Eric Wesselman, Executive Director, joined the Tuolumne Trust in January of 2006. Raised in rural Oregon, Eric has been engaged in California water issues since 2001, with an emphasis on urban water conservation. Wesselman served as the Sierra Club's Regional Representative and as the Convener for the California Urban Water Conservation Council and a member of the Water Use Efficiency Public Advisory Subcommittee for CALFED. Wesselman holds a M.S. in Environmental Science from The Johns Hopkins University, a B.S. in Conservation and Natural Resource Studies from the University of California at Berkeley, and has specialized training in grassroots organizing from the Green Corp Field School for Environmental Organizing and the Midwest Academy.

Heather Dempsey
Bay Area Program Director
heather@tuolumne.org

Heather Dempsey, Bay Area Program Director, joined the Trust in October 2004 with a diversity of experience in the environmental field from both the non-profit and government sectors. As a grant manager for the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, she became well-versed in river restoration efforts in California and the role of government agencies in river management. During an internship with the California Resources Agency, she applied her problem-solving skills to the issue of aggregate mining in river corridors. Heather earned her Masters of Environmental Management from the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies with a focus on large-scale conservation.

Elizabeth Holtz
Central Valley Program Associate
elizabeth@tuolumne.org

Elizabeth Holtz, Central Valley Program Associate, joined the Trust in June 2006. She grew up in Modesto and is thrilled to be a part of preserving and restoring part of the natural habitat that makes the Valley unique and beautiful. A recent graduate student at Colorado State University, Elizabeth gained her M.S. in Watershed Science while she worked with the CSU Cooperative Extension on small-acreage water issues such as water quality, well safety, and water law. Elizabeth is passionate about managing resources on the landscape scale, and including all stakeholders in the decision-making process. She gained great experience in this while she worked with the Sacramento Water Forum, a large stakeholder group managing water resources in the greater Sacramento region. She hopes to create programs and events in the Central Valley that will create a stronger bond between Valley people and the Tuolumne River.

Cynthia King
Sierra Nevada Program Director
cynthia@tuolumne.org

Cynthia, our Sierra Nevada Program Director, grew up in the Bay Area, and feels an intimate connection with the Tuolumne from years of drinking Hetch Hetchy water and camping along the river. She received her Masters’ and Bachelor’s degrees from Stanford University in the Earth Systems Program, with a concentration in ecology and sustainable agriculture. Since graduating, she has worked to promote landowner incentive programs in the Puget Sound salmon recovery process, and to educate teens about food justice in Corvallis, Oregon.

Lily Morrill
Administrative Assistant
lily@tuolumne.org

Lily Morrill, Administrative Assistant, graduated from Bates College with a degree in Environmental Studies. Her past experience includes environmental education and researching resource use in East Africa. Having grown up near rivers she is excited to work with the Trust to help protect the Tuolumne River.

Christina Newell
Membership & Administrative Director
christina@tuolumne.org

Christina Newell, Membership & Administrative Director has been with the Trust since March of 2004. Prior to joining the Trust, Christina worked in the development department at the Santa Rosa Symphony, where she gained experience with major donors, events and membership. She has a B.A. in Environmental Studies from Sonoma State University.

Galen Weston
Sierra Nevada Program Assistant
galen@tuolumne.org

As a youth growing up in Tuolumne County, Galen spent many days escaping the summer heat swimming in the refreshing pools of the Tuolumne and Clavey rivers. Galen received a B.S. from Stanford University in the Earth Systems program with an emphasis on ecology. After graduating, he spent several years working on farms in California and Oregon and currently runs a small market garden in Sonora. Galen is grateful for the opportunity to work on behalf of the Tuolumne River.