Board of Directors

The River Management Society Board of Directors is comprised of the National Officers, Immediate Past President, Chapter Presidents, and Ex-officio Advisors. The duties of Board members are outlined in our National Officer Roles and Ex-officio Advisor Statement (below).The Board of Directors manages the Society according to the terms of its Constitution and Bylaws.  The Board conducts business during monthly conference calls and an annual meeting, consistent with its Master Business Document.

• Constitution and Bylaws

• Plans and Policies

• Elections

• Committees

Federal employees interested in serving on the Board:

The River Management Society's members include federal and state agency professionals interested in improving their professional effectiveness by meeting with and learning from peers and partnership professionals.  Many have held leadership positions and applaud the responsiveness of the agencies who have moved quickly to provide tools for employees who are leaders of boards like ours. We have conducted our work with federal support, and have therefore placed board ethics highest among our practices. 

For federal employees who consider serving on the RMS Board, the Office of Government Ethics have established a Rule that allows them to do so for RMS or other non-profit organizations. National Park Service drafted a Memorandum of Understanding (May 2013) as guidance for staff who volunteer to hold leadership positions in non-profit organizations. The Bureau of Land Management distributed an Interim Memorandum of Understanding for BLM staff serving in non-profit leadership positions as well as a Temporary Approval Request and Temporary Recusal Memorandum. 

2026-2028 National Board Officers

Please visit the RMS Contact form or the member directory to get in touch with your national officers.

President: Kristina Rylands

As President, Kristina represents the Society in external matters; coordinates and presides over Board and Executive Committee meetings; oversees or delegates supervision of paid staff; and negotiates and signs contracts and agreements on behalf of the Society.

As Vice President, Tony will carry out the duties of the President in the absence of the President; will serve as a primary liaison to the Chapter Presidents; and will serve as liaison between the Board and committees appointed by the Board.

Moab, UT. Tony was raised from an early age to love and appreciate rivers and creeks that provide recreation, clean water, and vital wildlife habitat. He has worked professionally on rivers since the late 2000's, and has worked as the Colorado & Green Rivers Program Manager at the Utah Division of Forestry, Fire, & State Lands since 2017. He has been involved with RMS since 2019, and currently serves as the RMS Southwest Chapter President. In his free time, he... runs rivers recreationally. But, he's figuring out that mountain biking can be pretty fun too.

Vision for RMS: I think the most valuable asset that RMS provides is the capacity for interagency collaboration and training. The RMS Training Center, the River Ranger Rendezvous, and River Management Roundtables have essentially taught me my job in real time. Connecting expert river managers with students and early-career river professionals is needed to ensure the continuity of sound river management and river science. In the future, I would like to see RMS engage more with organizational-level partners to maximize our reach and connect as many new river professionals as possible to the profound depth of knowledge that RMS holds in our veteran membership roster.

Secretary: Helen Clough

Secretary Helen Clough keeps the Society’s historical records, correspondence, and other documents related to the business of the Society. The Secretary will record and present to the Board minutes of Society and Board meetings. The Secretary, with assistance from staff, will develop an annual report of the affairs of the Society for the Board and members. The Secretary will ensure advance distribution of notices of all Society and Board meetings.

Juneau, Alaska. RMS member since about 1992. Retired from US Fish and Wildlife Service. Long term board member - previous treasurer, president and secretary. Almost 40-year career involved in all aspects of public land management and rivers from the desert Armagosa to the high Arctic Sheekjek. Prepared the first river management plans for the rivers in National Wildlife Refuges in Alaska. Helped plan and oversee several RMS symposia.

Vision for RMS: RMS will continue to grow and will become a more financially secure organization. We need to diversity our funding sources. We also need to make sure we are serving all our members. During my board tenure (13 years), we have not grown our membership significantly but our impact has grown by magnitudes - implementing the national rivers project, the river training center, and the river studies and leadership certificate program. My vision is that these programs will continue and grow to reach their full potential. We will continue to service our traditional members and continue to expand the people we serve. We will continue to add staff as funding allows and provide services to those involved in all aspects of river management. I envision increased collaboration with state agencies, nonprofits, and academia.

Treasurer: David Cernicek

As Treasurer, Dave is responsible for all financial transactions of the Society, including deposits into the Society’s account, payroll transactions, and payments on behalf of the Society. The Treasurer will make payments and disbursements as directed by the approved budget or upon direction by the Board and will keep accurate and up-to-date records of all receipts and disbursements of the Society. At least quarterly, the Treasurer will submit for Board review and approval a listing of payments, disbursements and transfers of funds and will present an annual financial report to the Board. The Treasurer will coordinate with the Society’s accountant for all audits and Internal Revenue Service transactions.

Jackson Hole, WY. David works as the Wild & Scenic Rivers Coordinator for the Bridger-Teton National Forest overseeing the 315 miles of the 415 streams that make up the Snake River Headwaters Wild & Scenic Designation. He is a member of the Interagency Wild & Scenic Rivers Coordinating Council (IWSRCC), RMS member since 1997 and former RMS board treasurer.

Vision for RMS: RMS will train professional river stewards to safeguard waterways and inspire communities, while ensuring we remain financially strong to grow our impact. Healthy rivers, skilled stewards, and lasting sustainability: that’s the legacy we’re building.