My childhood was spent in the pristine, natural settings of Stewart, British Columbia, Canada located at the end of one of the longest fjords on the Pacific Coast of North America. As a child, seeing wild salmon runs, bears, eagles and marine animals like otters, seals, orcas and porpoises in their natural settings instilled a deep desire to conserve and protect our environment. With a background in political science and world history from the University of British Columbia, I’ve been fortunate to live, work, volunteer and dive globally within North, Central and South America, Europe, Africa, Northeast and Southeast Asia, Australia, New Zealand and Micronesia.  I began my dive training in the cool waters of Whytecliff Park, the first Marine Protected Area in Canada. And in 2001, I earned my PADI Advanced Diver certification in the warm tropical waters of Puerto Galera, Philippines. Scuba diving clarified for me that marine conservation was my path and soon my commitment to protecting our ocean planet was forged as a global executive at Sea Shepherd Conservation Society. Today, I’m proud to utilize my passion, skills and background to lead a talented global team at Project AWARE Foundation to help save our ocean planet - one dive at a time.

I support Ocean Defenders Alliance because I fundamentally believe in the organizational mission and vision. I work each day professionally towards a world in which marine ecosystems can exist free from harm caused by human debris and where marine flora and fauna will be able to thrive.