Jessica Norris, PhD, Senior Ecologist
Jessica's home river is likely a stream by others' standards - the Rose River as it leaves Shenandoah National Park. She started field work in biology studying birds and working in Latin America, then came home to a conservation and advocacy position with American Bird Conservancy. She transitioned to the restoration firm Biohabitats in 2012 because of her family's move away from DC. At Bio, she started as a proposal writer and then moved into land and resource management and morphed slowly towards rivers and including recreation and visitor use in her work. She has lots of opinions about academic vs government vs consulting sectors and some thoughts about having kids & family balance throughout a career. She is a returned Peace Corps volunteer and has a BS from Humboldt State and a PhD in Ecology from Duke University.

Elektra Mathews-Novelli, Forest Hydrologist and Whitewater Kayak Instructor
Throughout my life rivers have always been a draw. Whether I am in a city or in the wildlands, the river provides me with peace, inspiration and joy. My connection with rivers has taken me to carriers that help heal the environment through restoration and heal people through kayaking. Early in my restoration career I worked at a nonprofit out of Seattle called EarthCorps via AmeriCorps. From there I went to Humboldt State University in Northern California where I earned a degree in Forestry with a focus in Hydrology and a minor in Wildland Soil Science. Trees, water and soil, the makings of a mountain riverine system. From there I have worked in state/federal government, private consulting and tribal government. Once I was established in my professional career, I started engaging rivers through whitewater kayaking. After years of learning to kayak, I was able to become an American Canoe Association certified kayak instructor. Bridging the recreation and restoration worlds of the river has been a very rewarding space for me to feed my need to heal and have fun on and off the river.

Thomas Slawski, PhD, Chief Biologist, Natural Resources Planning and Management Division
Dr. Slawski has over 30 years of experience in aquatic ecology specializing in stream habitat and fisheries assessments, design, and restoration techniques. He has received a B.S. Biological Sciences, University of Michigan-Ann Arbor, in 1991, and Ph.D., Biological Sciences, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, in 1997. His research has focused on understanding the impacts of physical and hydrological alterations associated with land use development and ways to mitigate those impacts to improve or restore fish and aquatic life.  He has coauthored numerous technical reports and peer-reviewed publications related to lake and stream water quality, fish, and other aquatic life assessments and watershed protection/restoration planning throughout Southeastern Wisconsin. He practices a comprehensive science-based watershed approach to water quality planning that provides the basis for the communities to make sound decisions regarding environmental, land development, and recreational issues—all with ties to strong partnerships and public involvement.