Our Mission

Community Clean Water Institute (CCWI) protects water resources and public health, identifies pollution sources through research, education and water quality testing, and prevents water pollution throughout Northern California. CCWI collects and analyzes water quality data, engages in education and community outreach activities, and shares information with government regulatory agencies and the public.

Community Clean Water Institute has developed a water quality testing program and laboratory to test ground, surface, and drinking water sources for a variety of pollutants and to make all of the findings available to the public. Community Clean Water Institute works with grassroots watershed groups and other non-profit organizations to address issues of clean water and public health. CCWI responds to reports from the public concerning suspected pollution and upon research and analysis decides whether or not the area needs to be tested.

CCWI evolved out of the Town Hall Coalition Water Committee, a group of citizens concerned with water quality, and interested in increasing the amount of scientific data on water quality of rivers, streams, and groundwater. The Water Committee collected water quality data and performed water tests from 1998-2000. In March of 2001, CCWI was founded as its own non-profit 501(c)(3) organization.

Community Clean Water Institute focuses on the rivers and counties within the North Coast Region 1 Water Quality Control Board. The Institute focuses on water quality and possible contamination of surface or ground water throughout Marin, Sonoma, Mendocino, Humboldt, Del Norte, Trinity, Siskiyou, Glenn, Modoc, and Lake Counties. The organization works to protect water quality in the Eel, Russian, Van Duzen, Trinity, Mad, Smith, Klamath, Gualala, Navarro, Albion, Noyo, Mattole and other magnificent rivers, bays, watersheds, and wetlands in Northern California.

Board of Directors

Don Frank, Treasurer
Don serves on the Board of Directors for Forest Unlimited and was president of the Dry Creek Valley Association, an organization dedicated to the preservation of agricultural land. He is owner of TDC Mobil, a mechanic repair company.

Maggy Howe
Maggy received a BA in Education from Eckerd College, in St. Petersburg, Florida. Maggy has written and researched alternative health care for the passed 15 years and is currently a contributing editor to Country Living Magazine. She currently owns a consulting busienss in Northern California.

Lynn Hamilton, Secretary
Lynn Hamilton-International Non Profit Management Consultant. Executive Director and co-founder Town Hall Coalition. Chair of the Progressive Democrats Sonoma County. She is also a member of the Executive Board of the California Democratic Party. Former Director Ashoka, Innovators for the Public-Andean Region. Former Mayor City of Sebastopol, Sonoma County, California. Master in Public Administration, Harvard University, Kennedy School of Government 1995.

Judith Olney, President
Judith Olney, Milestones Management Resources, specializes in organizational capacity building. She brings a Masters in Natural Resource Management from UC Berkeley and over 20 years of experience in managing large, complex projects to bear in her commitment to protect Sonoma County's precious water resources.

Nels Worden
Nels is responsible for preparation of reagents, laboratory set up, clean up for the chemistry curriculum for 500 students in the Sonoma State University Chemistry Department. Nels has previously worked as staff chemist at K Prime, Inc., Legend Analytical Services, and NET Santa Rosa. At NET Pacific, Inc. (ANATEC), Nels was Quality Assurance Coordinator. Nels holds a Laboratory Analyst, Grade II certification. Nels was a founding member of the Town Hall Coalition Water Committee, and has been a technical advisor for CCWI since 2001. Nels is a 3rd generation Sonoma County resident on both sides of his family. Nels grew up in and around the Russian River, Healdsburg. "It is my personal objective to seek the best practices to quantify natural water systems to provide relevant information to plan the future course of the incredible natural resources we are blessed with in Northern California."

Sarah Shaeffer

Sarah is a former director of CCWI. Sarah developed CCWI's volunteer water quality monitoring program including QA/QC and testing protocols and a comprehensive data information system. Sarah has a Master's Degree in Global Environmental Public Health from Emory University and a degree in Environmental Science and Anthropology from Tulane University. Her graduate work included water and sanitation, pesticide exposure assessment and Agroforestry in Micronesia. Before joining CCWI she worked with the Americorps Water Stewards Project, based in the Southern Sonoma and Marin Resource Conservation Districts. Sarah is currently working with the Sonoma County Asthma Coalition.

Robert Pennington

Robert is the former director of CCWI. Robert received his bachelor of science in geology and geophysics from the University of California Santa Barbara. A year of his studies took place in the geologically active and ecologically unique island nation of New Zealand. Robert worked as a geologist for a small environmental consulting firm in Healdsburg, O'Connor Env. Inc, for two years before starting at CCWI. Robert worked as the program coordinator for CCWI from August of 2007 through June of 2008.

Staff

Terrance Fleming , Program Coordinator

Terrance is an aspiring ecologist who is responsible for coordination and implementation of the water quality testing and watershed science programs at CCWI. Terrance received his bachelor of arts degree in environmental studies and biology from Sonoma State University. He's worked for the biology department at Sonoma State studying the effects of Sudden Oak Death, for Circuit Rider Productions doing habitat restoration work, and for the Santa Rosa Bird Rescue Center in both the field rescue and rehabilitation offices.

Kandis Gilmore, Program Assistant

Born and raised in Southern California, Kandis recently moved to Sonoma County to pursue her Bachelor's degree in Biology at Sonoma State University. She is interested learning about the natural world and being active in environmental issues. At Pierce College in Woodland Hills Kandis worked as a marine biology tutor and as a member of a multidisciplinary team of researchers investigating the use of animal and green waste as soil amendments and biofuels. She presented the findings of this research at the USEPA in Washington, DC in April 2008. She is currently a research assistant at Sonoma State University's Marine Ecology Lab. In her spare time, Kandis likes to cook, go for walks, dance, and browse around thrift stores.

Art Hasson, Intern

Stephen Fuller-Rowell, Town Hall Coalition Water Committee, Sonoma County Water Coalition

Sarah Shaeffer, Sonoma County Asthma Coalition

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