BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Social Media Chair

Emily creates our newsletters, impact reports as well managing our social media posts.

Emily was  born and raised in Bakersfield, CA and worked her way to Northern California over 16 years ago to attend California State University, Chico. Since graduating from college, she has been passionately involved in the Agricultural sector, specifically in California’s Processing Tomato Industry. 

Emily started fly fishing over 10 years ago with her husband (Nick) and father in law (David). Unfortunately, her father-in-law became ill and she made a promise to him that her husband would never fish alone. He would always have a partner on the river and a spirit in the sky. 

Emily fly fishes with passion and respect this sport deserves. She has developed an immense amount of confidence by surrounding herself with people who share similar sentiments like the co-founders at Rising to the Fly. Emily said, “starting out can be intimidating and in some cases economically challenging, but it doesn’t have to be. I’ve never felt like I couldn’t do anything because I’m a woman and I want to empower that same attitude onto others”.

We are so excited to have Emily on our team!

Outreach & Clinics Chair

Gwynne helps out with our education and guidance for Rising to the Fly. 

Gwynne’s desire to fish stems back to when she was a little girl. She stood on a dock at Lake Almanor fishing shirtless with her 3 brothers, because she could. Growing up in Northern California, her parents instilled a love of adventure and nature and growing up with 3 brothers gave her thick skin and determination to show she could do “whatever” in spite of being a girl.

Fly fishing hooked and reeled her in, about 5 years ago. She sought out all opportunities to say “yes”, to as many fly fishing experiences as she could manage. She would attribute having an open heart, a learning mindset and a “be brave be awkward” attitude to spawning many adventures and friendships.

Gear she no longer needed was passed on to her eldest daughter, and she taught her to cast. Watching her daughter’s determination and seeing her daughter’s joy at netting her first fish on the fly inspired her to continue to support those who are fly curious (interested in fly fishing).

Gwynne affirms, “I am thrilled to be a part of Rising to the Fly! The only thing better than fly fishing is sharing information, collaborating and supporting other women on how to navigate where and how to begin.”

Trout Trek Chair

Christine helps with education and is our Trout Trek chair. Christine was born and raised in the SF Bay Area, but spent her youth and adulthood on the water or around horses. As a young girl she fished lakes with her parents, but once she got older and was introduced to fly fishing she was hooked. For the past few years Christine has been expanding her knowledge of fly fishing and her passion of the outdoors traveling to places like Montana, Idaho and exploring and getting to know as many waters in Northern California that she can to fly fish. "I was raised in a male dominated Construction Industry, where I still thrive today, and I love showing Women that we can be successful at anything we put our minds to, including getting out into the wild and Fly Fishing! Rising to the fly has been an amazing organization to become part of, from attending the clinics, and making friends, as well as helping others learn that getting started doesnt have to be difficult if you have a support team like RTTF"

Technical Advisory Chair

John grew up fishing the waters of Northern California, but the McCloud River has always held his heart. A true California kid, John grew up in the Santa Cruz moutnains and earned a degree in Public Relations from California State University, Chico. During and after college, John worked in Public Relations for the San Francisco 49ers, where he managed media and player relations while developing strong skills in networking and relationship building.

After three years with the 49ers, John transitioned into a 13-year career in technology. In 2018, John took a break from the tech world to rebuild a family car wash business creating differentiated products, streamlining process and amplifying online presence. With no desire to return to tech, in 2021 he took over operations at Tahoe Fly Fishing Outfitters. Since then, he has transformed the guide operations and services while forging new partnershiups throughout the Tahoe Basin and Eastern Sierra.

Although John has traveled the world fishing both saltwater and freshwater, the mighty McCloud River remains his favorite. In addition to running the fly shop, he operates the McCloud River Outpost, outfitting groups and clubs at a camp built specifically for anglers.

John was an early believer in Rising To The Fly and has made the shop and the McCloud River Outpost a platform to share the organization with all.

"I wanted to make my life’s work about feeding my passions and sharing those passions with others." 

Fundraising Chair

Eileen brings her passion for fly fishing and fundraising to Rising to the Fly. She grew up on the East Coast fishing on the Jersey Shore during summer vacations, and dabbled in fly fishing once she moved to Colorado before getting more serious about the sport a few years ago. Her favorite part about fishing near her home in Vail was exploring the many creeks, streams and alpine lakes adjacent to favorite hiking trails for cutthroat and brook trout.  Eileen has combined her love of travel with fly fishing, taking her on adventures around the Rockies, the Northeast and the Caribbean. Now that she has relocated to the East Coast she is bringing that passion to new waters. Eileen says that learning to fly fish was intimidating at times, especially as a woman. “There was a fair amount of gate keeping at fly shops, and I am thrilled to be working with an organization that puts education and access at the forefront. The rewards I have gotten from fly fishing have been immeasurable. From making new friends to the meditative peace of being on the water, I have enjoyed every moment – even the tangles, tree snags and bruised shins.” She looks forward to introducing women to the sport and supporting them as they learn.  their goals.

Juliann (Jules) Savatt grew up spinner fishing with family in Pennsylvania and Ohio. A few years ago during the COVID-19 pandemic, her husband introduced her to fly fishing on the streams of central Pennsylvania, and she fell in love with the sport. She now lives in Pittsburgh with her husband and two dogs and works as a genetics researcher for a Pennsylvania health system. She enjoys finding time to get outdoors and on the stream and is working to expand her fly fishing skills and knowledge. By volunteering with Rising to the Fly, Jules hopes to help support others interested in fly fishing and create spaces where all feel welcome. 

Meet our  volunteer and grant writer, Koko!  Koko was born in Sacramento, California and raised bi-coastal.  Since graduating college, she is actively in pursuit of her next career move and looking for something that combines her passions. Koko was introduced to fly fishing and Rising to the Fly in April 2023 and has been in love ever since. Koko finds fly fishing  empowering and meditative. She said, "It’s an incredibly balancing and grounding sport. It can be intimidating to woman and even more so to women of color, but in no way does it have to be overly daunting or discouraging. We are here to share and show that it can be accessible and therapeutic to all. I absolutely love the friendships and unplugs from every day life that have come from discovering the art of fly fishing”. 

Marie is a retired educator who absolutely loves being out on the water.  No matter if it's still water, salt or fresh water fishing, she continues to challenge herself in the sport of fly fishing. Marie's fishing journey started with her grandpa's old fly rod 4 decades ago and she's still learning new methods and techniques. She enjoys teaching and learning from others. Marie is passionate about helping others and says "assisting  someone else catch a fish is just as exciting as catching one myself!" With her background in teaching it was a natural fit for Marie to help with outreach and clinics.