Alyssa (Lisa) Wittenborn, Executive Director
Lisa began working with RCA in spring 2017 as a benthic and education volunteer and soon after joined the staff. She became Executive Director in June 2020. Lisa oversees all aspects of RCA’s work and has a special interest in water quality restoration projects.
Prior to working with RCA, Lisa was the first Director of the Mills River Partnership, a nonprofit watershed protection group near Asheville, NC. There, she helped initiate and manage programs in the areas of agricultural best management practices, environmental education, and watershed planning. Lisa has also worked as a Research Associate with the Environmental Resource Program at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a facilitator with The Keystone Center’s Science and Public Policy Program in Washington, DC and Keystone, Colorado.
Lisa has a B.A. in Environmental Science from the University of Virginia, a M.S. in Environmental Sciences and Engineering from UNC-Chapel Hill, and a Ph.D. in City and Regional Planning from UNC-Chapel Hill. Her Ph.D. focused on water quality policy and management.
Lisa is a Chesapeake Bay Landscape Professional and a Rivanna Master Naturalist. When she is not working, Lisa spends her time playing with her two sons, walking her dog, and battling invasive plants on her property in Albemarle County.
Claire Sanderson, Director of Monitoring
Claire started with RCA in February 2022. In her position, Claire oversees RCA’s water quality monitoring efforts and manages and supervises the activities of more than 100 dedicated volunteers.
Claire was a Seasonal Field Ecologist at Wild Ginger Field Services, where she assisted with invasive plant management, native plant landscaping, and data collection for stream and wetland delineation. Prior to this, Claire was a Research Associate in the Department of Fish and Wildlife Conservation at Virginia Tech, and the Research Coordinator for the Centre of African Resources; Animal, Communities and Land Use (CARACAL), an NGO in Botswana. In these positions, she conducted extensive field and laboratory-based research, primarily studying human, wildlife and environmental health, water quality, antibiotic resistance, and the growing impact of climate change on these issues.
Claire holds a B.S. in Animal and Veterinary Biosciences and a PhD in Veterinary Science from the University of Sydney. She most recently completed her Masters in Natural Resources at Virginia Tech. Claire lives in Richmond and spends her free time playing bass, woodworking, and volunteering through the Rivanna Master Naturalist program.
Devon Hathaway, River Steward
Devon serves as one of the two River Stewards for RCA. After spending her childhood swimming in any body of water she could find, Devon is incredibly passionate about clean water that is safe for playing, drinking and for wildlife. In her role, she helps lead the organization’s Volunteer Program in addition to leading outreach and educational events.
Devon earned her B.S. in Biology and Anthropology in 2017 from the College of Charleston in South Carolina. From there she moved to Asheville, NC where she completed two AmeriCorps terms, one leading the educational events for an environmental nonprofit, and the second assisting in the management of a trail system in the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains. Devon moved to Charlottesville in the Fall of 2020 and is excited to get to know the community and the Rivanna River!
Sophie Elliott, Operations Coordinator
Sophie began working at RCA in November 2021 as Development and Communications Coordinator. In 2024, she transitioned into the role of Operations Coordinator, providing support for various conservation projects, outreach, communications, and events. Originally from Roanoke, VA, Sophie graduated from Longwood University with a B.A. in Communication Studies: Organizational Communication and Public Relations. Following college, she spent eight years living in western North Carolina, where her love for the outdoors and desire to take part in conservation efforts began. Sophie brings four years of experience from her previous position as development coordinator for Foothills Conservancy of North Carolina, a nonprofit land trust based in Morganton, NC. Sophie lives in Charlottesville with her husband and pets.
Addie Klimek, Education and Projects Coordinator
Addie began volunteering with the RCA in the fall of 2021, helping with watershed education field trips as an undergraduate student at the University of Virginia. There, she received a B.A. in Environmental Science and Global Sustainability, and finished her M.A. in Environmental Science at UVA in 2022.
After growing up in Cleveland, Ohio, where she spent lots of time enjoying parks and rivers with her family while learning about how polluted they used to be, Addie became passionate about spreading environmental education and action. She worked for a climate change education startup before joining the RCA in January 2023 as a part time program coordinator for RCA’s spring field trips. Addie is now the Education and Projects Coordinator, and will continue running education programs and upcoming grant projects.
Justin Altice, River Steward
Justin serves as one of two Rivanna River Stewards. The Stewards paddle the Rivanna River, tributaries and reservoirs monitoring water quality and identifying pollution concerns to make recommendations for resolution. The Stewards also identify unique cultural, environmental, and natural resource features along the river, including interesting flora and fauna. The River Stewards also coordinate and lead the biennial Rivanna River Sojourns and specialty paddles for schools and organizations throughout the watershed.
Justin received his Master’s degree in Urban and Environmental Planning from the University of Virginia in 2013 and got his undergraduate degree in Computer Information Systems and Sustainable Development from Appalachian State University in Boone, NC.