Meet the New Faces at Friends of the River

Friends of the River is thrilled to welcome three new teammates to the crew—folks who know rivers not just on paper, but by heart. Vivian Helliwell and Andy Colonna join as North Coast Policy Associates, bringing decades of on-the-ground experience, sharp advocacy, and a deep love for salmon country. And Carolyn Hart steps in as our Development & Accounting Assistant, helping keep the gears turning so our river work can flow strong.

Vivian Helliwell, North Coast Policy Associate

Vivian Helliwell's commitment to fisheries conservation is rooted in lived experience — her family has fished the California Coast commercially for 50 years, and the family vessel Corregidor still operates out of Eureka today, bringing locally caught Dungeness crab, halibut, black cod, rockfish, and salmon to market.

That connection to the water shaped a career dedicated to protecting it. Vivian recently completed a long tenure as Watershed Conservation Director for the Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen's Associations (PCFFA) and its habitat protection arm, the Institute for Fisheries Resources (IFR), where she advocated for water quality and quantity in salmon-bearing streams along California's North Coast.

Her policy experience spans decades, including representation of commercial fishing interests on the Provincial Advisory Committee for Six Rivers National Forest during the 1994 Northwest Forest Plan, service on the 2004 California Coho Recovery Strategy Team, and work as a coastal liaison for the Eel River Recovery Project.

Teaming up with partner Andy Colonna, Vivian has co-authored major public comments on large-scale timber harvest proposals, secured critical stream buffers on sensitive watersheds, and joined the ongoing effort to remove two fish-blocking dams on the Eel River to restore salmon and steelhead passage.

Andy and Vivian currently serve together on the North Coast Stream Flow Coalition, the Eel River Coalition, California Sportfishing Protection Alliance (CSPA), the Scott/Shasta “Flowalition” group, the Salmonid Restoration Federation (SRF), the California Advisory Committee on Salmon and Steelhead, which advises the Director of California Department of Fish and Wildlife and the Joint Legislative Committee on Fisheries and Aquaculture.

Vivian holds a BA in Natural Resource Economics and Planning from Humboldt State University and is certified in Conflict Resolution, with a specialty in complex natural resource disputes.

Andy Colonna, North Coast Policy Associate

Andy Colonna's relationship with the natural world began early, growing up hiking, hunting, fishing, and working the docks along the coast of Rhode Island. A stint fishing for deep-sea scallops and swordfish off the Northeast Coast — and a close-up view of Russian trawlers during the height of the Cold War — shaped both his conservation ethic and a lifelong interest in conflict resolution.

After studying international relations, oceanography, and environmental policy at the University of Rhode Island, Andy eventually settled in Northern California, where decades of hands-on advocacy have left a lasting mark on the region's forests and fisheries. Early work with the North Coast Environmental Center helped replace toxic Vietnam-era herbicides used in timber reforestation with manual alternatives — a local success that grew into a nationwide U.S. Forest Service study.

Teaming up with partner Vivian Helliwell, Andy has co-authored major public comments on large-scale timber harvest proposals, secured critical stream buffers on sensitive watersheds, and joined the ongoing effort to remove two fish-blocking dams on the Eel River to restore salmon and steelhead passage.

Andy and Vivian currently serve together on the North Coast Stream Flow Coalition, the Eel River Coalition, California Sportfishing Protection Alliance (CSPA), the Scott/Shasta “Flowalition” group, the Salmonid Restoration Federation (SRF), the California Advisory Committee on Salmon and Steelhead, which advises the Director of California Department of Fish and Wildlife and the Joint Legislative Committee on Fisheries and Aquaculture.

‍ ‍

Carolyn Hart, Development & Accounting Assistant

Carolyn has over 25 years of finance and accounting experience in the architectural, engineering, and construction industries in San Jose, San Francisco, and Santa Rosa. It's been her dream to work in a non-profit position, focusing on helping our planet.

Carolyn grew up on the Carmel River and has always been interested in water and nature preservation. As a child she rafted the Stanislaus in 1971 with her family, wanting to experience it before the imminent damming. 

In Carolyn's free time, she loves traveling, music, books, cooking, and spending time with her family & her dog. She has also enjoyed volunteering in Carmel Valley at the Chews Ridge Lookout wildfire watch tower and with hospice as an end of life doula.