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.
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.
Dr Mumba is the Secretary General of the Convention on Wetlands and is a Zambian-born environmentalist with over 25 years of global experience in environmental management and Sustainable Development. She joined the Convention on Wetlands the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), where she served as the Director for the Rome Centre for Sustainable Development with a focus on climate change, sustainable development and nature protection and the agency lead for the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration, leading UNDP’s engagement as a Strategic Collaborating Partner in the Decade, and she supported the Italian Government with G20 Process during the Italy Presidency and also COP26 Co-Presidency with the United Kingdom. Prior to joining UNDP, Dr Mumba worked at the global headquarters of the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) for 12 years in different functions, including as Head of the UNEP Terrestrial Ecosystems Programme for the agency. While in this role she also served as the Chair of the Global Partnership on Forests and Landscape Restoration- GPFLR - (a network of many global partners hosted by IUCN and FAO). She is the founder of the Network of African Women Environmentalists (NAWE) and she has received numerous accolades for her work, including being named one the 100 most influential African women. On International Women’s Day 2024, she was honored as 1 of 10 women from around the world by the Government of Finland as part of the Campaign “I was born a Girl”. She is no stranger to the Convention on Wetlands, having worked at the Secretariat of the Convention as a Junior Professional between 1998 and 1999. She started her career at the Environmental Council of Zambia, and held positions with WWF at its international headquarters in Switzerland, in the United Kingdom and in East Africa. Dr Mumba holds a PhD in Wetland Hydrology and Conservation from University College London (UCL), a Bachelor of Science Degree from the University of Zambia, and has published extensively in scientific journals and as a contributor to book chapters and in news media. She is an Honorary Senior Research Associate at UCL.
Dr Mumba is the Secretary General of the Convention on Wetlands and is a Zambian-born environmentalist with over 25 years of global experience in environmental management and Sustainable Development. She joined the Convention on Wetlands the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), where she served as the Director for the Rome Centre for Sustainable Development with a focus on climate change, sustainable development and nature protection and the agency lead for the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration, leading UNDP’s engagement as a Strategic Collaborating Partner in the Decade, and she supported the Italian Government with G20 Process during the Italy Presidency and also COP26 Co-Presidency with the United Kingdom. Prior to joining UNDP, Dr Mumba worked at the global headquarters of the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) for 12 years in different functions, including as Head of the UNEP Terrestrial Ecosystems Programme for the agency. While in this role she also served as the Chair of the Global Partnership on Forests and Landscape Restoration- GPFLR - (a network of many global partners hosted by IUCN and FAO). She is the founder of the Network of African Women Environmentalists (NAWE) and she has received numerous accolades for her work, including being named one the 100 most influential African women. On International Women’s Day 2024, she was honored as 1 of 10 women from around the world by the Government of Finland as part of the Campaign “I was born a Girl”. She is no stranger to the Convention on Wetlands, having worked at the Secretariat of the Convention as a Junior Professional between 1998 and 1999. She started her career at the Environmental Council of Zambia, and held positions with WWF at its international headquarters in Switzerland, in the United Kingdom and in East Africa. Dr Mumba holds a PhD in Wetland Hydrology and Conservation from University College London (UCL), a Bachelor of Science Degree from the University of Zambia, and has published extensively in scientific journals and as a contributor to book chapters and in news media. She is an Honorary Senior Research Associate at UCL.
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.
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.
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.
