Pete joined the staff of Waterkeeper Alliance in July of 2011 as the Western Regional Director after serving on the Waterkeeper Alliance Board of Directors for 3 years as Pacific Regional Representative and nearly 8 years as the Humboldt Baykeeper. Pete was co-founder of Humboldt Baykeeper, and was the Baykeeper and Executive Director since its inception. Pete has a background in Conservation Biology and has been involved in conservation in northern California for over fifteen years. In addition to his role at the Waterkeeper Alliance, Pete is also the founder and President of the Nature Iraq Foundation, a philanthropic charity dedicated to protecting the environment of the Middle East.  Pete also serves on the Board of the Friends of the Eel River and is the President of the Northcoast Environmental Center, a bioregional conservation organization for northwest California and southern Oregon.