Our Team

Bill Weaver

Bill Weaver

Ph.D., CEO, Principal Geomorphologist, President
McKinleyville Office

Dr. Weaver has over 27 years of professional experience in the fields of process geomorphology, surface water hydrology, watershed management, and engineering geology.  Since forming Pacific Watershed Associates, his work has focused on forest geomorphology, and the hydrologic and cumulative effects of land management on forested watersheds and wetlands ecosystems.

Danny Hagans

Danny Hagans

B.S., Principal Earth Scientist, Vice President
McKinleyville Office

Mr. Hagans has extensive experience in conducting large scale, basin-wide erosion inventories and assessments, as well as implementing watershed rehabilitation and restoration projects in Northern California and elsewhere. Since joining Pacific Watershed Associates in 1990, Mr. Hagans has managed and conducted a variety of projects related to wildland hydrology and erosion processes, including sediment source assessments of over 2,000 square miles of managed forest land and erosion inventories and sediment reduction plans for literally thousands of miles of wildland forest roads, ranch roads, rural subdivision roads, vineyard roads, parkland roads, and county maintained public roads throughout California.

Eileen Weppner

Eileen Weppner

B.A., P.G., Senior Geologist, General Manager
McKinleyville Office

Ms. Weppner is a Senior Geologist and General Manager for the Watershed Assessment/Restoration and Compliance divisions of PWA. She has experience in conducting all elements of watershed assessments, erosion inventories, field surveying, stream channel mapping, implementation of road upgrading/road decommissioning projects, and paleontological resource investigations. For these projects she has been the lead on sampling strategy development; statistical analysis; and quality control and quality assurance. She is also responsible for report writing, proposal writing, technical review, and public outreach for watershed-related and environmental compliance projects. In addition, she also oversees all aspects of GIS and database applications at PWA.

Greg Orum

Greg Orum

P.E., Senior Engineer
McKinleyville Office

Mr. Orum has 15 years of experience working with multidisciplinary teams throughout the country as an engineer. He has been involved in all facets of stream restoration design for projects located in impacted environments. He has specific expertise in hydrologic and hydraulic analysis, scour and erodibility investigations, bed and bank stabilization design, stream simulation culvert design, fish passage analysis, dam removal, natural habitat design, large wood structures, topographic surveying, AutoCAD, and construction oversight. A graduate of Humboldt State University in Environmental Resources Engineering, Greg has also attended workshops specifically focused on fish passage, road/stream design, instream habitat, geomorphology, sediment transport, and construction oversight.

Tom Leroy

M.S., P.G., C.E.G., Senior Engineering Geologist
McKinleyville Office

Mr. Leroy specializes in interdisciplinary fisheries habitat restoration, Holocene stratigraphy, and coastal geomorphology. His experience with Quaternary geology and geomorphology studies also includes seismic hazard assessment, neotectonics, landslide assessments, sediment source inventory, and geotechnical analysis.

Kathy Moley

B.S., P.G., Senior Geologist
McKinleyville Office

Ms. Moley has been a Geologist and Manager of PWA’s Environmental Division since 1998. Her extensive experience in subsurface soil and geologic characterization assists clients with their development needs, including preliminary soils reports and wastewater treatment system site investigations and designs. She is still hopping in and out of test pits, logging soils and conducting percolation testing. More recently, Ms. Moley has become well-versed in water rights and land use permitting at the county and state levels. In this rapidly evolving regulatory framework, she has been able to provide sound advice and project direction. Furthermore, Ms. Moley is experienced in earthquake and tsunami mitigation strategies and engages in geologic hazard community planning and education.

Randy Lew

Randy Lew

B.A., P.G. and C.E.G. (CA and OR), QSD/QSP, Senior Engineering Geologist
McKinleyville Office

Mr. Lew is a senior engineering geologist with extensive experience in geologic and geomorphic investigations leading to related remediation and mitigation projects throughout Northern California and Oregon. His work experience has emphasized applied geomorphic investigations that result in development of erosion control and erosion prevention plans for federal, state and private landowners. He has overseen multiple watershed sediment source assessments and supervised large-scale erosion remediation projects. Additionally, Mr. Lew has extensive experience in the development of Storm Water Pollution Prevention Plans (SWPPPs). He is a qualified SWPPP Developer/Practitioner (QSD/QSP) and is a California Stormwater Quality Association certified Trainer of Record (ToR) for required QSD/QSP coursework. In both California and Oregon, he is licensed as a professional geologist and certified engineering geologist.

Todd Kraemer

Todd Kraemer

B.S., CPESC, QSP/QSD, Associate Hydrologist
McKinleyville Office

Mr. Kraemer is a Certified Erosion and Sediment Control Specialist and Qualified Stormwater Prevention Plan Developer and Practitioner certified by the California Stormwater Quality Association. He conducts Storm Water Pollution Prevention Plan (SWPPP) preparation and implementation as a Qualified SWPPP Developer/Practioner and Certified Professional in Erosion and Sediment Control. Mr. Kraemer’s work experience has emphasized applied hydrology and field sampling. He is trained and has extensive field experience in surface water hydrology, erosion and stormwater assessments, erosion inventories, erosion prevention planning, and road- and trail-related erosion control and prevention. He is skilled in a variety of sampling strategies and techniques for hydrologic variables, physical stream parameters, and biological conditions.

Margo Moorhouse

Margo Moorhouse

B.S., Fisheries Biologist/Aquatic Biologist
McKinleyville Office

Margo Moorhouse is a Fisheries Biologist/Aquatic Ecologist for PWA. She has a B.S. in Fisheries Biology with an emphasis on Freshwater Fishes and Ecology. She brings over 30 years of experience to PWA having worked for agencies and numerous private consultants conducting instream flow studies, population estimates, and habitat suitability criteria curve development throughout California, Oregon, Washington, and Idaho. Margo has extensive knowledge of aquatic ecosystem functions including the effects of habitat restoration activities on channel, aquatic ecology, and fish assemblages. She conducts habitat assessments, protocol level sampling, ESA and CEQA compliance, statistical analyses, and scientific reporting.

Patrick Moorhouse

Watershed Scientist/Field Ecologist
McKinleyville Office

Mr. Moorhouse has a background in wildlife and fisheries biology and specializes in field-based projects. These include wildlife, fisheries, and habitat assessments and monitoring; instream and off-channel salmonid habitat improvement; as well as riparian vegetation planting. He has decades of experience conducting watershed-wide road-related erosion inventories and assessments, as well as heavy equipment oversight on various erosion control and fisheries habitat improvement projects. Patrick also enjoys mentoring and training younger staff members.

Shannon Weese

Shannon Weese

B.S., Project Geologist, North Bay Program Manager
Petaluma Office

Mrs. Weese has been with PWA since 2006. As the Program Manager and a Lead Scientist for PWA’s North Bay Petaluma office, she specializes in applied geomorphology, sediment source evaluations, and sediment reduction treatment plans for rural residential and forestland road networks from small, private landownerships to basin-wide areas. Duties and responsibilities include supervising all aspects of project work, including contract development and budget preparation, field evaluations, geomorphic mapping, data analysis, proposal and report writing, as well as oversight of heavy equipment operations.

Chris Herbst

Chris Herbst

B.S., P.G., Project Geologist
McKinleyville Office

Mr. Herbst specializes in applied geomorphology and developing and implementing restoration and in-stream and off-channel fish habitat projects. His experience includes managing sediment source assessments, developing and implementing road related sediment reduction and erosion control projects for forestland road networks, surface and groundwater monitoring, and conducting geologic characterizations to support engineering design projects. Responsibilities include supervising all aspects of project work including permitting, budget development and tracking, field evaluations, geomorphic mapping, data analysis, proposal and report writing, and oversight of heavy equipment operations.

Jack Skeahan

B.S., Project Geologist
McKinleyville Office

Mr. Skeahan has a bachelor’s degree in Geology and over seven years of experience in watershed restoration, water quality protection, and geomorphic investigations, including watershed assessments, field surveying, water and soil sampling, technical report writing, and equipment oversight in the Northern California region. He currently specializes in regulatory compliance for rural landowners, including site investigations, regulatory monitoring and reporting, water rights, and development of water quality protection plans, restoration plans, regulatory permit applications, and erosion and sediment control measures. He also specializes in providing technical guidance and treatment recommendations for rural landowners in violation of state and county water quality, planning, and building regulations.

Joel Flynn

B.S., P.G., Project Geologist
McKinleyville Office

Mr. Flynn has been a Project Geologist at PWA for over 13 years.  He has extensive experience in watershed-scale geologic and geomorphic analyses as they relate to land management throughout Northern California.  His experience is primarily in road-related watershed analysis, geomorphology, hydrology, and geologic and geomorphic mapping.  His additional expertise includes geologic and geomorphic investigations, sediment source inventories, erosion prevention planning and implementation, air-photo analysis, and project management.

Michelle Robinson

M.S., Project Geologist
McKinleyville Office

Ms. Robinson specializes in geologic and geomorphic mapping. She has a background in local geology and fluvial geomorphology, and has extensive experience in topographic surveying, stream assessments, sediment-source mapping, and watershed analysis. Ms. Robinson is also involved in project management, technical report development, restoration planning, water rights, and environmental land use permitting at the county and state levels.

David Stafford

A.S., B.S., Project Geologist
Petaluma Office

David Stafford is proficient in mapping and analyzing geologic processes and has completed landslide and coastal bluff studies and dozens geotechnical investigations in Sonoma and Mendocino Counites. He is proficient in developing groundwater monitoring workplans, groundwater and surface water sampling, the installation of percolation testing equipment, and soil infiltration testing for low impact development (LID). Mr. Stafford is an FAA certified remote pilot, experienced in unmanned aerial systems for terrain and geomorphic mapping. At PWA, David is principally responsible for project management including developing project scopes and cost proposals, construction management, environmental and geotechnical report writing, the design and implementation of low impact development facilities, and permitting.

Bryce King

B.S., E.I.T., Staff Engineer
McKinleyville Office

Mr. King is an environmental engineer with several years of experience working on riparian habitat restoration, coastal resiliency adaptations, and other environmentally conscious projects. He is a certified NCEES Engineer in Training and earned his bachelor’s degree in Civil and Environmental Engineering from UC Berkeley in 2017. He has experience researching and designing sustainable wastewater systems, managing heavy equipment construction for stream restoration projects, designing riparian habitat assessments, mapping creek geomorphology, performing post-project analysis to inform best management practices, and implementing riparian restoration and native plant management programs.

Héctor Flores

Héctor Flores

B.A., Staff Geologist
McKinleyville Office

Mr. Flores is an up and coming geologist in the field of Watershed Science and Environmental Management. He has worked on projects involving road-related watershed analysis, soil testing for onsite wastewater treatment site evaluations, and soil remediation projects for landowners. He also specializes in North Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board and State Water Resources Control Board requirements for California Fish and Wildlife permitting. When he’s not putting together a site suitability or comprehensive 1600 report, Héctor is in the field of science education and Spanish translation and interpretation, providing the North Coast with more than five years of experience.

Melissa “Missy” Kobetsky

B.S., M.S. (in progress), Staff Natural Resource Scientist
Petaluma Office

Ms. Kobetsky has a background in Natural Resource Sciences with an emphasis in geospatial applications, watershed restoration, and fluvial geomorphology. She specializes in environmental land use permitting, regulatory monitoring and reporting, as well as post-project monitoring and performance evaluation. She is a certified remote pilot through the FAA and has experience utilizing unmanned aerial systems for geomorphic surveying and mapping. Additionally, her skills include water quality analysis, stream and habitat assessments, and field-based topographic surveying.

Ivonne Romero

B.S., Staff Biologist
McKinleyville Office

Ms. Romero joined PWA as a Staff Biologist in 2021. She has an interdisciplinary background in migratory bird research and environmental compliance. She specializes in nesting bird and special-status species surveys, wildlife inventories, technical reporting, monitoring summaries, and biological resource reporting for CEQA and NEPA projects. She holds a B.S. in Wildlife and has over eight years of experience working on wildlife research and regulatory monitoring projects throughout western North America. Her work at PWA includes biological resource assessments, CDFW agreements, state water quality applications and reports, environmental land use permitting, and water rights registrations.

Picture of Tyler Cole

Tyler Cole

B.A., G.I.T., Staff Geologist
Petaluma Office

Tyler Cole has over five years of experience providing observation and testing services for construction projects throughout the North Bay area. He was heavily involved with fire rebuild processes, including soil compaction, special inspection, and concrete sampling, following the 2017 Tubbs Fire and 2020 Glass Fire. He also conducted subsurface exploration for geotechnical investigations, including soil sampling, soil classification, and lab testing for new residential and commercial development projects and landslide repairs. Since joining PWA in 2022, he has been conducting road and trail assessments for watershed restoration projects and performing field-based assessments and evaluations, as well as data collection, report compilation, site inspections, and site monitoring.

Nolan Marshall

B.A., Staff Geologist, Watershed Scientist
McKinleyville Office

Mr. Marshall is a graduate of Humboldt State University’s geology program where he participated in multidisciplinary watershed studies and worked remotely for San Francisco Bay’s Water Quality Control Board. Since graduating, he has worked on wildfire remediation projects near Mount Shasta and spent brief time in oil and geophysical exploration. At PWA he is focused on collaborating on efforts to restore watersheds and improve aquatic habitats.

Eileen Hemphill-Haley

Eileen Hemphill-Haley

Ph.D., Adjunct Geologist
McKinleyville Office

Dr. Hemphill-Haley is a former researcher with the USGS specializing in coastal and marine geology, micropaleontology, and paleoseismology. She collaborates with Pacific Watershed Associates staff on coastal paleoseismic research projects.

Audi Thoele

B.S., Watershed Technician/Botanist
McKinleyville Office

Mr. Thoele has experience conducting watershed assessments and assisting with road decommissioning project layout and design as well as eelgrass surveys. His background includes botanical restoration work in alpine meadow habitat in Yosemite National Park.

Ann Cottone

M.B.A., Financial Manager
McKinleyville Office

Ms. Cottone has over three decades experience in the field of business management and accounting.  She is responsible for managing financial processes, providing a broad range of accounting, analytical, and administrative functions.  She also provides risk management, human resource services, and supervision of the administrative staff. 

Austin Landowski

Austin Landowski

Account Manager/Fleet Manager
McKinleyville Office

Mr. Landowski has been a part of the PWA team since 2017. He repairs and maintains PWA’s fleet of vehicles so that staff can access the rugged terrain in which they conduct their field work. He has studied the automotive repair industry for the past 6 years and has a passion for fixing things. Mr. Landowski also works in the Accounting department where he handles all billing for the compliance division.

Tags:
© 2024 Pacific Watershed Associates Inc. Contact design & development: accelerant