“Idaho’s Working Fishscapes:
The intersection of Fish, Water and Societal Needs.”
Plenary Speakers
Mat Weaver
Mat Weaver is a fourth-generation engineer with roots near the headwaters of the Missouri River and a lifelong connection to the landscapes and waters of the American West. Growing up in both rural and urban communities across the Pacific Northwest gave him a deep appreciation for the balance between people and natural resources. He holds degrees in engineering and hydrologic science—the latter from Boise State University—and is a licensed Professional Engineer. Mat serves as Director of the Idaho Department of Water Resources and Acting Administrator of the Idaho Soil and Water Conservation Commission, applying a practical approach to managing Idaho’s natural resources. When not immersed in water policy, Mat enjoys the “Idaho lifestyle” with his wife and twin boys—camping, hiking, skiing, and flyfishing across the state’s wild places.
Paul Arrington
Paul Arrington is Executive Director and General Counsel for the Idaho Water Users Association. Arrington graduated from Boise State University in 2002 with a Bachelor’s of Science, Human Resource Management Emphasis. He then graduated in 2005 from the Gonzaga University School of Law and joined Barker Rosholt & Simpson LLP later that year, where his law practice focused largely on water and natural resource issues in Idaho and throughout the United States. In May 2017, Arrington took over as the IWUA director. When not working, Mr. Arrington enjoys spending time with his wife, Michelle, and their four children. He enjoys running and cycling to clear his mind. Perhaps most remarkable, however, is that Arrington cuts his own hair!
Kendra Kaiser
Kendra Kaiser is a watershed hydrologist and the Director of the Idaho Water Resources Research Institute. She has a BS in Soil
and Water Science and Environmental Biology from Montana State University, and a PhD in Watershed Hydrology and Biogeochemistry from Duke University. She started her research career focused on spatial and temporal variability of hydrologic flowpaths and implications for vegetation and biogeochemistry in headwater catchments, and transitioned to focusing on human interactions in the hydrologic cycle during her PostDoc at Boise
State with Lejo Flores. Since then she has sought to co-produce research with a range of stakeholders and partners to conduct data analysis and develop tools to support water managers and users across Idaho.
Dr. Jesse Trushenski
Dr. Jesse Trushenski is the Chief Science Officer for Riverence, the largest producer of farmed Rainbow Trout and Steelhead in the Americas with operations based in Washington and Idaho. Jesse oversees a diverse range of research initiatives as the R&D Director for the Nordly group, a collection of Norwegian companies providing fish health products, feed, veterinary and environmental services to the salmon aquaculture industry worldwide. For both the Riverence and Nordly groups, she is responsible for helping find better ways to put fish on the table—to produce a better fish, to raise it sustainably and ethically, and to put wholesome seafood within everyone’s reach. She is a Past-President and Fellow of the American Fisheries Society and a Past-President of the US Trout Farmers Association. She currently serves as a board member for the National Fish Habitat Partnership and is President of the AFS Fish Health Section.
Karen Henderson
Karen Henderson is the Chief Legal Officer for the Riverence Group. She provides legal advice and strategic guidance, and manages the water rights, long-term water supply, real property transactions, due diligence, governmental affairs, corporate compliance, and other legal or regulatory matters. Prior to moving to Idaho, Karen was a partner at a law firm in Colorado and has been practicing law for over 18 years. While she prefers finding creative
solutions to problems, her experience includes complex water rights negotiations and litigation, large ranch and agricultural land transactions, historical research on water rights and interstate river compacts, water quality matters, and developing long-term strategies to ensure a reliable water supply. Karen has spoken at conferences on water-related topics, including the “Interplay between Water & Environmental Law” and “[Western] Water Rights and Wetland Mitigation.”
Bobby Hill
Bobby Hills is the Water Exchange Project Leader for the Nez Perce Tribe Department of Fisheries Resource Management Watershed Division. He received his B.S in Fisheries Resource Management from Humboldt State University. He has worked for the Nez Perce Tribe for 25 years. He started at the Nez Perce Tribe as their Non-Point Source Coordinator in the Water Resources Division, then moved to a Watershed Restoration Specialist in the Watershed Division. Currently he is a project leader in the Watershed Division. The main projects he is focused on are the Lewiston Orchards Project in Idaho, the Wallowa Lake Dam rehabilitation in Oregon, and Hanford NRDA. He currently lives in Clarkston, WA with his wife Crescentia and 4 sons. When he is not pursuing water exchange projects, he can be found watching his sons play soccer and fishing.
Allison Lebeda
Allison Lebeda is a Water Rights Program Coordinator for the Nez Perce Tribe’s Water Resources Division with more than ten years
of experience working in natural resources. She earned a B.S. in Natural Resource Management from Northland College in Wisconsin and a M.S. in Biology from Murray State University in Kentucky. In her current role, Allison works with a talented team to administer the Tribe’s water rights, provide technical expertise in water disputes, and monitor instream flows throughout the Clearwater River Basin. She cares deeply about finding a balance between the needs of ecosystems and people to provide a better environment for her kids to enjoy and grow up in.
Christopher Estes
Christopher Estes is a retired fisheries scientist and the former chief of the Statewide Aquatic Resources Coordination Unit for the Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G). He established ADF&G’s Instream Flow Water Level Conservation (IFWLC) program. Christopher is currently principal of Chalk Board Enterprises, LLC which offers IFWLC scientific and technical support services. He is a co-founder of the Instream Flow Council and has served as its director at large since its formation in 1998. Estes received his M.S. from Washington State University, Pullman, WA in Environmental Science and B.A. from Prescott College, Prescott, AZ in Biology/Environmental Science. He has authored and co-authored numerous instream flow and water level conservation-related publications. Estes has been an AFS member since 1976 and spearheaded the development of the Western Division of the American Fisheries Society’s first instream flow and water level-related conservation policy that was later modified and adopted as a national AFS policy.
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