Cindy Lowry (she/her)

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Cindy Lowry (she/her)  is the executive director of the Alabama Rivers Alliance. She joined the staff in 2005 as Watershed Leadership Coordinator and quickly became executive director in 2007.

A native of Alabama, Cindy was born and raised in Oneonta, Alabama.  She received her BS degree in Wildlife Science from Auburn University and her Masters of Public Administration from the University of Alabama at Birmingham.  The focus of her masters’ thesis was citizen participation in public policy.  Cindy has more than 20 years of experience in the conservation nonprofit sector. 

Cindy has been recognized as a “Wonderful Outstanding Woman” from the Metro Birmingham branch of the NAACP (2012), named one of the “Women Who Shape the State” by al.com (2016), awarded an Auburn University Alumni Spirit of Sustainability Award (2017) and has been inducted in UAB’s MPA Hall of Fame (2020). Cindy is the former president of the board of directors for Alabama Arise and was a long-time member of the board of directors for the Friends of the Locust Fork River. She currently serves as president of the League of Women Voters of Greater Birmingham Board of Directors.  

Jack West (he/him)

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Jack West (he/him) joined the Alabama Rivers Alliance in 2020 and brings legal experience from corporate private practice, as well as an entrepreneurial background to ARA. Jack is a Birmingham native and grew up camping in Cheaha State Park, fishing in Lake Guntersville, and backpacking Alabama’s Pinhoti Trail.

Prior to joining ARA, Jack worked in-house with a solar company advising on issues of state policy and previously founded a technology company at Birmingham’s Innovation Depot. Jack graduated from Sewanee: The University of the South where he indulged his love of the outdoors caving and hiking along the Cumberland Plateau. He earned his law degree magna cum laude from the University of Mississippi School of Law, serving as an associate editor on the Law Journal.

Kelly Marshall (she/her)

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Kelly Marshall (she/her) joined the Alabama Rivers Alliance team in 2015 bringing significant experience in public relations and event planning. As Deputy Director, she manages the external and internal communications strategies, event planning and administrative aspects of the organization.

She has been an avid believer in and promoter of the wealth of talent, cultural history and natural beauty throughout Alabama for more years than she cares to admit. Prior to joining ARA, she managed the communications strategies for Birmingham Artwalk, Sidewalk Moving Picture Festival (now Sidewalk Film Festival), Birmingham Arts & Music Festival and other events in Alabama. In addition to her non-profit and event experience, Kelly also developed comms strategies for a variety of clients including Barenbrug Seed Company, Simply Fashion, Curtiss Motorcycles, Village Tavern, WorkPlay and many more. You might also catch her name in the rolling credits of films like Diary of a Mad Black Woman, Two Weeks, Americano and Open Window. She is thrilled to be able to welcome and work closely with emerging documentary filmmakers each year as Impact Producer of ARA’s Southern Exposure Film Fellowship program.

When not at work, which is rare, Kelly serves as the Secretary of the Highland Park Neighborhood Association and has been a member of the Birmingham Artwalk Board of Directors and Event Team for 20 years. She keeps busy by watching nearly every single thing on TV (even the bad stuff), and dreaming about traveling. Right before Covid hit the US, she rescued a pretty amazing kitty named Rain, who Kelly likes to believe was named after the Led Zeppelin song. So, of course, she kept the name.

Martha Hunter (she/her)

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Martha Hunter (she/her) joined the Alabama Rivers Alliance team as Alliance Coordinator in 2016. She works to build and support our network of more than 90 grassroots partners across the state. Martha is a natural fit for the team as she has spent her life celebrating and protecting rivers throughout the Southeast. Martha trained as a river guide and then served as the business manager for Wildwater at their headquarters on the Chattooga River. She later worked as executive director for Friends of the Locust Fork River.  Her passion for sustainability and conservation of our natural resources is infectious and her enthusiasm for organizing partner groups for Alabama Rivers Alliance is unparalleled. Her experience in both the for-profit and nonprofit sector brings a unique level of professionalism to this position that enhances the benefits and services we provide to our Alliance partners.

A graduate of Auburn University, Martha is also an organic gardener, beekeeper, and lives 100% off the grid with photovoltaics and solar hot water.

Martin Taylor (he/him)

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Martin Taylor (he/him) joined the team as Development Director in 2018, bringing 10 years of experience to the Alabama Rivers Alliance. He was born and raised in the Coosa watershed in Fort Payne, Alabama. Martin became passionate about the environment at a very young age. From logging protests to picking up trash along the Litter River in middle school, experiencing the outdoors and protecting nature were important to Martin’s family and played a huge role in his career ambitions.

After graduating high school, Martin moved to Birmingham to attend The University of Alabama at Birmingham, where he earned a BA in history and political science and a Masters in Public Administration by the time he turned 23. In 2008, Martin began his career as the Director of Development for the Greater Birmingham Humane Society and then at Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Birmingham. He has worked in major gifts for the Alabama Chapter of The Nature Conservancy since 2013, helping to bring in more than $19 million in gifts to the organization.

Martin lives in Birmingham with his husband Dr. Andrew Sullivan and their dog, Sophie. He has two brothers, three sisters, and many nieces and nephews. While being outdoors was his number one pastime for many years, recently, traveling abroad has taken the top spot. In the last three years, Martin has explored England, Spain and the Caribbean. Australia in next on the list!

Victoria Miller (she/they)

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Victoria Miller (she/they) is the latest addition to the Alabama Rivers Alliance team and serves as Director of Advocacy Research. She brings her tenacious passion for justice and public health knowledge to help extend our advocacy efforts across the River State and empower Southern voices. An Alabama transplant, Victoria came to our state in 2016 and has since grown to adore all the untamed nature and scenic waterways Alabama has to offer. She graduated cum laude with her Bachelor of Science in Public Health along with a minor in Chemistry and Distinguished Honors College recognition from the University of Alabama at Birmingham in 2020. While in undergrad, Victoria was welcomed into the world of Alabama environmental advocacy and began volunteering with Coosa Riverkeeper. Her experience there led her to dive in feet first after graduating and she hasn’t looked back!

Victoria grew up on the Mississippi Gulf Coast, where she enjoyed the best of both worlds from the brackish bayous of the Pascagoula and Escatawpa Rivers to the salty Mississippi Sound. Her upbringing was steeped in Cajun culture and joy for the outdoors. Victoria enjoys visiting as many waterways as possible and makes it a goal to touch a new waterbody on every trip!