Advisory Committee

The Authority is seeking representatives and leaders of community-based organizations, Tribes, agencies and other experts to serve on the San Francisco Bay Restoration Authority’s Advisory Committee (AC). Members serve four-year terms and meetings are held four times per year. The time commitment is 10-20 hours per year, depending on level of involvement in subcommittees and/or the grant application review process.  The Authority provides stipends of $200 per AC meeting attended, and additional stipends for work completed, to eligible Committee members. The deadline to apply is November 6.  To learn more, please visit the Call for Applications here. 

 

The Advisory Committee, which represent the interests of the community and public agencies within the Restoration Authority's jurisdiction, assists and advises the Governing Board.

Contact: Linda Tong, Deputy Program Manager, linda.tong@scc.ca.gov.

 

Sara Azat Fish Biologist , National Marine Fisheries Service

Sara Azat is a Fish Biologist at the National Marine Fisheries Service. She has extensive experience in fishery regulation and management and the evaluation of habitat restoration projects. She has served lead coordinator for interagency groups and work groups involving the public.

Chris Barton Restoration Projects Manager , East Bay Regional Park District

Chris Barton is Restoration Projects Manager with the East Bay Regional Park District. He has over 20 years of public agency experience planning and implementing habitat restoration projects, bringing expertise in disciplines such as land use planning, regulatory permitting and compliance, vegetation management, cultural and historic resources, and green infrastructure design. 

Erik Buehmann Long-Range Planning Manager , San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission (BCDC)

Erik Buehmann has more than a decade of coastal management experience. He currently oversees a team of planners working on projects aimed at protecting and enhancing San Francisco Bay. He previously served as BCDC’s Bay Resources Permit Program Manager, where he led the permitting for projects in and along the San Francisco Bay shoreline, including proposals for habitat restoration and enhancement, and served on the BRRIT Policy and Management Committee. 

Alba Cárdenas Resilient Education Program Manager , Climate Resilient Communities

Alba Cárdenas is the Resilient Education Program Manager for Climate Resilient Communities and is an activist and educator by heart. Alba obtained her BA in Spanish from San Jóse State University and minors in photography and Mexican American Studies. She is passionate about her work within the community, building bridges through language and education. Alba loves to go to community events and empower community members and their youth to voice and advocate for their wellbeing in various capacities. 

Erika Castillo Regulatory & Public Affairs Director , Alameda County Mosquito Abatement District

Erika Castillo is Regulatory & Public Affairs Director for the Alameda County Mosquito Abatement District. She would like to contribute to the success of marsh restoration projects in the Bay Area by ensuring that public health and the perception of wetlands are not negatively impacted by an increase in mosquito populations.

Adrian Covert Vice President for Public Policy , Bay Area Council

Adrian Covert is Vice President for Public Policy at the Bay Area Council, the region’s largest multi-sector business advocacy association. He has led the Council’s water supply and climate resilience initiatives for over seven years, including co-chairing the Measure AA campaign, and he co-authored a 2015 report on the Bay Area’s economic vulnerability to extreme storm events.

Paul Detjens Senior Civil Engineer/Retired (representing self) , Contra Costa County

Paul Detjens was a Senior Civil Engineer for the Contra Costa County Flood Control District, where he served as the Capital Projects Manager and the point person for sea level rise issues. He worked for the CCC Flood Control District for over 30 years and retired in 2023. 

Laura Feinstein Resilient Landscapes Program Director , San Francisco Estuary Institute

Laura Feinstein is Resilient Landscapes Program Director at the San Franciso Estuary Institute. She holds a doctorate in Ecology from University of California, Davis with a focus on wetland ecosystems, served as Sustainability and Resilience Policy Director at SPUR, and was a Science and Policy fellow with the California Senate Committee on Environmental Quality. 

Heleine Grewe Student (representing self) , Menlo College

Heleine Grewe is a student at Menlo College and was part of the San Francisco Estuary Partnership’s Estuary Youth Council. She has worked with Youth United for Community Action, 'Anamatangi Polynesian Voices, and Nuestra Casa, which provided her with experience in community engagement, environmental justice, and addressing climate change in vulnerable communities. 

Jake Hanft Program Manager , Schmidt Marine Technology Partners

Jake Hanft is Program Manager at Schmidt Marine Technology Partners, where he executes grants for ocean conservation, including for coastal restoration and living shorelines. He brings ten years of grantmaking experience, an eye for detail during project review, and a collaborative disposition.  

Lil Milagro Henriquez Executive Director & Founder , Mycelium Youth Network

Lil Milagro Henriquez is the founder and Executive Director for Mycelium Youth Network, which has been named as one of the only organizations preparing young people for climate change in the United States by the International Transformational Resilience Coalition. Lil Milagro has 20 years of experience in social justice organizing and was recently recognized by Marin Magazine as one of the top 15 Eco-Warriors of 2021. 

Lee Huo Senior Planner , SF Bay Trail, Association of Bay Area Governments (ABAG)

Lee Huo is a Senior Planner with the San Francisco Bay Trail Project and has over 20 years of experience in Bay resources, shoreline trails, open space, and public access planning including work with the South Bay Salt Pond Restoration Project. His interests focus on the successful melding of public access and restoration projects to ensure that generations of people will have the opportunity to experience and learn from the many Bay restoration projects.

Dulce Jimenez Planning Assistant (representing self) , Solano Transportation Authority

Dulce Jimenez is a Planning Assistant with the Solano Transportation Authority and is involved in the Solano Electrical Vehicle (EV) Transition Program to expand EV infrastructure in the county. Dulce also serves on the Solano Land Trust’s Land and People Committee, representing her community to increase outdoor access for youth through events and partnerships.