Baykeeper Staff

Deb Self, Executive Director and Baykeeper
(415) 856-0444 x 102

Deb Self provides executive leadership for Baykeeper, focusing on strategic organizational planning, Board and high-level volunteer development, fundraising, fiscal management and senior staff mentorship. She plays a key role in program planning and evaluation. Deb joined Baykeeper in 2003 as Associate Director before being promoted to Executive Director in 2006. She serves as Treasurer of the Waterkeeper Alliance, which Baykeeper helped found with Bobby Kennedy, Jr. to create a network of grassroots pollution advocates worldwide. Deb has more than 25 years of experience in nonprofit organizational development, environmental advocacy and regulatory compliance. Her Masters in sociology focused on environmental justice, and she holds a bachelors degree in geology. Deb lives in Oakland with long-time partner Mandy Wallace and boxer Roxi.

Sejal Choksi, JD, Senior Program Advisor
(415) 856-0444 x 107

Sejal Choksi is the primary spokesperson for the organization. She develops Baykeeper's overall strategy to protect the Bay’s water quality, directs all advocacy, litigation, legislation, and monitoring efforts and leads program and communications staff to further Baykeeper’s mission. Sejal joined Baykeeper as an attorney in September 2002, spearheading Baykeeper’s pesticide campaign, including efforts to secure the nation’s first regulations to control agricultural pollution. In 2004, Sejal was promoted to Program Director and Baykeeper. She serves as a member of East Bay Municipal Utility District’s Blue Ribbon Panel, addressing systemic sewage collection problems, and was appointed by the Senate President Pro Tem to serve on California’s Oil Spill Prevention & Response Advisory Committee. She also serves as a Board member of the California Coastkeeper Alliance, a statewide network of Waterkeepers dedicated to protecting California waters. Sejal holds a J.D. with a specialization in Environmental Law from the University of California, Berkeley and has a B.S. in Anthropology from Emory University.

Jason Flanders, JD, Staff Attorney
(415) 856-0444 x 106

Jason Flanders provides legal and policy expertise to assist with Baykeeper's litigation and advocacy program. Jason joined Baykeeper in 2009 after four years of representing state and local nonprofits in a variety of administrative and judicial proceedings. His past legal successes have included defending the listing of the California coho salmon as threatened and endangered in California and invalidating state regulations that would have facilitated the taking of coho salmon. He also recently worked to protect deteriorating water quality of the Delta, as well as diminishing groundwater supplies along the Central Coast. Jason holds a degree in Political Science from the University of Georgia, 2002, and J.D. from the University of Oregon Law School, 2005, where he co-directed the 2004 Public Interest Environmental Law Conference.

Andrea Kopecky, Legal Associate

Andrea Kopecky is a third-year law student graduating from Lewis & Clark Law School in May, focused on investigating pollution and bringing enforcement actions under the Clean Water Act. While in law school, Andrea interned with Columbia Riverkeeper in Oregon, the U.S. Department of Justice (Environmental Enforcement Section) in Colorado, and the Environmental Protection Agency in Washington, D.C. Prior to law school, she held a research position at the University of Arkansas and studied nutrient cycling in highly polluted streams. She completed a Master’s degree in marine science at The University of Texas, where her research focused on the impacts of water quality on seagrasses along the Texas coast. She also has a B.S. in biology from Purdue University.

Naomi Kim Melver, Associate Attorney

Naomi Kim Melver is an Associate Attorney at Baykeeper, focused on strengthening and implementing strong policies to protect the Bay. Prior to joining Baykeeper, Naomi was an environmental justice & climate change fellow at California Environmental Rights Alliance, providing strategic organizing, legal analysis, and written and oral advocacy focused on implementation of AB32. She has worked with a number of nonprofit advocacy groups, including work to stop mining pollution with the Center on Race, Poverty & the Environment, and work in Ecuador with the Environmental-Law-Alliance Worldwide. Naomi earned her law degree from the University of Oregon School of Law, where she concentrated in environmental & public interest law, and worked for the Federal District Court of Oregon. Naomi’s passions include environmental protection, composting, and walking her dog, Pele.

Ian Wren, Staff Scientist/Investigator
(415) 856-0444 x 108

Ian Wren supports Baykeeper's litigation and advocacy efforts through scientific review of issues relevant to Bay ecology and chemical status. Prior to joining Baykeeper, Ian spent six years in environmental consultancy as a Habitat Restoration Specialist in Southern California and a Hydrologist in London, UK. Prior to this, he served as a staff scientist in molecular labs at UC Berkeley and UCLA. Ian has worked with a range of public, private and non-profit organizations in California and Europe and is experienced in issues surrounding urban water quality, coastal diffuse pollution, endangered species, wetland restoration and the use of low impact technologies to mitigate water quality impacts and flood risk. He studied biology and ecology at UC Berkeley and holds an M.S. in Hydrology and Sustainable Development from Imperial College, London.

Eliet Henderson, Development Director
(415) 856-0444 x 101

Eliet Henderson directs Baykeeper's development and communication efforts, managing supporter outreach, online communications, publications and events. She joined Baykeeper in 2007 as Development Associate and was promoted to Development Manager in 2008. She previously worked in communications on a statewide initiative campaign and as an events coordinator and program assistant at Equal Justice Works in Washington, D.C. She graduated from The University of Texas at Austin with a B.S. in sociology.

Tracy Corbin, Membership Coordinator
(415) 856-0444 x 112

Tracy supports Baykeeper’s fundraising and communications programs, with a specific focus on membership outreach efforts. She joined Baykeeper in 2009. Her interest in the Bay stems from her involvement as an open-water swimmer, kayaker and floating home resident. She previously worked in marketing for the construction and publishing industries and holds a B.A. in liberal arts from Baruch College, City University of New York.