SAN DIEGO RIVER CONSERVANCY APPOINTS NEW EXECUTIVE OFFICER

Conservation Leader Tapped To Direct State Conservancy

January 31, 2013 (San Diego)--The Governing Board of the San Diego River Conservancy (SDRC) announced the appointment of Kevin McKernan as its Executive Officer. McKernan, who currently serves as Executive Officer for the Coachella Valley Mountains Conservancy, will assume his new position in March.

The Conservancy, a division of the California Natural Resources Agency, seeks to restore San Diego River; establish a riparian corridor from its headwaters in the Cuyamaca Mountains to the Pacific Ocean; and, connect habitat conservation areas, parks and public open spaces in the watershed. SDRC also coordinates and promotes regional collaboration between jurisdictions along the River and members of the San Diego River Coalition.

Ben Clay, Chairman of the Conservancy’s Govern Board, said, “SDRC welcomes Kevin as our new Executive Officer. Kevin brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to the Conservancy that will help maintain our momentum and achieve its restoration goals.”

Kevin’s diverse career history features an array of career achievements and assignments: directing Coachella Valley and Mountains Conservancy’s $25 million land acquisition and conservation programs; providing outreach and advocacy for the National Landscape Conservation System, as California Program Director for the Conservation Lands Foundation; leading the Northcoast Regional Land Trust; and, developing and managing the Yurok Tribal Environmental Program.

“I am really looking forward to bringing my experience and background to the San Diego River Conservancy. It’s exciting to know I’ll be working with such a diverse array of supportive partners toward a shared vision of a healthy and vibrant San Diego River watershed”, said McKernan.