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The People Behind Hooked on Healing

At Hooked on Healing, our programs are only as strong as the people who lead them. Our leadership team is made up of veterans, lifelong anglers, and community members who share a deep commitment to service connected disabled veterans in Northern California.

They bring decades of experience on the water, in military service, and in professional roles that involve mentoring, teaching, and building strong teams. More importantly, they bring patience, humility, and a genuine desire to listen and walk alongside each veteran who joins us.

Together, our leaders design and guide every aspect of Hooked on Healing, from weekly instruction and safety on the water to private outings, habitat education, and community events. Their goal is simple but powerful: to create a safe, welcoming place where veterans can rediscover confidence, connection, and joy through the art of fly fishing.

Lloyd Heins

Program Lead

Lloyd served his country from 1988 to 1995 in the US Army as a paratrooper in the infantry. He worked on both the communication and surveillance teams and was stationed in Germany, Korea, Texas, and Louisiana.

After his military service, Lloyd built a career leading telecommunication teams and managing complex technical projects. Over more than thirty years he has managed numerous projects and continues to serve his community through leadership roles in major organizations.

Lloyd first joined a local disabled veterans fishing program in Redding in 2019. The impact he saw on veterans in recovery made him want to do more, and he quickly became a core volunteer supporting events and mentoring participants on the water.

When that national program ended, Lloyd helped shape what would become Hooked on Healing. Today he serves as Program Lead, coordinating activities, guiding on the water experiences, and helping build a welcoming community around fly fishing for service connected disabled veterans.

Ron Saiki

Assistant Program Lead

Ron is a retired architect who worked for several architectural firms in the San Francisco Bay Area and for Stanford University in the Construction Project Management Group. He relocated to Redding in 2010.

Ron served in the US Navy as a Surface Warfare Officer aboard two ships. His first tour was on a gas oiler, AOG 56, in the Vietnam campaign followed by operations on the east coast and in the Mediterranean. His second tour was on an ocean going minesweeper, MSO 509, homeported in Charleston, South Carolina, and operating along the southern east coast.

Ron was one of the volunteers involved with the startup of the Redding Project Healing Waters Fly Fishing program in 2012 and currently serves as the Assistant Program Lead for Hooked on Healing.

Being a volunteer in retirement and providing fly fishing knowledge while supporting recovery is his way of giving back to those who served.

Gerald “Gerry” Martin

Treasurer

Gerry graduated from UC Berkeley in 1964, where he served as President of his fraternity in the spring of 1963. After a distinguished career in finance, he retired in 2012 following fifteen years as Vice President and Chief Financial Officer.

Gerry has been a dedicated fly fishing instructor since 1976, sharing his knowledge with organizations such as The American Sportsmen’s Club, Wilderness Unlimited, Becoming an Outdoors Woman, Diablo Valley Fly Fishers, Shasta Trinity Fly Fishers, City of Redding Parks and Recreation, Project Healing Waters, and Hooked on Healing.

From 1986 to 1989, Gerry co owned The Selective Angler, a fly shop in Marin County, where he led group fishing expeditions to Alaska, Belize, and New Zealand. Over the years he has received many honors, including Cal Trout’s Stream Keeper award, Man of the Year from DVFF, the Lifetime Achievement award from Wilderness Unlimited, Fly Fisher of the Year from STFF, and Volunteer of the Decade from Project Healing Waters.

In addition to his role as President of The American Sportsmen’s Club Anglers and co owner of The Selective Angler, Gerry has served as Assistant Project Lead for Project Healing Waters. His fishing adventures have taken him beyond the lower United States to Costa Rica, Belize, the Bahamas, Mexico, Alaska, and New Zealand.

Gerry has also contributed his leadership as treasurer for DVFF for nine years and continues to serve as treasurer for STFF, where he has been in the role for six years. His combination of financial stewardship, instruction, and service is a cornerstone of Hooked on Healing.