Alan J. Banks (President of the Board) is professor of Sociology and director of the Center for Appalachian Studies at Eastern Kentucky University. Dr. Banks has written on coal communities in the region and is recognized as an important scholar in the field of Appalachian Studies. He has also been project director for several participatory research projects focusing on water quality in eastern Kentucky including the Headwaters Project, set in Letcher County, Kentucky.

Pat Banks (Ex officio: the Kentucky Riverkeeper) is one of Kentucky's best known watercolor artists. Much of the inspiration for her watercolors comes from her personal experience, environmental sensibilities and a love for eastern Kentucky and its watersheds. Pat has also served as founder and president of Richmond Galleries, a non-profit dedicated to community artists in Richmond, Kentucky. She lives with Alan in a house they built near the Kentucky River in northern Madison County, Kentucky.

Teri Blanton (Vice President of the Board) is a longstanding activist from Harlan County, Kentucky. She has fought to clean up toxic pollution in Dayhoit, Kentucky, preserve Black Mountain from strip mining and protect the watersheds near Pine Mountain Settlement School. Terri just finished a year-long environmental activist internship at the University of Kentucky and serves as state chair of Kentuckians For the Commonwealth. She now lives in Berea, Kentucky.

Bill Bryant is a professor emeritus of Biologist from Thomas Moore College. He has life-long connections with the Kentucky River, including a passion for restoring our watersheds for the good of the Commonwealth.

Bill Ellis is a professor emeritus of History at Eastern Kentucky University. For nearly thirty years, Dr. Ellis compiled an impressive collection of Kentucky River oral histories. He knows, of or has heard about, most things that have happened along this river and its implications for the communities we serve. His recent book, The Kentucky River published by the University Press of Kentucky, is widely acknowledged as one of the three best books written about our river.

Elizabeth Fraas teaches writing and communications at Eastern Kentucky University and has a doctorate in communication. For years, Libby served as faculty adviser of EKU's student paper, The Eastern Progress, which, under her direction, received numerous awards as the most outstanding student newspaper in the nation. As a new board member, Libby is helping to develop the Kentucky Riverkeeper's newsletter and Web site. She is an active member of the League of Women Voters and a respected voice in many local comprehensive planning debates.

Tracy L. Powell-McCoy (Secretary of the Board) is a native and lifelong resident of Madison County, KY with a Bachelors degree in Biology with a Chemistry minor and a Masters Degree in Education. She teaches eighth grade Science at Madison Middle School and was recently recognized as the KY Science Teachers Association Middle School Teacher of the Year. She serves on the boards of the Kentucky Environmental Foundation and the Just Within Reach Foundation.

Paul Melius is a security specialist and business owner who spends much of his free time on the river. A boater, fisherman and hunter, Paul brings an outdoor enthusiast's concern for the natural resources that depend upon clean Kentucky River water along with a deep respect for the importance of our natural resources and living richly.

Mike Reed (Treasurer of the Board) is an investment counselor for JP Morgan. Mike believes in developing sustainable economic development and brings a wealth of financial experience and expertise to the board. He has been involved with million dollar capital campaigns and is well respected in the financial industry.

Susan Shearer has spent most of her live near the Kentucky River and has a profound attachment to its ecology and human communities. Susan served two terms as Commodore of the Boonesboro Boat Club and fourteen years as a member of the YWCA Board of Directors (four as president) in Lexington, Kentucky. Her attention to details and organizational skills are exceptional. Susan lives with David along the Kentucky River in Clark County, Kentucky

David Shearer (the Kentucky Riverkeeper Boat Captain) is a retired riverboat captain and a founding member of the Boonesboro Boat Club. He has piloted commercial barges from Beattyville where the North Fork, Middle Fork and South Fork converge to become the Kentucky River above lock 14 all the way to Carrollton where the Kentucky meets the Ohio River below Lock 1. He has also worked most rivers east of the Mississippi. David believes that mobilizing public opinion is the way to convince government officials of the River's vital importance to the Commonwealth of Kentucky. David lives with Susan along the Kentucky River in Clark County, Kentucky.

William Stambaugh (Chair, Grant Committee) is a local attorney with his own law firm and is very active in the community. He currently is involved with the Richmond Chamber Board (served as their President), Bluegrass Rotary Club, Community Trust Bank Board, Richmond Area Arts Council, as well as other community organizations. Will is committed to upholding the law and helping organizations who otherwise don't have access to the legal system.

Mark Wyatt (Parliamentarian of the Board) is a businessman and an active outdoor enthusiast--whitewater, kayak, canoe & mountain climbing. He believes that the Kentucky Riverkeeper is one of our best chances to restore the Kentucky River as a viable and vital recreational resource for all Kentuckians.