Mission

Leslie Friedman Johnson is Principal and Co-Founder of CNRG. For over 35 years, she has worked to advance major statewide, regional, and local environmental policy and legislative agendas, and helped unlock billions of dollars for water, land conservation, climate resilience, and community-based natural resource programs.

Before founding CNRG in 2014, Leslie spent a decade as Partner at Conservation Strategy Group and previously led state and federal affairs at The Nature Conservancy, where she launched the organization’s first California Public Lands Program and Water Program.

Leslie is a graduate of UC Berkeley, and currently serves on the Board of Sustainable Conservation and as President of the Board of Russian RiverKeeper. Leslie lives in Healdsburg, along the Russian River, where she remains deeply connected to the landscapes and waterways she’s spent her career protecting.

Brian is a partner in Bridgespan’s San Francisco office. He joined Bridgespan to follow his passion and commitment to make a difference on critical social issues including the environment, education and healthcare.

Brian’s focus at Bridgespan has been with both nonprofit organizations and with leading foundations, philanthropists and collaboratives. Brian is also leading Bridgespan’s multi-year initiative designed to work with nonprofit organizations to strengthen their business models for impact and to build organizational effectiveness.

Brian brings extensive management consulting experience working with some of the world’s leading corporations and nonprofit organizations on strategy, execution, organization, and leadership. Brian’s experience has spanned six continents and numerous sectors, including education, the environment, healthcare, consumer products, retail, and hospitality.

Prior to joining Bridgespan Brian spent over 35 years as a partner at Marakon, a strategy and organization consulting firm, where he also served as CEO and was a member of its San Francisco, London, New York, and Melbourne offices. Prior to Marakon, Brian was a research manager with the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco and an economist with an environmental research group at the University of California, Davis.

Brian is deeply involved with sports, charitable, and educational organizations. He is the chair of the Dean’s advisory council at the University of California, Davis, on the boards of Russian Riverkeeper and Actify, a San Francisco based software company, and continues to serve as a senior advisor for Marakon.

Brian received his AA from Santa Rosa Junior College, BA in economics from the University of California at Davis and MBA from Stanford University. He and his wife, Beatrice are the parents of three adult sons, and grandparents of two girls and a boy.

Gary has spent his career as a real estate salesperson specializing in office leasing with a focus on Tenant Representation in San Francisco and the Bay Area. Gary is an Executive Vice President with CBRE in San Francisco, is currently semi-retired, and is living full-time in Healdsburg.

Gary is an avid angler and steelhead fisherman, having caught his first steelhead on the Russian River when he was 16 years old. Gary has fished most of the North Coast rivers and streams that support anadromous runs of steelhead and salmon, and Gary enjoys nothing more than taking his friends and fellow anglers in his drift boat in search of that elusive steelhead. Gary understands that there is no greater benefit to the surrounding Russian River communities, industries and ecosystems than having a clean, healthy, and sustainable Russian River system.

Gary has served on numerous non-profit boards, including California Trout, Miracle Messages, and New Door Ventures. Gary is a graduate of the University of Oregon, is married to Delores, and has four children and four granddaughters.

Jill has spent many years in California helping to brand and market consumer products, wineries, hospitality and real estate businesses, in addition to Pro-Bono work for the San Francisco Symphony, the San Francisco Ballet and the Napa Valley Wine Auction and Grace Cathedral. Jill fell in love with Healdsburg and the Dry Creek Valley and in 2007 she and her husband, Jay, purchased their home on West Dry Creek Road.

Jill’s experience has included virtually everything involved in the creation and implementation of marketing and promotional programs. She earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree at the Art Academy of Cincinnati, University of Cincinnati, in addition to a full fellowship from Yale School of Music and Art and she was also awarded the Wilder Traveling Scholarship for studies in Europe.

Gardening and growing Sauvignon Blanc is a passion for Jill. In addition to serving on the DCVA Outreach and Valley Protection Committee, she also was a Raven Theatre board member for 3 years. She has been a guest lecturer for the Academy of Art and the University of San Francisco. Jill was Vice President of San Francisco’s Fort Mason Community Garden for nine years. She is an equestrian and a member of the Hannovarian Society since 1978, raising and breeding Hanovarians. She is an active member of the California Water Color Association and has exhibited in museums and numerous local and national juried show.

John Jimerson is a long-time supporter of Russian Riverkeepers.   John lived up Mill Creek canyon for 15 years where he became interested in the river as a member of the Westside Community.  John now lives full-time downtown in Healdsburg after retiring from a 37-year career at Chevron.  John’s background was primarily in Operations, but he also gained experience in water treatment during his time, giving him a deep understanding of the importance of protecting precious water resources.

As an avid outdoorsman and angler, John’s love for the water led him to get more involved with Russian Riverkeepers.  He is passionate about keeping the river clean and believes that “water is the new gold.” John continues to support efforts to protect and restore the Russian River, helping to preserve it for future generations.

Born and raised in Slovakia, Lenka received a graduate degree in journalism and an undergraduate in business management. Simultaneously, she worked for Slovak Public Radio, covering fine arts, classical music, and literature. After moving to the US at the age of 26, Lenka worked with a community radio station in Tampa, FL (WMNF), focusing on workers’ rights, social justice, and environmental coverage.

What initially started as a necessity to ensure income, the hospitality sector, eventually led Lenka to wine. Since 2014, she has been working as a sommelier and a buyer, managing several wine lists mostly in Central Coast, where she buys exclusively organically farmed wines. She has worked with a range of wine programs, from simple by-the-glass lists to Wine Spectator Grand Award-winning list, while earning her Master of Wine credential. It has been a worthwhile and fascinating journey, which brought her closer to understanding the impact of viticulture on the surrounding ecosystem. This includes the riversheds which tend to carry chemical residues and deposits from farming. She lives on a riverfront property in Geyserville.

Originally from Northeast Ohio, Marc received his undergraduate degree from the University of Cincinnati and graduate degree at The George Washington University in Washington, D.C. After internships with the Urban Institute and Council of State Community Affairs Agencies, he embarked in a career as a writer and editor for a leading housing publication in Washington, D.C, which focused on federal housing programs, community development, taxation, and legislation. He co-founded the Bancroft Foundation in 1999 to concentrate his energies on environmental and water quality issues, land conservation and stewardship, and education. Since permanently moving to Sonoma County in 2015, Marc has increased the Bancroft Foundation’s portfolio to include mental health issues, workforce development, and diversity and youth leadership in the environmental movement.

The founder of Jensen Architects, Mark Jensen approaches architecture as a positive cultural force, shaping experiences from the everyday to the extraordinary. Mark’s concern for the human dimensions of place invests his work with social as well as cultural resonance. His innate curiosity, committed teamwork, holistic solutions, and thoughtful tenacity has defined a body of work recognized nationally for its technical ingenuity, craftsmanship, and broader understanding of context.

An active member of the San Francisco Bay Area arts and design community, Mark is a former Chair of the California College of the Arts (CCA) Interior Architecture Department and a past Chair of the Headlands Center for the Arts Board of Trustees. He is a member of the American Institute of Architects College of Fellows. Mark resides along the Russian River at the base of Fitch Mountain.

Michael has been in the wine and restaurant industry for over 40 years. He founded DuMOL Winery in 1996 which he sold in 2015. He now organically farms Pinot Noir and Chardonnay in the heart of the Russian River Valley. His focus throughout his career has centered on learning, educating, and mentoring. As a board member, he desires to communicate the importance and fragility of the Russian River watershed, and to protect its limited resources to supply clean and plentiful water for generations to come.

He received his BS in economics at Portland State University. In his early career he was the Budget Director for American Samoa and later worked for an environmental engineering firm where he authored water and wastewater utility rate studies for municipalities. Over the years he served as on several boards and as president for the Contra Costa County American Cancer Society, St. Mary’s College County Scholarship Fund, the Walnut Creek Chamber of Commerce, and the Walnut Creek Downtown Business Association.

He lives on a small ranch bordering Dry Creek with his wife Janet and their dog Roameo. They treasure the beauty and diversity of Sonoma County and take pleasure in hiking, biking, boating, and fishing. They have three children and three grandchildren.