Sean is responsible for the development of policies and programs to address industrial, military, commercial and recreational uses and impacts in and around the sanctuary.  To protect endangered whales he worked through the International Maritime Organization to move shipping lanes and expand an Area to be Avoided. With a multi-agency and organization coalition he co-founded Protecting Blue Whales and Blue Skies in 2014, a voluntary incentive based Vessel Speed Reduction program off California.

Becca is BWBS’ Corporate Engagement Director, advancing efforts to engage more companies and consumers on opportunities to ship more responsibly for marine biodiversity and coastal community protection. Becca is passionate about harnessing the power of the business community, and helping companies respond to demand for action around environmental protection. Becca holds a Master’s Degree in Environmental Science and Management from the University of Santa Barbara California’s Bren School, and a Bachelor’s Degree in History and Environmental Studies from Bowdoin College. Contact: [email protected]

Jacki Phelps is a District Supervisor at the California Coastal Commission, where she has been working to protect and enhance California's coast and ocean since 2012. She is a member of the Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary Advisory Council and Tribal Liaison Representative for the South Central Coast District of the California Coastal Commission. Jacki earned a MS in Management from California Lutheran University, and a BA in Biology and Environmental Studies, as well as a minor in Legal Studies, from the University of California, Santa Cruz. Prior to joining the Commission Jacki worked as a research assistant at Long Marine Lab and as a stewardship assistant at the Land Trust of Santa Cruz County. Jacki was born and raised in beautiful Ventura. She has had countless adventures to local beaches and open spaces, which have inspired her to pursue a career in coastal protection. Jacki enjoys hiking, biking, and traveling. She spends as much time as possible exploring the natural environment both locally and abroad.

Rocío has a B. Sc. in Oceanography, a M. Sc. in Marine Resource Protection and extensive experience in the areas of ocean research, conservation, and sustainable tourism in USA, Mexico, Korea, Japan, and Scotland. Rocío adapted the MERITO program to southern California for NOAA in 2005 and directed it until 2013 when she co-founded the MERITO Foundation. She has reached over 10 million people through ocean conservation outreach projects, immersed over 15,000 students on Earth & ocean science and issues, and has raised the capacity of more than 300 teachers and 100 Marine Protected Areas practitioners in the areas of ocean science and resource protection in the past 12 years. She is an avid SCUBA diver, loves to see the world, and advocates tirelessly for an inclusive and diverse new generation of environmental activists.

Mr. Brennan is a 16-year veteran of locally elected office in the City of San Buenaventura where he served as Councilmember and Mayor and was appointed by then Governor Jerry Brown to a 4-year term on the California Coastal Commission.  He has served as the Executive Director of BEACON, a California Joint Powers Agency (JPA) established in 1986 to address coastal erosion issues and is presently serving as Special Projects Manager for BEACON.

A professional restaurateur for over 25 years, he has opened and operated restaurants in coastal California, Hawaii, Florida and the Virgin Islands.

He presently serves as an elected Director of the Casitas Municipal Water District.

As Surfrider Foundation's Environmental Director, Zach leads the organization's national environmental team to protect our ocean, waves and beaches. With more than a decade of work in the United States, Latin America, and other regions of the world, Zach is a leading expert in ecosystem-based and advocacy-driven coastal and marine conservation. Before joining Surfrider, Zach was the Associate Director of WILDCOAST, where he established the largest private protectorate of coastline in northwest Mexico, helped strengthen California’s network of marine protected areas, and advanced blue carbon ecosystem conservation as a nature-based climate solution in California and Mexico. Zach is an avid surfer and lives in Ventura County with his wife and two children. He has an MA from the University of California, Los Angeles and a BA from the University of California, San Diego in Urban Planning.

Peter manages the Santa Clara River and Coast Restoration Project for the Nature Conservancy in California. The project, centered in Ventura and Los Angeles Counties, is focused on floodplain restoration, coastal resilience and equitable public access. Previously he managed plant conservation programs on the California Channel Islands with the Catalina Island Conservancy.

Kaira Wallace is the Regulatory and Community Engagement Associate at Ocean Rainforest, a seaweed cultivation company based in Santa Barbara. Kaira is passionate about making a positive impact on the ocean through seaweed aquaculture. She collaborates closely with stakeholders and the local community to gather valuable input on Ocean Rainforest's projects in the Santa Barbara Channel and works hand-in-hand with regulatory agencies to ensure initiatives align with environmental standards.

I’m thrilled to share Salty Gold Uni butter with you, the culmination of my past decade of work as a professional chef, food product developer, spear fisher, and environmentalist. I developed the compound butter while earning my master’s degree in environmental science at UC Santa Barbara, where my passion for protecting kelp forests met my excitement for creating innovative food products. My perspective on sustainability was further shaped by doing food systems work with diverse stakeholders, including World Wildlife Fund and Airbnb.