Who We Are
Leslie Friedman Johnson
PRINCIPAL AND CO-FOUNDER
CNRG Partner and founder, Leslie Friedman Johnson, is a government relations strategist who, for nearly 30 years, has advanced an ambitious policy agenda in California. She is a sought-after and respected consultant who specializes in working directly with clients to shape effective programs and projects.
Throughout her career, Leslie has helped craft and pass landmark policy legislation, create new state and federal funding programs, run successful issue campaigns, and design and pass state and local bonds, making billions of dollars available for clean water, land conservation, fish and wildlife, parks, coastal protection, urban greening, clean energy, and climate programs.
Prior to founding CNRG in 2014, she was co-founder and Partner at Sacramento-based advocacy and consulting firm Conservation Strategy Group (CSG) for 10 years, providing strategic consulting and advocacy services to non-profit and local government clients. From 1986–2002 she worked for The Nature Conservancy (TNC). At TNC, Leslie had responsibility for state and federal government affairs and established the first California Public Lands program and then the first TNC California Water Program.
Leslie is a graduate of the University of California, Berkeley, and serves as vice-chair of the California League of Conservation Voters and is on the board of the Conservation Corps North Bay. She lives in Healdsburg, California.
Steve Johnson
PRINCIPAL AND CO-FOUNDER
Steve Johnson represents CNRG in the areas of strategic planning for NGO’s, conservation project management, land conservation, water policy, land use and endangered species conservation. Steve works with CNRG clients to develop effective and implementable strategies by helping them identify and refine their conservation objectives and matching them up with a realistic evaluation of staffing and funding. In recent years, Steve has led planning projects for the Land Trust of Santa Cruz County, the Nature Conservancy, California Audubon, and Save the Redwoods League.
Prior to his consulting work, which started in 2008, Steve served as the Director of Global Mediterranean Habitat Conservation for The Nature Conservancy, the last stop of a 34 year conservation career with that organization that ranged from preserve management, ecological restoration, conservation planning, and conservation science to climate change policy, strategic planning and government relations. Additionally, Steve has worked with the Resources Legacy Fund and the Resources Law Group both in the development and implementation of their very successful conservation grant making programs.
Steve is a graduate of San Francisco State University with an MA in Geography.
Rachel McFerrin
DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS
Rachel McFerrin serves CNRG and clients in her role as Director of Operations. Rachel has over 18 years of experience in project management and oversight, client relations, administration, and business management.
Rachel wears many hats (one of which is sometimes a chicken), and oversees CNRG business processes, project management, client management and support, contracting, accounting, human resources, and all aspects of administration.
Rachel is a 5th generation Californian and spent most of her life in the Los Angeles and San Diego counties. She is proud to support the important work that CNRG does in her home state.
Rachel graduated with a B.A. in English from California State University at San Marcos. She now resides in the Rocky Mountain foothills of Colorado with her husband, two children, cats, dogs, chickens, turkeys and ducks.
Kelly Cook
PROJECT MANAGER
In her role as Project Manager, Kelly assists clients with strategic plan development, tracking of legislation and funding programs, policy analysis, meeting facilitation and support, and research and report preparation.
Kelly’s background includes work on California water policy, a summer in Uganda working on agricultural projects, and a year of Spanish immersion in Santiago de Chile.
Kelly graduated from the University of San Francisco, where she participated in various environmental advocacy initiatives on and off campus. She holds degrees in Environmental Studies, Legal Studies, and Anthropology. Kelly now resides in San Francisco, California, where she enjoys a wealth of cultural exploration, and near-daily visits to Golden Gate Park.