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, Biology Team 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.

Rick Koury - Board Member, Biology Team Manager -

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.

Alicia Del Toro - Board Member -
Alicia is a South Bay native who pursued an education in Environmental Science and Education. She currently works as a tenured professor at the Kirsch Center for Environmental Studies at De Anza College where she integrates active learning through community based projects. Recently Alicia completed her doctoral degree in Organization and Leadership at the University of San Francisco.

Brian Allee, Lead Fisheries Biologist - Dr. Brian Allee grew up in Oakland, California. He's attended UC Berkeley majoring in Zoology and he received his Ph.D. from the University of Washington in Fisheries. Dr. Allee has worked extensively in salmon research and promoted restoration and enhancement in freshwater, estuarine, and marine ecosystems in Alaska, Washington, and Oregon.

Carol Szymkiewicz, Operations Manager - Carol has been with us for about two years and she is responsible for organizing, coordinating, and reporting on our cleanup activities. Prior to her involvement in SBCCC, she and her husband owned a successful website services business and she was also a Program Manager at Flextronics.

Antonio Gutierrez, Stream Leader - Joined in 2021 and has been the backbone of many cleanups as Location Captain and Leader. Born and raised Sàn Jose resident; Retired Deputy Probation Officer; Wanted involvement in something that demonstrated immediate results for the community and environment.

Josh Lopez, Coordinator - Joined at the end of 2018 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.

Jordan Almaguer, Intern - 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.

Philip Bair, Consultant - Philip has been with SBCCC since late 2016, and his role includes serving as a team leader at cleanups and participating in community outreach events. He graduated from SJSU with a BA in Communication Studies in December 2017.