By: Barbara Barrigan-Parrilla
While the struggle to protect the Delta’s waterways and lands continues, Restore the Delta is moving forward building out positive programs and developing new leaders. Our Zeitgeist is pure: the positive future that we continue to put forward will win.
That doesn’t mean that there will not be legal, policy, and political struggles over the future of the Delta. We, and our numerous and diverse colleagues from throughout California, however, have better, environmentally sustainable, and economically practical solutions to restore the estuary and Delta communities, as well as for smart water management plans for each of California’s regions.
To enhance and expand our mission for a positive Delta future that will supplant the vicious cycle of Big Water and Big Ag depleting the Delta (with the help of each and every one of California’s governors seeking political power), we have added two new key members to our Restore the Delta team. These two new members are helping us build out programs and plans for the better future we envision.
We are excited to announce that Dani (Zacky) Dowell has joined Restore the Delta as our Grants Manager. Dani most recently worked for Sierra Club (San Francisco Chapter) and has a robust background organizing on shoreline and water-related environmental justice issues. Dani, originally from Southern California, earned her BA in Geography from Cal State Long Beach and is presently finishing her Master’s thesis at UC Davis. Having grown up as a water sports enthusiast, Dani is passionate about the need for improvement in California water policy and management. Dani will be using her strong technical writing skills to secure sustained funding to build out present work in development.
You can read her biography here.
It is also with great enthusiasm that we welcome Ivan Senock to the Restore the Delta team as Deputy Director. Prior to joining Restore the Delta, Ivan served as the Tribal Historic Preservation Officer and Cultural Resources Director for the Buena Vista Rancheria of Me-Wuk Indians. In his new role at Restore the Delta, Ivan will be co-leading Restore the Delta’s program, restoration, and outreach efforts to protect and enhance the environment for both rural and urban Delta communities, as well as continuing to work with Indigenous communities addressing contemporary issues of cultural practice, historic preservation, and cultural revitalization.
Ivan earned his MA in Cultural Anthropology at California State University, Sacramento.
Click here to read his complete bio.