Staff and Directors

YOUR Board of Directors is committed to accomplishing projects that will make a difference in the sustainable use and enhancement of our coastal waters. The upcoming year brings an extraordinary opportunity to reflect on the accomplishments of the past, bask in the limelight of the achievements of today and dream of the opportunities for tomorrow.

STAFF

Executive Director: John Valencia

John holds a Bachelors of Business Administration, Marketing & Finance with two minors in Non Profit Management and Leadership from the University of San Diego. John, a San Diego native, brings ten years of non profit experience, an entrepreneurial spirit, and a sincere devotion for the ocean. John has served as Executive Director for two other San Diego non profits and was CEO for an international light manufacturing company. John has been recognized for his dedication to the non profit sector with Kiwanis Club's Outstanding Community Involvement Award, American Humanic's Community Award and San Diego's Person of the Year Award. In his free time, John can be found surfing at La Jolla Shores or Solana Beach.

Marketing & Development Director: Heidi van Lydegraf

Heidi earned a Bachelor of Arts degree with a major in Communications with an Advertising Concentration and Business minor from Loyola College of Maryland. Having lived in five countries, six states and one U.S. territory, Heidi's twelve-year residence in San Diego is a testament to her love of the area. Heidi brings over a decade of marketing and sales management experience, most recently having consulted for Fortune 500 companies. Heidi's love of the ocean began in 1988 when she was certified as a PADI Scuba diver in Micronesia and she is thrilled to now be sharing that enthusiasm for San Diego's waters!

Program and Outreach Director: Becca Innis

Becca received her Bachelors of Arts degree in Political Science with Minors in Environmental, Soil and Water Science from the University of Arkansas. She always had a love for the ocean with a belief in protecting it. Becca's senior year of college she accepted an internship at the Alaskas SeaLife Center in Seward Alaska where her love for ocean conservation deepened. After graduating from college Becca moved to Boston to work on water quality issues for the State of Massachusetts before moving to San Diego to accept a position as Field Coordinator for the San Diego Breast Cancer 3-Day. Becca believes in the idea of always taking her conscious to work and even one person can make a difference. Becca loves any activity that involves the outdoors and, in her spare time, can usually be found with her dog at the beach.

Ocean In Motion Coordinator: Cheryl Barnes

Cheryl graduated from San Diego State University in 2006 with a Bachelor's in Marine Biology. While in school, she was able to enhance her already-profound passion for the ocean and couldn't help but search for opportunities to promote ocean stewardship among her peers. Upon graduating, Cheryl moved to Japan where she officially caught the traveling bug. In 2008, Cheryl returned to San Diego in order to continue on her path toward marine conservation. Through her work at SDOF, Cheryl hopes to increase awareness about our impaired waters while providing simple environmental solutions for both children and adults. Off the clock, Cheryl is either attempting to add trips to her divers' log or plan her next foreign excursion.

BOARD MEMBERS

President: Harold Dorr

Harold first became involved as a volunteer with the San Diego Oceans Foundation in 1989 with the Education Committee. He later volunteered with his students and developed a water quality monitoring project to evaluate measurable changes in the water surrounding the white seabass pens in San Diego Bay. Harold is a high school science teacher and teaches college preparatory Marine Science and Advanced Placement Environmental Science. He is Nationally Board Certified to teach young adult science, holds a Masters of Science in Marine Science, and a Bachelors of Science in Biology. Harold has been a member of the Board of Directors of the foundation since January, 2006, and President since January 2008. His ocean-related interests include SCUBA, underwater photography, boating, fishing, and marine conservation.

Vice President: Randy Dick

Randy is President of EnviroClean Technologies, which is committed to delivering environmentally responsible industrial surface cleaning products. In addition, Randy serves on the Board of Directors of the San Diego Hotel-Motel Association, San Diego Port Tenant's Association, and is the Past President of the San Diego Yacht Club Anglers.

Treasurer: Erin E. Patterson

In her 15 years as a banker, Erin has acquired a wide range of experience in sales, marketing, treasury consulting, and product management. Erin manages corporate depository relationships at Union Bank of California. Erin is a member of the Association for Financial Professionals and the Treasury Management Association of San Diego. She has served on the board of the Treasury Management Association of San Diego for the last three years, as President in 2006 and 2007. An active member of her community, Erin participates in numerous charity events.

Secretary: Nicole Russell

Nicole first became involved with the SDOF through her involvement in its Ships 2 Reefs Committee. While working towards BBA at the University of San Diego Nicole began working at The Diving Equipment & Marketing Association. Nicole currently serves as the Customer Acquisition Project Manager for the membership-based, non-profit organization that supports businesses in the Scuba Diving Industry. Having served in various capacities throughout her career and at DEMA, Nicole brings her knowledge of everything from standard accounting practices to membership marketing skills to SDOF.

Jana Ferron

As the Vice President of a San Diego based marketing firm, Jana has developed valuable skills in every aspect of marketing from public relations to advertising and graphic design work. Her specialty lies in the practice of public relations and has worked with a wide variety of industries that include non-profit, medical, real estate, small business, and professional services.

Herb Gruenhagen

Herb Gruenhagen brings to the Foundation his love of recreational and scientific diving and interest in marine life. His professional skills include data analysis, underwater data collection, underwater photography and videography. Herb has been diving San Diego since 1972 and has logged over 1500 dives and is the current president of the San Diego Underwater Photographic Society. Herb started volunteering for SDOF as a Yukon research diver in 2001 and is currently the chairperson of the Reef Monitoring Committee. He enjoys teaching other divers to identify local marine life. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology, Associate Arts degree in Computer Science and is a PADI Divemaster.

Carl Mayhugh

Carl began volunteering at SDOF in 2003 - working on the White Seabass Restocking Project. He has a Bachelors degree in Marine Conservation Biology with a minor in Business Administration, and a Graduate Certificate in Coastal Studies from NSU Oceanographic Center. Carl is currently working on his Masters degree in Marine Conservation Biology with an emphasis in Coastal Zone Management. Carl comes to us with over 20 years of business experience, as well as experience teaching at the San Diego Department of Education Marine Science Lab. He is currently the Operation Manager and Captain of a local dive charter business, Scuba Instructor, a Full-Member of the American Academy of Underwater Sciences, and serves as the current chairperson of the Wreck Alley Mooring Project.

Wendy Pacofsky

Wendy is a co-owner of an adventure travel company in San Diego - Outdoor Travel Adventures (OTA). For the past 7 years, she has sent travelers all over the world for both land and sea adventures, and experienced a few herself. Since becoming a dive instructor for Ocean Enterprises in 2003, she has spent a great deal of time in the San Diego waters, and organized a number of group dive adventures to the warm waters of the world. Wendy has a degree in Business Administration from the University of San Diego and also worked in London for the State of California. Prior to owning OTA, she spent 4 years at BCT Scenic Walking, dedicating herself to the sales & marketing of European hiking holidays, and exploring much of Europe by foot.

Ed Parnell, PhD

Ed grew up in San Diego cutting his teeth on the snorkel given to him by his big sister for his fourth birthday. He's been hooked on everything marine ever since spending much of his youth fishing and diving. Despite professing to be an adult, not much has changed, because Ed turned his passion into a career as a research scientist at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography. His research interests encompass the ecology of coastal shelf environments focusing on the interaction between the fluid environment and the biology of these ecosystems and the effects we are having on the coastal zone. As an avid ocean user who embraces its integrity, aesthetic nature, and beauty, Ed is an advocate of wise ocean stewardship based on sustainable human practices that affect the oceans including our use of the watersheds that drain into it, the re-engineering of its margins, the pollutants that settle into it from the atmosphere, the sewage we discharge into it, the food that we rely on from it, and all the services that it faithfully provides us.

Brock Rosenthal

Brock Rosenthal is president of Ocean Innovations, a company that provides equipment for oceanographic studies, hydrographic surveys, and commercial/military underwater work. Brock was a co-founder of Deepsea Power & Light. He has been diving, swimming, and surfing in San Diego since the late 60's. The changes he has seen in the marine environment have prompted his interest in helping SDOF pursue its goals. Brock has degrees in management from UCSD and UCLA and has served on the boards of the Marine Technology Society, the Birch Aquarium at Scripps, and other groups.

Jay Schwartz

Jay recently retired as a commercial airline pilot and is now pursuing his other passion, the health of our oceans. A Lifetime Member of The Oceans Foundation, he became involved with the Foundation when the HMCS Yukon arrived in San Diego. He spent over 14 months preparing the ship for reefing and served on the dive safety team. A scuba diver for over 40 years, he's a certified Technical Diver and has over 140 dives on the Yukon. In the past he has served a Chairman of the "San Diego Airspace Users Group" and Chairman of his fellow pilot's "Safety Committee" for Southern California. He holds a degree in "Broadcasting" from S.D.S.U.

Allen Schneid

President of I T Pathworx, Ltd., a technology consulting engineering company for voice, data, and video communications infrastructure, data centers, video security, access control, and intrusion detection systems. I T Pathworx consults with architects and other consulting engineering companies in the design of corporate, educational, military, state and local government building and campuses.

Mr. Schneid has been a member of San Diego Rod and Reel Club from 1978 and served on the board of directors for 9 years in all capacities including treasurer, vice-president and president.

In 1990 he cofounded The San Diego Anglers, a non-profit recreational sport fishing club. During its first 3 years, he served as treasurer, vice president and in 1993 as president. In 2006 Mr. Schneid was again elected to a 3 year term on the board of directors where he served as treasurer in 2006 and president again in 2007. The club organizes and holds several annual charity and community events including annual charters for MDA, children with muscular dystrophy, Big Brothers & Sisters, and Heroes on the Water, a fishing event for our wounded-in-action military at Balboa Naval Hospital. Other events have financially benefitted the Polinsky Center's Child Abuse Prevention Foundation, a safe haven and fresh start residence for abused and neglected children.

ADVISORS

Andrew Abouna
Jim Antrim
Daniel Beintema
Ann Belus
Frank Birdsong
Charlie Bishop
Roger Box
Malin Burnham
Paul Dayton, PhD
Arthur DeFever
William Evans
Phil Gay
Scody Hage
Fred Hallet
Shaun Halvax
Kevin Hardy
Tom Hawthorne
Leigh Taylor Johnson
Gale Mead
David Merk
Frank Powell
H.P. "Sandy" Purdon
Dave Rowley
Peter Seligman
Greg Stone
Jan Svejkovsky, PhD
Bob Watts
Lee Wilson
Richard Wright, PhD