Staff

Tracy (she/her) is a dedicated environmental advocate with a diverse background in project management, education, and environmental law. She holds a BA in English, a teaching credential, and a Juris Doctorate degree. Her journey in conservation began with work at a seal and sea lion rescue organization sparking a lifelong passion for environmental protection. She enjoys spending time at the beach year-round, especially during the winter months.

Lisa (she/her) joined the RCDSMM  in 2024 as the Administrative Operations Manager. With nearly a decade of experience in human resources and operations management, Lisa has a proven track record of building efficient workplaces and fostering a collaborative culture. She oversees HR functions and internal operations, seamlessly combining her operational expertise with a deep passion for natural resource preservation. Lisa finds daily joy in supporting RCDSMM’s mission and contributing to the conservation of the region’s unique natural beauty. 

Angelica Kahler (she/her), better known as Jelly around the office, is the RCD’s Education & Engagement Supervisor. Jelly started with the RCD in October of 2018 as a Watershed Stewards Program (or WSP) Member. She graduated from Western Washington University in Bellingham, WA in 2016 with Bachelors of Science in Marine Biology. As the Education & Engagement Supervisor, Jelly will help direct environmental education field programs as well as classroom science programs, develop education and outreach materials, expand upon current education programs and develop new opportunities for environmental education, develop and coordinate community-based science engagement programs, and coordinate RCD outreach through social media, newsletters, blog posts, virtual fundraising campaigns and annual reports. Jelly will also aids in the coordination of volunteer events.

Bio coming soon…

Molly (they/them) has enjoyed working with plants and people throughout the wide-ranging career that has brought them to wildfire resilience work. They received a bachelor’s degree in environmental studies and French from Carleton College. Molly worked in urban farming and California native plants landscaping before they were introduced to wildfire resilience through leading a field crew (the Safford lab at UC Davis) studying prescribed burns and forest health in California State Parks. Molly is thrilled to now be at the RCD, where they work in the wildland urban interface coordinating community resilience projects focused on wildfire preparedness, home hardening, and defensible space landscaping.

Marilyn Brody French (she/her) joined the RCD in 2020 as a Conservation Biologist, and in 2021 decided to further serve the RCD’s mission by taking on the role of Education Coordinator.

She began youth program development in 2017 while simultaneously achieving a masters from Cornell University in Conservation and Community Development, bringing real-world perspectives on earth stewardship and sustainability to youth programs. Throughout her 10 years of conservation research, her passion has always centered on sharing with young hearts the wonder of nature.

“Through my experience, I’ve learned that children, with their extraordinary curiosity, are the natural adventurers and scientists of our world and therefore the solutionists of our future. The RCD’s unique ability to weave local research into environmental education encourages kids to be just that – solutionists and caretakers of our land. And that’s why I’ve chosen to be here.”

A practicing architect for 30 years, Clark Stevens (he/him), Architect, NCARB is a leader in conservation-based planning and design for ecologically and culturally critical landscapes in the American West, Tribal and Hawaiian lands, coastal California, Santa Monica Mountains and Upper Los Angeles River watershed. Clark served both as Executive Officer and Principal Architect of the RCDSMM for 15 years. Under his leadership, the RCDSMM’s capacity, staffing, and budget grew exponentially, culminating with LA County LAFCo’s approval of the expansion of its Sphere of Influence to include the entire Rim of The Valley region.

With the hiring of our District Manager in 2024, Clark now focuses full-time on leading the unique integrated resource design program and projects for which the RCDSMM has become known. His work includes regional habitat connectivity planning, the design of interpretive ‘learning landscapes’, the creation of new topographies and bathymetries in coastal and riparian landscapes, and the design of wildlife passage strategies and architecture.

Isabella (she/her) is an environmental designer skilled in analyzing and developing place-based solutions within the wildland-urban interface. She joined the RCD in 2022 shortly after graduating with high honors from UC Berkeley. She utilizes her degree in Environmental Design and minor in History of the Built Environment everyday, using geographic information systems, 3D modeling, and site specific storytelling.

Fun Fact: Isabella loves nature, snowboarding and especially beekeeping.

Rosi (she/her) has been working at the RCDSMM since she moved to Los Angeles in 1987. She has initiated and coordinated numerous research, restoration and monitoring projects throughout the Santa Monica Mountains, starting with studies of Malibu Lagoon, Leo Carrillo State Beach and moving inland to watershed level analysis and sensitive species monitoring. She has published numerous technical papers, as well as a children’s book, Grandmother Oak. Currently Rosi serves as a member of the Los Angeles County Environmental Review Board and leader of the Topanga Creek Stream Team and is a certified Arborist. Rosi is also a member of the Los Angeles County Beach Commission, technical advisor for the CA Oak Foundation and former member of the City of Malibu Environmental Review Board.

Danielle (she/her) is an ecologist with over 20 years of experience in resource management, research, and restoration. Danielle’s research has focused on plant and fire ecology and water bird conservation. She is particularly interested in ecosystem level approaches to conservation. Danielle earned an M.S. in Ecology and Systematics from San Francisco State University, and a Ph.D. in Wildlife Science from Virginia Tech. She has served as a member of the Los Angeles County Environmental Review Board, the UCLA La Kretz Center Science Advisory Committee, and is an alternate on the Santa Monica Bay Restoration Commission.

Isaac (he/him) is a Biological Field Technician with the RCD and a Topanga local. He first began with the RCD as an Environmental Educator and a part of the Stream Team. After three years honing his trout monitoring skills with Fish and Wildlife he returned to the RCD to study the creeks that raised him. Isaac loves all animals but gets extra doey-eyed when he encounters a reptile or amphibian. Aside from a desire to conserve the creeks and their inhabitants Isaac also wants to understand the burning question, what is it like to be an animal?