Dave Steindorf has been an active river advocate in California since 1997. As the primary negotiator for American Whitewater, Dave has gained a reputation as a consensus builder. He has been able to gain the respect of Agencies, NGO's, and Licensees while successfully achieving the goals of his constituents. He was a signatory to the Rock Creek Cresta Settlement agreement, along with past AW Board President Kevin Lewis, and AW Conservation Director John Gangemi. This agreement provide for the first whitewater releases in California. He has since worked diligently to organize and sustain the releases on the North Fork Feather River.

Dave has a diverse range of recreational, professional and educational experiences that make him uniquely suited for his role at AW. Dave has more than 8 years of experience working on FERC Relicensing. Dave is somewhat of an anomaly, in that he has not only worked in an advocacy role but also as a consultant for several Utilities in the West. During that time he has had a role in 12 recreational flow studies as well as studies on angling and flat-water boating. Dave is also able to draw on his vast experience in a variety of recreational pursuits including having worked professionally in the areas of Paddling, Angling, Cycling, and Outdoor Retail. In addition to this breadth of experience Dave also has a degree in Economics and a Masters in Education.

Dave was introduced to rivers at age 7, when his father put a fly rod into his hands. Learning to kayak later on was a natural progression from his childhood love of rivers. Dave's passion for river conservation issues inspired him to make a video, "More than Plumbing", which won an award for best amateur video at the 2000 National Paddling film festival.

Dave strongly believes that flowing rivers are an undervalued resource not only in this country, but also around the world. He feels that education is the key to river conservation. "Most of our progress on the North Fork Feather has been due to our ability to educate the other NGO's, agencies, and PG&E to the value of whitewater boating. However, the best way to improve people's notions about whitewater is to get them on the river. Couch Potatoes make lousy river advocates."