Garry Brown is the Founder, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Orange County Coastkeeper (OCCK). As a native of Orange County, Garry has in-depth knowledge of marine and water runoff issues as well as water supply issues. Prior to opening OCCK in March 1999, Garry served as an Assistant City Manager, an advocate and executive director of trade associations in the real estate and building industries, and twice as president of a chamber of commerce. In 2001 he founded the Orange County League of Conservation Voters. Mr. Brown graduated with a degree in Government from the University of Redlands and sits on the Board of Directors of numerous state and local environmental organizations. Garry likes to spend his rare free time travelling, and enjoying fine wine and a great cigar.
Ellen, along with her husband Garry, is a co-founder of Orange County Coastkeeper. Since Coastkeeper's inception, Ellen has been responsible for the administration, financial management, grant contract administration, and fundraising. Ellen is from Greenburg, Pennsylvania. Upon high school graduation, Ellen gained hands on experience in hospital administration at Monsour Hospital. In 1980, Ellen moved to Orange County. For the next several years, Ellen gained a wealth of experience both in business and financial management, as well as public relations. As a resident of Huntington Harbour, Ellen has become active in the community, participating with the Huntington Harbour Property Owners Association and the Huntington Harbour Philharmonic Association. In her free time, Ellen loves pizza, travelling, and boating (but don't ask her to swim!).
Ray has a B.A. in Geography (1998) and a certificate in Environmental Studies (2000) from California State University Long Beach. Ray has been the Project Manager for several projects contracted by the Regional Water Quality Control Board, including:
Santa Ana River Citizens Water Quality Project (319h) 2001-2004
Orange County Watersheds Citizen Monitoring Project (Prop 13) 2004-2006
Newport Bay Marinas Metals Study, 2006-2007
Newport Bay Stormdrains Study, 2007-present
Orange County Nurseries Water Quality Improvement Project, 2007-present
Ray participates as a Chairman of the City of Huntington Beach Environmental Board, and Board Member of the Port of Los Angeles Harbor Safety Commission. He is a lifetime resident of Orange County, and a 20-year resident of Huntington Beach. Ray works hard and plays hard, whether he’s riding motorcycles, hiking, fishing or relaxing to the tunes of Jimmy Buffet.
Dr. Colvin oversees the Coastkeeper Gardens and Orange County Nurseries Water Quality Improvement Projects. Wes possesses A.A. degrees with honors in the major in Biology and Environmental Science from Fullerton College. His B.A. degrees in Biology and Environmental Studies were conferred with honors for his senior thesis from the University of California, Santa Cruz, where he also earned his Ph.D. in Environmental Studies. During his time in Santa Cruz, Wes managed projects that evaluated the impact of various invasive species management techniques on the conservation and restoration of native flora and fauna for the University of California- Natural Reserve System, The Nature Conservancy, and Channel Islands National Park. Wes spends most of his free time surfing; and if he had more free time he would spend it playing blues harmonica and dobro guitar.
Jamie is the Project Coordinator at Coastkeeper. She graduated with two Bachelor of Arts degrees in Art History and Global Cultures with an emphasis in Global Sustainability and Inter Area Studies in June 2007 at UC Irvine. Her capstone research report examines environmental enforcement in China’s wastewater systems by analyzing the legislative relationship between EPBs and SEPA. During her studies, Jamie interned at Iger and Associates as a Research Analyst and at Orange County Sanitation District as a Management Intern. She has four years of experience in business and public administration. Jamie’s responsibilities at Coastkeeper include administration, marketing, fundraising, writing grant proposals and public relations. When Jamie is away from work, she likes to visit art museums, run with her dog (Bubba), and enjoy ethnic food.
Briana is the Education Coordinator at Orange County Coastkeeper. She graduated Summa Cum Laude from UC Santa Barbara in June 2004, with a B.A. degree in Comparative Literature- Emphasis in Environmental Studies. Briana’s responsibilities at Coastkeeper include coordinating and leading high school field trips, curriculum development, speaking at community events, maintaining the Coastkeeper website and writing grant proposals. As a guest scientist for the monthly Marine Life Survey at Newport Bay, Briana tests water quality, leads the mud sampling station, and educates citizens on the connection between urban runoff and health of marine life in the Bay. When away from Coastkeeper, she also works at her family’s Irish Pub, Silky Sullivan's. These are a few of Briana’s favorite things: surfing, SCUBA diving, books, concerts, dancing, ice cream and Ireland.
Miho graduated from University of California- San Diego in June of 2007, and received her B.A. in Anthropology. Prior to working with OCCK she had an internship at Aquatic Adventures as a science instructor, and assisted in hands-on marine science instruction in elementary and middle school classrooms and field settings. At the same time, she volunteered for Wildcoast, where she helped coordinate beach clean-ups and staffed informational booths. Miho started working at OCCK in September of 2007 and helps with taking students on field trips, instructing lessons, creating lesson plans, coordinating field trips, and writing grants. When Miho is away from work, she likes playing at beach, going on hikes, reading, and napping.
Lee has more than 30 years of experience in public relations, business development and communications. He holds a bachelor's degree in management and a professional certificate in total quality management for service. Lee came to IEWK after 10 years as a communications consultant for clients in health care and publishing. He is also an accomplished scenic and nature photographer, and has been a volunteer for the San Gorgonio Wilderness Association in the San Bernardino Mountains, helping to protect the wilderness area at the source of the Santa Ana River. Lee is the 2007 president of the Crestline Communities Development Alliance, a non-profit organization with the mission of beautifying several communities in the western San Bernardino Mountains. Lee lives in Crestline with his wife, Shelby, and his two children, Natalie and Austen.
Autumn received her Bachelor and Master of Science degrees in Environmental Sciences from the University of California Riverside (UCR) in 2003 and 2007, respectively. Her thesis is titled, "Determining net social benefits from optimal parcel-level infiltration of urban runoff: a Los Angeles analysis." Autumn is charged with coordinating all programs, from field trips, stream clean-ups and investigations to grant writing and providing technical expertise. Autumn is a second generation Riverside native. In her spare time, she enjoys supporting her local chapters of Sigma Kappa Sorority, the First Congregational Church of Riverside and hiking or skiing with her husband Jim.
Briana Madden
