Staff

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.

Elizabeth Clark, Director of Development and Communications

Elizabeth joined the RCA team in May 2024. Elizabeth has spent much of her career advancing nonprofit organizations and engaging with donors, constituents, and volunteers. She has served in strategic, development, and communications roles for diverse organizations including the Commonwealth of Virginia, Save the Dogs (Romania), and the Institute for Advanced Studies in Culture, and led successful advancement and engagement campaigns for Duke, University of Chicago, VMI, William & Mary, and many others.

Elizabeth holds an MBA (International Business Administration) from Georgetown University and a BA (English) from Virginia Commonwealth University. She is also an alumna of St. John’s College (MD) as well as Hollins University’s MFA program. Elizabeth serves as a volunteer and board member for community and humanitarian organizations. She lives with her family in Fluvanna County in the Rivanna River watershed, and enjoys being outdoors, swimming, yoga, and dogs.

Jean Lea Gazin, River Steward

Jean Lea is excited to have an opportunity to share her love of the natural world through her job as a River Steward for RCA. With a B.S. in Biology & Anthropology, a graduate certificate in Natural Resource Management from the Harvard Extension School, and an M.A. from UVA in Environmental Science, she recognizes the value of connecting people to nature. Her work as a River Steward includes being the eyes on the river, community outreach, education, and advocacy. Building community while nurturing a culture of stewardship and conservation will help ensure clean water and protect biodiversity for future generations.

Jean Lea worked as a seasonal environmental educator for RCA with the field trip program in the spring of 2024. She has previous environmental education experience with youth programs and wildlife monitoring through Metro and the Oregon Zoo in Portland, Oregon, as well as leading adventure travel and teaching SCUBA internationally. When she is not working, she enjoys spending time with her husband and children playing board games, walking their dog on the Rivanna Trail, riding horses, hiking, traveling, and diving.

Bailey Pleasant, Watershed Coordinator

Bailey started at RCA in September 2024. In his position he predominantly works on the Rivanna River Forest Health & Resilience Project to restore water quality, and also assists with water quality monitoring efforts.

Born in Richmond, VA he found his professional introduction to the world of plants working as a summer intern at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden. There he gained hands-on experience that planted the seeds of his career. He returned to work at the gardens seasonally as he pursued a B.S. in Environmental Horticulture from Virginia Tech which he finished in 2022. Moving to Charlottesville, VA immediately after, he started working at a small fine-gardening company, and later shifted to providing help as a retail associate at a locally-owned garden center before finding his place at RCA.

Bailey is a VNLA Certified Horticulturist and Charlottesville Area Tree Steward. In his free time, he enjoys landscaping his leopard gecko’s enclosure, checking in on his pet invertebrates and traveling to cities by Amtrak.

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.