Patrick Wright is the Director of the California Bay-Delta Authority, a consortium of over 20 state and federal agencies and public members working to improve the quality and reliability of the state’s water supplies and to restore the ecological health of the Bay/Delta estuarine system. Launched in 2000 after five years of planning and public input, the California Bay-Delta Plan is one of the largest, most comprehensive water management plans in the nation. Mr. Wright was previously Deputy Secretary of the California Resources Agency. He also served on the Board of the California Coastal Conservancy. Before joining the Resources Agency, he was a Senior Policy Advisor to the Regional Administrator of the U.S. EPA in San Francisco. During this period, he also held a joint position as Senior Advisor to the Deputy Secretary of the Interior, through which he coordinated federal agency activities on water issues in California. Mr. Wright holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Oberlin College and a Master of Public Policy degree from the Goldman School of Public Policy at U.C. Berkeley.

Mark Angelo has traveled hundreds of waterways on six continents. As a kayaker and rafter over the past 35 years, he has descended many of the world’s longest rivers, such as the Nile, Yangtze, Amazon, and Mekong. As an avid fly fisherman, Mr. Angelo’s travels have taken him to exotic locales, ranging from the wilderness of New Zealand to remote Mongolia. He has also traveled extensively throughout northern Canada. Mr. Angelo heads the B.C. Institute of Technology’s Fish, Wildlife, Recreation Program and chairs the Polytechnic’s new Fish, Wildlife, Recreation Centre of Excellence. Mr. Angelo is the Rivers Chair of the Outdoor Recreation Council of BC and founder of BC Rivers Day. In 2001, he received the Order of Canada for his river conservation efforts at home and abroad. Among his other honors are the Order of British Columbia, the National Recreational Fisheries Award, and Canada’s National River Conservation Award.

Large format landscape photographer and film maker, Carr Clifton has spent 25 years exploring and documenting the endangered, wild landscapes most people will never know. An accomplished wilderness guide and traveler, Mr. Clifton is recognized for his distinctive and artistic landscapes of remote regions. His wilderness skills have allowed him entrance into the world’s most remote and least populated regions. Mr. Clifton is best known for his exhibit format books—Wild By Law, Wild & Scenic California, The Hudson: A River That Flows Two Ways, New York Images of the Landscape, and California Magnificent Wilderness. His photography has been displayed at the Roger Tory Peterson Institute, the Nikon House, and the California Academy of Science. Recent awards include the Detroit Creative Directors’ Silver Caddy Award for outstanding landscape photography in advertising and the Theodore Roosevelt Medal of Achievement for outstanding expeditionary achievement.

Beth Rypins is an acclaimed Class V whitewater kayaker, raft guide, and international expedition leader. Her 25 years of kayaking and rafting in 23 countries on six continents, including countless first descents, has paved the way for women’s participation in whitewater sports. Most recently, Beth captained the U.S. Women’s Whitewater Team, earning five National and two World Championship titles. She has applied her vast adventure experience to a media production business that creates fast-paced, informative, and award-winning video and television. In 2002, Beth took the year off from full-time training and video/television production to embark on her greatest adventure to date—motherhood.

Tim Palmer is the author of 15 books about rivers and the environment, including Lifelines: The Case for River Conservation, America by Rivers, The Wild and Scenic Rivers of America, The Snake River, and others. He received the first Lifetime Achievement Award from American Rivers, the River Conservationist of the Year Award from Perception, and the Peter Behr Award—the highest award of Friends of the River in California. Paddler magazine included him among the ten greatest river conservationists of our time and among the “100 Paddlers of the Century.” Before writing full time, Tim worked as a county planner and was frequently involved in river studies. His photos are widely used, and he often speaks for river groups and universities and has presented other slide shows at RMS events.

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