Board Members

David Katz, Santa Rosa, California
Mr. Katz is the President of the Board of Directors. He is the former California Director of Trout Unlimited, Executive Director of the Sonoma Land Trust, and is currently the President of David Katz & Associates. Over the last thirty-five years, Mr. Katz has been involved in program planning, development, and implementation with many successful nonprofit organizations. Presently, he works as a consultant on management, strategic planning, and natural resources projects throughout California. 

Juliette Bohn, Arcata, California
Ms. Bohn is the Vice-President of the Board of Directors. Ms. Bohn is a program analyst for the Humboldt Waste Management Authority (HWMA). At HWMA, she manages a regional food waste digester project, enhancing energy efficiency at the waste transfer station, and investigates the feasibility of utilizing local landfill gas. Before joining HWMA, Juliette served in the Peace Corps in the Dominican Republic working on soil conservation and environmental education projects. Ms. Bohn’s graduate school experience also included the installation of a wind monitoring tower to that will help predict the wind resource in the county, as well as the design and implementation a hybrid micro-hydro/solar power generation system to provide power for the Smith River Alliance’s Rock Creek Ranch. While not saving the world, Juliette enjoys keeping bees, surfing, and the out-of-doors. 

Donald Olson, Hiouchi, California
Mr. Olson is the Secretary-Treasurer of the Board of Directors. Mr. Olson is the Assistant Superintendent of Schools for Del Norte County. He has resided in Del Norte for forty-seven years and has served the County as a teacher for twenty-one years and as a school Vice Principal and Principal before beginning his current position. In addition to teaching in Del Norte County, Don served as a teacher leader and teacher director for the Redwood Area Mathematics Project. As a lifelong outdoor enthusiast, Don has traveled much of Del Norte County — including the backcountry — by cycling, walking or paddling.

Jerry Davis, Corvallis, Oregon
Mr. Davis is the former Director of the Benton County (Oregon) Natural Areas & Parks Department where he served for more than two decades. Mr. Davis’ successful tenure with the Department included acquisition, development, and management programs for parks, natural and interpretative areas, boat landings, historic parks, and trails and boardwalks. His work for Benton County was particularly distinguished through the development of many partnerships involving human and capital resources with public and private land owners. Mr. Davis is also a former Corvallis City Councilor and President of the Willamette Kayak and Canoe Club. He has been visiting Del Norte County and the Smith River for more than thirty years through recreation pursuits.

Don Gillespie, Crescent City, California
Mr. Gillespie is an educator, counselor, and conservationist and has lived in Del Norte County for over 45 years. Mr. Gillespie has been active on all the major environmental issues in the County including wilderness, Cal Nickel's proposal for a strip mine, wastewater treatment for Pelican Bay Prison, and many others. Presently Mr. Gillespie is an educator and counselor with Bar-O Boys Ranch, a successful youth rehabilitation and service program located on the Middle Fork Smith River.

Andrew T. Ringgold, Hiouchi, California
Mr. Ringgold is a former Superintendent for Redwood National Park — where he retired in 2003 after a 36-year career with the National Park Service (NPS). During his career, he also served at Cape Cod National Seashore (Superintendent), National Park Service Headquarters in Washington, DC, New River Gorge National River, Petrified Forest National Park, Lassen Volcanic National Park, and Sequoia National Park. Mr. Ringgold has special expertise in natural and cultural resource stewardship; public use management; resource education; community and local government relations; interagency partnerships; public involvement; Native American relations; and NPS legislation. Mr. Ringgold was recognized as the regional Superintendent of the Year for Natural Resource Stewardship in 1993 and 1999, and National Superintendent of the Year in 1999. Mr. Ringgold also serves on the Board of Trustees for the Sutter Coast Hospital in Crescent City.

Diane Seward, Crescent City, California
Ms. Seward has lived and worked in Del Norte County for over 20 years, with many of those spent encouraging visitors and tourism to the area. As a 15-year volunteer for Coastwalk, a non-profit organization focused on completion of the California Coastal Trail, she coordinated week-long group hikes along the Coastal trail in Del Norte County. As owner and operator of Redwood Coast Vacation Rentals for several years, she encouraged and welcomed hundreds of visitors to enjoy the trails, rivers, coast and all other outdoor opportunities in the area. Preferring to be outdoors rather than in, Diane enjoys hiking the trails and biking throughout the county, and swimming in the Smith River.

Bradlee Welton, Nevada City, California
Mr. Welton is a Federal Administrative Law Judge for the Social Security Administration. Previously, he was in private practice based in Nevada City, served as Assistant Director of Save-the-Redwoods League, General Counsel of Friends of the River, Project Manager for the Trust for Public Land and attorney for a Legal Clinic in East Oakland. Mr. Welton has had a long history with the Smith River. He has been on the Alliance Board of Directors for more than a decade and prior to that was actively involved in developing the campaign that led to the establishment of the Smith River National Recreation Area.

Grant D. Werschkull, Crescent City, California
Grant was the founding Executive Director of the Smith River Alliance in 1980. He returned as Executive Director in 2000. He is an environmental consultant and former staff person to the California Nature Conservancy, Redwood National Park, and Bureau of Land Management Rogue River Program.