Committees

Much of the work of WWALS is done by committees of members, ranging from Outings which organizes the paddles to Grant Writing, which could be the most fun!

Most WWALS committees meet as needed, and include members who are not on the board. All committees report to the board, usually through the Executive Director. See Committee System.

There are openings on the board right now, and always on the some of the committees. If you want to apply, please fill out the application form.

[Basin Map]
Suwannee River Basin Map

The WWALS committees are, in alphabetical order:

Advisory
Events
Executive
Finance
Gala
Grants
Membership
Nominating
Outings
Personnel
PR
Science
Songwriting
Testing
Water Trails
Watershed Issues (formerly Pipeline)

Events Committee

For scheduled events, see the Outings and Events web page.
https://wwals.net/outings

Here’s a form for requesting WWALS outings or events:
https://forms.gle/RcUbpX2AVNQ7wRco9

If you want to apply to join this committee, please fill out the application form.
https://forms.gle/YofiUxQAmHz42NgC6

Eileen Box (Chair), Bret Wagenhorst, and Heather Brasell. Added Sara Squires 14 January 2018. Added Joe LaForest April 14, 2020. Added Nic Cole 26 May 2022. Added Amy Jackson 26 October 2022. Added Amy Jackson February 14, 2023. Added Jo Ford and Rindy Kennedy October 19, 2023; they resigned from the committee in September 2024. Added Janet Martin 2024-07-30.

Seminars and other mostly indoor meetings, including the weekly noontime WWALS Webinars via zoom, with recordings on YouTube.

Older examples include the WWALS Watershed Conference, Tifton, GA, 24 August 2013, about the single largest assets you’ll ever own, and the February 2016 Withlacoochee and Little River Water Trail Workshop.

Executive Committee

This is a board-only committee that consists of the officers, chaired by the President. Makes decisions between board meetings, and to make other decisions as needed, including to appoint members to committees. Since most board decisions between quarterly board meetings are made on the board email list, the Executive Committee meets only as needed, usually by teleconference or zoom.

Finance Committee

This committee’s mission is to think ahead about finances.

Gretchen Quarterman (Chair), July 14, 2019, John S. Quarterman July 14, 2019, Laura D’Alisera September 27, 2019, Trudy Cole April 8, 2022, Elizabeth Brunner July 11, 2022, Sara Squires Jones March 9, 2023, .

Gala Committee

Via email vote concluded November 24, 2024, the WWALS Board appointed a new Gala Committee consisting of Sara Jay Jones, Scotti Jay, Janet Massengale, and John S. Quarterman.

At its Quarterly Board Meeting of October 8, 2023, the WWALS Board appointed a new Gala Committee consisting of Sara Jay Jones, Scotti Jay, John S. Quarterman, Rindy Kennedy, and Jo Ford, with Sara to run a committee meeting to select a nominee for committee chair. The committee nominated Sara Jay Jones for Chair, and on October 26, 2023, the WWALS Board unanimously approved that choice. Added Chuck Roberts November 6, 2023. Added Janet Massengale July 30, 2024. Jo Ford and Rindy Kennedy resigned from the committee 2024-09-22.

The committee continues to meet, has confirmed Saturday, September 7, 2023, at the Turner Center for the Arts in Valdosta as date and venue, and solicits applications for additional committee members.

If you want to apply to join this committee, please fill out the application form.

For the sold-out and successful 2023 WWALS River Revue, see:
wwals.net/pictures/songwriting2023

Suwannee Riverkeeper with the Winners: Cindy Bear and Franc Robert, Best Folk; Jane Fallon, First Prize; Bacon James, Best from Outside; Kyle Bird Chamberlain and David Rodock, tie for Best from Inside; Chamberlain, Best Blues; Rodock, Best AmeriKinda; Kevin Stephenson, Best Country; and Robert Thatcher (not pictured). Photo: Chuck Roberts

Grant Writing Committee

If you want to apply to join this committee, please fill out the application form.

Gretchen Quarterman (Chair). Created by WWALS board 13 April 2016. Added Sara Squires April 21, 2019. Added Laura D’Alisera, Trudy Cole, 14 July 2019. Added Conn Cole 31 October 2021. Added Tish Hall, 13 June 2024; resigned from the committee 16 November 2024. Added Janet Martin Massengale, 19 July 2024.

Mission: Write grant applications.

Membership Committee

If you want to apply to join this committee, please fill out the application form.

For other ways you can get involved as a WWALS member, see Become involved!.

Janet (Martin) Massengale (Chair 2024-07-14). Gretchen Quarterman (former Chair). Added Sara Squires 14 January 2018. Added Laura D’Alisera November 21, 2019. Added Janet Martin March 15, 2022. Added Kimberly Tanner October 29, 2023.

The mission of the WWALS membership committee is to manage membership records with the goal of building and retaining a strong diversified membership.

This includes maintaining the membership database (spreadsheet), any on-line mailing lists, and communications with the membership.

You can help WWALS conserve our watersheds by joining today!

Nominating Committee

If you want to apply to join this committee, please fill out the application form.

The WWALS Board at its Special Called Meeting 31 October 2021 reconstituted the Nominating Committee with Chair Sara Jay and other members John S. Quarterman and Laura D’Alisera. Added Trudy Cole, April 19, 2022. Added Elizabeth Brunner, October 13, 2022. Added Bret Wagenhorst, October 13, 2022.

Outings Committee

For upcoming outings and cleanups, see: https://wwals.net/outings/.

Here’s a form for requesting WWALS outings or events:
https://forms.gle/RcUbpX2AVNQ7wRco9

If you want to apply to join this committee, please fill out the application form.
https://forms.gle/YofiUxQAmHz42NgC6

Banners at Banks Lake cropped –Gretchen Quarterman, 2023-06-03

Please follow Leave No Trace principles by packing out all trash, avoiding damage to vegetation, and respecting wildlife.

Co-Chairs: Kimberly Godden Tanner and Janet Martin Massengale, appointed by the WWALS Board 2025-01-29.

Committee Members: Bret Wagenhorst (former Chair), Chris Mericle (former Chair -2016), Chris Graham (-2016), Dallas Bush (-2016), Edwin Brunot (-2016), and April Huntley (-2016). Added Martin Register 18 August 2015 -2016. Added Tom Potter 29 February 2016. Added Phil Hubbard 11 April 2016 (former Chair). Added Shirley Kokidko 26 March 2017. Added Jeff Patton and Dan Phillips 12 July 2017. Added Dan Coleman 20 October 2017. Added Scotti Jay 3 November 2017. Added Bobby McKenzie 31 January 2018 (Chair 20 October 2019-18 October 2020), Added Dave Pharr 14 July 2019. Added Randy Madison 12 January 2020. Added Russell McBride 4 June 2020-May 16 2024. Added Donald N. Roberson, Jr. 20 August 2020-25 April 2021. Added Bret Miller 18 October 2020 (Chair 18 October 2020-January 17, 2021). Added Sommer Anders and Elizabeth Brunner 11 March 2022. Added Nic Cole 26 May 2022. Added Grant Herring 4 Aug 2022-8 July 2024. Added Dennis Price 8 Oct 2022. Added Will Hart 20 Oct 2022. Added Amy Meyers 8 Jan 2023-2023. Amy Meyers Chair, 15 Feb 2023, resigned 1 July 2023. Added Gee Edwards, 29 March 2023. Added Kyle “Bird” Chamberlain, 13 June 2023. Added Phil Hubbard, 2 August 2023. Added Kimberly Tanner, 15 September 2023. Added Randy Madison, 3 October 2023; resigned January 2024. Added Shawn O’Connor, 1 February 2024. Added Janet Martin Massengale, 19 July 2024. Added Brack Barker, 22 September 2024. Added Quen Metzler, 20 October 2024.

The mission of the outings committee is to plan and organize paddles, hikes, clean-ups and other outdoor activities to encourage use of public waterways and lands, which will promote enjoyment, stewardship, awareness and conservation of the waters and lands within the WWALS watersheds.

See the WWALS Outings Checklist. Below is a summary of some major items from that checklist.

Schedule outings with enough advance notice so people can make arrangements to attend; preferably 3 months in advance.
Have all outings details logged onto the WWALS Outings spreadsheet in a timely manner for the PR and Membership committees to be able to get the word out about the upcoming outings.
Each outing will have a designated leader responsible for/in charge of each trip.
Each outing will have a back up location in case water levels/conditions are not conducive for an outing at the original location.
Short notice outings may be planned to take advantage of special conditions.
Actively pursue new participants for both outings and the committee.
Share knowledge of the waterways and lands with other interested groups or individuals.

Personnel Committee

This is a board-only committee, created by the Board at their July 12, 2020, Board Meeting, following a Nominating Committee recommendation.

Sara Jay Jones
Elizabeth Brunner, Personnel Committee Chair
Gee Edwards, added 2024-02-13

Public Relations Committee

If you want to apply to join this committee, please fill out the application form.

John S. Quarterman (Chair), April Huntley, and Gretchen Quarterman (calendar) July 23, 2015. Added Shirley Kokidko (meetup and facebook events) 18 January 2016. Added Mim Eisenberg (copy editing) October 24, 2016. Added Scotti Jay 20 September 2017. Added Sara Squires 14 January 2018. Added Steve Miller March 31, 2018. Added Randy Madison January 24, 2020; resigned January 2024. Added Laura D’Alisera May 22, 2022.

Promotes public awareness and participation in the mission of WWALS through social media (wwals.net, facebook, instagram, etc.) and traditional public relations (radio, TV, newspapers, etc.).

See the Press releases and news items, WWALS website and blog, Outings and Events Page, facebook page, group, and events, meetup, twitter, Instagram, YouTUbe, wwals@googlegroup.com, and internal email lists, and the membership Tannin Times newsletter, plus general communications. Try our water level charts for the Little and Withlacoochee Rivers and for the Alapaha River.

Style guide:

WWALS should be in all caps. The S on the end is for Suwannee or Santa Fe, both important rivers.
Suwannee Riverkeeper is singular. You can be a member of Suwannee Riverkeeper or of WWALS, but there is only one Suwannee Riverkeeper (organization, project, and staff member of WWALS).
Riverkeeper is all one word, and only the R should be capitalized unless it’s in all caps. Used in a logo, it must be either black and white or one specific blue color.

Science Committee

If you want to apply to join this committee, please fill out the application form.

Research and respositories. Dr. Tom Potter Chair. Members: Dr. Tom Potter, Dr. Bret Wagenhorst, Phil Hubbard (2016-2019), John S. Quarterman. Created by WWALS board 14 August 2016. Added Prof. Can Denizman 2 January 2017. Added Steven M. Thompson 19 January 2017 (-2017). Added Prof. Don Thieme 1 September 2019. Added Prof. Burt Carter 4 March 2020. Added Cole Seaton, May 8, 2022.

Songwriting Committee

No longer active. See instead Gala Committee.

To organize the Suwannee Riverkeeper Songwriting Contest, about any river, creek, spring, sink, lake, pond, swamp, etc. in the Suwannee River Basin (except the Santa Fe River, which has its own contest).

The WWALS Board appointed Jesse Cole Chair of this Committee on September 11, 2022, via email.

The WWALS Board appointed Angela Duncan Chair of this Committee on September 28, 2021, via email. Committee members adjusted at request of the chair and vote of the Board 2022-03-03: John S. Quarterman, Josh Duncan, Jessie Cole, Scotti Jay, Sara Jay, Sommer Anders, Jen Anders, and Laura D’Alisera. Added Katherine Ball 2022-04-12.

2022 Committee members added by WWALS Board 31 October 2021: Scribe, Laura D’Alisera, David Rodock, Josh Duncan, Scotti Jay, Sara Jones, Eileen Box, John S. Quarterman, Bobby McKenzie.

Here are the 2022 winners:

Winners: Emmett Carlisle, Best Song from Outside; Tracy Horenbein, Best Americana; David Rodock, First Prize and Best Song from Inside; Kyle Chamberlain, Best Folk, Kevin Stephenson, Best Country

The WWALS Board at its October 18, 2020 Quarterly Board Meeting reconstituted this Committee for Songwriting 2021, with Committee Chair Tom H. Johnson Jr, Scribe, Laura D’Alisera, David Rodock (recused 2021-07-23), and the other members. Added Angela Duncan and Josh Duncan 24 November 2020. Added Amy Hope Jackson 11 January 2021. Added Dale Everett 12 March 2021. Added JJ Rolle 16 March 2021. Added Bobby McKenzie 5 August 2021. Resigned: Tom H. Johnson Jr., September 28, 2021.

Chosen by three judges from a record number of Finalists from Atlanta to Palatka, WWALS Watershed Coalition, Inc. (WWALS) is pleased to announce the winners of the Fourth Annual Suwannee Riverkeeper Songwriting Contest, August 21, 2021.

All winners.
L-R: KJ Wingate, Katherine Ball, David Rodock, Sweet William Billy Ennis, Jimi Davies and his brother, Kathy Lou Gilman, Rachel Hillman.
Photo: Angela Duncan for WWALS.

The Third Annual Suwannee Riverkeeper Songwriting Contest was the best-attended yet, outside in the Turner Center Art Park, despite a virus pandemic, using zoom to bring one contestant online from far away. Here are the winners.

Winners*: Brian Barker via zoom*, accepting for him, Scott Perkins*, Laura D’Alisera, Kathy Lou Gilman*, John S. Quarterman, Sweet William Billy Ennis*, Ronni Dillon (not present)

The WWALS Board at its October 20, 2019 Quarterly Board Meeting reconstituted this committee for Songwriting 2020, with Committee Chair Tom H. Johnson Jr., and members Eileen Box, John S. Quarterman, Scotti Jay, Sara Jones, Mary Carolyn Pindar, Laura D’Alisera, “with at least two additional members to be secured, from Florida, if possible”.

The Second Annual Suwannee Riverkeeper Songwriting Contest was an even bigger success. Here are the winners.

Jay Jourden Winning

The WWALS Board at its January 13, 2019 Quarterly Board Meeting reconstituted this committee as a Sub-Committee of the Events Committee, with initial members Scotti Jay (Chair), Eileen Box (Chair), Sara Squires, Tom H. Johnson Jr., and John S. Quarterman. Added Mary Carolyn Pindar 29 July 2019.

The First Annual Suwannee Riverkeeper Songwriting contest was a success! Here are the winners.

Testing Water Quality Committee

If you want to apply to join this committee, please fill out the application form.

Suzy Hall, Chair (2020-01-11). This committee is for organizing the actual testing for a water quality monitoring program, according to scientific criteria established by the Science Committee, aided by the other committees.

See the WWALS Water Quality Testing web page.

This Testing Committee was formed by the WWALS board at its quarterly meeting, 22 October 2017. Initial members are: John S. Quarterman, Tom Potter, Scotti Jay, Phil Hubbard, Shirley Kokidko, Eileen Box, Dave Hetzel (deceased), and Chair Bobby McKenzie (later resigned as Chair) per WWALS board vote of 8 July 2018. Added Erica McLelland 2 August 2018 (later moved away). Added Conn and Trudy Cole 14 July 2019. Added Allison Ray and Toni Greenberg 3 September 2019 (both later resigned). Added Suzy Hall 29 September 2019. Added Tasha Laface, Alex Chesna (later moved away), and Suzanne Hall 23 September 2019. Suzy Hall, Chair 11 January 2020. Laura Bauer 29 April 2020-15 November 2020 (later resigned). Added Renee Kirkland 11 May 2020 (later resigned). Added Michael Bachrach 18 May 2020. Loretta Tennant 5 July 2020-15 November 2020. Added Debbie Smith, Josh Duncan, Angela Duncan (later resigned), Greg Cleary (later resigned), and Gene Davila (later resigned), 17 October 2020. Added Elizabeth Brunner, Valerie Folsom, and Anthony Folsom, 9 March 2021. Added Linda Weseman and Pam Thomas, 15 April 2022 (later resigned). Added Kimberly Godden Tanner, 13 October 2022. Added Cindy Vedas, 7 January 2023. Added Amy Meyers (resigned 1 July 2023) and Will Hart, 9 February 2023. Added Treva Ellison, Reina Lingle, Kristin Rubin, Debbie Smith, Russ Tatum, and Joanne Tremblay, 30 September 2023. Added Janet Martin and Shirley Singletary, 24 October 2023. Added Gee Edwards, Mark Coppage, Cecilia Kee (later resigned), Wes Brinkley, and Patrick Kunes (later resigned), 21 February 2024. Added Terry and Andy Phelan from OSFR, John, Ann and Ed Lee from Branford, Mac James from Madison, Austin Strozier from Valdosta, and Jeff Cummins of Live Oak, 2024-09-04. Added Samantha Carr from Tifton, GA, 2025-01-12.

Water Trails Committee

If you want to apply to join this committee, please fill out the application form.

For all WWALS Water Trails (and hiking trails, if we have any). Combining the former Committees for the Alapaha River Water Trail (ARWT) and the Withlacoochee and Little River Water Trail (WRWT) with, per WWALS board decision of April 2017, John S. Quarterman, Phil Hubbard (since resigned), Dana France (since resigned), and Dan Phillips per WWALS board vote of 12 July 2017, and Chair Dan Phillips per WWALS board vote of 8 July 2018 (since resigned as committee Chair). Also on the committee: Bret Wagenhorst, April Huntley, and Tom Baird. Added Shelby Miller 2 March 2020 (since resigned). Added Gee Edwards 2023-07-09. Chair currently vacant.

All Public Landings and Boat Ramps in the Suwannee River Basin

Alapaha River Water Trail Committee

Merged into the Water Trails Committee.

Chris Graham (Chair), John S. Quarterman, Bret Wagenhorst, Karan A. Rawlins, Kathy Brunot, April Huntley, Deanna Mericle, Brian Atwater, and Dave Hetzel.

To implement an Alapaha River Water Trail, including the Georgia River Network grant for that purpose.

Also known as the Alapaha River Trail Committee, WWALS-ART.

See the Alapaha River Water Trail page and the Blueway category.

Withlacoochee and Little River Water Trail

Merged into the Water Trails Committee.

Proposal approved 10 June 2015 by WWALS ExecComm, with Chair Chris Mericle, members Bret Wagenhorst, Deanna Mericle, Chris Graham, John S. Quarterman. Added Julie Bowland 22 June 2015. Added David Lambert 7 August 2015. Added Tom Baird 12 August 2015. Added Tom Potter 23 December 2015. More Committee members wanted! Apply online or stay tuned for more information.

To (re-)establish a Withlacoochee River Water Trail, including the Little River. See the WRWT web page, especially the draft map and spreadsheet, which already contains entries for every access point from every known guidebook. Lots of work left to do, in miles, pictures, points of interest, events, and other things you will think of!

Watershed Issues Committee

If you want to apply to join this committee, please fill out the application form.

John S. Quarterman (Chair) and Deanna Mericle. Added Tom Edwards 14 August 2015. Added David Shields 27 October 2015. Added Lori McCraney 21 February 2016. Added Cecile Scofield 10 April 2016. Added Loretta Tennant 25 April 2016. Added Can Denizman 20 October 2016. Added Maxine Connor 17 December 2016. Added Harriet Heywood 23 December 2016. Added Eileen Box 2 January 2017. Added Terre Tulsiak 8 January 2017. Added Janet Barrow 10 January 2017. Added Andrea Rea 10 March 2017. Added William Worstell 16 March 2017. Added Patterson Wall 30 April 2017. Added Jodi Witt-Brantley 9 August 2017. Added Kate Betsko 21 October 2018.

Renamed 11 February 2016 from Pipeline Committee to Watershed Issues Committee. The Watershed Issues Committee is for matters including Valdosta wastewater, corporate agriculture land purchase (including by Bill Gates), opposing the Sabal Trail pipeline and fracking, promoting solar power, and the Waycross Superfund mess: see the Issues page.

Obviously this Watershed Issues Committee could use some new volunteers, perhaps to split out some of these topics into new committees.