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STAFF DIRECTORY

Ricardo Aguilar, Director of Projects and Research

Based in: Madrid, Spain
“One of the factors that has driven me to defend the oceans is the destruction that escapes our eyes.” >> more

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

Buffy Baumann, Fisheries Advocate

Based in: Washington, DC, USA
Growing up in Kansas, I never had the opportunity to take the oceans for granted!  >> more

Maximiliano Bello Maldonado, Habitat Protection and By Catch Reduction Campaign Director

Based in: Santiago, Chile
Prior to joining Oceana, Mr. Bello was co-founder and director of Chile’s Blue Whale Center, which received the President’s Bicentennial Seal in 2006 in recognition of the Center’s work in preserving the iconic marine species of this region.  >> 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, Assistant General Counsel and Senior Litigator

Based in: Washington, DC, USA
"Mr. Bilsky has fought for marine conservation in a range of cases and issues. He has worked with Oceana since its founding in 2001." >> more

Gib Brogan, Northeast Representative

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

Ester Casado, Executive Assistant

Based in: Madrid, Spain
"And the more I learn about the wonders all around us, the greater is my certainty that the ocean in the most important piece of the big puzzle that our planet represents." >> 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

María José Cornax, Marine Scientist

Based in: Madrid, Spain
"From the fisherman who brings in his nets to the farmer waiting for rain or a child turning on a tap in the middle of the city, all of them are bound to the continuity of the cycles of our oceans". >> more

Dustin Cranor, Senior Manager, Campaign Communications

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

Kelley Cunningham, Senior Relations Associate

Based in: New York, NY, USA
I've loved being in the water since I was small and spent many hot summers swimming in the lakes and rivers around the Texas Hill Country.  >> more

Eduardo De Ana, Web / IT

Based in: Madrid, Spain
"In spite of living in Madrid and being so many kilometres away from the sea, I’ve always felt very close to it." >> more

Ana de la Torriente, Marine Scientist

Based in: Madrid, Spain
"Oceana gives me a great opportunity to continue collaborating in the dissemination of the important benefits afforded by the protection of the oceans and the fight for their conservation." >> more

Soraya de Miguel, Accountant - Financial Officer

Based in: Madrid, Spain
"Oceana is teaching me to discover the marvels that oceans hide and the needs they have to being protected to preserve them and to get our planet can continue being as it is." >> 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

Michelle Fabie, Protected Species Intern

Based in: Washington, DC, USA
My visits to the beach started before I can remember. Since then, my love for the ocean has grown into something far more substantial. >> more

Emily Fisher, Online Editor Fellow

Based in: Washington, DC, USA
Someone once told me that our brain waves change when we're near the ocean, that you can read on a chart how hearing and seeing the tide roll in and out calms the mind. I haven't seen the evidence to back up the claim, but I believe it. >> 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

Silvia García, Marine Scientist

Based in: Madrid, Spain
"The earth, seas and oceans are being destroyed by our wasteful actions, selfish and unlimited, and we squander away much more than we really need." >> more

Anna Gowan, Junior Policy Fellow

Based in: Washington, DC, USA
I became passionate about the oceans when I was living in Key West, FL, and then in Portland, ME near the coast. I can see the beach in Maine and I feel refreshed thinking about the icy water! >> more

Rebecca Greenberg, Marine Scientist

Based in: Madrid, Spain
"Without voices of their own, these and so many other animals and the underwater habitats they call home, need people to stand up for their protection." >> 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

Cristián Gutiérrez, Economist

Based in: Santiago, Chile
For 7 years he's been working on environmental protection, management of natural resources and promoting sustainable development. >> more

Maggie Hardy, Senior Public Relations 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

Ellycia Harrould-Kolieb, Marine Scientist

Based in: Washington, DC, USA
Growing up by the ocean, the water was always an important part of my life. As I got older and started to understand the problems that were facing the oceans it only seemed natural that I would work to protect them.  >> more

Mimi Hemphill, Director, Events

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

Denise Henderson, HR Manager

Based in: Washington, DC, USA
I was born into a Navy family so we were always near some body of water. Several states and two countries later, it was only natural for me to join the Navy too.  >> 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

Annelore Hoffens Wenzel, Communications Director

Based in: Santiago, Chile
Annelore is a journalist with a Bachelor's degree in Social Communication from the University of Chile at Austral, and a Master's degree in Scientific Communications with a specialty in Environment and Biotechnology, from the Pompeu Fabra University of Barcelona, Spain. >> more

Nick Hurwit, Stop Seafood Contamination Intern

Based in: Washington, DC, USA
My favorite place in the world is Cape Hatteras, on the Outer Banks. The nesting sea turtles and birds, perfect waves rolling in towards the lighthouse, and the sheer natural beauty of the Atlantic have all pulled me away from Washington D.C. for frequent beach trips my entire life. >> more

Sophie Jouan, Development Officer

Based in: Madrid, Spain
"I have been involved in development projects and have always been aware of the need to protect the environment." >> 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

Konstantin Kostadinov, Web Systems Manager

Based in: Madrid, Spain
Working for Oceana has given me the opportunity to feel like giving back to what has always had a special meaning for me -- the oceans. >> 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

Aitor Lascurain, Communications Officer

Based in: Madrid, Spain
"Unfortunately, human beings do not seem to be prepared to manage the wealth that our planet holds, much less if it is hidden beneath the sea." >> more

Michael LeVine, Pacific Senior Counsel

Based in: Juneau, Alaska, USA
Of all the places I’ve lived, none is as intimately tied to the oceans as this part of Alaska.  >> 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

Maribel Lopez, Administrative Director

Based in: Madrid, Spain
"The seas and the marine ecosystem are the principal link in the chain of life, and we should never forget that we humans are only another link in the same chain." >> 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

Marta Madina, Communications & Development Director

Based in: Madrid, Spain
"Whatever the perspective from which we look at the oceans, they are still, in my opinion, the great unknown of our era". >> more

Simon Mahan, Campaign Analyst

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

Tatiana Marshall, E-Activism Fellow

Based in: Washington, DC, USA
Even if I don't see it every day, I can't imagine living somewhere without easy access to the ocean. I need my fresh (and sustainable!) seafood! >> more

Maureen McGregor, Director 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, Campaign Projects Manager

Based in: Washington, DC, USA
Being near the water has always provided a sense of calm. >> more

Alex Muñoz Wilson, Vice President, South America

Based in: Santiago, Chile
Alex Muñoz is Oceana’s Vice-President for South America. Between 2003 and 2004 he worked as an attorney in Oceana’s South America office. Prior to rejoining Oceana in January 2008, he was the Program Coordinator for the Transparency and Anti-Corruption Program at the University of Chile Law School’s Human Rights Center. >> 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

Matt Niemerski, Ocean Advocate

Based in: Washington, DC, USA
Growing up in coastal New England you can’t help but form a connection to the ocean.  >> more

Lindsay Orlowski, Graphic Design Fellow

Based in: Washington, DC, USA
My favorite time to visit the ocean is in the middle of the winter. >> more

Xavier Pastor, Executive Director of Oceana in Europe

Based in: Madrid, Spain
“The privilege of visiting extraordinary places in seas all over the world has also caused me great distress as I witnessed brutal attacks on the marine environment. ” >> more

José Peñalver, Logistics Officer

Based in: Madrid, Spain
"Far from improving, our oceans’ situation is quickly worsening. Through my work aboard the Oceana Ranger research catamaran, I hope to contribute the necessary effort to ensure the safety of the oceans, the place where life originated." >> more

Carlos Perez, Operations Director

Based in: Madrid, Spain
"My experience in the environmentalist movement ranges from contributing as a member to participating in resistance and peaceful intervention activities..." >> more

Jocelyn Prudencio, CPA, Controller

Based in: Washington, DC, USA
I look into the eyes of my young son and daughter and pray that neither they, nor their children, see a global catastrophe. >> more

Caleb Pungowiyi, Arctic Rural Liaison/Senior Advisor

Based in: Juneau, Alaska, USA
I appeared on Earth during the Moon of Akomok (November) at our camp on the Southeast end of Sivuqaq (St. Lawrence Island). The island had/has no large land mammals so our people are totally dependent on the resources from the sea. >> 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

Jose Rodríguez, Marine Scientist

Based in: Madrid, Spain
"Certain activities are carried out everyday in the oceans that compromise the conservation of the life they harbour and the processes they regulate." >> 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

Angeles Sáez, Documentalist

Based in: Madrid, Spain
"The images of the seabed that cross my computer screen every day are tools that help to illustrate the hugely unknown depths of the sea and underscore accusations of illegal fishing practices." >> 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

Natividad Sánchez, Communication Officer

Based in: Madrid, Spain
"What we do or don´t do on land ends up in the sea. Leaving it as we found it would be a lesson in good manners to upcoming generations." >> 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 they are, 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

Roni Siegel, Relations Coordinator

Based in: New York, NY, USA
Having grown up in Boston, some of my fondest childhood memories have been exploring the beaches off Cape Cod during the summer.  >> more

Jim Simon, Executive Vice President

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

Juliana Stein, Senior 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

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

Sarah Winter Whelan, 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