheds for the benefit of people and nature. DER works with landowners, communities, non-profit organizations, and agencies to remove aging dams, replace undersized culverts, restore salt marshes, and rewild wetlands. Since 2018, Beth has led an expansion of DER’s staffing, funding, and support for partners, accelerating river and wetland restoration across the state, and more than doubling the numbers of towns and NGOs leading restoration at the local level. A fluvial geomorphologist by training, Beth has over twenty-five years of experience in community-based restoration in the Pacific Northwest and New England. She has a BA from Carleton College and an MS from Oregon State University. She is passionate about scaling up ecological restoration to help people and nature adapt to climate change.
Beth Lambert is the Director of the Massachusetts Division of Ecological Restoration (DER), a US state agency dedicated to the restoration of rivers, wetlands, and watersheds for the benefit of people and nature. DER works with landowners, communities, non-profit organizations, and agencies to remove aging dams, replace undersized culverts, restore salt marshes, and rewild wetlands. Since 2018, Beth has led an expansion of DER’s staffing, funding, and support for partners, accelerating river and wetland restoration across the state, and more than doubling the numbers of towns and NGOs leading restoration at the local level. A fluvial geomorphologist by training, Beth has over twenty-five years of experience in community-based restoration in the Pacific Northwest and New England. She has a BA from Carleton College and an MS from Oregon State University. She is passionate about scaling up ecological restoration to help people and nature adapt to climate change.
Christophe Besacier is a Senior Forestry Officer and currently coordinating the Forest and Landscape Restoration Mechanism (FLRM) at FAO, where he is providing technical assistance and implementing restoration projects in more than twenty countries. He is involved in major international restoration initiatives such as the Bonn Challenge, the GPFLR and the United Nations Decade on Ecosystem Restoration. He is acting as co-lead of the Task Force on Best Practices in the context of the United Nations Decade on Ecosystem Restoration. From 2009 to 2014 he was in charge of the Committee on Mediterranean Forestry Questions- Silva Mediterranea. From 2000 to 2009, he worked as regional advisor for the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the Sahel and the Congo Basin regions.
Christophe Besacier is a Senior Forestry Officer and currently coordinating the Forest and Landscape Restoration Mechanism (FLRM) at FAO, where he is providing technical assistance and implementing restoration projects in more than twenty countries. He is involved in major international restoration initiatives such as the Bonn Challenge, the GPFLR and the United Nations Decade on Ecosystem Restoration. He is acting as co-lead of the Task Force on Best Practices in the context of the United Nations Decade on Ecosystem Restoration. From 2009 to 2014 he was in charge of the Committee on Mediterranean Forestry Questions- Silva Mediterranea. From 2000 to 2009, he worked as regional advisor for the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the Sahel and the Congo Basin regions.
James Rattling Leaf, Sr. is a trusted leader and guide at the forefront of integrating Indigenous Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) with Western science to advance environmental stewardship and climate resilience. An enrolled member of the Rosebud Sioux Tribe, James brings over 25 years of experience building partnerships between tribal nations, academic institutions, and federal agencies. He is the principal of Wolakota Lab, LLC and serves as a Tribal Advisor at the University of Colorado-Boulder. Through his leadership, he creates pathways for Indigenous knowledge systems to inform policy, research, and resource management. James is a respected voice on national advisory boards for NOAA, NASA, and the ESA, where he champions ethical engagement and Indigenous data sovereignty. With deep cultural insight and a gift for facilitation, he supports intergenerational knowledge sharing and community-driven solutions rooted in respect, relationship, and the sacred responsibility to protect the Earth for future generations.
James Rattling Leaf, Sr. is a trusted leader and guide at the forefront of integrating Indigenous Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) with Western science to advance environmental stewardship and climate resilience. An enrolled member of the Rosebud Sioux Tribe, James brings over 25 years of experience building partnerships between tribal nations, academic institutions, and federal agencies. He is the principal of Wolakota Lab, LLC and serves as a Tribal Advisor at the University of Colorado-Boulder. Through his leadership, he creates pathways for Indigenous knowledge systems to inform policy, research, and resource management. James is a respected voice on national advisory boards for NOAA, NASA, and the ESA, where he champions ethical engagement and Indigenous data sovereignty. With deep cultural insight and a gift for facilitation, he supports intergenerational knowledge sharing and community-driven solutions rooted in respect, relationship, and the sacred responsibility to protect the Earth for future generations.
Maia Reed currently serves as Global Climate Data Lead at Mars Petcare. She comes to Mars after nearly a decade spent working at the nexus of climate, agriculture, and sustainability. She began her career engaged with food and farming nonprofits before earning her Master’s degree in Environmental Management from University of Colorado Boulder. From there, she pivoted to the private sector, gaining broad corporate ESG exposure while working in sustainability consulting. Maia ultimately found her way back to food when moved into an in-house role leading the dairy carbon reduction strategy at Danone North America. At Mars, she now uses her technical expertise in carbon accounting, data management, and LCA to facilitate climate smart agriculture projects and drive progress towards ecological resiliency.
Maia Reed currently serves as Global Climate Data Lead at Mars Petcare. She comes to Mars after nearly a decade spent working at the nexus of climate, agriculture, and sustainability. She began her career engaged with food and farming nonprofits before earning her Master’s degree in Environmental Management from University of Colorado Boulder. From there, she pivoted to the private sector, gaining broad corporate ESG exposure while working in sustainability consulting. Maia ultimately found her way back to food when moved into an in-house role leading the dairy carbon reduction strategy at Danone North America. At Mars, she now uses her technical expertise in carbon accounting, data management, and LCA to facilitate climate smart agriculture projects and drive progress towards ecological resiliency.
Vera Voronova is the Executive Director of the Association for the Conservation of Biodiversity of Kazakhstan (ACBK), Kazakhstan's leading national civil society organization dedicated to conserving and restoring nature. An ecologist, on her position she works with government ministries, agencies, and orther NGOs to protect and restore landscapes, revive threatened species, and ensure that human impacts on nature in Kazakhstan are minimised. Ms. Voronova chairs the Altyn Dala Conservation Initiative, a dynamic partnership of government/civil society recognized in 2022 by the United Nations as a ‘World Restoration Flagship’ and the winner of The Earthshot Prize ‘Protect & Restore Nature’ category in 2024 for its impacts restoring saiga antelope populations across Kazakhstan’s vast grasslands.
Vera Voronova is the Executive Director of the Association for the Conservation of Biodiversity of Kazakhstan (ACBK), Kazakhstan's leading national civil society organization dedicated to conserving and restoring nature. An ecologist, on her position she works with government ministries, agencies, and orther NGOs to protect and restore landscapes, revive threatened species, and ensure that human impacts on nature in Kazakhstan are minimised. Ms. Voronova chairs the Altyn Dala Conservation Initiative, a dynamic partnership of government/civil society recognized in 2022 by the United Nations as a ‘World Restoration Flagship’ and the winner of The Earthshot Prize ‘Protect & Restore Nature’ category in 2024 for its impacts restoring saiga antelope populations across Kazakhstan’s vast grasslands.
Ernie began his Parks Canada career in 1992 and became the agency’s first Haida Field Unit Superintendent in 2001. For over 20 years, he co-chaired the Gwaii Haanas Archipelago Management Board, advancing cooperative governance with the Haida Nation and Fisheries and Oceans Canada. In 2008, he received a Public Service Award of Excellence for his contributions to Gwaii Haanas. As Executive Director of the Indigenous Stewardship Branch, Ernie led the development of Parks Canada’s first Indigenous Stewardship Policy, created in collaboration with Indigenous leaders across the country. The policy, rooted in reconciliation and supporting the implementation of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, was formally adopted in ceremony by the Indigenous Stewardship Circle in October 2024. Ernie has shared the story of the Haida–Parks Canada partnership nationally and internationally and was recently awarded the King Charles III Coronation Medal.
Ernie began his Parks Canada career in 1992 and became the agency’s first Haida Field Unit Superintendent in 2001. For over 20 years, he co-chaired the Gwaii Haanas Archipelago Management Board, advancing cooperative governance with the Haida Nation and Fisheries and Oceans Canada. In 2008, he received a Public Service Award of Excellence for his contributions to Gwaii Haanas. As Executive Director of the Indigenous Stewardship Branch, Ernie led the development of Parks Canada’s first Indigenous Stewardship Policy, created in collaboration with Indigenous leaders across the country. The policy, rooted in reconciliation and supporting the implementation of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, was formally adopted in ceremony by the Indigenous Stewardship Circle in October 2024. Ernie has shared the story of the Haida–Parks Canada partnership nationally and internationally and was recently awarded the King Charles III Coronation Medal.
Suudhl Cindy Boyko served as the Council of the Haida Nation co-chair on the Gwaii Haanas Archipelago Management Board for twenty-five years, where she oversaw the signing of the Gwaii Haanas Marine Agreement and establishment of Gwaii Haanas National Marine Conservation Area Reserve, the raising of the Legacy Pole at Hlk’yahGawGa Windy Bay and signing of the Gina ’Waadluxan KilGuhlGa Land-Sea-People Management Plan.
Cindy sat as an elected representative on the Council of the Haida Nation for nine years and, prior to that, was manager of the Haida Gwaii Watchmen Program. She is also a member of the Dean’s Advisory Council for the Haida Gwaii Institute.
Suudhl Cindy Boyko served as the Council of the Haida Nation co-chair on the Gwaii Haanas Archipelago Management Board for twenty-five years, where she oversaw the signing of the Gwaii Haanas Marine Agreement and establishment of Gwaii Haanas National Marine Conservation Area Reserve, the raising of the Legacy Pole at Hlk’yahGawGa Windy Bay and signing of the Gina ’Waadluxan KilGuhlGa Land-Sea-People Management Plan.
Cindy sat as an elected representative on the Council of the Haida Nation for nine years and, prior to that, was manager of the Haida Gwaii Watchmen Program. She is also a member of the Dean’s Advisory Council for the Haida Gwaii Institute.
Dr Valerie Hagger is an ecologist based at The University of Queensland, Australia. Her research informs coastal wetland conservation and restoration through fieldwork, community engagement, large-scale data synthesis, modelling, and spatial analysis. Her novel study on the drivers of global mangrove losses and gains revealed promising conservation strategies to reverse mangrove losses in complex social-ecological systems. As a UN Ocean Decade Action, her AXA-UNESCO research fellowship explored community- and Indigenous-based management of mangrove forests to enhance their conservation and restoration. She leads research projects on (a) biodiversity assessment methods to quantify biodiversity gain with coastal wetland restoration, (b) prioritisation approaches for coastal wetland restoration that considers local knowledge, biophysical suitability, blue carbon feasibility, and benefits beyond carbon, and (c) biodiversity enhancements from wetland recovery through feral animal management. She co-authored international Best practice guidelines on mangrove restoration. She is a board member of the Society of Ecological Restoration Australasia and the Pacific representative of the international Society for Ecological Restoration.
Dr Valerie Hagger is an ecologist based at The University of Queensland, Australia. Her research informs coastal wetland conservation and restoration through fieldwork, community engagement, large-scale data synthesis, modelling, and spatial analysis. Her novel study on the drivers of global mangrove losses and gains revealed promising conservation strategies to reverse mangrove losses in complex social-ecological systems. As a UN Ocean Decade Action, her AXA-UNESCO research fellowship explored community- and Indigenous-based management of mangrove forests to enhance their conservation and restoration. She leads research projects on (a) biodiversity assessment methods to quantify biodiversity gain with coastal wetland restoration, (b) prioritisation approaches for coastal wetland restoration that considers local knowledge, biophysical suitability, blue carbon feasibility, and benefits beyond carbon, and (c) biodiversity enhancements from wetland recovery through feral animal management. She co-authored international Best practice guidelines on mangrove restoration. She is a board member of the Society of Ecological Restoration Australasia and the Pacific representative of the international Society for Ecological Restoration.
Dr Phanor H Montoya Maya is a coral reef restoration expert whose field experience began in Seychelles with the Reef Rescues project. He is the founder and former CEO of Corales de Paz, a Colombian organization focused on community-based reef restoration, and currently serves as the Restoration Program Manager at the Coral Restoration Foundation in Florida, USA. Phanor is a Certified Ecological Restoration Practitioner (CERP) accredited by the Society for Ecological Restoration. He specializes in project design and management, grant writing, and strategic consulting to improve restoration outcomes. His work integrates cutting-edge science with practical, field-tested methodologies, ensuring that coral reef interventions are ecologically meaningful, sustainable, and resilient. Committed to advancing the field, he aligns all restoration efforts with globally recognized principles of ecological restoration, emphasizing ecological integrity, long-term sustainability, and community engagement. Phanor's leadership continues to shape and elevate coral reef restoration practice across the globe.
Dr Phanor H Montoya Maya is a coral reef restoration expert whose field experience began in Seychelles with the Reef Rescues project. He is the founder and former CEO of Corales de Paz, a Colombian organization focused on community-based reef restoration, and currently serves as the Restoration Program Manager at the Coral Restoration Foundation in Florida, USA. Phanor is a Certified Ecological Restoration Practitioner (CERP) accredited by the Society for Ecological Restoration. He specializes in project design and management, grant writing, and strategic consulting to improve restoration outcomes. His work integrates cutting-edge science with practical, field-tested methodologies, ensuring that coral reef interventions are ecologically meaningful, sustainable, and resilient. Committed to advancing the field, he aligns all restoration efforts with globally recognized principles of ecological restoration, emphasizing ecological integrity, long-term sustainability, and community engagement. Phanor's leadership continues to shape and elevate coral reef restoration practice across the globe.