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May is Conservation Appreciation Month! To highlight our regional efforts in conservation join us for our next Future Forward episode where we will touch on:

  • Past efforts of conservation in Riverside County.
  • Habitat Conservation Plans.
  • What we have learned and how science has influenced management practices.
  • Hear #whatsnext for Conservation.

Join us for this special broadcast and help us conclude Conservation Appreciation Month!

Moderator

Princess Hester

Administrative Services Director at Western Riverside Council of Governments

Princess Hester is the Administrative Services Director of the Western Riverside Council of Governments (WRCOG), a joint powers authority consisting of 18 cities, the County of Riverside, the Eastern and Western Municipal Water Districts, and the Riverside County Superintendent of Schools. Ms. Hester is responsible for leading, developing and implementing programs in diverse areas such as talent management, human resources, contract management, and procurement. Ms. Hester oversees the day-to-day operations of the agency and is part of an executive management team that directs several leading programs on behalf of its member jurisdictions in the areas of transportation, planning, energy, environment, and conservation.


Princess grew up in Los Angeles California and always had a love of nature and doing anything outdoors. Princess graduated from Pepperdine University with a B.S. in Business Management and began working in various careers until she found a deep passion for public service. She accepted a position with the County of Riverside where she held positions of an accounting nature in public social service. She earned a master's degree in public administration from California State University, San Bernardino.


This was the turning point and a pivotal moment. While appreciating the opportunities provided, Princess wanted to do more for her community. She accepted a position with the Riverside County Habitat Conservation Agency, a WRCOG program that manages more than 40,000 acres of ecosystem to protect the Stephens' Kangaroo Rat (SKR). Notably, she served as an integral partner with other regional conservation agencies to spearhead the first of its kind Southern California Rangewide Management and Monitoring Plan for SKR. This plan is intended to unify various organizational efforts to protect SKR and serves as a blueprint for standardizing methods for SKR management across more than 30 agencies. Other accomplishments can be noted but one she is most proud of is the robust youth environmental education program focused on sharing the importance of preserving our natural resources. Programs are STEAM based, geared towards providing opportunities of inclusion for students in underserved communities. She understands the dynamics of groups and works to create a balance between conservation policy and politics.

Speakers

  • Edith B. Allen (Professor Emerita & CE Specialist at Department of Biology and Plant Sciences (UCR))

    Edith B. Allen

    Professor Emerita & CE Specialist at Department of Biology and Plant Sciences (UCR)

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  • Tricia Campbell (Director of Reserve Management & Monitoring at Regional Conservation Authority)

    Tricia Campbell

    Director of Reserve Management & Monitoring at Regional Conservation Authority

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  • Brian Shomo (Director of Natural Resources at Riverside County Habitat Conservation Agency)

    Brian Shomo

    Director of Natural Resources at Riverside County Habitat Conservation Agency

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  • Wayne Spencer, Ph.D. (Chief Scientist at Conservation Biology Institute)

    Wayne Spencer, Ph.D.

    Chief Scientist at Conservation Biology Institute

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