Setting Course for a Water Trails Community

As Program Manager for Watershed Outreach with the Pennsylvania Environmental Council, Tali MacArthur’s chief responsibility is to advance the mission of the Pennsylvania Organization for Watersheds and Rivers (POWR), a 509(a)-supporting organization of PEC. She joined PEC in 2018 with a mandate to support local efforts to protect Pennsylvania’s streams and rivers, and to encourage opportunities for recreation and fun in and along them. MacArthur has deep expertise in water resource restoration, conservation, and outreach, including more than 12 years with the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection’s Coastal Zone Management Program, and a stint as Program Manager with the Pennsylvania Council of Trout Unlimited. Tali holds a Master of Marine Affairs degree from the University of Washington and a Bachelor of Science in Marine Science from the University of South Carolina Honors College. She is a member of Phi Beta Kappa and a Senior Fellow of the Environmental Leadership Program.

John Wenck is the state water trails coordinator in Iowa. In his 13 years with the Iowa Department of Natural resources, he has worked with communities across the state to improve river access, develop water trail plans, and install and maintain signage. He administers DNR water trail grants and teaches canoe and kayak classes.  Though a lifelong resident of the state, he says he really didn't see Iowa until he started canoeing.

Risa Shimoda supports the River Management Society program staff and board with a background in design engineering, consumer products marketing and non-profit leadership. She received a BS in Engineering / Product Design from Stanford University and trained as a consumer products marketer at Procter & Gamble, M&M/Mars and Coca-Cola USA before directing marketing, sales, and product development for kayaks and paddlesports accessories at Perception, the world’s largest kayak manufacturer (prior to its purchase in the late ‘90s). As Executive Director of American Whitewater (AW), she and her team represented river users in the relicensing of hydropower projects and pursued the right of public access on precedent-setting cases. She pioneered corporate support for AW and developed its first event-based business model for the Gauley River Festival, the largest U.S. river-based annual fundraising event. An avid whitewater paddler, Risa co-founded the Outdoor Alliance and has served on the boards of the Conservation Alliance, North American Paddlesports Association, American Whitewater, Nantahala Outdoor Center, International Whitewater Hall of Fame, and World River Center.