Staff
PRC currently employs seven professional staff with expertise in science, policy, and nonprofit management.
John Kober
John Kober is the Executive Director of Pacific Rivers Council. He has spent much of his life advocating for the protection and restoration of fish, wildlife and their habitats. Over the last 15 years he has focused his efforts on the protection of native fish and wild rivers. Prior to joining PRC he worked for the National Wildlife Federation and was chair of the Save Our Wild Salmon Coalition board of directors. John's passion for river and watershed protection emanates from his lifelong experience as an angler. For over 15 years he worked as a flyfishing guide and outfitter in his home state of Montana. John has worked for the Montana State Legislature and has worked on a number of political campaigns and initiatives. In 1997 he went to work for the Montana Wildlife Federation, retired his outfitting business and has dedicated his career to protecting the environment.
Mary Scurlock
Mary Scurlock, J.D., joined Pacific Rivers Council in 1991, and is PRC's Policy Director. Mary has extensive experience in policy analysis and development. She designed much of the National Aquatic Restoration Trust Fund, played a key role in designing the policies and administrative rules that accompany the new watershed restoration approach, and played a major role in identifying budget categories that led to successfully securing over $70 million for watershed restoration in the FY 1994 Interior Appropriations bill. Mary is co-author of Entering the Watershed (Island Press, 1993). Mary was invited to serve on the Governor of Oregon's Forest Practices Advisory Committee to provide advice to the Board of Forestry regarding state forest practice rules.
Rebecca Daniels
Rebecca Daniels joined PRC in 1997, and has worn a number of hats along the way. She now serves as PRC's Finance Manager. Rebecca grew up in California but felt like she had come home when she moved to Oregon in 1987. Rebecca studied music in college, but has always had a strong interest in conservation issues. When she isn't crunching numbers for PRC, favorite pastimes include playing on or in rivers, hiking, playing classical piano, and introducing her children to the wonder and beauty of the natural world.
Christopher Frissell
Christopher Frissell, Ph.D., joined Pacific Rivers Council in November 2000, and is PRC's Director of Science and Conservation. Dr. Frissell has held research faculty positions at Oregon State University and The University of Montana, Flathead Lake Biological Station for 7 years since graduating from Oregon State University with a doctorate in Fisheries Science. His research has been extensively published in journals such as Journal of the American Water Resources Association, Transactions of the American Fisheries Society, and Conservation Biology, on whose editorial board he has served. He has contributed chapters for a variety of books on stream ecology and watershed restoration. Chris is a long-time associate of PRC. His prior efforts for PRC included preparing and developing scientific community support for the petition for federal listing of the coho salmon as a threatened species, and building the scientific rationale for our protect the best, restore the rest approach to aquatic conservation back in 1993. CV
Kelly Crispen
Kelly Crispen joined PRC in summer 2010 and takes the title of Umpqua Legacy Rivers Coordinator. Kelly has a B.S. in Aquatic Wildlife Biology and will graduate with her M.S. in Organismal Biology and Ecology from the Flathead Lake Biological Station at the University of Montana. Her Master's work has focused on the history and current ecology of salmonids in the Umpqua River. Kelly has previously worked as a field ecologist studying salmon on the Skeena and Kitlope Rivers in northern B.C., and she has worked for the University of Montana's Center for Environmental Health Sciences as an air quality research scientist. Kelly is interested in salmonid and river conservation and restoration. She grew up taking family vacations to the Umpqua, and hopes to conserve the river for future generations. When she is not working you can find her hiking and fishing with her two dogs and fiance Jason.
John Persell
John Persell recently joined the staff of Pacific Rivers Council as its Mt. Hood Restoration Policy Coordinator. John completed his J.D. at Southern Illinois University School of Law and also received an LL.M. in environmental and natural resources law from Lewis and Clark Law School. He previously worked for Biodiversity Conservation Alliance, preparing comments and appeals on projects and travel management plans that threatened wildlife habitat and watersheds in Wyoming and the Black Hills. John also represented BCA in litigation regarding logging and oil and gas drilling.
The Pacific Rivers Council also employs many short- and long-term contractors.
