Doris Cellarius
Board Chair
Director

Doris Cellarius, appointed as Board Chair in July 2008, served as a Director for Prescott Creeks since 2004. She and her husband Richard retired to Prescott on 1999. She has worked with the Sierra Club on pollution and toxics cleanup for many years, but now she is enjoying spending more time out-of-doors, walking our creeks and talking with her neighbors about protecting them. "Its always been about water and getting my feet wet", from my childhood in Illinois, where my Dad organized nature walks for the community, to Olympia, Washington, where we raised our family a 'stones throw' from Puget Sound." Her Reed College biology thesis was about frogs, as was her research in zoology at Columbia University. The she spent a few years working at the Bronx Zoo. Earth Day in Ann Arbor, Michigan, was a turning point. She became an full-time activist, helped start an Ecology Center, and created some school gardens. Prescott Creeks offers a wonderful opportunity to work with others who care about water and the life that depends on it.

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Joel Hiller
Director

Joel Hiller brought over 25 years of diversified experience with nonprofit organizations to the Prescott Creeks Board of Directors in the fall of 2004 and was elected to the leadership position of Board Chair in June 2006 and served through July 2008. Previously, Joel held the positions of Co-President and Interim President at Prescott College for three years, and has served with the City of Prescott Strategic Planning committee, Watson and Willow Lakes Steering committees. Joel has also held leadership positions with organizations as varied as Yavapai Regional Medical Center, the Arizona Humanities Council, the Arizona Historical Society and Desert Caballeros Western Museum. "I can spend days walking the streets of small towns and big cities alike, observing the people and buildings…the business of the day. The international southwest with its rich traditions and dynamic future is home. There are few places I've been I wouldn't return, and many more I hope to visit."

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Karen O’Neil, who joined the board in September 2004, has been a Prescott resident for more than 20 years. She has been (and continues to be) active in leadership positions in Prescott Audubon Society. She also represents Prescott Audubon Society on the statewide Arizona Audubon Council and serves as an officer. As a result of her passion for birding and other outdoor activities, she recognizes the critical need to protect and preserve riparian habitat, especially in the arid southwest, not only for birds, but for all life including human beings. Karen believes that participating as a member of the Prescott Creeks Board is a meaningful way to contribute to the protection and preservation of riparian habitat on a local level.

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Russell Fosha joined the Prescott Creeks Board of Director in March of 2007. After completing a 10 week Master Watershed Steward course with the University of Arizona Yavapai County Cooperative Extension, Russ volunteered with Prescott Creeks on its Creek Observation Guide Project. More recently he signed on to monitor water levels in the Watson Woods Riparian Preserve wells. With a background in accounting, finance and planning, Russ brings many needed skills to Prescott Creeks.

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Jeff Low
Director

Jeff Low is a native Arizonan long instilled with a taste and zest for the outdoors. Having lived in Prescott, Flagstaff, Tempe and Tucson, it was living in Washington D.C. that reminded him of his roots and brought him back to Prescott to make his home and raise his family. On top of his busy career with the City of Prescott as a capital projects manager, Jeff volunteers at the YMCA, trains for and runs in a variety of races, previously served as Co-Chair of the City’s Open Space Committee and joined the Prescott Creeks Board of Directors in October of 2008. Jeff holds a Bachelor of Science in Hydrology from the University of Arizona and a Master of Science in Environmental Engineering from Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore.

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Betty Siegfried is a native to the state of West Virginia, but after marrying a US Public Health Service physician she called many states home before settling in Arizona in 1974. In 1949 Betty joined her first gardening club and has been addicted ever since. As a gardener she sees herself as a defacto environmentalist; one who wants to protect the place she lives. Over the years Betty has been active in numerous environmental non-profit organizations. After a trip to San Antonio, Texas to view the San Antonio River Walk she and friend Bette Bridgewater were inspired to protect and enhance the many creeks in Prescott. In 1989 they established Prescott Creeks!

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Michael Byrd has been with Prescott Creeks since 1995. He worked as volunteer for several years before becoming the Watson Woods Riparian Preserve Manager. In 2003 the Board of Directors promoted Michael to Executive Director. While maintaining his Preserve Management duties, Michael has built the organization’s capacity to respond to community requests for improved riparian habitat, clean water and opportunities for hands-on involvement.

In December of 2007, Mayor Jack Wilson appointed Michael as Co-Chair of the City of Prescott’s Open Space Acquisition Advisory Committee which has focused much of it efforts on open space properties featuring riparian habitat in the Granite Dells area of Prescott. He also has been appointed as an advisor to the City's Committee on Unsewered Areas.

When not working or playing on a creek or river, you might find Michael outside, and off the beaten-path, with his canine sidekick “Post.”

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Ann-Marie Benz
Watershed Program Coordinator

Ann-Marie Benz joined Prescott Creeks as a volunteer in February 2005 and then became the Watershed Technician as an intern in March 2005. After writing a successful grant to the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (her first!), in February 2006 she came on-board as full-time staff in the capacity of Watershed Program Coordinator. After spending a decade as an accountant, Ann-Marie returned to school at Prescott College to pursue a degree in Watershed Management and Sustainable Community Development. She is due to graduate early next year. When not working on the creeks, Ann-Marie spends time at the local wildlife rescue center.

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Jay Crocker retired from the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California (MWD) working as a field biologist for 26 years. His work was primarily in reservoir management working with a small team of scientific divers solving biological, chemical and physical problems in drinking water storage reservoirs.  As part of the reservoir management process, he spent much of his time working on watershed protection issues.  Jay holds degrees in Microbiology from Cal State Fullerton and Earth Science from Cerritos College in California. He and his wife, Kris, have lived in Prescott for three years and he has volunteered his time with the Highlands Center for Natural History and Prescott Creeks. Some of his favorite activities include hiking, kayaking, riding his motorcycle, exploring Arizona and wine tasting.

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Amanda Richardson
Watershed Program Coordinator

Amanda Richardson joined Prescott Creeks in September 2009 as Watershed Program Coordinator. A native of Idaho, Amanda spent the past two years in Vermont earning a Master’s Degree in Community Development and Applied Economics with her research focused on the social and economic facets of watershed conservation. Prior to that, she lived overseas, teaching English in Thailand and as a Soil Conservation Volunteer with the Peace Corps in Nepal. With a Bachelor of Science degree in Natural Resources Ecology and Conservation, she has passed many summers in Oregon, Idaho, and Wyoming doing vegetation community assessments and monitoring with The Nature Conservancy and the National Park Service. She loves spending time in the wild, looking at plants, taking in vistas, hiking, backpacking, finding swimming holes, cooking, knitting, and spending time with her new canine pal, Saturn.

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Nathaniel Hoag joined the team as Website Manager in September 09' through AmeriCorps*VISTA, and over the next year will be updating the Prescott Creeks website to better serve our growing community. Nathaniel hails from New England, and holds degrees in environmental studies from the University of Vermont (BS) and Antioch University New England (MS). Nathaniel's hobbies include music composition, hiking, and website development.

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Prescott Creeks - Interns

Ian Thompson Webmaster/IT Specialist

Ian Thompson joined Prescott creeks in August 2008 as the IT intern. After starting Prescott College in 2006 he wanted to find work that had a technical spot open and shared his ideals on preservation. He was introduced to Prescott Creeks through the college’s work study program. Working with computers since the age of 3 Ian has built up a plethora of skills in the computer science field that has kept the staff computers running and updates on the network/website. Ian is going to school for Counseling Psychology and planning on going to grad school; He enjoys keeping up with the latest tech crazes, playing games,  hiking, camping, climbing, and studying human behaviors.

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Amylee Thornhill is currently studying for degrees in Conservation Biology and Wilderness Leadership at Prescott College. She joined Prescott Creeks in 2008 as the Outreach Assistant to take a more active role in the Granite Creek Cleanup and other creek issues she’d covered as a reporter for the Raven Review. Although her family is from Prescott and she’s returned here for college, she considers Bozeman, Montana home. When not studying, or working on Prescott creeks’, Amylee enjoys climbing, tele-skiing and snowboarding, drinking mate, hanging with her niece, evening walks, runs, studying water, snow, flowers and trees, watching birds and being in the mountains...especially the mountains!

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Kim Sieb is a Senior at Prescott College studying Field Ecology and Holistic Health with an emphasis in Ethnobotany. Growing up in the Wasatch Mountains, she has always had a strong affinity towards the natural environment and a love for outdoor adventures. After spending a summer removing noxious weeds in the pristine landscapes of Alaska, Kim's interest in native vegetation restoration has flourished. She looks forward to expanding her knowledge working with Prescott Creeks.

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Colin Thompson - Bio Coming Soon!

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Post claims Executive Director and Preserve Manager Michael Byrd as his human. He came to Michael and Prescott Creeks from the downtown Post Office. Shortly after arriving, he appointed himself as the official greeter at the Prescott Creeks office. While he has not been very forthcoming about his background or previous experience, he is diligent with his professional responsibilities. If you happen by the office when Post is not working, it's likely that he's at home chasing his kitty or canvassing the neighborhood for treats with his canine pals.

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