David Keller brings his love for social and environmental justice, public engagement and political activism to his work. He is currently the Bay Area Director for Friends of the Eel River, working on dam removal, salmonid fisheries and watershed restoration, resolving inter-basin water transfer conflicts, and helping to transform the defunct North Coast Railroad’s rail line to the Great Redwood Trail. He’s been a Board member of Sonoma County Conservation Action, a regional environmental advocacy, voter engagement and canvassing organization, and the founder and director of the Petaluma River Council.

David was an elected member of the Petaluma City Council, pioneering the first adoption of form-based building codes (Smart Codes) for downtown redevelopment. He led the defeat of the first full privatization of a municipal wastewater treatment plant, resulting in a city-owned, created wetlands treatment facility instead. He advocated for ratepayer protections during the formation of an early community choice aggregation (SCP).  He’s also been a member of the Bolinas Fire Protection District Board of Directors, a community mediator and trainer for Marin County, and a member of the Bolinas Lagoon Technical Advisory Committee.

He is a manufacturer of specialized woodworking tools (the Keller Dovetail System) and was a furniture maker and carpenter.  He holds a BA in Psychology and Sociology, cum laude, from the City College of New York, and did his graduate studies in Social Psychology at the University of Michigan.