About FLOW

FLOW’s mission is to provide legal oversight, monitoring and public education to protect Oregon Waters from pollution and development.

FLOW was formed in 2002 to help protect and restore Oregon’s waters.  We understand and develop the need for increased grassroots activist organizing and public participation concerning river and water issues is needed in Oregon due to the magnitude and range of pollution and development threats.

We emphasize that we are a grassroots organization, we commit extraordinary time and effort to our work and volunteerism. We recognize it is a special privilege to lead in the protection of Oregon Waters and thank everyone for your support.

FLOW KEY LEADERS

Joe Serres, Co-Founder, Executive Director & Conservation Coordinator
Joe provides overall program coordination, legal oversight, fundraising, website maintenance, outreach, and fieldwork for FLOW.  Joe received his law degree from the University of Oregon School of Law.  He received his Master of Business Administration from the University of Portland and his undergraduate degree from Santa Clara University.  In 2009 Joe was named one of the "Significant 75" graduates in the history of the University of Portand School of Business. Before co-founding FLOW he was the Co-Director and Legal Director of the Klamath-Siskiyou Wildlands Center, helping to protect the Klamath-Siskiyou bioregion.  Joe also served as the Development Director of Options for Southern Oregon, a nonprofit organization that provides case management, housing, and employment opportunities for children and adults with mental illness.  Recently, Joe founded Serres Consulting to provide nonprofit development and legal assistance to public interest organizations. Joe enjoys hiking, running, coaching youth basketball in Ashland, walking, reading and time with his family.

Matt Mattson, Counsel, Board of Directors
Matt provides pro bono legal support to our conservation programs and is a member of our Board of Directors.  Matt received his undergraduate degree from George Washington University and received his law degree from the University of Oregon School of Law where he focused on environmental law.  Matt also received his Ocean & Coastal Law certificate from the law school.  Matt works for the Snoqualmie Indian Tribe as Tribal Administrator and is a partner of Mattson Rodgers law firm in Seattle, Washington.

Bethany Cotton, Counsel, Board of Directors
Bethany's environmental ethic was born in and nurtured by her childhood stomping grounds in the mountains outside of Ashland, OR.  She holds a J.D. and certificate in Environmental and Natural Resource Law with an emphasis in Animal Law from Lewis & Clark Law School, and a B.A. in Environmental Studies, Political Science and Latin American Studies, also from L&C.  Bethany is a Staff Attorney at the Center for Biological Diversity where she works to protect imperiled species and their habitats from logging, urban sprawl, and the impacts of climate change.  Her work with FLOW includes co-authoring FLOW's comments on the Draft and Final Environmental Impact Statements (DEIS & FEIS), Douglas county land use application, and Clean Water Act and Coastal Zone Management Act joint permit application for the proposed Jordan Cove LNG terminal and Pacific Connector pipeline.

Olivia Schmidt, FLOW, LNG Coordinator
Olivia Schmidt began her activist work advocating for equal access to the Hispanic non-English speaking population in her hometown of Chico, California. Becoming a resident of Southern Oregon in the midst of the Biscuit Fire catastrophe highlighted the importance of environmental preservation and the growing issue of climate change. Olivia graduated from the University of Oregon cum laude in 2007 with two Bachelor’s Degrees in Spanish and Art History. Viewing climate change as fundamentally an environmental and social justice issue, Olivia transitioned into environmental activism in an effort to address global climate injustice through working on regional environmental issues. Her work to stop proposed LNG import terminals and related pipelines includes organizing directly impacted communities on the pipeline routes associated with the proposed import terminals and coordinating outreach and communication for the coalition. Olivia works with the Oregon Sierra Club as well to prevent LNG development in Oregon.

Peter Woodworth, Board of Directors, FLOW-South Team Leader
Peter was born and raised in Portland, OR, a short walk from the Willamette River.  Peter has been providing volunteer fieldwork, comment writing and research for FLOW since its inception and is one of the co-founders of FLOW.  In addition, he is Secretary of FLOW’s Board of Directors, and a key organizer for FLOW in southern Oregon. Peter lives in Grants Pass with his family and is employed at the Herb Pharm in Williams, OR.

Rattlesnake along Joseph Creek Wild River

A special thanks to these amazing people and organizations for their support, advice, inspiration and volunteer time:

• Lesley Adams
• American Rivers
• Jen Ambrose
• Keith Aoki
• Allison Asbjornsen
• David Atkins
• Claudia & Dan Beausoleil
• Ben & Jerry's Foundation
• Brenna Bell
• Marty Bergoffen
• Susan Jane Brown
• Jim & Sharon Bryson
• Janet & Mike Buck
• Cathleen Mattson
• Chuck Combs
• Liz Crosson
• Deer Creek Foundation
• Agnes & Tony DePasquale
• Tom Dimitre
• The Max & Victoria Dreyfus Foundation
• Earthjustice
• Francis Eatherington
• ECOS of Southern Oregon University
• Joan Erickson
• Jim Flynn
• Pete Frost
• The Fund for Wild Nature
• Furthur Foundation
• Susan & Deb Gaber
• Emily Goodwin
• Sarah & Rick Gove
• Tonya Graham
• Cedar Grey
• Tom Harasin
• Corbin Harney
• Doug Heiken
• Les Helgeson
• Bob Hunter
• Hydropower Reform Coalition
• Jimmy
• Jonathan
• James Johnston
• Phillip Johnson
• I-Will
• Jeff Kahn
• Jacob Kann
• Janet & John Karpowicz
• Vickie Killion
• Lloyd Knapp
• Dianne & George Kosboth
• KS Wild
• Ray Labelle
• Mac Lacy
• Cameron La Follette
• Land Air Water of the University of Oregon School of Law
• Josh Laughlin
• Lee Lew Lee
• Spencer Lennard
• Dave Levine
• Connie & Walter Lindley
• Jay Lininger
• Penny Lind
• Rhoda Love
• Erin Madden
• Sheila & Tom Manning
• Maud T. Kernan Donor Advised Fund of the MRG Foundation
• Leah McDaragh
• McKenzie River Gathering
• Crystal McMahon
• Kim Mericle
• Astryd deMichele
• Jennifer Miner
• The Moore Foundation
• Marie-Claire Munnelly
• Nance & Barry
• Neil Sinnot
• Brent Newell
• ZoeAnn Northcutt
• Norcross Foundation
• Northwest Coalition for Alternatives to Pesticides
• Northwest Environmental Defense Center
• Julia Olson
• The Arthur and Gertrude Hetherington Fund of the Oregon Community Foundation
• Oregon Conservation Network
• Oregon Toxics Alliance
• Oregon Shores Conservation Coalition
• Brett Paben
• Jennifer Palmer
• Aina Pamovskis
• Stephanie Parent
• Patagonia Foundation
• Brian Penner
• Brian Pietruszewski
• David Pilz
• Emily Plec & Western Oregon University
• Kimberly Priestley
• Hilary Prugh
• Mark Riskedahl
• Edward Roberts
• Evelyn Roether
• Rogue Group Sierra Club
• Jae Rowan
• Aubrey Russell
• Jeanette Russell
• Linda Serrano
• Amy Serres
• Anthony Serres
• Dan Serres
• Karolina & Chris Serres
• Linda & Edward Serres
• Corene & Jim Serres
• Matt Serres
• Nicholas Serres
• George Sexton
• Shundahai Network
• Joy & Larry Soll
• Angela Spencer
• Sperling Foundation
• Lynda Steiner
• Steve Stuart
• John Sully
• Templeton Foundation
• John Trudell
• Barbara Ullian
• Umpqua Watersheds
• Joseph Vaile
• Sooney & Nick Viani
• Derrick Volkart
• WaterWatch of Oregon
• Anne-Marie & Austin Wienecke
• Cindy Deacon Williams
• Jenny Woodworth
• Paul Woodworth
• Craig Wright
• Kryzstof Zajreda
• Mary Zemke