Tax ID: 63-1186023
Alabama Rivers Alliance is a statewide network of groups working to protect and restore all of Alabama’s water resources through building partnerships, empowering citizens, and advocating for sound water policy and its enforcement.
Alabama has more than 132,000 miles of streams and rivers with more types of plants and animals living in them than any other state in the nation. However, we also have one of the highest extinction rates in North America, many of which are species that live in our rivers. Alabama’s precious water resources currently face many threats. From improper enforcement of environmental regulations to the lack of planning and policy to ensure sustainable water for the future, our community is tasked with protecting the waters of the state for the health of the people and the life therein, or else we risk losing natural treasures that we can never retrieve.
Click here to read the Alabama Water Agenda.
Our Team
Executive Director 205-322-6395
Cindy 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…
Cindy Lowry
Executive Director
205-322-6395
Cindy 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 on the League of Women Voters of Greater Birmingham Board of Directors.
Policy & Advocacy Director 205.322.6395
Jack joined the Alabama Rivers Alliance as Policy & Advocacy Director in 2020. He brings legal experience from corporate private practice, as well as an entrepreneurial background to ARA….
Jack West
Policy & Advocacy Director
205.322.6395
Jack joined the Alabama Rivers Alliance as Policy & Advocacy Director in 2020. He 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, he worked in-house with a solar company advising on issues of state policy. He also previously founded a technology company at Birmingham’s Innovation Depot. After hours, Jack volunteers with Citizens’ Climate Lobby and is a member of the Public Affairs Research Council of Alabama’s Roundtable.
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.
Jack and his wife, Emily, live in the Roebuck Springs neighborhood with Ruffner Mountain’s 14 miles of trails conveniently located right outside the back door.”
Communications | Southern Exposure 205-322-6395
Kelly Marshall joined the Alabama Rivers Alliance team in 2015 bringing significant experience in public relations and communication strategies. She has been an avid believer in and promoter of…
Kelly Marshall
Communications | Southern Exposure
205-322-6395
Kelly Marshall joined the Alabama Rivers Alliance team in 2015 bringing significant experience in public relations and communication strategies. She has been an avid believer in and promoter of the wealth of talent, cultural history and natural beauty throughout Alabama for many years. Prior to joining ARA, she managed the public relations campaigns and 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 and implemented communication 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 part of the Southern Exposure Film Fellowship program.
Kelly serves on the Birmingham Artwalk Board of Directors and has volunteered for the annual arts festival for more than 15 years. She keeps busy by watching nearly everything on TV, dreaming about traveling and occasionally pretending to paint. She recently rescued a pretty amazing kitty named Rain, who Kelly likes to believe was named after the Led Zeppelin song.
Alliance Coordinator 205-322-6395
Martha Hunter joined the Alabama Rivers Alliance team as Alliance Coordinator in 2016. She works to build and support our network of more than 50 grassroots partners across the…
Martha Hunter
Alliance Coordinator
205-322-6395
Martha Hunter joined the Alabama Rivers Alliance team as Alliance Coordinator in 2016. She works to build and support our network of more than 50 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 will enhance 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.
Development Director 205-322-6395
Martin Taylor 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…
Martin Taylor
Development Director
205-322-6395
Martin Taylor 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 Irondale 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!
Our Interns
2016 interns Sabrina Zizo and Marlena McConnell at River Network’s River Rally!
Interns are a super important part of our work at Alabama Rivers Alliance. We are so thankful for all the hard work our interns – past & present – have devoted to us. Interested in interning for ARA? Let us know!
THE ED COLVIN INTERNSHIP FUND
2017 interns Margot Woolverton and Morgan Pennington before an EMC meeting in Montgomery.
This fund has been established to honor Dr. Ed Colvin who continues to offer dedication for and love of Alabama rivers and works to secure their safety. He has always given generously to others and in that spirit, we want to support young environmental heroes. Dr. Colvin is a tireless advocate for our waters and we know our interns will be thrilled to meet him, learn from him and become future leaders.
The Ed Colvin Internship Fund supports the Alabama Rivers Alliance internship program in which interns assist in water policy research, organizing and implementing advocacy campaigns, assisting with citizen water monitoring trainings and other citizen organizing activities, and assisting with organization
development needs, including marketing and communications. With only four full time staff, an internship program can greatly increase the ability of the Rivers Alliance to achieve their goals and ensure healthy water resources for all Alabamians for generations to come.
Our pop is an inspiration to us – and though it might embarrass him – we want to show him our thanks for being a wonderful leader and we want others to learn through his example. Please consider giving your support to Alabama Rivers Alliance interns. We are so proud of our father and all that he gives to others! – The Colvin kids
