Rica joined DRBA in 2022 as the Advocacy and Stewardship Director. Working along the Dolores River in multiple capacities for the past six years, Rica brings place-based knowledge and passion to the organization. Prior to DRBA, Rica worked at RiversEdge West as a coordinator of the Dolores River Restoration Partnership where she led collaborative efforts to improve the riparian corridor from McPhee Reservoir to the confluence with the Colorado River. Originally from southwest Colorado, she loves rafting desert rivers with family and friends. Rica has a B.A. in Environmental Studies and GIS from Fort Lewis College, and an M.A. in Geography, Water Resources, and Environment and Natural Resources from the University of Wyoming. For her graduate research, Rica explored collaboration and stakeholder values in the Dolores River watershed, deepening an understanding of nuanced human relationships with the river.