Tim DeGraff serves as Regional General Manager for the Western states for RES. Tim is a certified professional wetland scientist with experience in wetland habitats throughout the United States with extensive experience in California. Before joining RES, Tim was CEO of WRA, Inc., a California-based professional consulting services firm focusing on plant, wildlife, and wetland ecology and regulatory compliance.

Tim has conducted over one hundred wetland delineations and has taught the wetland delineation certification class through San Francisco State University for ten years. His specialty is complicated projects involving large wetland impacts, endangered species consultation, complex mitigation requirements, and interagency negotiation. Tim was also the lead scientist and led the effort to entitle the largest wetland mitigation bank in California, the first stream mitigation bank in California, and several innovative conservation banks, including the first amphibian conservation bank involving translocation.

Kevin is a highly accomplished multi-disciplinary professional known for his candid demeanor and strong sense of accountability, which help keep teams and projects on track while ensuring client and agency satisfaction. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from Colorado State University and possesses key strengths in project management, LEAN construction, civil and structural engineering design, stormwater and watershed management, environmental law, and permitting and right-of-way acquisitions.

With over 30 years of experience in civil engineering, architecture, and construction, Kevin has a passion for outstanding design and execution, allowing him to successfully tackle highly complex and challenging projects. His work has been published in Architectural Digest, Architectural Record, Luxe, and other trade publications.

Kevin has managed a diverse range of notable eco-restoration projects, including:

• Lookout Slough Tidal Habitat Restoration and Mitigation (California’s largest tidal wetland mitigation)
• Roy’s Redwoods Park Restoration (Golden Gate National Parks/Marin County)
• Yosemite Ackerson Meadows Restoration (National Park Service/American Rivers)
• Cold Stream/Truckee River Restoration and Reclamation (Truckee River Watershed Council)
• Piedras Blancas Vernal Coastal Wetlands Mitigation (Caltrans)

His collaborative approach to leading teams on technically challenging projects spans various disciplines, including ecosystem restoration, wetlands construction, mine tailings reclamation, airport runway and highway construction, vertical construction (which includes commercial buildings and high-end custom residences) in states like Colorado and California, as well as in the Pacific Northwest (including Washington and Oregon) and the Pacific Islands (notably Maui and New Zealand).

In his personal time, Kevin enjoys hiking, mountain biking, snow skiing, golfing, and traveling around the western U.S. and the Tahoe region with his spouse, Kimberly, and their Maui rescue mutt, Ollie (Shaka).

Teresa is a Client Solutions Manager for RES’ West Region. She joined RES in 2023 as a Client Solutions Associate, bringing a unique blend of bilingual sales expertise and a strong background in organizational operations. Her career spans both Mexico and the U.S., where she has developed specialized experience in biology, archaeology, and ecological restoration.

Holding a degree in Organizational Psychology and certifications in Management, Teresa also brings over a decade of experience in Human Resources, working in complex, international, and multicultural environments. She excels at managing cross-functional projects, optimizing internal processes, and delivering exceptional client support—all while driving operational efficiency and productivity.

With a passion for connecting people and solutions, Teresa plays a key role in ensuring RES projects run smoothly and clients receive the highest level of service.

Dave Coffman is RES’ Director of Northern California and Southern Oregon operations, RES’ West Region lead fluvial geomorphologist, and serves as the Restoration Program Manager on the Lower Klamath Project, the world’s largest dam removal and river restoration project. With a focus on large-scale ecological restoration projects, Dave brings extensive experience in dam and reservoir projects. He has a proven track record in new dam initiatives, including site selection, long-term water supply assessment, regulatory compliance, and ecological mitigation planning and implementation. Additionally, Dave excels in dam removal projects, guiding restoration efforts, permit development, and team leadership.

Dave has contributed to evaluating and designing more than 120 miles of stream restoration, erosion protection, and streambank stabilization projects throughout his career. His expertise spans a range of disciplines, including stream geomorphology, hydrology, erosion monitoring, sediment transport analysis, slope stability, and scour assessment. Dave has restored and enhanced fluvial systems through natural channel design, process-based restoration, and various mitigation strategies, from small streams to significant rivers across North America.

Dave Meurer serves as Director of Community Affairs, West Region. Dave previously served as the primary media and public affairs contact for the Klamath River Renewal Corporation (KRRC) as it planned for the largest dam removal and river restoration project in U.S. history. This important but often misunderstood project benefitted from Dave’s 28 years of experience working in Congressional and State Senate offices in Northern California. Dave has navigated many contentious issues and built numerous relationships over many years. He enjoys engaging with local, state, and federal officials, building consensus, and getting results.

Dave is especially passionate about solving chronic water challenges in California and the Pacific Northwest and seeking win-win outcomes for rural communities in Northern California and Southern Oregon. Dave earned a BA in Communications & Political Science from CSU, Chico, and resides in Redding, CA.

Dan brings more than 20 years of experience in fisheries ecology, aquatic habitat management, and species conservation across California and southern Oregon. His work has focused on threatened and endangered fish and wildlife species, supporting projects that balance ecological restoration, regulatory compliance, and long-term conservation outcomes.

Dan’s expertise includes habitat assessment and monitoring, population studies, restoration design, species sampling and relocation, and fish passage evaluation. Prior to joining RES, he worked as an environmental consultant and established the fisheries practice at his previous firm. He has extensive experience navigating state and federal permitting requirements, including the Endangered Species Act, state incidental take permits, and the development and implementation of impact avoidance and mitigation measures under CEQA. In addition, Dan has led the development of environmental DNA (eDNA) monitoring programs used to detect and document rare and imperiled species, providing innovative solutions to support conservation and regulatory objectives.

AJ serves as the Credit Sales Manager for RES’ West Region. He joins RES with extensive experience managing federal regulatory compliance for ecological restoration projects throughout all 50 states, Guam, American Samoa, and Puerto Rico. With a passion for developing sustainable funding strategies for restoration-focused organizations, he has maintained a diverse client base that includes federal agencies, tribal governments, non-governmental organizations, and units of state and local governments. Most recently, AJ developed the federal regulatory compliance program for the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation’s America the Beautiful Challenge, a half-billion dollar grant program focused on implementing large-scale restoration and conservation initiatives throughout the United States.

In 2024, AJ earned a Masters of Natural Resources Stewardship (M.N.R.S.) from Colorado State University, with an emphasis on ecological restoration.

Dawn Cunningham oversees the ecological management of conservation and mitigation banks throughout California, Oregon, and Washington. As a leader within RES’ West Region, she manages field operations, long-term stewardship, and maintenance activities for bank properties that support federally and state-listed species and their associated habitats. Dawn also works with landowners and project teams to identify suitable conservation and mitigation opportunities and supports due diligence efforts across the region.

With her team, Dawn oversees more than 30 conservation and mitigation properties and implements a wide range of ecological monitoring and management programs. Her experience includes habitat mapping, special-status species surveys, floristic and rare plant surveys, hydrological monitoring, nesting bird surveys, invasive species management, rangeland management, eDNA sampling, and adaptive management planning. She specializes in conservation biology and has worked across a diverse range of ecosystems, including coastal and coniferous forests, oak woodlands, chaparral, alpine and subalpine meadows, shrub-steppe, grasslands, prairies, riparian corridors, vernal pools, and freshwater wetlands. Her expertise helps ensure the long-term ecological success and regulatory compliance of RES conservation and mitigation assets throughout the western United States.

Ra’am Akiba-Hajim is Director, Project Delivery, supporting the delivery of complex mitigation projects throughout the West Region. He collaborates closely with clients and cross-functional teams to develop and implement mitigation solutions for wetlands, streams, and protected species. His work spans project planning, budgeting, scheduling, proposal development, operational support, and client engagement, helping ensure successful project execution from development through implementation.

With more than 8 years of experience in environmental consulting and project delivery, Ra’am brings a strong technical foundation in wetlands and water resources, permitting, and ecological restoration. His expertise also includes construction implementation, procurement, budget management, and strategic project planning. By combining technical knowledge with project management leadership, he helps deliver innovative, effective solutions that meet both regulatory requirements and client objectives.