Ian joined the District in 2013 as a project manager and continues to pursue opportunities for restoration and partnerships. He is originally from Pennsylvania and worked in non-profit youth education in the Bay Area before obtaining a master’s degree in environmental studies from the University of Pennsylvania. Ian enjoys working with the professional team at the District and NRCS to serve our community of agricultural land stewards, collaborate with partner organizations, and communicate about natural resources management to public.

Courtney grew up in Stockton and the Sierra foothills, received her Bachelors from UC Davis and has lived / worked all over the Bay Area during the last 8 years. She obtained a PhD from the University of South Florida while studying the ecology and infectious diseases of songbirds in Kenya, followed by a 2-year post-doctoral fellowship studying infections and immunity in African buffalo and domestic cattle in South Africa. Upon returning to California, she was the research lead at non-profit that worked to conserve wildlife and promote human-wildlife coexistence locally. At the ACRCD, Courtney is working on the East Bay Regional Priority Plan for natural resource wildfire resilience and the preserving agricultural lands through the Sustainable Agricultural Lands Conservation program. She is passionate about the health and interactions between people, animals, plants and their shared environment.

Julia grew up in the Bay Area and received a master’s degree in Biology with an emphasis on plant phenology from the University of California, San Diego in 2020. During her studies, Julia was involved with a range of environmental organizations including the San Diego Zoo Institute for Conservation Research, the San Diego Audubon Society, and the California Native Garden Foundation. After graduating, Julia worked in consulting as a restoration ecologist and wildlife biologist. Julia now supports local restoration and outreach programs with the ACRCD, including the Stream Maintenance Program and Living Arroyos. She is excited to use her strong background in environmental research and education to assist with impactful conservation projects and community education efforts.

A resident of the Bay Area before receiving his undergraduate degree from UC Davis, Owen has grown up enjoying the unique combination of natural resources that the greater Bay Area region provides. With an education in soil science and their importance in regulating biogeochemical cycles, Owen uses his knowledge of carbon dynamics to help implement management practices that can best serve local ecosystems while benefitting land managers and residents.
His working experience at small-scale organic farms informs his approach to land management and food production, particularly in urban areas. As a project assistant at ACRCD, Owen supports his colleagues with projects focused on carbon farming, urban agriculture, and habitat restoration as well as helping the district write grants.

Joseph Steelman has been involved in the Living Arroyos program since its inception in 2013 and brings over a decade of experience in land stewardship. As a program intern, he gained hands-on experience in enhancing riparian habitat in the Livermore-Amador Valley watershed. In 2017, Joseph took on the role of coordinating Living Arroyos, leading to the program’s statewide recognition as the Outstanding Sustainable Stormwater Program of 2020 by the California Stormwater Quality Association.

He is a Certified California Naturalist through the University of California Extension and is currently pursuing a BS in Wildlife Conservation at Unity Environmental University. Joseph manages and contributes to various restoration and community engagement initiatives at the ACRCD, including Living Arroyos and Tri-Valley Adopt a Creek Spot.

Katie joined the Conservation Partnership as the NRCS engineer in 2006. Katie works on the Wildlife-Friendly Ponds program, other Farm Bill engineering, the NRCS Emergency Watershed Protection program and on RCD projects requiring engineering, primarily riparian projects. After receiving a degree in Civil and Environmental Engineering from University of California – Berkeley, and working several years in private sector engineering, Katie tried a brief stint as an Earth Team volunteer with NRCS and never looked back. Besides great co-workers and the wonderful Bay Area outdoors, Katie is most thrilled about the opportunity to apply her engineering skills to support local partners and the natural resources of Alameda County.

Catherine grew up in Davis, where hot summers and cold creeks inspired their love for the outdoors. They went on to complete their bachelor’s at UC Berkeley, studying Conservation and Resource Studies with a minor in Food Systems. During their studies, they also worked with the Bowles Agroecology Lab, Student Food Pantry, and Student Farms to build relationships and connect students and community members to good food and the soil. In her free time, Catherine loves bike rides, stone fruit, and building odd cups out of clay. They are so excited to be working with the Natural Resource Conservation Service to provide technical and financial assistance to farmers, ranchers, and community members in Alameda County!