San Gabriel River Discovery Center Authority Board

The Discovery Center board meetings are 1:30 PM on the third Thursday of the month at the Upper San Gabriel Valley Municipal Water District, 11310 Valley Blvd., El Monte, CA. The Board meeting agenda and report should be available 72 hours before each meeting.

The five member Discovery Center  Governing Board is 60% - 80% water interests:

Russell Guiney - the board President, is the head of the Los Angeles County Department of Parks and Recreation.  He is the only one of the five members without water district history.

Alfonso Contreras - Board Member, Upper San Gabriel Municipal Water District

Robert Apodaca - Central Basin Municipal Water District & Metropolitan Water District  boards

Dan Arrighi - is  the representative to the board from the Rivers and Mountain Conservancy Board of Directors, where he is its Chair, and is on the RMC board from the Central Basin Water Association and the San Gabriel Valley Water Company.

Sam Pedroza - Chair of the Discovery Center Stakeholders Advisory Committee and Fundraising Committee.  He is a former employee of the Upper San Gabriel Municipal Water District. While at the Water District, Mr. Pedroza was a member of the site selection committee for what became the Discovery Center. 

THERE ARE TWO SUBCOMMITTEES OF THE DISCOVERY CENTER AUTHORITY.  Both are chaired by Mr. Sam Pedroza. 

Stakeholders Advisory Committee of the Discovery Center Authority 

The Stakeholders Advisory Committee are to meet in odd numbered months.   It has met once since September 2007, on March 18, 2008.   The meeting scheduled for May 1, 2008 was canceled on April 17 and is now scheduled for July 2008.  Contact the committee Chair,Sam Pedroza, Ask him what has happened.  Ask him about his statement at the December 20, 2007 Discovery Center board meeting.  He said the Stakeholders was not meeting.  He was looking to bring in "key groups."  Mr. Pedroza's number is 562-699-7411 x 2310. His e-mail address is spedroza@lacsd.org.

Fundraising Committee of the Discovery Center Authority

Sam Pedroza, Chair
    Environmental Planner, County Sanitation Districts of Los Angeles County
Robert Apodaca
    President, Central Basin Municipal Water District
Jim Donavan
    National Park Service
Elva Lopez
    Water Replenishment District
Belinda Faustinos
    Executive Officer, Rivers and Mountains Conservancy
Valorie Shatynski
    Project Manager, Rivers and Mountains Conservancy
Jeff Yann
    Consultant, San Gabriel River Discovery Center

Rivers and Mountains Conservancy

Public meetings of the San Gabriel and Lower Los Angeles Rivers and Mountains Conservancy “Rivers and Mountains Conservancy” (RMC) are usually a Monday at 3:00PM.  The RMC is a member of the Discovery Center Authority.  The RMC Exeutive Director continues as Interim Executive Officer of the Discovery Center Authority.

Sundays, 1:00PM Friends of Whittier Narrows Natural Area

Participate in the weekly meetings to discuss the work of defending this important natural area. We meet in Picnic Area, Whittier Narrows Nature Center at 1:00PM
1000 N. Durfee Ave
South El Monte, CA 91733

Sundays, 8:00AM  Nature Walk in the Whittier Narrows Natural.

Meet in the parking lot of the Whittier Narrows Nature Center, 1000 N Durfee Avenue, South El Monte.  The walk will be led by experienced, trained docents who know and care for this remaining natural area on the San Gabriel River.  Learn about what will be lost if the false green Discovery Center complex is built.