Board & Staff

Steve Holmes

Founder, Executive Director

Steve is the driving force behind the organization; he is a San Jose resident of 25 years and an avid fisherman who envisions a vibrant environment for Steelhead trout and Chinook salmon in our local streams. Steve has been married for 30 years and is the father of two college students. Previously, he was a successful business owner and sales executive.

Chuck Hammerstad

Board Member

Chuck is a longtime Flycaster’s executive, who joined the SBCCC and the Biology Team in 2013 and the Biology Team with the goal of restoring habitat for steelhead and other wildlife by helping us restore the South Bay waterways.

Mason Seim

Board Member

Mason is a longtime member of San Jose Flycasters, former President, Membership Chair and current Seminar Chair.

In 2013 Chuck Hammerstad, a club member, announced to our club that there was a creek cleanup sponsored by Friends of Los Gatos Creek, now SBCCC. Mason joined the cleanup and has continued to help with the Team 222 events. In 20?? SBCCC started a survey of the fall run of Chinook salmon in the Guadalupe watershed, and Mason has participated each year.

Mason’s email tag line is: “We all live downstream. ¸¸.·´¯`·..><((((º>”

I borrowed it because it rings true. Everyone needs to be responsible for the environment. I live beside Los Gatos Creek. I would like the people living upstream to be good stewards of the land and I want to protect the environment for the fish, wildlife and community living below me.

Rick Koury

Board Member

Rick manages our Biology Team, which is focused on revitalization projects along the Los Gatos Creek and Guadalupe River. He has been a long-time resident of Los Gatos, and he has a background in high tech sales and commercial real estate finance and construction.

Brian Schmidt

Board Member

Formerly an environmental lawyer at Earthjustice, Brian does legal and environmental policy consulting. Brian was elected to the Santa Clara Valley Water District Board from 2010-2014, and he is especially concerned with water and climate change issues related to open space protection.

Mike Tamaro

Board Member, Team Leader

Mike has spent most of his career living close to Los Gatos Creek and working as an operations leader in semiconductor and solar companies. After many hours spent jogging on the Los Gatos and Guadalupe trails, Mike joined SB Clean Creeks to support the cleanups and the annual salmon spawn. He joined the board in 2025.

Carol Szymkiewicz

Operations Manager

Carol has been with us for about ten years, and she is responsible for organizing, coordinating, and reporting on our cleanup activities. Along with her involvement in SBCCC, she and her husband own a successful website services business.

Jordan Almaguer

Project Manager

Joined in March 2022 as an intern to help with the clean-ups. My other responsibilities include outreach events, canvassing, and social media. This group has allowed me to grow creatively. It’s a very welcoming place that seeks to improve the world around all of us.

Josh Lopez

Coordinator

Joined at the end of 2019 as an intern and has grown into different roles over time, including – logistics for cleanups, outreach events, marketing materials and signs SBCCC, photos for Facebook/Instagram, podcasts called “The Call of the River”. In the podcasts he interviewed some of the people that contribute to South Bay Clean Creeks Coalition.