Chapter Director: Ginaia Kelly

Contact: 831-359-7071, ginaia@marinesanctuary.org

Kelly is an accom plished nonprofit executive with more than 15 years of leadership experience with global and local nonprofit organizations. She has lived near the sanctuary for more than a quarter of a century and spent much of that time advocating for its conservation and protection.

Before joining Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary Foundation, Kelly served as the Board Chairperson for Save Our Shores, as well as the Interim Executive Director of Save Our Shores and Save the Waves Foundation. She led the Santa Cruz County Chapter of the American Red Cross and was the Director of Workforce Development Services, Santa Cruz County, as well as served as a consultant to several marine conservation nonprofit start-ups. Kelly holds a law degree and worked as an attorney in Santa Cruz for many years before making the jump to full-time non-profit management.

She holds a BA from University of California, Santa Barbara and a J.D. from University of San Diego School of Law.

Dedicated to the Monterey Bay area, Kelly and her family have volunteered for numerous community organizations, including having volunteered to take children with disabilities out surfing in the sanctuary with Ride A Wave Foundation for 17 years.

Kelly lives along the coast in Davenport with her husband and two sons. She is a former competitive surfer and professional high diver. She can still often be found having “board meetings” at Steamer’s Lane.

Communications Intern: Samantha Avina

Samantha Avina is a student at UC Davis studying Managerial Economics with a concentration in International Business Economics, a minor in Technology Management, and a certificate program in entrepreneurship. Samantha grew up in Monterey County and has always been fascinated by the coast; she is excited to merge her interest in the coast with marketing, social media, and communications through an internship at the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary Foundation this year!

 

 

Leon E. Panetta (Co-Chair)

Secretary Leon Panetta is the chairman of the Panetta Institute for Public Policy, The Panetta Institute provides a variety of study opportunities in government, politics and public policy for the California University System. Secretary Panetta has had a fifty-year career in public service at the highest levels of Government. He served in the Obama Administration first as CIA Director and then as Secretary of Defense from 2009-2013.

Prior to 1997 when he co-founded the Panetta Institute with his wife Sylvia Panetta, he served from 1993-1997 in the Clinton Administration as director of the U.S. Office of Management and Budget and later was appointed White House chief of staff. Elected to Congress in 1976, Secretary Panetta represented the California Central Coast district for 16 years and led in the creation of the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary.

He chronicles his life in public service in his best-selling memoir Worthy Fights, which was published in the fall of 2014.

 

 

Hilary Bryant (Co-Chair)

Hilary Bryant is Co-founder and Vice President of Strategic Alliances for Buoy Labs, a startup that is working to optimize the way we use water. She was a member of the Santa Cruz City Council from 2010-2014, and served as Mayor in 2013. Hilary and her husband, David Shuman, own Westside Animal Hospital. She also serves on the boards of the Digital NEST, Coastal Watershed Council, Santa Cruz Area Chamber of Commerce, and is a member of Santa Cruz Sunrise Rotary. A U.C. Santa Cruz graduate, she earned her B.A. in Biology and enjoys competing in triathlons, biking, surfing and trying to keep up with her two kids.

 

 

 

 

 

Gordon E. Eubanks, Jr. (Treasurer)

From April 1999 to March 2005 Eubanks served as president and CEO of Oblix, Inc. Eubanks managed the company’s rapid growth and established its position as the industry’s leading provider of enterprise identity management solutions.  In March 2005 Oblix was sold to Oracle Corporation. Since 2005 he has been doing private investing and working with startup companies.

From 1984 to 1999, Eubanks was president and chief executive officer of Symantec Corporation (NASDAQ: SYMC).  Under his leadership, Symantec evolved into one of the world’s most prominent security software companies.

Eubanks has been active in the philatelic community over the last 15 years currently serving on the board of the Classics Society and is a member of the Collectors Club of New York, the Royal Philatelic Society and other organizations.  He also served on the board of the Philatelic Foundation for two years.  His exhibits have received top national and international awards.

Eubanks received his Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering from Oklahoma State University (1968) and his Master’s degree in Computer Science from the Naval Postgraduate School (1976) in Monterey, California. Eubanks was a commissioned officer in the U.S. Navy, serving in the nuclear submarine force from 1970 to 1979. In 2005, Eubanks was elected to the Hall of Fame of the Oklahoma State University Engineering School.  Eubanks served for ten years on the board of public company Concur Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ: CNQR).

Eubanks serves on the board of the Boys and Girls Club of Monterey County, The Panetta Institute of Public Policy, and The Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary Foundation.

He lives in the Carmel area with his wife Ronda.

 

 

Dan Haifley (Secretary)

Dan was Executive Director of O’Neill Sea Odyssey, a free, ocean-going science and environment program for mostly low income elementary school students, from 1999 to 2019. He served as Chief Aide and District Chief for California State Senator Henry J. Mello from 1993 until 1996 and Executive Director of Save Our Shores – where he worked on local laws in California aimed at onshore facilities for offshore oil and helped lead the citizen movement to designate Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary – from 1986 to 1993. Dan holds a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from University of California, Santa Cruz.

He serves on the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary Advisory Council, and the Board of Directors of Catamaran Literary Reader. From April 2008 until March 2019 he published an ocean column in the Santa Cruz Sentinel. He is married to Rebecca Haifley and has two grown children, Aaron and Julia, and enjoys ocean kayaking, reading, and exploring our region’s wild areas.

 

 

 

Ted J. Balestreri

Ted Balesteri is founding CEO and chairman of the Cannery Row Company, Sardine Factory Restaurant and Inns of Monterey, overseeing enterprises that attract more than six million visitors each year to the Monterey Peninsula. With forty-five years of demonstrated business leadership and board service, Mr. Balestreri has advised on matters of economic strategy to industry, non-profit and government bodies at local, state and national levels.

Mr. Balestreri is actively engaged on the boards of the Rancho Cielo Youth Campus, Stevenson School, the Monterey Wine Educational Foundation and the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation. He has been very philanthropic toward these organizations, hosting the Ted J. Balestreri Leadership Classic at the Monterey Peninsula Country Club. He served as a commissioner with the California Travel and Tourism Commission from 1985 to 2007. He and his wife, Velma, live on the Monterey Peninsula.

 

 

 

 

Nova Covington

Nova Covington is the Founder and CEO of Goddess Garden, the leading reef-safe sunscreen brand for sensitive skin. As a mom who was inspired to create better alternatives for her baby daughter, Nova’s passion for better bodycare products grew Goddess Garden to a nationally distributed brand in over 25,000 stores in the U.S. and Canada.

Nova has an MA from Oregon State University in Speech Communication and began her career at Hewlett-Packard in Leadership Development. She later received her Master’s Degree from the University of Denver in International Business and International Communications.

From day one, Nova’s mission was to provide cleaner products for families—truly natural products that were healthy and safe for people and the planet. Beyond innovating categories with safer products, Nova also started a non-profit called Protect Our Mother, an ocean protection foundation focused on protecting ocean mammal habitat and preserving our beautiful, and vitally important, coral reefs.

 

 

 

 

Sam Farr

Congressman Sam Farr is fifth-generation Californian who grew up in the Monterey Bay region. Farr represented the Monterey Bay region in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1993 until his retirement in 2016. During his tenure, he was recognized as a leader in legislative efforts for educational excellence, environmental protection and economic development. Farr authored the legislation creating Pinnacles National Park and led Congressional efforts to have President Clinton designate the California Coastal National Monument in 2000. He also led efforts to designate federal lands at the former Fort Ord Army Base as a national monument status and create a coastal state park.

Farr has long been an advocate for our oceans. He is an original co-chair of the bipartisan House Oceans Caucus, and wrote the legislation to establish a National Ocean Policy. In 1980, he was elected to the California State Assembly, where he was known for writing one of the nation’s strictest oil spill liability laws. During his tenure in the state assembly, Farr worked with then-Congressman Leon Panetta and the late Senator Henry Miller in creating the Monterey Bay National Maine Sanctuary. Farr first held elective office when he became a Monterey County Supervisor in 1975. Farr and his wife Shary are longtime residents of Carmel.

 

 

 

Fred Keeley 

Fred Keeley is a native Californian and has lived in Santa Cruz County for more than 40 years. He currently is on the faculty in the graduate program of Public Administration at San Jose State University and Panetta Institute for Public Policy. Mr. Keeley serves on the board of directors of Ocean Champions, Semprevirens Fund, Community Foundation of Santa Cruz County, and Working Partnerships USA. An elected official on the Central Coast for twenty-four years, Fred Keeley has been directly involved in Monterey Bay area and California public policy making for more than four decades.

From 1996-2002, Mr. Keeley represented the Monterey Bay area in the California State Assembly, where he served as Speaker pro Tem for six years. This leadership position in the Assembly put Keeley at the forefront of developing important policy initiatives. One of his signature accomplishments was authoring California’s Marine Life Protection Act, which was signed into law in 1999. Mr. Keeley also authored the two largest park and environmental protection bonds in the nation’s history. He first served as a member of the Santa Cruz County board of supervisors for two four-year terms. He was also the elected treasurer for the County of Santa Cruz for ten years. Fred and his wife, Barbara, are residents of Santa Cruz.

 

 

 

Yvette Lopez Brooks

Yvette Brooks is from San Jose, CA and the first Latina Mayor for the City of Capitola.  In 2006 Yvette received a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology and a minor in Education from the University of Santa Cruz. Yvette is a wife and a proud mother.

Yvette has dedicated nearly her entire life to her community and the environment. She previously worked for the Santa Cruz County Office of Education for nearly 15 years, and is currently the Executive Director for the non-profit, Your Future is Our Business.

As Mayor of a coastal town, Yvette’s policy decisions are informed by and centered around potential impacts to the bay and how to best protect our environment.  In addition, Yvette has created strong policies with a focus on equity. She successfully created a Code of Conduct, allocated funding for Anti Bias training for Council Members and Staff, and banned the sales of flavored tobacco products.

Yvette currently serves as a member on the Central Coast Community Energy Board of Directors,  Board of Directors for the  League of Cities, Local Agency Formation Commission Of Santa Cruz County (LAFCO), Capitola’s Finance Advisory Council,  The Children’s Network,  Childhood Advisory Council, and the Central Coast Early Childhood Advocacy Network.   As a policymaker, Yvette is committed to building a safe and healthy community.

 

 

Martine Watkins

Martine Watkins is currently a Councilmember and former Mayor of the City of Santa Cruz. Martine received her Master’s Degree in Public Policy from CSU Monterey Bay and the Leon & Sylvia Panetta Institute of Public Policy and has dedicated her career to public service. She has served as a Senior Community Organizer at the Santa Cruz County Office of Education for nearly 15 years and has overseen several youth and family support service programs ranging from cradle to career.

Martine is a strong advocate for climate adaptation, champions the Health in All Policies initiative to improve the health of the Santa Cruz community, and has organized the Tobacco Use Prevention and Education Program in Santa Cruz County school districts. Martine actively bridges her policy work, and education programming on tobacco waste and its impact on the watershed, to further her passion for ocean conservation, building the next generation of environmental stewards, and preserving our beautiful Monterey Bay. Martine is committed to the health of all Santa Cruz County and our environment.

 

 

 

Christina Sandera

Christina Sandera is a philanthropist and animal activist who is currently the chief developer/manager of a world-class equestrian center in Carmel Valley. In addition, she was an active advocate for a multi-million-dollar Equine Performance and Rehabilitation Center at UC Davis. As a 28-year-resident of Carmel, she also shares a love of the ocean and marine life. Once considering a career in marine biology, she served as a volunteer at the Monterey Bay Aquarium. Christina is now thrilled to turn her focus and efforts to benefit the animals underwater as well as on land.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lisa Wooninck (Ex Officio, Superintendent MBNMS)

Dr. Lisa Wooninck was recently appointed the next superintendent for Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary.  Dr. Wooninck has worked for NOAA for over 20 years, her first seven years with the National Marine Fisheries Service and the past 14 years in various roles for the Office of National Marine Sanctuaries. Prior to coming to NOAA, Dr. Wooninck served as a Knauss SeaGrant fellow for Congressman Sam Farr.  She completed her PhD at the University of California, Santa Barbara in Ecology, Evolution and Marine Biology; she has a MS degree and a BA degree in Biology from California State University, Northridge.  She has been author or co-author on nearly a dozen papers about marine protected area science and management, the science of deepsea coral and sponge habitats, and the reproductive fitness of tropical reef fish.

Dr. Wooninck brings a sound appreciation and understanding of the importance of science in resource management decision-making, a passion for the value of education and outreach in connecting people to the ocean and fostering coastal stewardship, and a commitment to protecting national marine sanctuary resources. She is a proven collaborator within and beyond the agency, and provides positive energy to her work and relationships.  She and her family live in Aptos, CA.

 

 

 

Joel Johnson (Ex Officio, President and CEO)

Joel R. Johnson is an award-winning, executive conservation leader who was most recently Chief Marketing and Communications Officer of the E.O. Wilson Biodiversity Foundation working on the global biodiversity extinction crisis and promoting the hopeful solution of Half-Earth. He was previously a co-founder in Admirable Devil from 2016 – 2020, an award-winning marketing firm based in Washington, DC with clients including Bonefish & Tarpon Trust, The Orvis Company, and Sierra Nevada Brewing Company among others. 

Joel was Chief Marketing Officer at the nation’s largest and oldest coldwater conservation organization, Trout Unlimited from 2014 – 2016 and Senior Vice President of Strategy at GMMB, the preeminent advocacy and public affairs firm.  He has led brand strategy at advertising agencies in Chicago, New York, and London, including Spike Lee’s ad agency, Spike DDB, where he created iconic campaigns for the NBA, Pepsi, and MLB. 

He lives outside Washington, DC, is a married father, has fly-fished over 50 of America’s rivers, and has been his family’s historian for nearly 20 years. He is a graduate of Northwestern University and Swarthmore College.