Janine M. Castro, Ph.D., R.G.

• Geomorphologist, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and National Marine Fisheries Service
• Technical Director, PSU River Restoration Certificate Program

Janine Castro is a national expert in geomorphology with the US Fish and Wildlife Service and National Marine Fisheries Service in Portland, Oregon. Her primary duties include developing streamlining tools to improve stream restoration implementation and effectiveness, providing technical assistance on stream restoration projects, evaluating state and federal permit applications for instream work, including dam removal and channel reconstruction, and coordinating between state and federal agencies on controversial issues related to fluvial geomorphology. She is an experienced instructor who provides local, national, and international training on geomorphology, stream restoration, and public speaking for scientists.

Dr. Castro helped develop the EPP River Restoration Program, is one of the five founding members of River Restoration Northwest, and is adjunct faculty in the Environmental Sciences and Management Department at Portland State University. For more information, visit Janine’s Google Scholar Page.

Colin R. Thorne, Ph.D.

• Professor and Chair of Physical Geography, University of Nottingham, UK
• River Consultant, ESA Vigili-Agrimis, Portland, OR
• Technical Director, PSU Advanced River Restoration Certificate Program

He has been an academic for more than four decades, including appointments at Colorado State University, US Army Corps of Engineers Waterways Experiment Station, and Agricultural Research Service National Sedimentation Laboratory. His research concentrates on fluvial hydraulics and sediment transport in natural, modified and managed rivers, particularly with respect to the implications for erosion, sedimentation and flood risk. Thorne performs original research and consultancy nationally and internationally, including work on large rivers and their coastal deltas. Currently, he is leading a research consortium on Blue-Green Cities and is engaged a collaborative research with Portland State University and Reed College on green infrastructure in Portland, OR. For more information, visit Colin’s Google Scholar Page.

Morgan Clay, P.E.

• Walla Walla Basin Assistant Habitat Project Leader, Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation (CTUIR)

Morgan earned a B.S. of Environmental Science from University of Portland. After working in fisheries for several years, she returned to University of Portland for a Masters in Civil Engineering. She worked as a water resources engineering designer at a local design firm before moving to Walla Walla. Morgan uses her background in fisheries science and water resources engineering to support the development and implementation restoration projects throughout the Walla Walla River basin. Her projects focus on the touchstones outlined in the Umatilla River Vision (Jones et. al. 2008) and include elements such as floodplain reconnection, side channel reconnection, habitat structures, and fish passage improvements. Morgan also serves as treasurer on the River Restoration Northwest Board of Directors.  

Patrick Edwards, Ph.D.

• Faculty, Portland State University's Environmental Science and Management
• Director, PSU Environmental Professional Program

Pat is faculty in the Environmental Science and Management Department and director of the Environmental Professional Program at Portland State University. His research interests include stream invertebrates, bioassessment and citizen science. Pat has 20 years of experience conducting aquatic stream invertebrate surveys and is author of the Stream Insects Field Guide. Pat earned his Ph.D. from Portland State’s School of the Environment and also has a Masters in Science Education. For more information, visit Pat’s website.

Brad Hermanson, P.E., PMP

Brad Hermanson, PE, PMP provides strategic environmental and project management consulting through his own company, Hermanson Consulting Company LLC.  Brad has a bachelor’s degree with high scholarship in chemical engineering and a master’s degree in civil/environmental engineering with a minor in chemical engineering from Oregon State University, and a master’s degree in business administration from the University of Oregon.  He is a Professional Engineer in both Chemical and Environmental Engineering.

Brad has worked in the consulting engineering industry for almost 40 years. Brad’s technical and regulatory specialties include environmental cleanup and he has been involved with over 60 federal and 20 state cleanup sites. He has been project manager, program manager, or provided senior project management support on some of the largest and most controversial environmental projects in the Pacific Northwest. For example, for seven years he provided consulting support to EPA as project manager for the Portland Harbor CERCLA RI/FS project on the lower Willamette River. He also provided project management support to the Port of Portland and Corps of Engineers on the Columbia River Channel Improvement Reconsultation project. 

Brad has a high expertise in project management. He was Corporate Director of Project Delivery and Quality at Parametrix, and a Regional Project Execution Leader at CH2M HILL. He speaks frequently about many aspects of project management. He is a recognized leader in project risk management, and taught or co-taught the PMI Portland Chapter PMP certification risk management section for almost ten years. He has given global webinars and spoken at international conferences on risk management, decision-making, and organizational development. Brad's Linkedin page.

Chris James, CWM, CERP

• Hydrologist, Tetra Tech, Inc.

Chris James is a hydrologist with Tetra Tech, Inc., and has both managed and served as lead hydrologist on projects to restore or enhance fisheries habitat at the reach- and watershed-scale throughout the United States. He has conducted surface water analyses, performed geomorphic and aquatic habitat assessments, developed habitat suitability models of existing and proposed conditions, completed designs, acquired permits, and managed construction for a variety of projects to benefit threatened and endangered anadromous and resident fish species. He has developed programs to monitor the effectiveness of stream restoration and enhancement efforts and has been integral in their implementation, analyses, and reporting. Since 2008, he has managed or been the technical lead on nearly 100 projects for over 35 clients focused on fish passage and river restoration and enhancement.

Melanie Klym, P.E., R.G./L.G, ENV SP

• River Design Group

Melanie grew up in the woods and wetlands of eastern Massachusetts and spent most of her childhood playing in the forest behind her house and climbing glacial erratics. During hours of exploration and observation, she became fascinated with the movement of water throughout the landscape and how wildlife (especially beavers, birds, fish, snakes, and salamanders) used these different habitats. Her mother always made sure that Melanie emptied her hands (and pockets) before she was allowed back into the house lest another snake decide that the house provided better shelter than the debris pile it formerly occupied.

Melanie realized that she could pursue her interests in geological sciences and environmental studies as major areas of study while at Tufts University. Her environmental studies focused on the intersection of science with policy and economics especially regarding water resources. She has always been fascinated by the effects of dams and impoundments on the geomorphic processes in the watershed, the ecological impacts, and the social effects upstream and downstream.

She moved to Portland, Oregon in 2008 to serve as an AmeriCorps member for the City of Gresham’s Natural Resources Program restoring urban watershed health. She obtained the River Restoration Professional Certificate while serving as an AmeriCorps volunteer and decided that engineering sounded quite fun, especially in the context of removing constraints on rivers previously imposed by civil engineers of the past. She completed a masters of science degree in civil and environmental engineering at Portland State University and her research focused on groundwater-surface water interactions in former quarry ponds. She regularly volunteers with the Johnson Creek Watershed Council, River Restoration Northwest, and the Geologic Society of the Oregon Country.

At River Design Group, Melanie brings her interdisciplinary background and experiences to develop river restoration designs that are sustainable in the watershed context and encourage change over time to sustain healthy ecosystems. She particularly enjoys the intersection of geology and geomorphology with restoration design and setting expectations for how systems are likely to continue to change in years to come. She has experience applying river restoration principles including hydrologic and hydraulic analysis, sediment dynamics and geomorphic evaluation, large woody material design, and riparian revegetation for public agencies and watershed councils. She is an experienced project manager and has worked with diverse teams to prepare scopes, budgets and schedules; perform QA/QC for design; prepare design drawings and PS&E packages; and manage subcontractors. Melanie is a registered/licensed geologist in Oregon and Washington and a professional engineer licensed in Oregon, Washington, Idaho and Montana. Melanie's Linkedin.

Nick Legg, PG

• Wolf Water Resources

Nick is a geomorphologist and licensed geologist with a passion for teasing out complex landscape interactions to enhance the longevity of ecosystem restoration, management, and engineering projects. His work has spanned diverse scales and environments, from site and reach-scale designs to watershed and basin-scale planning efforts. He brings a holistic view of channel-floodplain systems that bridges the gap between human and biological communities.

Timmie Mandish

• Fish Biologist, Natural Resources Conservation Service

Timmie Mandish is the Western National Fish Biologist for the NRCS where she provides technical assistance and training to 13 western states out of their West National Technology Support Center in Portland, Oregon.  She has over 25 years of experience in the natural resources field primarily focusing on fisheries biology and habitat restoration, and how restoration practices can be integrated into viable solutions for working landscapes.  Prior to her employment with NRCS, Timmie was a project manager and technical lead for the Bonneville Power Administration, where she worked with local stakeholders to developed tools to incorporate available research, monitoring and physical data into a GIS format for decision making. These tools helped to advance a framework for strategic implementation of habitat restoration based on current science, vetted by feasibility. In addition, she oversaw and contracted a wide variety of restoration, flow, research, & hatchery projects within agricultural communities.  Timmie’s experience also includes 10 years with the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service implementing restoration projects on private land finding the common ground between fish and wildlife species recovery and the management needs of the landowner.

Shivonne Nesbit, MS

• Fish Biologist, NOAA West Coast Region

Growing up on a lake in Eastern Canada, Shivonne's passion for ecosystems began at an early age. Shivonne moved west to pursue a degree in Natural Resource Science at Thompson River University in Kamloops, BC. This multidisciplinary degree led Shivonne to work for a diversity of agencies while in BC including: BC Forest Service, Agriculture Canada and BC Conservation Foundation. Shivonne's last employer while in BC was the Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO). Shivonne's primary role with DFO was developing a stream restoration assessment protocol to guide field assessments of stream restoration projects.

In 2003, Shivonne migrated south for a position with the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife and spent 12 years working for ODFW as a fisheries biologist. Shivonne took a leave from work in 2007 to pursue a Master's degree in Fisheries Science at Oregon State University. The focus of the Shivonne's thesis was movement patterns and population dynamics of redband trout and mountain whitefish in the Crooked River, OR. Shivonne returned to work in 2010 in a joint role for the ODFW and the USFWS focusing on ESA related matters. Serving as ODFW's Endangered Species Act (ESA) coordinator enhanced Shivonne's interest in the connections between policy and science, so in the fall of 2014, Shivonne decided to take advantage of a new employment opportunity working for NOAA on ESA policy and Section 7 consultations. Shivonne has a diverse ecological background and a deep love for the natural world.

Sue Niezgoda, Ph.D., P.E.

• Professor of Civil Engineering, Gonzaga University

Dr. Niezgoda is a Professor of Civil Engineering at Gonzaga University and a registered licensed engineer. She has an emphasis in water resources engineering and teaches and conducts research in the areas of fluid mechanics, hydraulic engineering, stream restoration, soil erosion and sediment transport, hydrologic and hydraulic modeling, and uncertainty and risk assessment. Dr. Niezgoda is currently working on monitoring the effectiveness of beaver dam analogs to reduce downstream sediment loads and restoring depositional river valleys to a Stage 0 anastomosing channel network. She has also published a body of knowledge for the practice of stream restoration that can be used as a foundation for a national certification. Dr. Niezgoda is an active member of the ASCE EWRI Hydraulics and Waterways Council River Restoration Technical Committee and River Restoration Northwest, a nonprofit organization aimed at advancing the science and standards of practice of river restoration through an interdisciplinary process-based approach.. For more information, visit Sue’s faculty profile page.

Peggy O’Neill, PWS

• Senior Environmental Biologist/Botanist, Jacobs Engineering

Peggy is a senior botanist and wetland scientist at Jacobs Engineering (formerly CH2M HILL) with over 23 years’ experience working on projects throughout the Pacific Northwest, the desert southwest, and even a bit in the northeastern US. As a senior technical consultant, she leads teams of wetland scientists and botanists on various public and private projects. She holds a Master of Science degree from Portland State University in Environmental Resources and Management where her area of focus was botany and plant ecology. She is a member of the Society of Wetland Scientists and is a certified Professional Wetland Scientist with that organization. She has conducted and lead wetland delineation and botanical surveys, including rare plant and noxious weed surveys, throughout the Pacific Northwest, California, and the desert southwest, for road and bridge construction projects, wastewater and drinking water treatment facilities, pipeline projects, and renewable energy projects including solar and wind power projects. She developed the protocol for identifying the rare remnant Palouse Prairie grassland habitat in southeastern Washington while working on a wind power project in that region.

Phil Scoles

Phil Scoles owns his own earth science consulting firm, specializing in delineations, soil science and restoration. Scoles' technical knowledge and working skills with West Coast hydric soils and wetland hydrology is firmly and richly practical as well as academic. As a respected and professionally based soil scientist, businessman and instructor, Scoles delivers both good science as well as a professional hands-on approach to the everyday complexity of wetland business.

Brook Silver

• Fish Biologist, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Brook has worked as a fish biologist for over 20 years in the Pacific Northwest.  Before arriving at the USFWS in Vancouver Washington, she worked at the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, the U.S. Forest Service Sierra National Forest, and the USFWS Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta Fish Monitoring Program. Currently she develops and implements projects that evaluate fish passage, abundance, and distribution of both wild and hatchery fish. She is proficient in Program R, data management, and tracking of state and federal field sampling permits.

Terril Stevenson, R.G., L.P.G.

• Geomorphologist, Wolf Water Resources

Terril is a senior geomorphologist at Wolf Water Resources, joining them after 35 years of experience in the US Federal Government, most recently as the regional fluvial geomorphologist and group lead for River Systems Analysis and Design at the Pacific Northwest Region of the US Bureau of Reclamation. In that position Terril was responsible for technical aspects of habitat actions implemented as part of the Federal Columbia River Power System Biological Opinion (FCRPS Biop). Terril also worked for US Bureau of Land Management and US Natural Resources Conservation Service. She received her Geology degree from Brigham Young University followed by additional studies in soils and botany at Boise State University. She is a licensed professional geologist in both Oregon and Idaho. She has extensive experience with geomorphic assessment, watershed and resource planning and stream restoration design and implementation. Her expertise also includes environmental compliance, policy development, and partner and stakeholder relations. She has worked throughout the western United States including Alaska, Washington, Montana, Oregon, Idaho, Nevada and Utah. She was on the Board of Directors of River Restoration Northwest from 2010 through 2018, and served in officer positions including President.

Steve Winter, PH, PWS

• Natural Systems Design

Steve is an avid cyclist and river walker with over 18 years of experience observing and restoring rivers, streams, and wetlands in Washington, Oregon, and California. He is a registered Professional Hydrologist and Professional Wetland Scientist, whose projects range from technical investigations of detailed site specific phenomena to large, multi-disciplinary projects that span multiple years. Steve brings a balanced view to projects with a keen understanding of the interplay between physical and ecological processes and the critical steps needed to achieve restoration goals and keep projects on schedule and under budget. He is known for his understanding of estuarine processes and has worked extensively in the nearshore environments of the Lower Columbia River and Puget Sound.