LEADERSHIP
JASON ULSETH
Riverkeeper
Jason Ulseth is a Georgia native who grew up fishing and boating on the Chattahoochee River. During his childhood, he developed a love and passion for the river and our natural environment.
Jason Ulseth, Riverkeeper
In 2007, he joined the team at Chattahoochee Riverkeeper (CRK) as the organization’s Technical Programs Director. Effective January 2015, Jason assumed the role of Riverkeeper and serves as the organization’s lead river protection advocate and spokesperson. He also serves as CRK’s patrol boat captain and is licensed by the United States Coast Guard as a Merchant Marine Officer to captain passenger vessels of up to 50 tons.
Jason is an expert in stormwater management and is a Certified Professional in Erosion and Sediment Control and a Georgia certified Design Professional and Trainer. He is certified by the state as an Adopt-A-Stream Trainer and is serving his second term on DNR’s Adopt-A-Stream Advisory Board.
Jason and his wife, Dawn, currently reside in Cumming with their two children
JULIET COHEN
Executive Director
Juliet Cohen was born and raised in San Juan, Puerto Rico. There she grew up surrounded by and immersed in pristine tropical waters and rainforests, and developed a love and respect for the natural world.
Juliet Cohen, Executive Director
After earning her undergraduate degree, Juliet worked in Washington, D.C. for an environmental education organization, Earth Force. Later she moved to Charleston, South Carolina, to work for the South Carolina Coastal Conservation League as Program Manager for the South Carolina More Than A Port project and volunteered as Conservation Chair for the local Sierra Club chapter.
In 2001, Juliet began studying law at American University’s Washington College of Law where she served on the American University Law Review. She graduated in 2004 with honors Magna Cum Laude and a member of Order of the Coif.
From 2005 to 2007, Juliet worked as a Staff Attorney for the Eleventh Circuit United States Court of Appeals. Juliet has served as Executive Director for Chattahoochee Riverkeeper since January 2015.
Juliet and her husband, Jeffrey, reside in Brookhaven along with their three children.
Chattahoochee Riverkeeper is governed by a board of directors. Additionally, the board of directors has established an advisory board, which advises the organization and assists in carrying out its mission.
Meet the Board
Laura Turner Seydel and Rutherford Seydel, Co-Founders
Board of Directors
*Chairman ** Vice-Chair |
Advisory Board
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Sally Bethea is the founding director and riverkeeper of Chattahoochee Riverkeeper; she served in this capacity for 20 years until 2014, when she retired and became a senior advisor to the organization.
Sally Bethea
Sally has an undergraduate degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, a master’s degree in city planning from Georgia Tech, and an honorary doctorate from LaGrange College — as well as more than 30 years of experience in environmental issues. She has served on the national boards of Waterkeeper Alliance and River Network, the Georgia Board of Natural Resources (1999-2007) and EarthShare oF Georgia. Currently, she is a member of the board of trustees of LaGrange College.
In 2012, Sally received the James R. Compton River Achievement Award from River Network for leading, educating and advocating for clean water in the Chattahoochee River Basin and throughout the country. Also in 2012, she was named a “Hero of the New South” in the Eco-Preservation category by Southern Living magazine. In 2008, Georgia River Network established the Sally Bethea River Champion Award and recognized her as its first recipient. That same year, she received the Ullman Innovative Leadership Award presented by the Georgia Center for Nonprofits. Sally was named one of the 100 Most Influential or Most Notable Georgians by Georgia Trend magazine in 2002-2008 and 2012-2014.
Other recognition of Sally’s work includes being named one of the 100 Most Influential Atlantans in 2001 and 2002 by theAtlanta Business Chronicle and receiving the 1998 Southern Environmental Leadership Award from Southern Environmental Law Center and the Water Conservationist of the Year Award from the Georgia Wildlife Federation in 1989. She has lived in Atlanta’s Ansley Park neighborhood for more than three decades and is the proud mother of two grown sons, Charles and Robert.
ATLANTA OFFICE STAFF
3 Puritan Mill, 916 Joseph E. Lowery Blvd. NW, Atlanta, GA 30318
Phone: 404-352-9828 | Fax: 404-352-8676
MELANIE BAIRD
Communications and Marketing Manager
Melanie Baird, Communications and Marketing Manager
Melanie Baird was born and raised in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Growing up in Iowa, she developed an early interest in the environment by volunteering at a local nature center during their festivals and regularly participating in their summer program offerings. Melanie earned a Bachelor of Business Administration in Marketing from The University of Iowa, in 2011, with an emphasis in non-profit organizations.
After earning her degree, Melanie made the move from Iowa to Atlanta. She comes to CRK from EarthShare of Georgia where she served as its Administrative and Communications Coordinator for the last several years. Melanie’s duties include managing CRK’s presence within the media, website and social media outlets, printed biannual newsletter as well as managing regular CRK RiverFLASH e-blasts.
TAMMY BATES
Outings Manager
Tammy Bates, Outings Manager
Tammy Bates has called Atlanta home since 1985. Her passion for rivers and lakes started early while spending time with her family on the Wolf River in MS, then a houseboat on the reservoir in Jackson, MS. Her love of gardening also began early by helping her grandmother in Lake, MS.
Tammy was director of marketing for a distribution software company for 14 years. Event management was part of her role there, and she discovered her love for managing all types of events. She left the corporate world in 2002 and started her own business, Pine Street Group LLC, a full-service event management company.
In 2007, she had the opportunity to work with Chattahoochee Riverkeeper, managing fundraising events and outings. Her early passion for rivers has carried over to leading paddle trips and getting people out on the water to enjoy the Chattahoochee watershed.
Tammy also leads our land-based and paddle-based cleanups. She organizes the volunteers and on average, they remove between 15 and 30 Tons each year.
Tammy is a Certified Meeting Professional, as well as ACA Level II Kayak Instructor, ACA Level 4 Swift Water Rescue, trained in Wilderness First Aid and CPR, and is a Master Gardener in Cobb County. She also sits on the Chattahoochee Parks Conservancy Board, the official friends group of the Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area.
Tammy and her husband Jerry reside in a 1920 farmhouse on two acres in Powder Springs where they are enjoying renovating the house and creating an edible landscape.
TAELAR BYBEE
Development Associate
Taelar Bybee, Development Associate
Taelar comes from Ellijay in North Georgia, where she found an appreciation for clean water and her interest in the environment. She saw first-hand the importance of maintaining clean waterways while working in development with the Gilmer County Chamber of Commerce and Welcome Center. In 2015, she earned a Bachelor of Organizational Leadership with a Public Administration concentration from Dalton State College. Her experience in non-profit management has taught her not be afraid to roll up her sleeves and get her hands dirty. When Taelar is not in the office, she can be found hiking with her fiancé and their dog.
ERIK FYFE
Watershed Protection Specialist
Erik Fyfe, Watershed Protection Specialist
Erik Fyfe promotes green infrastructure in the watershed, manages CRK’s Rain Harvesting program, and supports our industrial stormwater pollution program.
Before joining CRK, his work focused on Atlanta’s Proctor Creek watershed, where he worked with community members, government agencies, and other organizations on efforts to improve the environment and quality of life around Proctor Creek. Erik’s prior experience also includes teaching onboard a historic sailboat in the Hudson River, consulting with businesses to help them innovate and become more sustainable, and helping found Atlanta’s first biodiesel program.
Erik holds a B.S. from Emory University and a Masters of Environmental Management from Yale University. He loves ‘messing about in boats’ and jumps straight into the water whenever he can.
KEVIN JESELNIK
General Counsel
Kevin Jeselnik, Staff Attorney General Counsel
Kevin Jeselnik is the General Counsel for Chattahoochee Riverkeeper. He supports Executive Director Juliet Cohen and Riverkeeper Jason Ulseth in coordinating and implementing CRK’s programs monitoring and protecting water quality on the river and its tributaries. Additionally, Kevin manages CRK’s general legal affairs, oversees the organization’s litigation efforts in conjunction with outside counsel, and assists the staff in monitoring and ensuring that discharges from industrial operations into the Chattahoochee River watershed comply with state and federal law.
After earning a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism from the University of Georgia, Kevin covered commercial real estate as a writer and editor for industry trade publications. During this time, researching and writing about the challenges of remediating and developing environmentally sensitive sites drew his attention to the unique role the law played in protecting Georgia’s lands and water bodies. This interest led Kevin to attend the Georgia State University College of Law, where he focused on environmental law and graduated, cum laude, in 2012. From 2012 to 2014, Kevin was an Associate Attorney at Stack & Associates, P.C., where he represented individuals, corporations and nonprofit organizations in various environmental and land use matters.
Kevin and his wife, Brianne, live in Kirkwood and love the diversity, friendships and great restaurants that the eastside of Atlanta offers. On weekends, they enjoy exploring the Chattahoochee and their favorite spots along Sweetwater Creek with their dog Scout.
BECCA KLEIN
Development Director
Becca Klein, Development Director
Becca Klein is Chattahoochee Riverkeeper’s Development Director. She joined the CRK team in 2009 from the Catawba Riverkeeper Foundation in Charlotte, NC, and is proud to have served with within the Waterkeeper movement for the past decade.
Becca moved back to Atlanta, her hometown, from North Carolina where she lived for nine years. Prior to joining the Waterkeeper family, Becca worked for the Greater Carolinas Chapter of the American Red Cross, where she served as a Major Gifts Officer in their Development Department. After obtaining her B.S. in Communications from Appalachian State University, she also worked for a number of nonprofits in western North Carolina, including: the National Organization for Women, Linville-Central Search and Rescue Squad, and Grandfather Home for Children. Before that, she worked for two years as a reporter and news editor for High Country Media.
Becca works to identify and secure financial support from individuals, corporations and foundations to maintain and grow CRK’s financial base and enable the organization to continue to advocate for and secure protection and enhancement of the Chattahoochee River, its lakes, tributaries, and watershed. She currently resides in west midtown with her partner Justin and their dog Samana. Becca is a member of the Georgia Women Fly Fishers, Fly Fishers International, and a volunteer for Casting for Recovery.
CHRIS MANGANIELLO
Water Policy Director
Chris Manganiello, Water Policy Director
Chris is the author of a book, titled Southern Water, Southern Power: How the Politics of Cheap Energy and Water Scarcity Shaped a Region (The University of North Carolina Press, 2015). The book moves beyond the well-known accounts of flooding in the Mississippi Valley and irrigation in the American West to reveal the contested history of water in region presumed to have plenty.
A native of Maryland, he grew up riding his bike in concrete lined ‘creeks’ and exploring the Potomac River’s recreational paradise in the heart of the Washington, DC metropolitan region. After living on Florida’s coast and in North Carolina’s mountains, Chris received his doctoral degree in environmental history from the University of Georgia in 2010. He was a Smithsonian Institution Fellow, and a University of Georgia and Georgia Gwinnett College faculty member. Chris has published in Journal of the History of Biology, Journal of Southern History and Southern Cultures, and was co-editor, with Paul S. Sutter, of Environmental History and the American South: A Reader (University of Georgia Press, 2009).
From 2012 to 2016, Chris served as the Policy Director at Georgia River Network, where he engaged and empowered citizens, river groups, and other partners to advocate for local, state, and federal river protections.
These days, Chris walks with his wife, two young children and their dog in Atlanta’s neighborhood parks. When he can find time, he enjoys mountain biking in Georgia’s state parks and backpacking in the southern Appalachians’ National Forests.
MIKE MEYER
Neighborhood Water Watch Program Director
Mike Meyer, Neighborhood Water Watch Program Director
Mike Meyer is CRK’s ever enthusiastic Neighborhood Water Watch Program Director. From working with a team of volunteers and staff to detect and address contamination sources in the Chattahoochee River and its tributaries through North Georgia’s most comprehensive and impactful monitoring and reclamation program Neighborhood Water Watch, to conducting follow up investigations, hotline responses, and education initiatives through Adopt-A-Stream trainings and presentations, Mike can often be found working side-by side with community or chest deep in our local waterways conducting first-hand field inspections.
Originally from Buffalo, N.Y., Mike was first introduced to Atlanta’s water quality issues in 2001 while working with Southeast Waters, an AmeriCorps program. Shortly after graduating from Oglethorpe University with a B.S. in biology, Mike began an internship with CRK, which led to his employment in the Technical Programs Department. An avid environmentalist, trained watershed protection specialist and certified Erosion and Sediment Control Inspector, Mike is interested in working to improve urban waterways and greenspaces.
He supports ever-expanding Atlanta’s enthusiasm for conserving and reclaiming its natural spaces for wildlife and people alike. A long-time resident and supporter of Atlanta’s walkable communities, Mike prefers a neighborhood in which you can get “a popsicle, a taco and a video, all on the same block.”
REBECCA RISSER
PSCIP Fellow
Rebecca Risser, Protecting Streams and Communities from Industrial Pollution (PSCIP) Fellow
Rebecca Risser joined Chattahoochee Riverkeeper as the PSCIP Fellow in 2018. She received her B.S. degree in Ecology from the University of Georgia and did graduate research on aquatic ecology at the University of Alaska Fairbanks. Her research has focused on nutrient transport from hillslopes to streams in both Arctic Alaska and the Southeast U.S.
Rebecca also works as a naturalist at Elachee Nature Science Center in Gainesville, GA. In the past she led the Ecology Club and Gameday Recycling Program at the University of Georgia. Rebecca is an avid hiker, gardener, and mushroom hunter and loves to hear stories about all three.
HANNAH STEFANOFF
West Atlanta Water Fellow
Hannah Stefanoff, West Atlanta Water Fellow
Hannah Stefanoff joined Chattahoochee Riverkeeper as the West Atlanta Water Fellow in 2018. Hannah is originally from Dayton, Ohio so her first exposure to rivers was looking for fossils along the Stillwater in Englewood, Ohio.
Hannah received her B.S. in Biology from Georgia State University where she competed on the track and cross country team. The only thing Hannah enjoys more than a cold, clean glass of water is a run through Atlanta’s urban tree canopy.
She is now finishing up her M.S. in Geoscience from GSU. Her thesis research deals with green infrastructure and aims to quantify how effective green roofs are at reducing stormwater runoff in downtown Atlanta.
JESS STERLING
Technical Programs Director
Jess Sterling, Technical Programs Director
Prior to graduate school, Jess conducted research at the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the University of Georgia in Athens, Georgia. She was active in the Athens environmental community, serving as president of the Upper Oconee Watershed Network (UOWN) and on the Athens-Clarke County Water Conservation Committee.
Jess is originally from Toledo, Ohio and developed a love of water during summers spent with her family on Lake Erie. She moved to Georgia in 2003, started paddling with friends, and fell in love with Georgia’s diverse rivers. Jess now lives in Atlanta’s Kirkwood neighborhood with her husband, Ben, and their three young children.
SUZETTE TAYLOR
Financial Manager
Suzette Taylor, Financial Manager
Suzette holds a dual degree in Accounting and Business Administration from Tennessee Technological University. She has over 20 years of financial accounting/ payroll/ budgeting experience working in education/non-profit institutions, including having the roles of Assistant Treasurer, Chief Financial Officer and Vice President of the Institute of Paper Science and Technology for 16 years.
In 2015, she decided to work part-time with small non-profit organizations managing their respective financial operations to allow more time for herself and her family.
Suzette and her husband, Steve, have three children and one granddaughter. A lover of the outdoors, she enjoys tennis, camping, hiking, and running.
CHRISTINA YORK
Database Manager
Christina York, Database Manager
Christina became fond of the Chattahoochee River after spending a lot of time during high school at Vickery Creek, which was right down the street from her school. In addition to her interests in space and astronomy, she is an avid reader and lover of music, playing the piano for most of her life.
Christina lives in Cumming with her husband, Eric; her children, Xander and Cora.
HEADWATERS OFFICE (GAINESVILLE) STAFF
104 Washington Street SE, Gainesville, GA 30501
Phone: 678-696-8866
DALE CALDWELL
Headwaters Director
Dale Caldwell, Headwaters Director
Dale Caldwell is Chattahoochee Riverkeeper’s Headwaters Director. Dale works to extend several of CRK’s successful programs into the headwaters region of the Chattahoochee River basin. These programs include Neighborhood Water Watch, Protecting Streams and Communities from Industrial Pollution, Lake Lanier Monitoring, and engaging local citizens in watershed protection.
Originally from the metro Atlanta area, Dale grew up fishing on Lake Lanier and backpacking in the southern Appalachian Mountains. After earning a Bachelor of Science in Entomology from the University of Georgia in 2005, he began his work in state government with the Georgia Soil and Water Conservation Commission, working with farmers in the Ellijay, GA area to reduce agricultural impacts to local waterways.
Succeeding his first role with the State of Georgia, he spent five years working for the Georgia Department of Natural Resources’ Environmental Protection Division on the Georgia coast. In this capacity, Dale was known for administering the regulatory processes that prevented degradation to Georgia’s coastal waterways. During his time on the coast, he developed a passion for paddling kayaks and canoes in the region’s blackwater rivers, tidal creeks, and ocean.
HANNAH WARNER
Headwaters Outreach Coordinator
Hannah Warner, Headwaters Outreach Coordinator
Hannah has been pursuing her career in environmental outreach since graduating from Georgia College and State University in 2014 with a Bachelor of Science in Biology. She spent nine months working with the St. Catherine’s Island Foundation, living and working on a private island off the coast of Georgia and caring for ring-tailed lemurs, gopher tortoises, and other animals. In 2015, she began working as an Interpretive Ranger for Red Top Mountain State Park on Lake Allatoona. Here she was able to connect the surrounding community with the natural resources of the park through interpretive programs, field trips, special events, and volunteer projects.
Hannah joined Chattahoochee Riverkeeper in January 2018 as the Headwaters Outreach Coordinator for the Gainesville office. Her primary goal is to get local communities in the headwaters region involved with the mission of Chattahoochee Riverkeeper. In this position, she plans and leads festivals, paddle trips, cleanups and other events. She recruits and works with volunteers and interns, conducts water quality monitoring education, and helps manage the Neighborhood Water Watch program.
Jess is originally from Toledo, Ohio and developed a love of water during summers spent with her family on Lake Erie. She moved to Georgia in 2003, started paddling with friends, and fell in love with Georgia’s diverse rivers. Jess now lives in Atlanta’s Kirkwood neighborhood with her husband, Ben, and their three young children.
MIDDLE CHATTAHOOCHEE REGIONAL OFFICE STAFF
35 South LaFayette Square, LaGrange, GA 30240
Phone: 706-882-3701
HANNAH BRADFORD
Middle Chattahoochee Watershed Protection Specialist & Naturalist
Hannah Bradford, Middle Chattahoochee Watershed Protection Specialist & Naturalist
Hannah is from Valley, AL and grew up enjoying West Point Lake and the River. She earned a B.S of Science in Marine Biology from Auburn University with courses at the Dauphin Island Sea Lab on Alabama’s barrier island. After graduating, Hannah worked as a marine biologist with the Coastal Marine Education and Research Academy researching sharks and rays in the Tampa Bay area.
She is passionate about bringing Chattahoochee Riverkeeper’s message to folks in the Mid Chatt areas of Georgia and Alabama. Hannah currently lives in Valley, AL with her 2 birds, Bonita and Lou, and dog, Ruth.
LAURA BREYFOGLE
WPL Floating Classroom Program Coordinator & Instructor
Laura Breyfogle, WPL Floating Classroom Program Coordinator & Instructor
Being raised by an environmental advocate in Alabama and attending the University of the South (Sewanee) kindled a passion for protecting the environment and enjoying frequent outings. At Sewanee she majored in Natural Resources and then went on to receive her teacher certification and masters in middle grades education at UGA.
She and her husband Sam have lived in Georgia for 31 years with LaGrange as a home base for 22 years. She enjoys canoeing, hiking, backpacking, biking and gardening.
Her employment background includes working as a naturalist in state and national parks, teaching 6th grade science, and working for a variety of nonprofit organizations. She volunteers for the Sierra Club on a local and state level and also works for DASH, a local nonprofit housing organization.
HENRY JACOBS
Middle Chattahoochee Director
Henry Jacobs, Middle Chattahoochee Director
Born and raised in Decatur, Georgia, Henry attended LaGrange College, and graduated in the Spring of 2013 with a degree in History. He then worked with CRK as a summer intern before assuming a full-time role with the organization in August, 2013.
Henry currently lives in the Hillside neighborhood of LaGrange, and along with his work for CRK, pursues photography, documentary filmmaking and music.