Advisory Board  

The Water Trust Advisory Board is comprised of diverse group of stakeholders who bring their expertise and wise counsel to our organization. Advisory Board members presently include:

Janet Neuman is an Associate Professor of Law at Northwestern School of Law of Lewis and Clark College in Portland where she teaches and writes on water law, and also serves as Co-Director of the Northwest Water Law and Policy Project. Jan was appointed to the Western Water Policy Review Advisory Commission by President Clinton in 1995; the commission recently issued its report "Water in the West: The Challenge for the Next Century". In June 1998, Governor Kitzhaber appointed Jan to a four-year term on the Oregon State Board of Forestry.

Les AuCoin is a former U.S. House Representative for Oregon’s 1^st Congressional District, where he served for 18 years.  After his tenure in Congress, Les was a Professor of Political Science and Business Ethics at Southern Oregon University and also directed the AuCoin Institute for Environmental, Economic and Civic Studies.  He is also a former board member of Oregon Water Trust.

Paul Fishman is the Principal Ecologist and Managing Member of Fishman Environmental Services in Portland, Oregon. Paul brings with him an extensive knowledge and experience in stream ecology and natural resource management.

Rick George serves as the Program Manager of Environmental Planning and Rights Protection for the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation, and has worked for the Tribe for the past nine years. His interest in water policy is guided by the Tribe's reserved rights under the Treaty of 1855. Previously Rick was the Executive Director of the Oregon Rivers Council for two years, and he also has experience with Wild and Scenic River planning with the US Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management.

Rick Glick serves as chair of the Environmental and Natural Resources Department at Davis Wright Tremaine law firm in Portland. His practice emphasizes hazardous substances and water and energy law. Prior to joining the firm, Mr. Glick was Staff Counsel to the State Water Resources Control Board in Sacramento, and Deputy City Attorney for the City of Portland. Davis Wright Tremaine has provided legal counsel to Oregon Water Trust on a pro bono basis since the Trust's formation.

Mark O. Hatfield joined Oregon Water Trust's newly formed Advisory Board in September 1998. Over the course of a political career spanning five decades, Senator Mark Hatfield has distinguished himself as a leading voice on many issues, including western water policy. He sponsored the legislation establishing the Western Water Policy Review Advisory Commission to report to Congress and the administration on the appropriate future federal role in western water management.

Bob Hunter . Following twenty years in the private practice of law, Bob became staff attorney for WaterWatch. He served as a WaterWatch board member from 1983 through 1998, and co-drafted Oregon's 1987 Instream Water Rights Act. Bob also worked on land acquisitions for the Southern Oregon Land Conservancy in the Rogue Basin.

Kent Madison joined the advisory board in January 2003. He is affiliated with Madison Farms located in Echo, Oregon.

Rob Miller joined the advisory board in January 2003. He is affiliated with Mt. Jefferson Farms located in Salem, Oregon.

Ron Nelson formerly managed the Central Oregon Irrigation District, one of the largest districts in the state. Throughout his career Ron has played a prominent role in water policy including past service as president of the Oregon Water Resources Congress. Ron also served on the Oregon State Water Resources Commission and chaired the Deschutes Resource Conservancy. Ron has recently relocated to California where he works for the Nevada Irrigation District in Grass Valley.

Bill Smith is the president of Smith Properties of Bend, Oregon. He owns and manages 500,000 acres of rural agricultural, timber and recreational properties, including federal land. Bill played a key role in the development of Black Butte Ranch and has consulted many clients in agricultural real estate. In addition to managing large livestock operations with irrigated hay land and associated crops, Bill manages a blue ribbon trout fishery on private land near Prineville, Oregon.