CWA STAFF BIOLOGISTS
 Jake Messerli, Vice President Conservation Programs
Duties: Coordinating conservation and waterfowl funding programs, contract management, and project implementation.
Skills: Development and management of interagency partnerships, grant-writing, restoration design and cost estimation, construction management, and habitat management.
Accomplishments: Since joining CWA in 2001, he’s completed over 30 individual habitat projects on federal, state, and private land, ranging in size from a few acres to a few thousand acres. In all, he has helped administer the spending of over $10,000,000 covering more than 20,000 acres of wetland, riparian, and upland habitat in California.
Education: B.S. Wildlife Fisheries and Conservation Biology, University of California at Davis
 Daniel L. Loughman, Waterfowl Projects Supervisor
Duties: Coordinating evaluation of CWA waterfowl and wetland field projects using scientifically rigorous methodology with an adaptive management approach.
Skills: Managing large-scale banding programs, assisting DFG with annual spring waterfowl breeding population surveys,and helping both public and private land managers on habitat management.
Accomplishments: Over sees analysis of all research findings, summarization of results, and writing of technical reports and peer reviewed scientific manuscripts for CWA.
Education: Bachelor of Science Degree, Wildlife Management, Humboldt State University
 Chadd Santerre, Wetlands Project Supervisor
Duties: Coordinating conservation and waterfowl funding programs project and grant development and implementation and supervising staff through project implementation.
Skills: Development and management of interagency partnerships, grant-writing, restoration design and cost estimation, construction management, and habitat management.
Accomplishments: Since joining California Waterfowl in the spring of 1999, Santerre has developed and been responsible for the implementation of 21 North American Wetland Conservation Act grants which have provided California Waterfowl biologists with $18.8 million in federal funding and $7.4 million in state and private funding to conduct 339 wetland enhancement and restoration projects throughout the state. He has completed 231 individual habitat projects on federal, state and private lands which have restored 12,617 acres and enhanced a total of 43,206 acres of waterfowl habitat representing $15.7 million in habitat improvements throughout California.
Education: M.S., Biological Conservation, California State University, Sacramento; B.S., Biological Conservation, California State University, Sacramento.
 Rick Maher, Northeastern CA Regional Biologist
Duties: Coordinating conservation and waterfowl funding programs, contract management, and project implementation.
Skills: Development and management of interagency partnerships, grant-writing, restoration design and cost estimation, construction management, and habitat management.
Accomplishments: Since joining CWA in 2001, Maher has completed over 30 individual habitat projects on federal, state, and private land, ranging in size from a few acres to a few thousand acres. In all, he has helped administered $5,000,000 in funds, covering more than 10,000 acres of wetland, riparian, and upland habitat in California.
Education: B.S. in Agriculture and Wildlife Management from the California State University, Chico
 Rich Wright, San Joaquin Valley Regional Biologist
Duties: Develop, design, and supervise habitat projects in the San Joaquin Valley, including Goose Lake, Buena Vista Lake, Tulare Basin, Mendota/Firebaugh, Grasslands Ecological Area, and southern Delta region. Assistance with land and water issues applicable to habitat work.
Skills: State and federal grant writing, wetland design, project management, project and wetland management plans, and land policies.
Accomplishments: Since 2003, project managed over $8,000,000 in habitat work throughout the southern and northern San Joaquin Valley. Projects performed on private, United States Fish and Wildlife Service, California Department of Fish and Game, and Water District lands. Funding from North American Wetlands Conservation Act, Wildlife Conservation Board, California Duck Stamp, state bonds, and private sources.
Education: B.S. Environmental Science, UC Santa Barbara & B.S. Wildlife Management, Humboldt State University
 Robert Eddings, Suisun Marsh Regional Biologist
Duties: Coordinate and supervise projects in Suisun Marsh area. Provides GIS support and data management to CWA's staff.
Skills: Grant-writing, restoration design and cost estimation, construction management, habitat management, database design, GIS mapping and analysis.
Accomplishments: Since joining CWA in 2003, he’s assisted and supervised more than 40 individual enhancement and restoration projects throughout the state. He has assisted the delivery of over $1,500,000 in grant money affecting over 15,000 acres.
Education: B.S. Wildlife Fisheries and Conservation Biology, University of California at Davis
 Paul Phillips, Wetland Projects Coordinator
Duties: Construction supervision, project management, and GPS survey and design.
Skills: GPS elevation surveys, construction supervision, grant-writing,wetland design, habitat management, agency and landowner project development, banding and nest searching.
Accomplishments: Since joining CWA in 2003, he’s managed to survey thousands of acres of land for construction; he’s completed 5 individual projects on private lands and supervised construction on 16 other projects totaling several thousand acres on state and private land.
Education: A.S. Biology De Anza Community College. B.S. Wildlife Fisheries and Conservation Biology, University of California at Davis
 Greg Heydeman,Southern California Regional Biologist
Duties: GIS elevation surveying, restoration design and project supervision.
Skills: GIS elevation surveying, wetland design, construction supervision, waterfowl capture and banding
Accomplishments: Greg started with CWA in 2006 trapping and banding thousands of waterfowl across the state. He has recently taken up wetland design, construction and project management. Greg is currently working out of CWA’s Southern California office on wetland enhancement/restoration projects in the San Jacinto and Imperial Valleys.
Education: B.S. Wildlife Fisheries and Conservation Biology, University of California at Davis
Caroline Brady, Wood Duck Program Coordinator
Duties: Coordinating annual Wood Duck monitoring efforts, volunteer communication and coordination, Wood Duck education development and outreach.
Skills: Educational program development, Waterfowl trapping and banding. |
