Brian Thill is Director of Education at the South Carolina Aquarium and is responsible for leading the education team in development of engaging, interpretive programming and guest experiences. Brian is a Certified Interpretive Guide designated by the National Association of Interpretation (NAI) and currently serves nationally as the Deputy Director of the Nature Center Directors and Administrators unit of NAI. Brian has previously served as the Director of The Environmental Education Center at YMCA Camp Thunderbird and has worked for the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, Land Stewardship Project, and Central Wisconsin Environmental Station. Brian holds a degree in Natural Resource Management-Environmental Education-Interpretation from the University of Wisconsin – Stevens Point. Brian, his wife Michele, and their 2 daughters live in Summerville.

Lia Colabello oversees partnerships and community engagement for The 5 Gyres Institute, a global leader in the research of the distribution of plastic pollution in the ocean. She is also the Cause Ambassador for Costa Sunglasses’ Kick Plastic initiative, managing program strategy, partnerships and implementation.  Lia works with youth, business and community leaders to create solutions to the global health crisis of plastic pollution, and has been invited to speak at companies including Whole Foods Market, Booz Allen Hamilton and Disney, as well as at events including TEDxCharleston and Earth Day Texas.

Noah Chesnin is the Policy Program Manager for the Wildlife Conservation Society’s (WCS) New York Seascape Program.  The New York Seascape Program combines research, education, and policy to protect critical habitat and species within the coastal and ocean waters of the New York tri-state area.  It is a joint initiative of the New York Aquarium and the WCS Marine Program.  Noah received his BA in humanities from Yale University and his Master of Environmental Management from the Nicholas School of the Environment at Duke University. Prior to joining WCS, Noah served as the Sea Grant Fellow in the Office of Congressman Sam Farr (CA-20), as a consultant for the Natural Resources Defense Council, as an intern with the White House Council on Environmental Quality and as a staff member for the Conservation Law Foundation.

Brian Clark Howard covers environment, science, tech, and other topics, and is active in social media. He started at National Geographic in 2011. Before that, he was a journalist at the Daily Mail, the Daily Green and E/The Environmental Magazine. He has a master’s in journalism from Columbia University and bachelor’s degrees in environmental sciences.

Howard won the staff Geography Bee at Nat Geo and enjoys snowboarding, biking, and exploring the world. He lives in Washington, D.C.

As the Conservation and Research Specialist for the South Carolina Aquarium, Christi Hughes is aiding the Aquarium in implementing ambitious conservation initiatives designed to inspire diverse audiences to engage in science-based discussions around environmental plastic pollution, recovery of imperiled sea turtle species, and climate change. In addition to over a decade of experience in sea turtle biology and conservation, Christi also currently serves as the Secretary of the Southeast Regional Sea Turtle Network and on the scientific advisory panel of the Gulf Coast Turtle Island Restoration Network.

Dr. Jane Disney, senior staff scientist at MDI Biological Laboratory and co-developer of the citizen scientist online data portal, Anecdata, directs the activities of the Community Environmental Health Lab. In this role, she works with multiple community partners, identifying and helping to remedy threats to public health and the clean waters on and around Mount Desert Island. Projects include bay planning, eelgrass restoration, water quality monitoring and participation in state level initiatives such as the Maine Healthy Coastal Beaches and Maine Volunteer Phytoplankton Monitoring programs. Hundreds of citizen scientists, including students, teachers, and community members have been involved in these projects over the last two decades.

Dr. Marcus Eriksen is the Director of Research and co-founder of the 5 Gyres Institute.  His research has taken him 50K miles sailing the globe, including a couple of homemade rafting voyages down the Mississippi and across the N. Pacific (junkraft.com).  His work on microplastics, including the co-discovery of microbeads in the Great Lakes and providing global/regional estimates of microplastic loads in our oceans, convey the ubiquity of degraded plastic everywhere we look and the actions we must take to solve the problem.

David Stover is a Co-Founder of Bureo Inc, an emerging company focused on developing innovative solutions to prevent ocean plastic pollution. The team operates a collection and recycling program for discarded fishing nets in South America. An avid surfer and environmental enthusiast, David left behind a career in corporate finance when his global travels led him to the issues facing our ocean today. Currently residing in Los Angeles California, David splits time between Chile and the US and is actively involved in the global fight to prevent ocean plastic pollution.

Dr. Dune Ives is Executive Director of Lonely Whale Foundation. Through the lens of the world’s loneliest whale, the Foundation is a collaborative philanthropy that inspires empathy and community building for the worlds ocean and marine animals. By developing unique and highly leverageable partnerships and initiatives, Dune and her team are cultivating a global, connected audience that is inspired to work together to take direct and effective action. As the former head of Paul Allen’s Vulcan Philanthropy, Dune designed and oversaw several change-making initiatives that address key drivers of environmental degradation and species decline. Dune holds her Ph.D. in Psychology, is co-founder of The Green Sports Alliance and is an inaugural member of Al Gore’s The Climate Project.

Scott Cassel is the chief executive officer and founder of the Product Stewardship Institute (PSI), a national nonprofit working to reduce the health, safety, and environmental impacts of consumer products. Scott has over 30 years of experience tackling waste management issues in the public, private, and nonprofit sectors. Before founding PSI, he served seven years as Director of Waste Policy and Planning for the Massachusetts Executive Office of Environmental Affairs, where he developed and implemented waste management policies and programs. Scott is a nationally renowned leader in the product stewardship movement and has experience across multiple products, including packaging. Scott holds a master’s degree in Environmental Policy and Dispute Resolution from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and a bachelor’s degree in Geology/Environmental Studies from the University of Pennsylvania.

Dr. Chelsea Rochman is an Assistant Professor at the University of Toronto. Chelsea has her PhD in ecology with emphases on marine ecology, environmental chemistry and ecotoxicology. Her expertise is regarding the sources, sinks and ecological implications of plastics and their associated cocktail of chemical contaminants in marine and freshwater habitats. Her work has landed her in traditional and non-traditional waste sites, including two of our ocean’s “garbage patches” and dozens of waste water treatment plants around the country. In addition to her academic research, Chelsea participates in policy meetings and working groups to translate scientific research beyond academia.

Dr. John Weinstein currently serves as interim dean of the School of Science and Mathematics at The Citadel.  He had served as chair of the Department of Biology since 2010.  He joined The Citadel as an assistant professor in biology in 2000.  Dr. Weinstein is an environmental toxicologist with expertise in natural and anthropogenic stressor interactions in salt marsh habitats, food web transfer of persistent organic pollutants, and risk assessment.  Currently, the focus of his research has been on the sources, fate, and effects of plastic and microplastic pollution in Charleston Harbor.

Dr. Wyles is an environmental psychologist from the University of Surrey. Her research explores the interconnected relationship between humans and the marine environment, exploring the influence the environment has on individuals and, in turn, understanding drivers of human behaviour that impacts the ecosystem. In particular, her research interests focus on marine litter: examining the risks associated with litter to individuals’ health and well-being, examining people’s perceptions and understanding about this global issue, and exploring the impacts clean-up acts like Fishing For Litter and beach clean-ups have on the volunteers. For more information, please visit http://www.surrey.ac.uk/psychology/people/kayleigh_wyles/.

Dr. Patricia Fair has 40 years’ experience working for NOAA and currently serves as Adjunct Professor in the Department of Public Health Sciences at the Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina. She earned a doctorate from Clemson University, master and bachelor of science from the University of Maryland. She holds academic affiliations with Graduate Program in Marine Biology, College of Charleston and Texas Tech University, Lubbock, Texas. Dr. Fair has over 100 peer-reviewed publications and received NOAA’s Distinguished Career Award. Her research focus has been on the effects of environmental stressors/contaminants on health and disease in marine mammals and as sentinels for human and ecosystem health.

Dan Burger is Director of the Coastal Services Division for the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC), Ocean and Coastal Resource Management (OCRM). Since joining DHEC in 2004, Dan has worked to advance the policy goals of the state’s Coastal Zone Management Program through the development and implementation of innovative program strategies, products and services. Dan leads staff performance of inter-governmental planning, coastal hazard analysis, marine debris reduction, communication and policy development efforts. Currently, Dan also serves on Advisory Boards for Carolinas Integrated Sciences and Assessments (CISA), S.C. Sea Grant Consortium’s Climate Advisory Committee and the College of Charleston Master of Public Administration Program.  Dan is an honors graduate of Western Maryland (McDaniel) College and holds a Master of Public Administration (MPA) in Urban Public Affairs from the College of Charleston.

Dr. JoAnn Ratto is a Polymer Research Engineer with the U.S. Army Natick Soldier Research, Development and Engineering Center (NSRDEC) Natick, MA, where she has been working for over 18 years. Her experience spans a variety of fields involving nanocomposites, biodegradable polymers, structure-property relationships of polymers, extrusion processing, and membranes. She is the principal investigator of several environmental projects focused on decreasing the solid waste for the military food packaging. Dr. Ratto received her Bachelors of Arts in Chemistry from the College of the Holy Cross, Worcester, MA and received her Masters of Science and Doctorate of Engineering in Plastics Engineering from the University of Massachusetts Lowell.

Molly Martin is part of the Marine and Wetland Regulatory and Enforcement Branch at EPA Region 4 in Atlanta. Her work includes wetland and ocean issues with an emphasis on reducing plastic pollution in aquatic ecosystems.  Molly holds degrees in Science Education and Fisheries and curates the website (https://www.epa.gov/trash-free-waters).  Before joining the EPA, she worked on plastic pollution in the Philippines for 3 years educating students and fishermen on trash’s impacts on both aquatic and human life and how to reduce aquatic plastic pollution. She started her professional career as opening staff of the Georgia Aquarium from 2005-2007.

Sarah Latshaw is the Southeast Regional Coordinator for the NOAA Marine Debris Program, based in Charleston, SC, and works with partners in North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, and the east coast of Florida to address marine debris issues on a regional scale.  Prior to joining the NOAA, she was a Coastal Projects Manager for the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control, and focused on marine debris issues and coastal hazards.  For her Master of Science degree in Environmental Studies at the College of Charleston, Sarah partnered with the Kiawah Island Conservancy to examined homeowner financed habitat restoration using the Painted Bunting as a focal species.  She also holds a Bachelor of Science in Wildlife Biology from the University of Georgia.  GO DAWGS!

Peter Shahid was elected to office November, 2015 as the Charleston City Councilmember for District 9.  He is a practicing attorney in areas such as criminal defense, family law, and personal injury.  Councilmember Shahid graduated from the University of South Carolina, where he received a Bachelor of Arts in 1978, and the University of South Carolina School of Law, where he received his Juris Doctorate in 1981.  He is a native of Charleston and resides in West Ashley. Councilmember Shahid has been a sole practitioner at the Shahid Law Office, LLC (1997-current). He was appointed as an Associate Municipal Judge for the Town of Mt. Pleasant (1997-2006) and was an Assistant United States Attorney for the District of South Carolina (1988-1997).

Prior to the South Carolina Aquarium, he worked as the Director of Education for Georgia Aquarium Inc. Mr. George completed his B.S. in Marine Biology and Chemistry from Savannah State University and the P.R.E.P. program at Yale University concentrating in physiology cellular molecular genetics, and then completed a program of study from the Harvard University John F. Kennedy School of Government/MIT in addition to completing a Master’s of Science from the Georgia Institute of Technology. He is also the founder of the GA Green Economy Summit and Co-founder of the Amazon Reforestation Project.

Angela Howe directs Surfrider Foundation’s legal strategy and advocacy efforts throughout the United States, in order to guide grassroots chapters on beach access and environmental litigation, and to assist with general counsel duties. Angela earned her law degree from Boalt Hall, Berkeley School of Law. Before joining Surfrider’s staff, she worked for Hogan & Hartson LLP in the Environmental Practice Group. Angela has been active in volunteering with non-profit organizations and mentoring law students throughout her legal career.  She is also an Adjunct Professor of Ocean and Coastal Law. She is an advisory member of the Executive Committee of the California Bar Association’s Environmental Law Section.  Angela serves as a co-Chair of the Clean Seas Coalition and a Steering Committee member on the West Coast Marine Debris Alliance.

Dana Beach founded the South Carolina Coastal Conservation League in 1989, now recognized as one of the most successful state-level conservation groups in the country, particularly for its work in the field of land use reform. The League works with citizens and government to develop policies that promote sustainable patterns of development for people and the environment. In 2001, the League launched GrowFood Carolina, the state’s first local food hub.

Beach graduated magna cum laude from Davidson College with a degree in mathematics, and earned an MBA from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. Beach is the recipient of a variety of awards including the Order of the Palmetto and Time Magazine for Kids “Hero for the Planet.”  He is the author of the Pew Oceans Commission’s publication, Coastal Sprawl: The Impacts of Development on Aquatic Ecosystems in the United States and more recently, Deveaux, a photographic essay of a seabird colony in the South Carolina Lowcountry.

By her own admission, Kathy Kent is a recent convert to environmentalism who was spurred into action in 2015 when her then 5-year-old daughter was desperate to help save sea turtles that were ill due to ingestion of plastic bags. Upon investigating the problem, Kathy was appalled by the amount of oceanic plastic pollution and the plastic bag waste increasingly being generated. She and three other Isle of Palms residents (C. Humphries, R. Kosmos, and J. Kilroe) made it their goal to positively influence local policy by minimizing single-use plastic bag distribution and pollution on their island. A little more than two months after implementing a strategy focused on educating residents and building local support, their city council unanimously voted to ban plastic bags at retail checkout.

While her “day job” involves researching supply and demand trends in the agriculture industry, Kathy continues to collaborate with others working to reduce plastic pollution.

Mr. Muhammad has worked as a community advocate and activist since 2007 for the Lowcountry Alliance for Model Communities (LAMC). Mr. Muhammad sits on the Mitigation Agreement Commission (MAC), the executive board for the Union Heights Community Council, volunteer staff for the Charleston Community Research to Action Board (CCRAB), the Clean Power Plan Environmental Justice Analysis Workgroup for the State of South Carolina and the Clean Power Plan Advisory Workgroup for the State of South Carolina.

Mr. Muhammad has successfully led efforts to engage LAMC communities through various outreach strategies and is responsible for the EJRADAR (an online mapping tool) success as an engagement and empowerment tool for Environmental Justice communities.

Mr. Muhammad is currently working with the Medical University of South Carolina on projects to address health disparities, working with a graduate student from the University of South Carolina to improve community engagement strategies and has recently facilitated the purchase of personal air monitors to spatially understand air quality in impacted communities of North Charleston, SC, using citizen science.

Adrian Grenier is an actor, filmmaker, entrepreneur and social advocate raised in New York City. As an actor he is best known for playing the iconic role of A-list movie star Vincent Chase in eight seasons of the HBO smash hit “Entourage.” Grenier broadened his work behind the camera as a documentary filmmaker through his company Reckless Productions. He is also a passionate environmentalist who actively supports organizations focused on habit-changing education including The SHFT Mobile Kitchen Classroom and the Lonely Whale Foundation. Grenier serves as a social good advocate on behalf of Dell, championing healthier, eco-friendly choices through digital storytelling and advocacy.

Prior to the South Carolina Aquarium, he worked as the Director of Education for Georgia Aquarium Inc. Mr. George completed his B.S. in Marine Biology and Chemistry from Savannah State University and the P.R.E.P. program at Yale University concentrating in physiology cellular molecular genetics, and then completed a program of study from the Harvard University John F. Kennedy School of Government/MIT in addition to completing a Master’s of Science from the Georgia Institute of Technology. He is also the founder of the GA Green Economy Summit and Co-founder of the Amazon Reforestation Project.

Carolee Williams is a Project Manager for Department of Planning, Preservation and Sustainability for the City of Charleston.  Carolee was on the team that created Charleston’s Sea Level Rise Strategy and works on its implementation.  Carolee manages Charleston’s Green Business Challenge which supports workplaces as they reduce their use of energy, water and waste while buying local and creating healthier work environments.    When not at work, Carolee enjoys kayaking or being at her 1840s log cabin.   Carolee has a BA degree in History from Wake Forest University and a MA in Urban and Environmental Planning from the University of Virginia.

Recently named one of the world’s most compassionate entrepreneurs by Salt magazine, David Katz is the Founder of The Plastic Bank and winner of the Entrepreneurs’ Organization Global Citizen award.

As Founder and CEO of The Plastic Bank, David provides an opportunity for the world’s most vulnerable communities to collect and trade plastic waste as a currency. The Plastic Bank endeavors to create a global network of micro-recycling entrepreneurs that will transcend poverty by cleaning the environment.

David’s mission is to inspire entrepreneurs to find solutions to global challenges and prove that the entrepreneur is uniquely wired to change the world.

Douglas Woodring is Co-Founder of Ocean Recovery Alliance, a non-profit organization focused on bringing innovative solutions, technology, collaborations and policy together to impact positive improvements for the health of the ocean. Two of its global programs were launched at the 2010 Clinton Global Initiative, including the Global Alert platform for reporting trash hotspots. Ocean Recovery Alliance is the first NGO in the world to be working with both United Nations Environment (UNEP) and the World Bank on plastic pollution and ocean issues.  Doug is also the founder of the Plasticity Forum and is recognized as both a UNEP Climate Hero and Google Earth Hero.

Mr. Woodring has worked in Asia for over 20 years.  He has been nominated three times as World Open Water Swimmer of the Year and was recently named as one of the top 50 “watermen” in the world.  Born in Northern California, Mr. Woodring has a dual master’s degree from The Wharton School (MBA) and Johns Hopkins University, School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) in Environmental Economics. He has BA from the University of California at Berkeley.

For more than 25 years, Mayor John J. Tecklenburg has served our city as a businessman, a civic leader, and a city government executive.

Born in Charleston and a graduate of Georgetown University, John was the founder and president of Southern Oil Company. Next, he served as Charleston’s Director of Economic Development under Mayor Joe Riley, where he led the city’s nationally acclaimed initiative to revitalize and redevelop Upper King Street. Over the years, Mayor Tecklenburg has also served on the boards of many local charities and nonprofits, including Crisis Ministries, the Rotary Club, the Palmetto Project and SC Strong.

Mayor Tecklenburg and his wife Sandy are the proud parents of five grown children – Melissa, Suzanne, Paula, Joseph and John Henry. They reside in the Old Windermere section of West Ashley.

Keith Mask is Vice President, Environmental Sustainability for Cox Enterprises, one of the nation’s leading media companies and providers of automotive services.  Mask is responsible for Cox Conserves, the company’s national sustainability program. In his role, Mask oversees engineering research and implements energy management strategies across the company, including lighting upgrades, alternative energy projects, energy-efficient building standards, waste and recycling projects, water conservation efforts and sustainable supply chain efforts, among others.

Actively involved in the community, Mask volunteers for several organizations including Habitat for Humanity and Boy Scouts of America.

Mask is a graduate of Georgia Institute of Technology with a Bachelor of Mechanical Engineering.

Kevin Mills has served as President and CEO of South Carolina Aquarium, an organization committed to ocean and wildlife conservation, for 11 years. Previously, he was Vice President, Marketing and External Affairs for the Saint Louis Zoo, where he spent ten years developing the zoo’s brand and generating support. Mr. Mills was a marketing and sales executive for Cunard Line Ltd. for ten years, based primarily in New York City, and also held positions in publishing, advertising, and with the Museum of Modern Art in New York.  He was born and raised in Kansas, and graduated with a journalism degree from the University of Kansas. He served on the board of the accrediting Association of Zoos and Aquariums from 2011-2014 and is currently chair of the Aquarium Affairs committee.

Aimee David serves as the director of the ocean conservation policy strategies at the Monterey Bay Aquarium, where she has helped develop and advance federal and state policies to improve ocean health and protect marine wildlife in California, at the national level, and throughout the Pacific Ocean. Specifically, Aimee has helped lead Aquarium initiatives to ban the trade of shark fin products in California, reduce ocean plastic pollution, and raise awareness of the impacts of climate change on oceans and coasts. She also helped create the Aquarium Conservation Partnership, which aims to increase the collective conservation impact of U.S. aquariums. Prior to the Aquarium, Aimee served on the staff of the U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy in Washington, DC, where she participated in the research and development of a comprehensive suite of recommendations to the President and Congress for improving U.S. ocean governance and management. Aimee is a graduate of the University of Virginia and received her M.S. in marine resource management from Oregon State University.

Andrew Falcon brings substantial experience in international operations, general management, and business strategy formulation to his role as CEO of Full Cycle Bioplastics.  Focused on opportunities that combine economic success with positive social and environmental impact, he has built a reputation as a tenacious operating executive with an affinity for the complexity of start-up, turnaround, and high growth environments.  Andrew’s expertise in alternative materials, packaging, and renewables markets will help guide Full Cycle’s commercialization efforts and deployment of its disruptive organic waste-to-bioplastic conversion technology.

Chris Gove is the President and Co-Founder of Saltwater Brewery, Delray Beach’s first local production microbrewery with tasting room. A Florida native, Chris helped found the company in 2013, and has built a well-known craft beer brand that is distributed in cans and on tap throughout the state of Florida. Chris graduated from the University of San Diego with a Finance degree in 2010, and is an avid waterman who is passionate about surfing, fishing and the giving back to the ocean.

Lia Colabello is the Cause Ambassador for Costa Sunglasses’ Kick Plastic initiative, managing program strategy, partnerships and implementation. She also oversees partnerships and community engagement for The 5 Gyres Institute, a global leader in the research of the distribution of plastic pollution in the ocean. She works with youth, business and community leaders to create solutions to the global health crisis of plastic pollution, and has been invited to speak at companies including Whole Foods Market, Booz Allen Hamilton and Disney, as well as at events including TEDxCharleston and Earth Day Texas.

Rachel Hazaray is Assistant General Counsel and Assistant Senior Manager of Legal and Corporate Social Responsibility for Subaru of Indiana Automotive, Inc. (“SIA”), the North American manufacturer of the Subaru Outback, Legacy and Impreza. In her role as Assistant Senior Manager of Corporate Social Responsibility, Ms. Hazaray oversees SIA’s Environmental Compliance and Energy section, which is responsible for the company’s zero landfill initiative and robust sustainability program.  SIA also maintains ISO 140001 (Environmental Management) and ISO 50001 (Energy Management) certifications. As the first U.S. automaker to achieve zero landfill status in 2004, SIA is committed to identifying opportunities for kaizen (continuous improvement) to its environmental stewardship.

Scott Cassel is the chief executive officer and founder of the Product Stewardship Institute (PSI), a national nonprofit working to reduce the health, safety, and environmental impacts of consumer products. Scott has over 30 years of experience tackling waste management issues in the public, private, and nonprofit sectors. Before founding PSI, he served seven years as Director of Waste Policy and Planning for the Massachusetts Executive Office of Environmental Affairs, where he developed and implemented waste management policies and programs. Scott is a nationally renowned leader in the product stewardship movement and has experience across multiple products, including packaging. Scott holds a master’s degree in Environmental Policy and Dispute Resolution from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and a bachelor’s degree in Geology/Environmental Studies from the University of Pennsylvania.

Barent is a designer and educator dedicated to sustainable products, practices, and services. Co-founder of the award winning sustainable to restorative design firm grow-design, creator of the LA Green Drinks network, and former Executive Director of Sustainable Works, he now teaches courses on sustainable design at Parsons, The New School in New York City while independently designing sustainable solutions.
• BikeShare Helmet design won the 2016 Cradle to Cradle Product Design Challenge for Best Professional Project.
• Founder of the TestingOurWaters.net project aimed at proliferating citizen science trawls for identifying sources of marine plastic pollution.
BarentRoth.com

Dr. Barbara Beckingham is Assistant Professor in the Department of Geology and Environmental Geosciences and the Master of Environmental Studies program at the College of Charleston. She received a PhD in Environmental Engineering at the University of Maryland Baltimore County in 2011, and a BA in Chemistry from Hobart and William Smith Colleges in 2005. For over a decade she has been actively researching the distribution and bioavailability of organic contaminants in the environment, including the interaction of contaminants with plastics and the implications for aquatic systems.

Dr. Grantly Galland lives in Washington, D.C. where he is a Senior Associate for Global Tuna Conservation at The Pew Charitable Trusts.  Grantly works on Atlantic tuna conservation, science, and management; on a global effort to reform fish aggregating device (FAD) management; and a global valuation of commercial tuna fisheries.  Grantly received his Ph.D. in marine biology and his M.S. in oceanography from Scripps Institution of Oceanography and his B.S. in marine ecology from the University of Georgia.  In addition to tuna policy and science, Grantly has worked on climate change policy, coral reef ecology, and international affairs – both inside and out of government. Some of Grantly’s more interesting experiences include describing a new reef fish species, co-authoring a book on the global diversity of fishes, helping to negotiate deep sea conservation measures in the South Pacific, and working in Belize as a Peace Corps Volunteer.

Dr. Pamela T. Plotkin is a broadly trained marine scientist who has spent most of her career conducting science to inform and influence domestic and international policies and conservation practices. Currently Director of Texas Sea Grant, she has also served as IUCN’s Vice Chair of the Northwest Atlantic region specialists’ group for a number of years, co-authored Red List documents, and coordinated and convened a meeting in the Northern Indian Ocean to develop management plans for sea turtles in the region. Plotkin’s research has been published in numerous journals, including Marine Biology, Nature and Oryx, and her research has been profiled in Science and Nature. She recently edited a published book titled Biology and Conservation of Ridley Sea Turtles, and was named a 2014 “Harte’s Hero” by the Harte Research Institute for Gulf of Mexico Studies for her working furthering the recovery of the Kemp’s ridley sea turtle.

Elizabeth Hogan is the Program Manager for Oceans and Wildlife with World Animal Protection, where she specializes in marine wildlife entanglement in addition to work on marine debris, illegal wildlife trade, whaling policy, and wildlife in captivity. She has previously worked with the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) on protective policies and fishing gear modification for the conservation of North Atlantic Right Whales. Prior to working in the animal welfare sector, Elizabeth developed fifteen years of experience with government, corporate, and non-profit organizations, including four years as a consultant on climate change, deforestation policy, and sea level rise. Elizabeth is a contributing author to two books on corporate social responsibility.  She has a degree in Foreign Service from Georgetown University and a dual Master of Science in Marine & Coastal Natural Resources and a Master of Science in Sustainable Development from the University for Peace in Costa Rica and American University in Washington, DC.

Kelly Thorvalson received her BS degree in Marine Biology from the College of Charleston and began working with the South Carolina Aquarium in 1999 as an Aquarist. From 2004-2016, Kelly managed the Sea Turtle Care Center, greatly developing the program including a major expansion opening in 2017. Kelly’s current position is Conservation Programs Manager. In this role she will help advance Good Catch, the Aquarium’s sustainable seafood program, the Resiliency Initiative for Coastal Education working to arm coastal communities with information and tools to understand rising sea levels, and strategic plastics initiatives to reduce the negative environmental impacts of plastics.