Ben Lomeli, FOSCR President for many years has retired from the Board as of January 2026

Nohe Garcia, Board Vice President and Wendy Islas, Board member at large, have resigned from the Board as of February 2026.

Current Board Members:

  • Acting President: Skye Leone
  • Vice President: Rodolfo Martinez Morales
  • Secretary: Blue Evening Star
  • Treasurer: Lah-May Bremer
  • Board Members At Large: Laurinda Oswald, Scott Vandervoet, Liza Montiel

NEW BOARD MEMBERS

We are looking for new Board Members willing to meet once a month and to help with some of our administrative responsibilities including advocating for the protection of the Santa Cruz River. Apply by filling out the application here.

Honoring Ben Lomeli as President Emeritus and Chief Scientific / Technical Advisor for Friends of the Santa Cruz River. For over thirty years, your tireless commitment has shaped our past and continues to guide our future.

Ben Lomeli, Environmental Justice Champion

From FOSCR’s Founder Sherry Sass:

Dear Ben,

For so many years, you have been a steadfast steward of not only the Santa Cruz River, but also of great swathes of the Southwest’s environment! It’s hard to know where to start in thanking you for all that time, expertise, and dedication.

From:

  • helping the fabulous RiverWatch group continue to build the best long-term picture of the river’s health that exists (started in the 1990s and still alive and well);
  • to safely organizing legions of volunteers in massive river clean-ups and other river-associated events;
  • to defending the river’s interests in multiple local/county/state/federal arenas—meaning attending an endless stream of meetings, reading thousands of pages of proposals, studies, and regulations, and responding on behalf of FOSCR;

…you really have been an intrepid warrior in the never-ending fight to protect our vital little river.

May you continue to serve as an inspiration, mentor, and support to all who share the watershed, and beyond. All the best to you, Ben, and to your future work to take care of the ecosystems we all depend on, however you find ways to do it that fit your circumstances. I know you will keep up the fight as you can, no matter what; it’s who you are.

Fondly,
Sherry