NORTH AMERICA

Dave Allison, Senior Campaign Director

Based in: Washington, DC, USA
"While diving I find myself astonished anew at the vastness and beauty of the ocean." >> more

Bettina Alonso, Vice President, Development

Based in: New York, NY, USA
"When we think about the sea, we tend only to think about the surface, and we are unaware of the wealth of flora and fauna that exists below and the impact that damaging or unsustainable human or industrial activity has upon it."  >> more

Jim Ayers, Vice President, Pacific

Based in: Juneau, Alaska, USA
"I’d say that the Exxon Valdez oil spill in 1989 was one of the watershed events in my life."  >> more

Romanus Berg, Vice President, Operations and CIO

Based in: Washington, DC, USA
"I really enjoy time spent near or on the water and find we all have a fundamental tie to the oceans."  >> more

Eric Bilsky, Senior Attorney

Based in: Washington, DC, USA
"The ocean is the biggest part of the world and one of the most important. We need to do more to protect the air and do more to protect the land, but we can’t achieve a healthy environment if we ignore the ocean!" >> more

Gib Brogan, Campaign Projects Manager

Based in: New England, USA
"One of my earliest memories is from when I was about four, being in my Dad's tiny boat trolling for tinker mackerel and being able to catch four of them on the same line." >> more

Kevin Connor, Communications Specialist

Based in: Washington, DC, USA
Two people really got me interested in the environment and conservation. The first person was my high school biology teacher. She taught a class on the Chesapeake Bay and really connected with me. The second, as goofy as it sounds, was the Crocodile Hunter. He seemed to be doing more harm than good most of the time, but he did raise awareness, by crikey!  >> more

Dustin Cranor, Communications Manager

Based in: Washington, DC, USA
Cranor joined Oceana as communications manager in July 2007. Since then, he has spearheaded Oceana’s PR efforts for a number of its campaigns, including its global campaign to stop overfishing subsidies. Cranor also focuses on increasing awareness of the current threats facing sea turtle and shark populations worldwide. Cranor was recognized for his conservation efforts May 6, 2008 >> more

Julia Darcey, Paralegal

Based in: Washington, DC, USA
I decided to pursue ocean conservation legal work because I value the ocean and have a deep-seated, largely selfish desire to preserve it, and I know that the government isn’t going to do a good enough job on their own. >> more

Lauren Deen, Development Associate

Based in: Washington, DC, USA
Oceans are a very spiritual place to me; there is so much life and mystery beneath their surface and every time I look out onto their horizon I am left in awe. >> more

Cheryl Eldemar, Pacific Office Manager

Based in: Juneau, Alaska, USA
As an Alaska Native born and raised in Juneau, the coastal waters of Alaska have always been an integral part of my life. >> more

Ben Enticknap, Pacific Project Manager

Based in: Portland, Oregon
I find the knowledge to be gained from studying the ocean to be infinite and know that each day, there is something knew to be learned.  >> more

Christa Figueredo, Executive Assistant to the EVP and General Counsel

Based in: Washington, DC, USA
~~We ourselves feel that what we are doing is just a drop in the ocean. But the ocean would be less because of that missing drop. ~~ Mother Theresa  >> more

Jonathan Frank, Online Fundraising Fellow

Based in: Washington, DC, USA
I’ve always been able to appreciate the oceans as a valuable resource that needs protection, but it was only after earning a position as a fundraiser at Oceana that I realized how much work needs to be done.  >> more

Ben Freitas, Science Fellow

Based in: Washington, DC, USA
It wasn’t until I lived for a year on the Caribbean in the Yucatan, a few years after finishing undergrad, that I was able to really experience a different kind of marine environment – one in which, calmer, warmer, and more clear waters allowed for a greater appreciation of the diversity of life under the surface and away from the shore. >> more

Suzanne Garrett, Policy Fellow & Dive Program Coordinator

Based in: Washington, DC, USA
Hopefully, everyone experiences that pivotal moment where everything falls into place and you know where you’re going in life. Mine happened during my second certifying dive off Key Largo, thirty feet deep and in awe of the corals, the fish, and the 5-pound lobster...  >> more

Vicky Gorelits, Senior Relations Associate

Based in: New York, NY, USA
I believe that we must never forget that we have a symbiotic relationship with the oceans and that only if we sustain them can we hope to sustain ourselves.  >> more

Elizabeth Griffin, Marine Wildlife Scientist

Based in: Washington, DC, USA
One morning, while sleeping on a river boat, I decided to get up early and see the sunrise. I heard a splashing noise and looked down to see several boto, also known as Amazon river dolphins, playing in the water... >> more

Maggie Hardy, Pacific Region Development Manager

Based in: Monterey, CA, USA
Quote: “I can’t imagine not living near the ocean or taking responsibility for it future.” >> more

Cheryl Haro, Manager, Executive Department

Based in: Washington, DC, USA
"When I lived in the Caribbean, I enjoyed being surrounded by natural beauty and having the water nearby. " >> more

Sara Harris, Protected Species Intern

Based in: Washington, DC, USA
I am particularly passionate about shark conservation, an interest that can be traced back to watching shark week on the Discovery Channel when I was 8... >> more

Ellycia Harrould-Kolieb, Science Fellow

Based in: Washington, DC, USA
I love feeling like I'm part of the ocean when I'm scuba diving. Just floating with the current watching the underwater world go about its business is an amazing experience, something that dazzles me every time I'm diving. >> more

Mimi Hemphill, Associate Director, Events and Corporate Relations

Based in: Washington, DC, USA
Many times I’ve driven to the Island after a big winter storm just to see what gifts the ocean has bestowed upon us. >> more

Matthew Henry, E-Activism Fellow

Based in: Washington, DC, USA
My job at Oceana is to help our supporters take part in protecting the world’s oceans. >> more

Mike Hirshfield, Senior Vice President for North America, Chief Scientist

Based in: Washington, DC, USA
"I’ve seen dolphins, and once a very confused humpback whale." >> more

Beth Kemler, Seafood Campaign Organizer

Based in: Washington, DC, USA
Whether going for a leisurely walk after Christmas dinner with the whole family, going snorkeling with my parents or discovering what creatures have drifted ashore, the beach has played host to many of my best memories.  >> more

Christopher Krenz, North Pacific Project Manager

Based in: Juneau, Alaska, USA
Being born and raised in the middle of the country some people think it is a bit strange that I am so passionate about our oceans. >> more

Matt Littlejohn, Vice President for Strategic Marketing and Communications

Based in: Washington, DC, USA
"After living in Miami Beach, I became an “ocean guy.” In South Florida, you really have no choice, the ocean is a part of everyday life." >> more

Beth Lowell, Federal Policy Director

Based in: Washington, DC, USA
"Considering how much of the earth is covered by oceans, yet how few groups are working to protect them, it’s hard to imagine where my work could be of more value."  >> more

Simon Mahan, Campaign Projects Manager

Based in: Washington, DC, USA
There’s no getting around it; we’re all connected to the oceans.  >> more

Maureen McGregor, Manager of E-Activism and Marketing

Based in: Washington, DC, USA
I moved around a bit growing up, so our beach house is where I’ve always felt most at home... >> more

Kerri Lynn Miller, Protected Species Intern

Based in: Washington, DC, USA
I am thrilled to be part of such a wonderful organization which combines my interests of the ocean and the opportunity to gain a global perspective for protection.  >> more

Susan Murray, Director, North Pacific Office

Based in: Juneau, Alaska, USA
"As a child, I spent countless hours with my grandmother on Juno Beach in Southern Florida observing and recording the activities of sea turtles."  >> more

Sandy Owen, Director, Major Gifts

Based in: New York, NY, USA
“Sandy was born and raised in upstate New York, an area that fostered in her a life-long love of nature and support for environmental causes... >> more

Derrick Raphael, Program Coordinator

Based in: New York, NY, USA
The opportunity to work for Oceana is a great one as I have the power to make concrete changes regarding the health and future of the world’s oceans. >> more

Katie Riley, Seafood Contamination Campaign Intern

Based in: Washington, DC, USA
I have always been fascinated by the sheer enormity of the ocean. Having spent my childhood summers on the New Jersey shore, I have distinct memories of swimming during cold, rainy days... >> more

Santi Roberts, California Project Manager

Based in: Monterey, CA, USA
I have lived close to the sea since a child growing up in the UK. Perhaps this is the reason I now have a passion for wanting to conserve it and feel incomplete when living and working away from it. >> more

Dianne Saenz, Director of Communications, North America

Based in: Washington, DC, USA
Among my happiest childhood memories are chance encounters with hermit crabs, multi-colored sea anemones and playful sea otters in Monterey Bay, California. >> more

Courtney Sakai, Senior Campaign Director

Based in: Washington, DC, USA
"When you are on the coast everything just seems better. The light shines differently, the air is crisp, the water glistens, and it’s simply a unique experience." >> more

Jackie Savitz, Pollution Campaign Director, Senior Scientist

Based in: Washington, DC, USA
"I get a feeling of awe from the oceans. Just thinking about how big and complex it is, and how much is going on under the surface is inspiring."  >> more

Andrew Sharpless, Chief Executive Officer

Based in: Washington, DC, USA
"Saving the oceans is the most serious environmental problem that the world faces for which there is a politically achievable solution."  >> more

Jim Simon, Executive Vice President and General Counsel

Based in: Washington, DC, USA
Jim Simon’s legal practice of almost 20 years has focused on the environment and natural resources, including marine resources. >> more

Juliana Stein, Communications Manager

Based in: Washington, DC, USA
Working for Oceana feels like coming home. I love going into work every day knowing that I am part of an organization that is making a real difference in protecting the natural world – in particular, 71% of the planet.  >> more

Margot Stiles, Marine Scientist

Based in: Washington, DC, USA
"Wherever I am, it’s always near the ocean." >> more

Monica Tith, Development Assistant

Based in: Washington, DC, USA
...some of my favorite places to visit have been by the ocean. The beaches of Rincon (Puerto Rico) and Kapong Som (Sihanoukville, Cambodia) are two of my favorites. >> more

Kimberly Warner, Marine Pollution Scientist

Based in: Washington, DC, USA
"I have now been researching marine and aquatic environments for more than 17 years...Most of my work has centered on aquatic pollution issues" >> more

Jon Warrenchuk, Marine Conservation Coordinator

Based in: Juneau, Alaska, USA
"Science should guide policy, not vice versa."  >> more

Tamika Washington, Staff Accountant

Based in: Washington, DC, USA
"I didn't think twice about what could get caught in fishing nets, I just thought 'this shrimp tastes really good.'" >> more

Beth White, IT Director

Based in: Washington, DC, USA
"My job is to keep our staff online and make sure everyone, whether in our Chilean, European, or American office, has access to the technology he or she needs to keep our campaigns running smoothly." >> more

Cory Wilson, Senior Designer

Based in: Washington, DC, USA
Cory Wilson is a multimedia artist and designer working to protect and revitalize the world's oceans one pixel at a time. >> more

Sarah Winter, Pacific Research Associate

Based in: Portland, Oregon
“I could not at any age be content to take my place in a corner by the fireside and simply look on.” This is a quote by Eleanor Roosevelt, which has always been an inspirational quote for me. In the context of my life, it means that I have never been able to turn away from my need to help preserve the oceans. >> more