Our Staff

Bob spent much of his childhood and youth outdoors in the Sierra and on the Mendocino Coast around Fort Bragg, where he attended grade school and high school.  During summers in high school and college Bob worked for Noyo Harbor fish companies, unloading and processing salmon, other line-caught fish such as black cod and albacore, and groundfish caught by large drag boats.  He got an early sense of the decline of these resources, and of some of the factors causing the decline, and became a life-long supporter of conservation efforts, particularly those focused on rivers and the ocean.  Bob earned a Master’s degree in Civil Engineering from Stanford University in 1969, and served as a Lieutenant in the US Army from 1969 to 1972.

As a river guide for the American River Touring Association (ARTA) in the early 70s, Bob participated in the fight to save the Stanislaus, FOR’s formative campaign.  Bob has paddled many reaches on rivers across California and in the Western US and Canada, and has paddled in Central America, South America and Europe as well.  Through decades of participation in rafting and kayaking, Bob has many friends and contacts within all age groups in the river community.

Bob Center lives in Grass Valley with his wife Wanda Shiotsuka and their four cats. You can reach Bob at (916) 442-3155 ext 212 or by email to .

Ron is a national expert in flood management, federal water resources development, hydropower reform, and Wild & Scenic Rivers. He joined Friends of the River as Associate Conservation Director in 1987 and became its Senior Policy Advocate in 1995. Ron was presented the prestigious River Conservationist of the Year award by Perception in 1996 for his work to stop the Auburn dam. In 2004, he received the California Urban Water Conservation Council’s Excellence Award for statewide and institutional innovations in water conservation.  Prior to coming to Friends of the River, Ron was Executive Director of the Merced Canyon Committee, where he directed the successful effort to obtain Wild and Scenic designation for the Merced River. He is a former member of the Governor's Flood Management Task Force and currently represents Friends of the River on the Sacramento Regional Water Forum. Ron holds a BS degree in Plant Science from UC Davis and he loves to visit and botanize in California’s wild places. You can reach Ron at (916) 442-3155 ext 220 or by .

Steve coordinates Friends of the River's Wild & Scenic Rivers program. Steve was hired by Friends of the River in 1988 and has served as its Conservation Director from1990 untill June 1, 2011. He has more than 35 years of conservation policy experience in public lands and resource issues. He successfully encouraged federal agencies to identify more than 3,000 miles potential Wild & Scenic Rivers and has played a key role in the legislative expansion of the federal and state Wild & Scenic Rivers Systems in California. Steve co-founded and has served on the steering committees of many of the coalitions administered by Friends of the River, including the California Wild Heritage Campaign, the Sierra Nevada Forest Protection Campaign, and the California Hydropower Reform Coalition. He previously was Executive Director of the Butte Environmental Council in Chico. Steve is an avid hiker, rafter, and outdoor photographer. You can reach Steve at (916) 442-3155 ext 221 or by email: .

Bob is an AV Martindale-Hubbell rated lawyer for Friends of the River. He has practiced law during his career as a California Deputy Attorney General, Environmental Unit,  law firm partner (shareholder), and Assistant U.S. Attorney including  environmental and white collar crime prosecution in Sacramento and Fresno prior to joining Friends of the River in 2011.  Bob was also Adjunct Professor of Environmental Law at San Joaquin College of Law in Fresno from 1990 to 2003.  His most significant legal victories have included obtaining the decision in the case challenging the Army Corps of Engineers’ rule prohibiting any vegetation other than grass on all of the Nation’s levees denying the Corps’ motion to dismiss, Friends of the River v. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, 870 F.Supp2d 966 (E.D. Cal. 2012); the decision in the national class action that school buildings are damaged by the mere presence of asbestos, In re: Asbestos School Litigation, 1991 WL 175819 (E.D. Pa., 1991); and the decision finding that the nationwide U.S. Forest Service anti-wilderness land management planning known as RARE II (roadless area review and evaluation) violated the National Environmental Policy Act, California v. Berglund, 483 F.Supp. 465 (E.D. Cal. 1980), affirmed, 690 F.2d 753 (9^th Cir. 1982). He also led the inter-disciplinary planning team that developed the Regional Plan adopted by the California Tahoe Regional Planning Agency in 1975. He obtained a B.S. in Business Administration from the University of California, Berkeley in 1966, and after serving as a Captain in the U.S. Army, obtained a J.D. from Harvard Law School in 1971. He has been a member of the California Bar since 1972. Bob loves backpacking, running, bicycling, river rafting and beautiful natural scenery. You can reach Bob at (916) 442-3155 ext 207 or by .

Prior to joining Friends of the River, Katy worked in private practice in Sacramento, building an expertise in, among other things, the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), and the Clean Water Act.  Katy’s legal summaries have been published in the Summary of California Appellate Cases by the Association of California Water Agencies (ACWA) and the Year in Review by the American Bar Association. Katy graduated from the University of Virginia with a bachelor’s degree in Psychology and went on to receive her Juris Doctorate from the University of California, Davis.  Katy has been a member of the California Bar since 2006.  Katy loves hiking, rafting, and swimming in and around American River. You can reach Katy at (916) 442-3155 ext 223 or by email to .

Corey is a legal team volunteer and began in October 2011. I research factual information via the internet and follows up with written or telephone communications. I am currently working on the case involving USACE’s Levee Vegetation Policy. I graduated from American River College earning an A.S. in Natural Resources (2010) and a Certificate in Conservation (2011); I am also currently enrolled in the Legal Assisting Program at ARC. During my college career I formed and presided over an outreach student club that is still in existence today. I have been concerned with environmental issues since I was a little girl. Now I am all grown up and have the dedication and passion to make a difference. I descend from the Kiowa nation, which gave me the traditions of being responsible for keeping Mother Earth for the coming generations. I have three children, one of which is as environmentally concerned as I am, and hopes to follow in my footsteps someday. I enjoy just about everything in the outdoor wilderness recreation including camping, fishing, rafting, and hiking. You can reach Corey at (916) 442-3155 ext 208 or by email to

  Mandi began as an office volunteer in July 2008 and joined FOR's staff in November 2008 as Operations Associate. Mandi manages our membership mailings, trip reservations, and enjoys hiking and whitewater rafting.  She discovered her passion for rivers and environmental conservation right here at Friends of the River. She is currently pursuing a degree in biology at Sac City College and took guide training the summer of 2010 to join our community of volunteer rafting guides. You can reach Mandi at (916) 442-3155 ext 214 or by email: .

  Greg Reis redesigned FOR's Website last year on contract and continues to consult on the Website as needed. His love for rivers began with rafting trips on the Kern River when he was in high school. He is enthusiastic about FOR's mission to protect California's rivers and he became a lifetime FOR member ten years ago (when that option was available!). For almost two decades he has worked for the Mono Lake Committee designing and maintaining its Websites and working to restore Mono Lake and its tributary streams. He just started working with The Bay Institute as a part-time Rivers and Delta Program Associate last year.

 Johnnie was hired by Friends of the River in 2004. He keeps the office and its systems functioning smoothly, provides administrative and support to the conservation staff and Board of Directors, coordinates office volunteers, internships, and outreach. He edits our e-newsletter The River Advocate, maintains our website, manages human resources, payroll, and is our Earthshare representitive.  You can reach Johnnie at (916) 442-3155 ext 211 or by email: .