Cindy Lowry

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Cindy is the executive director of the Alabama Rivers Alliance. She joined the staff in 2005 as Watershed Leadership Coordinator and was promoted to 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 15 years of experience in the conservation nonprofit sector. She joined the staff of the Alabama Rivers Alliance in 2005 and was promoted to executive director in 2007.

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) and awarded an Auburn University Alumni Spirit of Sustainability Award (2017). Cindy is the former President of the Board of Directors for Alabama Arise and has been a long-time member of the Board of Directors for the Friends of the Locust Fork River.

Curt Chaffin

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Curt Chaffin joined the Alabama Rivers Alliance as the Policy Director at the beginning of 2018. With a degree in Political Science from Emory University, Curt earned his J.D. from Vanderbilt University in May 2018. He has political experience with the federal government and in local and federal elections, as well as with multiple environmental organizations. A registered lobbyist, he uses his experiences and legal training to advocate for Alabama’s waters.

Curt is relatively new to Birmingham, originally growing up in the Tallapoosa River watershed near the Alabama-Georgia line. He has early memories of paddling and hiking around the Southeast, crediting those experiences for creating his deep respect for nature and his enduring desire to protect it. When he can get out from behind his desk, he explores the state’s rivers and trails and enjoys photographing the countless beautiful landscapes in Alabama.

Kelly Marshall

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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 for Birmingham Artwalk, Sidewalk Moving Picture Festival (now Sidewalk Film Festival), Birmingham Arts & Music Festival and other events. In addition to her non-profit and event experience, Kelly also developed and implemented communication strategies for a variety of clients including Simply Fashion, Confederate Motor Company, Village Tavern, WorkPlay and many more. You might also catch her name in the credits of films like Diary of a Mad Black Woman, Two Weeks, Americano and Open Window. She is thrilled to be able to welcome emerging documentary filmmakers into Alabama each year as part of the Southern Exposure Film Fellowship program.

She also 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.

Martha Hunter

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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.

Martin Taylor

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Martin Taylor is the newest edition to the team as Development Director, 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!

Gilda Brame

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Gilda is the handler of all of the Alabama Rivers Alliance’s administrative details. A Chicago native, her family roots begin in Alabama where her mother has born and where she has been visiting her whole life. After graduating with a BS in Communications from Bradley University in Peoria, Illinois, she moved to Atlanta where she became a technical engineer and news photographer for major TV stations, She has also worked in marketing, operations and project management for The Georgia Dome, Coca Cola, Phase, Inc., restaurant chains and other companies. Gilda brought her rich and varied history of career experience to Birmingham in 2007 and has worked for several organizations including Operation New Birmingham (now REV Birmingham), Kinetic Communications and Railroad Park.