Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary Advisory Council Seats

Council Officers

Chair: Pamela Neeb Wade, elected February 2025

Vice Chair: Tony Elliot, elected February 2025

Secretary: Dan Brumbaugh, elected February 2025

Non-Governmental Voting Members

Agriculture

Primary - Sarah Lopez, executive director, Central Coast Water Quality Preservation, Inc., email: sarah@ccwqp.org

Alternate - Marieke Desmond, policy strategist, Salinas Basin Water Alliance, email: marieke@salinasbasinwateralliance.com

Business/Industry

Primary - Monica Lal,president/CEO, Monterey Peninsula Chamber of Commerce, email: monica@montereychamber.com

Alternate - Nova Covington, CEO, One Planet Brands, email: nova@oneplanetbrands.com

Citizen At–Large

Primary - Christine Heinrichs, Author / Journalist, email christine.heinrichs@gmail.com, phone 805-203-5018

Alternate - Daniel Schalk, Science Teacher, Coast Unified School, email: dschalk@coastunified.org

Primary - Felicia Van Stolk, Executive Director, Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History, email: felicia@santacruzmuseum.org

Alternate - Greg Crandall, Community Member, email: gregcrandall@mac.com

Primary - Jenny McAdams, Council Member, City of Marina, Director of Operations, Monterey County Business Council, email: jenny@mcbc.biz

Alternate - Leslie Leonard, Board Member, California State Parks Foundation, email: leonardles11@gmail.com

Commercial Fishing

Primary - Tim Obert, Commercial Fisherman, President, Santa Cruz Commercial Fishermen’s Association, email: tim.obert@att.net

Alternate - Vacant

Conservation

Primary - Vacant

Alternate - Jennifer Abbott, Marine Science Educator, O'Neill Sea Odyssey/Santa Cruz Whale Watching, email: jrcya.mb@gmail.com

Diving

Primary - Keith Rootsaert, Founder, Giant Giant Kelp Restoration, email: keith@G2KR.com

Alternate - Adam Lester, email: agarrisonlester@gmail.com

Education

Primary - Pamela Neeb Wade, Secondary School Programs Manager, Monterey Bay Aquarium, email: pwade@mbayaq.org

Alternate - Greg McBride, Retired Public School Teacher, email: mcblsb@gmail.com

Recreation

Primary - Tony Elliot, Director, City of Santa Cruz Parks and Recreation, email: telliot@cityofsantacruz.com

Alternate - Terry Feinberg, Small Business Owner, email: terryf@gotkonnections.com

Recreational Fishing

Primary - Adam Helm, Guide, Monterey Bay Kayaks, email: adam@montereybaykayaks.com

Alternate - Jose Montes, Retired San Jose Police Sergeant, email: pistolerocaptain1@gmail.com

Research

Primary - Brandon Southall, President and Chief Scientist, Southall Environmental Associates, email: brandon.southall@sea-inc.net

Alternate - Steven Haddock, Senior Scientist, Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute, email: haddock@mbari.org

Tourism

Primary - Marina Maze, Operations Manager and Head Captain, Monterey Bay Eco Tours, email: marina.alise@gmail.com

Alternate - Paige Viren, Executive Director, Sustainable Hospitality Management Program College of Business, California State University Monterey Bay, email: pviren@csumb.edu

Governmental Voting Members

Association of Monterey Bay Area Governments

Primary - Brian McCarthy, Council Member, City of Marina, email: bmccarthy@cityofmarina.org

Alternate - Vacant

California Coastal Commission

Primary - Kevin Kahn, District Manager, Central Coast District, email: kevin.kahn@coastal.ca.gov

Alternate - Dr. Rachel Pausch, Staff Ecologist, Central Coast District, email: rachel.pausch@coastal.ca.gov

California Department of Fish and Wildlife

Primary - Chelsea Protasio, Environmental Scientist, Marine Region, email: chelsea.protasio@wildlife.ca.gov

Alternate -Rose Dodgen, Environmental Scientist, Marine Region, email: rose.dodgen@wildlife.ca.gov

California Environmental Protection Agency

Primary - Mary Hamilton, Environmental Program Manager, email: mary.hamilton@waterboards.ca.gov

Alternate - Katherine Faick, email: kat.faick@waterboards.ca.gov

California Natural Resources Agency

Primary - Jenn Eckerle, Deputy Secretary, Oceans and Coastal Policy at California Natural Resources Agency, Executive Director, Ocean Protection Council, email: jenn.eckerle@resources.ca.gov

Alternate - Staci Lewis, Marine Protected Area Network Program Manager, email: staci.lewis@resources.ca.gov

California State Parks

Primary - Daniel Shaw, Monterey Deputy District Superintendent, email: daniel.shaw@parks.ca.gov

Alternate - Vacant

Harbors

Primary - Jim Pruett, General Manager, Pillar Point Harbor, San Mateo County Harbor District, email: jpruett@smharbor.com

Alternate - Jeff Pritchard, Assistant Harbormaster, Moss Landing Harbor District, email: pritchard@mosslandingharbor.dst.ca.us

Alternate - John Haynes, Senior Deputy Harbormaster, Santa Cruz Port District, email: jhaynes@santacruzharbor.org

Alternate - Nichole Rodriguez, Acting Harbormaster, City of Monterey, Public Works, email: rodriguez@monterey.org

Non-Voting Members

College

Primary - Maxwell Seale, Ph.D Student, Department of Ocean Sciences, University of California Santa Cruz, Coastal Science and Policy Program (Designated Emphasis), email: mseale@ucsc.edu

Alternate - Coral Cisneros Cahue, Undergraduate Student, Marine Science, College of Science, California State University Monterey Bay, email: ccisneroscahue@csumb.edu

Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary

Primary - Chris Mobley, Superintendent, email: chris.mobley@noaa.gov

Alternate - Michael Murray, Deputy Superintendent, email: michael.murray@noaa.gov

Elkhorn Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve

Primary - Dr. Dan Brumbaugh, Director of the Coastal Training Program, email: dan@elkhornslough.org

Alternate - John Battistoni, Acting Reserve Manager, email: john.battistoni@wildlife.ca.gov

Greater Farrallones and Cordell Bank National Marine Sanctuaries

Primary - Dani Lipski, Acting Superintendent, email: danielle.lipski@noaa.gov

Alternate - Brian Johnson, deputy superintendent, email: brian.johnson@noaa.gov

Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary

Primary - Lisa Wooninck, Superintendent, email: lisa.wooninck@noaa.gov

Alternate - Dawn Hayes, Deputy Superintendent, email: dawn.hayes@noaa.gov 

National Marine Fisheries Service

Primary - Jarrod Santora, Research Fish Biologist, Ecology Division, Southwest Fisheries Science Center, email: jarrod.santora@noaa.gov

Alternate - Steven Bograd, Research Oceanographer, Environmental Research Division, Southwest Fisheries Science Center, email: steven.bograd@noaa.gov

U.S. Coast Guard

Primary - LTJG Amanda Bourgeois, San Francisco Sector Email: amanda.m.bourgeois@uscg.mil

Alternate - Lt Nathan Mendes, Enforcement Division Chief, San Francisco Sector, email: nathan.j.mendes@uscg.mil