Southern Rockies Regional Program Leadership Update

We are so pleased to announce that our regional program in the Southern Rockies is now going to be co-lead by Kestrel Kunz and Hattie Johnson. This shared leadership approach allows each of us to take on a more focused aspect of American Whitewater’s mission. Kestrel will now be the Director of Protection and lead our work on proactive management and policy that will protect the rivers in the Southern Rockies as they are now. Hattie will be the Director of Restoration, working to repair damage done on our rivers by restoring flows and function.

Kestrel has been working for the Southern Rockies Program for 7 years, starting in 2016 as a volunteer and then intern before joining the team as full time staff. Her depth of knowledge and experience with the organization and regional program are going to push river protection in the Southern Rockies to a new level.

Hattie was formerly the Stewardship Director for the region. Much of her time in that position was focused on policy to improve flows for recreation, advocating for natural flow regimes on rivers around the region, and identifying a strategic approach to low head dam removal or retrofit. This work creates the basis of her focus in the new position of Restoration Director. 

As a team, Hattie and Kestrel will work together to fulfill the third pillar of our mission: Enjoy. Together, they will continue to ensure that people have access to our region’s rivers and that the community is empowered to be advocates for the rivers that we all love.