District News | November Edition: Supporting watershed resiliency in our district, fond farewell to Walt Ryan, North Coast Soil Hub expanding, SWEEP workshop Nov. 18 and more
Read the full newsletter here sonomarcd.org/resources/newsletter/
Engineering Director
Jessica has been working as a civil engineer for fifteen years both in California and internationally. Her experience consists of site design, grading and drainage, erosion and sediment control, rainwater catchment, flood studies, creek restoration, and stormwater management across a wide variety of projects including residential and commercial development, wineries and vineyards, schools, and public parks. She has been working in Sonoma County for the past ten years. At the RCD, Jessica manages and designs a multitude of projects requiring professional engineering design and expertise. Jessica is originally from Ukiah, California and has a B.S. in Civil Engineering from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, with a focus in Water Resources and a Minor in Ethnic Studies. She is a licensed Civil Engineer in the State of California. When not at work, Jessica enjoys spending time outdoors exploring Sonoma County and beyond with her husband and two children.
Associate Director
Associate Director
Brynn O’Donnell brings a background in environmental science, watershed resiliency, and program management. She has experience working across philanthropy, nonprofits, and research institutions to support climate resilience and conservation initiatives, with expertise in watershed science, strategic planning, and cross-sector collaboration.
Brynn currently serves as Senior Program Manager at the Filecoin Foundation, where she oversees a $20M+ grant portfolio and supports mission-aligned organizations in applying emerging technologies for social good. She holds a Master’s degree in biogeochemistry from Virginia Tech, a Bachelor’s in Environmental Studies from New York University, a certification in Nonprofit Financial Management from Cornell University, and multiple certificates in monitoring, evaluation, and learning (MEL) from the International Labour Organization.
Brynn is passionate about collaborative, community-based solutions to land and water stewardship. She is committed to supporting the RCD’s mission of protecting Sonoma County’s natural resources—a place she’s proud to call home.
Associate Director
Program Coordinator
Sophia (she/her) moved from San Diego to Sonoma County in 2018 to attend Sonoma State University. She obtained her bachelor’s degree in Geography and Environmental Studies with a concentration in Society, Environment, and Development. Her previous work has been focused on small scale sustainable agriculture, environmental education, land stewardship and fisheries biology. Sophia completed a year of service through UC Berkeley’s GrizzlyCorps program at Pepperwood Preserve as a Restoration Technician where she worked on the implementation of prescribed burns in grasslands and oak woodlands, conservation grazing, and long-term forest and grassland monitoring projects. As a member of the region’s prescribed burn association, The Good Fire Alliance, Sophia is passionate about participating in good fire projects and building climate change resilience in Sonoma County. Most recently she was a garden intern on a regenerative farmstay in Italy. When not at work she enjoys visiting farmers markets, gardening, foraging, camping and hanging out with her cat, Brooklyn.
Agricultural Program Manager
Accounting Technician
Originally from Richmond, Virginia, Sarah moved to Sonoma County in 2011 and has since managed operations primarily for small, local businesses in the community. Her professional background spans the event planning, apparel manufacturing, and public art sectors, giving her diverse experience in workflow strategies. Sarah is committed to expanding her expertise in finance and accounting and is currently pursuing three business certificates from Santa Rosa Junior College. In her free time, she enjoys reading, creating art, traveling, and hanging out with her cat, Cosmo.
Executive Director
Christine has over twelve years of experience in the field of natural resource management, with an emphasis on community engagement and communications. She has experience building and maintaining positive working relationships with community stakeholders, supporting internal strategic direction efforts, creatively spearheading communications, and collaborating regionally to address natural resource concerns. She has been instrumental in guiding and securing grant funding for RCD programs and diligently works to integrate principles of equity and community resilience into natural resource programming. Christine has worked at the Sonoma RCD since January 2013, when she was hired as an intern. Over the years, Christine gained valuable experience across almost all program areas and internal operations, and in 2024 was selected to serve as the RCD’s Executive Director. In this role, Christine oversees the RCD’s day-to-day functions while providing strategic direction for the future, maintaining and expanding partnerships, and advocating for the RCD at the local, regional, and state levels. She serves at the direction of the RCD’s Board of Directors and works collaboratively with the entire RCD team. A native of Northern California, she has called West Sonoma County home for over a decade after receiving her B.A. Degree in environmental studies and planning from Sonoma State University. Christine’s dedication to bridging the needs of natural resources and the people who steward them keeps her energized to work hard for this community.
Director of Finance and Administration
As Director of Finance & Administration, Adrienne oversees accounting, compliance, human resources, and administrative operations for the RCD. She is passionate about helping mission-driven organizations improve their financial and operational practices to increase their effectiveness. She has 14 years of finance and operations experience in the nonprofit, government, and higher education sectors. In addition to her six years with the District, Adrienne’s professional experience includes supporting ecosystem-climate research as Finance & Administration Director for Pepperwood Preserve and serving as Controller for Blue Forest, a multi-entity conservation finance nonprofit. Originally from the Hudson Valley of NY, she received a BA in Psychology from Lehigh University and is an active CPA exam candidate through the CA Board of Accountancy. When not staring at spreadsheets, Adrienne enjoys hiking, camping, traveling, and cooking.
Director
Jen Kuszmar is the Acquisition Manager at Sonoma County Agricultural Preservation and Open Space District where she works with landowners to permanently protect the diverse agricultural, natural resources, and scenic open space lands of Sonoma County for future generations. Jen has worked in agricultural and natural resource conservation for many years, including in the fields of forestry, watershed and fisheries restoration, agricultural resource protection, urban open space, and grant management. Her career has provided her the opportunity to work in some of northern California’s wild and rugged places and to serve her community. Jen currently lives in Santa Rosa with her husband and their dog, Rowdy.
Director Emeritus
Delmar Friedrichsen was born and raised in Petaluma. He took over his parents’ poultry (Friedrichsen Egg Ranch) and sheep ranch, producing eggs and lambs. Delmar’s family is involved in agriculture and assists him with the ranching. He also serves as a board director for Two Rock Fire Department.
Groundwater Resources GrizzlyCorps Fellow
James is a recent graduate of Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, where he received his B.S. in Environmental Management and Protection with a minor in Land Rehabilitation and Restoration Ecology (Go Mustangs!). James is passionate about the ideas of community-centered land management, processed-based restoration, and recreation. In his free time, he enjoys surfing and running.
Administrative Manager
Jen (she/her) brings significant experience working as a leader and operational backbone for several mission-driven organizations in the food, sustainability and community education space. Most recently Jen was a senior staff member at a non-profit dedicated to increasing food justice in Alameda County. Jen will support the Sonoma RCD with organizational-wide administration, Human Resources and board relations. As a recent Sonoma County resident, Jen is looking forward to contributing to an organization that benefits people and natural resources within her new community. Outside of work, Jen enjoys being near the ocean, working in her garden, and sharing meals with family and friends.
Water Resources Program Manager
Colin has over a decade of experience in river restoration, salmon ecology, and fluvial geomorphology. He earned his B.S. in Environmental Management with a concentration in hydrology from Cal Poly’s School of Forestry and also holds a M.S. in Watershed Science from CSU Monterey Bay. Colin has worked for NOAA Fisheries Science Centers in Santa Cruz and Seattle, researching salmon habitat restoration prioritization and response, population monitoring, and life cycle modeling. Prior to joining the Sonoma RCD team, he worked on fish passages and stream restoration projects for the heavy civil team at an engineering design firm based in Puget Sound. Colin now lives near Occidental on a property that has been in his family for five generations. He is excited to continue a legacy of land stewardship in Sonoma County. On the weekends, Colin can be found with his wife and dog spending time outdoors or working on their property.
Community Engagement Program Manager
Maria, originally from Southwest Virginia, transitioned from teaching high school science in Peoria, Illinois to a career in food systems and agriculture in Sonoma County. With a passion for connecting communities with their food sources, she spent two years at Petaluma Bounty, fostering relationships with local market managers and educating the public about food security. Now, as the Community Engagement Program Manager at RCD, Maria combines her outreach experience with her love for agriculture. In her free time, Maria enjoys spending time with her fiancé and their rescue dog, Mila. She is an avid hiker, loves camping in the Eastern Sierra, and is training for a half-marathon! She also loves traveling to visit her family in the Blue Ridge Mountains, while cheering on both Virginia Tech and the University of Virginia.
Director Emeritus
Vickie Mulas was born, raised and resides in Sonoma Valley. She is the CFO for Mulas Dairy Company and Alta Vista Vineyards Inc. and the Managing Member of Alta Vista Vineyards, LLC and Mulas Family Farms, LLC. Vickie’s education was in business law and with 37 years as a CFO she has acquired advanced knowledge in finance. As a partner in the family dairy and vineyard operations, she has firsthand knowledge of the importance in maintaining water quality and conservation practices.
Emeritus Director in Memoriam
Ron Rolleri, born in Berkeley, earned an AE in electronics engineering and worked at UC Berkeley for four years before moving to Sonoma County in 1971 working as an engineer. After studying agriculture and viticulture at SRJC Ron started his contracting business in 1980 specializing in irrigation and vineyard management, xeriscape, native plants, and planted Hidden Springs Vineyard and winery. Ron served on the Sonoma Co. Vineyard Technical Group board for 8 years and helped develop the first draft of the hillside erosion control guidelines. Ron has served the SRCD since 1998 and the California State Association of RCDs for over ten years.
As a pillar of the RCD’s Board for over 26 years, Ron was instrumental in the success of our mission and meeting the conservation needs of our communities across Sonoma County. His friendly presence will be deeply missed, his volunteerism admired, and his stories not forgotten.
Director
Fred Euphrat has been a licensed forester since 1989, presently consulting with non-profits including Pepperwood and Jenner Headlands. He is an adjunct professor at the Santa Rosa Jr. College, now working on Shone Farm’s management. Fred’s family has roots in Petaluma and Healdsburg and has owned a producing redwood forest on Mill Creek since 1960, which burned in the Walbridge Fire.
Community Engagement Specialist
As the Community Engagement Specialist, Patti works with landowners to coordinate multi-stakeholder watershed planning efforts and forest health partner collaborations. She has over two decades of experience working at the Bureau of Reclamation developing landscape-level conservation efforts, facilitating complex stakeholder engagement meetings focused on water rights issues in the Colorado River Basin, and has a strong background in governmental public affairs. Raised in Santa Rosa, she is deeply committed to sustaining the wonders of Sonoma County. In her free time, Patti hikes and specializes in botanical photography. She is also a weaver and knitter, and enjoys spending time with family, friends, and her two retired racing greyhounds.
Agricultural Program Director
As the Agricultural Program Director, Anya coordinates projects under the LandSmart® Planning and On-the-Ground programs, which include conservation planning on vineyard and ranchland properties and preparation of watershed management plans to guide future conservation efforts. Anya has over a decade of experience in the fields of soil erosion control, water quality protection, and environmental site assessment from her work in the federal, state, and private sectors. She is originally from the East Coast and received a B.S. in Environmental Science from Rutgers University as well as an M.S. in Ecology from Pennsylvania State University. The findings of her graduate research work, on reducing nitrogen losses through the use of cover crops, were accepted for publication in the Agronomy Journal in 2010.
Water Resources Program Director
Aaron has over fifteen years of experience in the environmental restoration/enhancement field. His expertise includes development and project management of projects including bioengineering and sediment reduction techniques for bank stabilization, in-stream large woody debris installations, fish habitat enhancement structures, road improvement techniques, and riparian enhancement projects. Aaron also has experience in stream habitat-typing on tributaries of the Russian River watershed, spawning surveys, erosion surveys, and grant writing. At the RCD, he works with landowners, volunteers, consultants, contractors, and multiple agency personnel to develop and Implement LandSmart On-the-Ground projects including stream enhancement and rainwater catchment. He also works with ranchers to develop LandSmart Plans. Aaron received a B.A. in Environmental Science from Willamette University and an M.S. in Environmental Science, with a Watershed Management focus, from Washington State University.
Project Manager
Fatima has a BS in Geology from California State University Sacramento. After practicing as a geologist in the private sector a passion for conservation motivated a career switch from geotechnical work to ecological restoration. Fatima has a strong field background in ecological restoration, having worked on projects throughout the Serria Nevada and Central Valley. Her work has always centered on conservation, community engagement, and creative problem solving. She’s excited to use her expertise to tend the habitat and communities of Sonoma County, which richly contribute to the diversity and beauty of the California.
Forestry Project Manager
As a forestry project manager, Genevieve provides technical and planning assistance to landowners, assists with forestry project oversight, and develops forest management plans. She works alongside SRCD’s registered professional forester, Jason Wells, with fieldwork, research, mapping, and writing. Genevieve received her B.S. in Environmental Policy from Rutgers University and worked as an environmental and energy consultant before earning her Master of Forestry from the Yale School of the Environment. She was born and raised in New Jersey.
Project Manager
Ari has worked in the field of applied science and natural resource conservation since 2009, with professional experience as a field conservationist, land steward, and research technician in many wonderful places. Graduating with a B.A. in Biology from Lewis & Clark College, Ari also earned a M.S. in Sustainable Forest Management at Oregon State University. At the RCD, much of Ari’s work is focused on post-fire recovery in the Russian River watershed, carbon farming, and forest stewardship. Ari grew up in Sonoma County and is delighted to be able to give back to the land and community through work at the RCD.
Community Engagement Assistant
As the Community Engagement Assistant, Karen will work closely on the implementation of community conservation education programs, supporting our development and implementation for technical assistance towards historically underserved producers and communities, communications and social media efforts, in addition to the development of our JEDI work. Karen found her passion for agricultural youth education and communications by being an active member of her local FFA chapter. This exposure combined with the recent Northern California wildfires influenced her to pursue a career where she could advocate, and educate regarding our natural resources, local lands and agriculture community. Karen received her B.S. from Fresno State in Agriculture Education with an emphasis on Communications and Leadership Development. She recently completed a year of service through UC Berkeley’s GrizzlyCorps program where she focused on agriculture youth education programming, communications and social media development, in addition to inclusive community outreach. Karen is excited to join the Sonoma RCD to continue establishing a sense of inclusivity in our community as well as providing assistance through educational and outreach efforts.
Associate Director
Chris Peterson was raised in the Bay Area watched the transformation of orchards to office buildings. She received a degree in architecture from University of Oregon focusing on sustainability. Retired from residential and commercial work, she now consults. Residing in the Mark West Watershed for 37 years, she has been an active participant in local restoration projects, including those done by the RCD. A co-founder of the Junior League of Napa Sonoma and the Santa Rosa Charter School, she brings board, agency and non-profit experience.
Director
Steve is a registered civil engineer with experience designing winery, agricultural and food process wastewater treatment systems. He has worked on many aspects of the land-water nexus including evaluating water demand, water availability, quality and treatment. His current work includes leading the engineering division of a wastewater technology company. Steve is a graduate of Duke University in Durham, North Carolina, and has lived in Santa Rosa for the last seven years.
Vice Chairman
John J. Nagle grew up in western Sonoma County, where he raised his family and has worked in the environmental field for 30 years; managing land use issues, farming and industrial environmental regulatory risks. He serves as 5th District representative on the advisory committee of the Sonoma County Agricultural Preservation and Open Space District and the Santa Rosa Plains Basin Advisory Panel.
Board Chairman
Bruce Abelli-Amen has lived in Petaluma for over 25 years, raising a family and working as a Professional Geologist and Certified Hydrogeologist for an environmental consulting firm. He has a bachelor’s degree from UC Santa Barbara and a master’s degree from Humboldt State University, both in Geological Sciences. His work has focused on CEQA review of proposed development projects, including aggregate mining, infrastructure, water supply tunnels, wastewater treatment plants, and levee projects. He has also managed numerous groundwater monitoring well networks and conducted water quality investigations.
Director of Forestry | Registered Professional Forester #3014
Jason Wells is a California Registered Professional Forester (RPF), whose focus at the RCD is to provide technical and planning assistance to landowners, help build a forestry program capable of addressing vegetation and fuels management concerns throughout the county, as well as address post-fire recovery efforts. Jason’s work supports the missions of the Sonoma and Gold Ridge RCDs. Born and raised in Petaluma, he graduated from Humboldt State University with a B.S. in Forestry with an emphasis in Forest Conservation; He then worked for six years in private industry throughout Humboldt and Mendocino Counties. His experience includes writing CEQA equivalent Timber Harvest Plan documents, integrating knowledge of forest operations with environmental impact mitigations, silviculture (applied forest ecology), forest health and protection, economics of forest management, and road design and layout. Jason has also been certified by the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CALFIRE) to conduct archaeological surveys for plans in which CALFIRE is lead agency.
Seasonal Conservation Education Assistant
Chloe Winsemius is an undergraduate student studying at Sonoma State University. She is currently pursuing a degree in Environmental Systems as well as a minor in Education and Art Studio. Raised in Sonoma County, she grew up exploring nature through hiking, camping, and fishing. Chloe is also an Alumni of the Sonoma RCD’s FARMS Leadership Program and her time in the program helped to enforce her desire for a career in the environmental field. Before joining the Sonoma RCD, she worked as a Naturalist tour guide and Education Assistant for elementary students at the Fairfield Osborn Preserve. Now as a Seasonal Conservation Education Assistant, she is helping with the planning and coordination of LandSmart Education Programs. Using her background in environmental science and patience for children, she hopes that she can inspire youth to follow a science path and widen their view on the importance of the natural world.
Director
As a lifetime Sonoma Valley resident, Isaac Jenkins is honored to be joining the Sonoma Resource Conservation District Board. Isaac is a proud husband and father of three, running his small, family-owned vineyard management company from his home in the city of Sonoma. The name of his company, Peduncle Wine Co., is a metaphor for what he hopes to continue to provide to Sonoma Valley. Like the peduncle is a stem that supports the grape cluster, Isaac hopes to support Sonoma Valley through community service, growing sustainably, and long-term investment in his family and the valley. Through four generations of family farming and land management, Isaac’s family has adapted to meet the needs of wineries, while conserving, protecting, and restoring local lands. In his ten years since taking over operations of his parents’ vineyard management company, he has maintained a deep respect for the environment and is committed to preserving our beautiful landscape for his children and future generations to come. Isaac has enjoyed serving the community through volunteering, coaching soccer, and contributing to school events. He looks forward to volunteering his time and knowledge with the Sonoma RCD to educate future generations about sustainability and protect our precious local resources.
Associate Director
John Gorman, has worked in diversified agriculture in Sonoma County for over 20 years in dairy, row crops, and viticulture. He currently manages Stuhlmuller Vineyards in Alexander Valley growing both grapes and cattle. He is the Senior Agricultural Program Advisor for the Sonoma UC Cooperative Extension office as well a Director for the Sonoma County Vineyard Technical Group.
Soil and Water Specialist
Keith has been active in agriculture for over thirty years as a producer and advocate of sustainable agriculture. His expertise includes water use efficiency and management, farm management, soil health, hedgerow design and implementation, and grower outreach and education. At the RCD, Keith assists growers to evaluate irrigation system performance, and improve irrigation scheduling. Keith helps promote vineyard soil health by organizing workshops, writing articles, developing carbon farm plans, conducting soil health tests and running a research project to investigate the impact of different tillage practices on soil health and moisture availability. He also works with growers to prioritize multiple conservation goals through LandSmart Plans. Keith graduated from the University of California, Santa Cruz in 1990 with a B.A. in Environmental Studies, emphasizing agricultural ecology.
Staff Accountant
Wendi has 30 years of experience in accounting and finance, including two decades in the airline and hotel industries in Hawaii and Nevada, and—for the last 13 years—in the wine industry in Sonoma County. Over the course of her career, Wendi has overseen budgeting, monthly close, audit coordination with multiple government agencies, and human resources, including payroll and employee benefits. After retiring from the wine industry, Wendi decided to put her skills to use with mission-driven nonprofit and government entities. She’s especially excited to directly benefit her community through her work at the RCD.
Director Emeritus
Earle W. Cummings graduated from Sonoma State University in Biology and has an MS in Ecology from UC Davis. As a former employee of the State of California in a number of environmental agencies, in both a technical and administrative capacity, Earle has experience in Wildlife Biology, Water Rights, Water Quality, Environmental Regulation, Timber Harvest Plan review, Endangered Species Act compliance, and California Environmental Quality Act and National Environmental Policy Act document preparation. Living near Lake Sonoma, Earle is from a fourth generation Sonoma County family.
Director Emeritus
Walter Ryan, Jr. grew up in Sonoma County in both the Bodega and Santa Rosa area and graduated from Santa Rosa High School. After earning a degree in Mechanical Agriculture from Cal Poly, Walter assisted his family part-time on the family ranch in Bodega while working as a supervisor in the field of public works. He was active for many years dedicating his time to agricultural youth education, serving on the Santa Rosa High School Foundation, was Chair of the Santa Rosa High School Ag Advisory and additionally served as Chair to the Ag Boosters. Walter formerly served on the Sonoma County Farm Bureau Board and sat on the Santa Rosa Basin Plan advisory representing the Farm Bureau and its constituency. He left the public sector in 2002 to manage full-time the ranch where his family has been raising livestock for over five generations.
Associate Director
Dennis Murphy , a former partner in Murphy-Goode Winery and a partner in Murphy Ranches, has been a grape grower in the Alexander Valley since 1967, moving to Sonoma County full-time in 1973. He is a resident of Healdsburg. Dennis formerly served on the Sonoma County Planning Commission and was President of the Russian River Property Owners Association.
Director
Ariana Reguzzoni was born and raised in Oakland, CA and has lived in Sonoma County for almost a decade. She is a journalist and communications professional and currently works for the Sonoma County Regional Parks and TrimTab Media. Her documentary film work has aired on cable television and local and national PBS stations and her print work has appeared in multiple publications including Civil Eats, Grist, Made Local Magazine and the Press Democrat newspaper. She has worked as a Communications Coordinator for California FarmLink and co-owned a small organic cut flower farm in Petaluma, CA. Ariana has a master’s degree in journalism from UC Berkeley, a bachelor’s degree in community studies from UC Santa Cruz and a certificate in ecological horticulture from UC Santa Cruz.
Vice Chairwoman
Jennifer Kuszmar was born and raised in north Georgia. After completing high school in Augusta, GA she attended the University of Georgia for 2 years. In 1996 she headed west to California to attend Humboldt State University where she graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Forestry with a concentration in natural resource and watershed management. Jennifer also completed two years of service in the AmeriCorps Watershed Stewards Program and has worked in both the timber and fisheries research fields. In 2003 she moved to Sonoma County to work as a Watershed Specialist with LandPaths. In 2005 Jennifer joined the Sotoyome RCD as Assistant Executive Director and acted as interim Executive Director until late 2006 when she and her husband returned to Humboldt County. Jennifer spent the next several years working for the County of Humboldt on behalf of the North Coast Resource Partnership managing several multi-million dollar state grants for water resource projects over a seven county region. In 2015 Jennifer’s professional career brought her back to Sonoma County. She is currently on staff at the Sonoma County Agricultural Preservation and Open Space District as the Matching Grant Coordinator, managing a grant program that provides funding for urban open space projects.