SEACOLOGY STAFF
Seacology is run by a very small staff of devoted individuals. Because our staff is so small, we are able to work very efficiently with no red tape or bureaucracy, ensuring that your donation dollars will go to help island environments and cultures.
Executive Director
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Duane Silverstein is the executive director of Seacology, a non-governmental organization with the sole focus of preserving island environments and cultures throughout the globe. For 18 years prior to heading Seacology he was the executive director of the Goldman Fund, one of California's largest philanthropic foundations. He also headed the Goldman Environmental Prize, which has been dubbed the "Nobel Prize of the Environment" by National Geographic and news media from many nations around the world. Silverstein has met with many presidents of the United States, secretaries-general of the United Nations and heads of state throughout the world. His work has been covered in newspapers and periodicals as diverse as Time Magazine, The Bangkok Post, The San Francisco Chronicle and Rodale's Scuba Diving magazine. Articles he has written have appeared in Asian Geographic, Fathoms, and Asian Diver among many other newspapers and magazines. In 2009 he was selected by a public vote as an All-Star Among Us to be honored by Major League Baseball at the All-Star Game in St. Louis. In 2010 Silverstein was given the Jefferson Award for Public Service. In giving Silverstein a 2010 Coastal Hero Award, Sunset Magazine called Silverstein a "superhero of the deep." He is a National Fellow of The Explorers Club. |
Development Director
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Aaron is Seacology’s Development Director, responsible for all things fundraising. His first job out of college took him to the Caribbean for three years – as a teacher and administrator in Jamaica, Trinidad, and Puerto Rico. He realized then how special islands are – for their natural beauty, unique biodiversity, and incredible cultures and peoples. Aaron earned an M.B.A. from the University of Toronto, but has spent most of his career in non-profit fundraising. With the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, he focused on getting sponsorship and riders for the Northern California chapter’s Waves to Wine bike tour. He was Major Gifts Officer with the San Francisco Food Bank for many years. In his spare time, Aaron can usually be found spending time with family and friends. He serves on the Board of Directors of Refugee Transitions and is an avid cyclist. Aaron enjoys sharing stories from his cycling trip across the United States in 1999 and his daily misadventures of bike commuting in the Bay Area. |
Webmaster and Administrative Assistant
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Hailing from Foxborough, Massachusetts, David received his B.A. in Economics and International & Global Studies from Brandeis University, where he graduated Cum Laude. His nonprofit experience includes issues ranging from global poverty and anti-genocide to health care reform and environmentalism. While still in college, David spent two years helping to build the Millennium Campus Network, a now-national nonprofit that focuses on empowering students to fight global poverty, serving as its Director of Operations and Secretary. After graduating, he moved to California to live with his girlfriend, working full time as a Field Manager for the Fund for the Public Interest, quickly becoming one of the office’s top fundraisers. In his spare time, David enjoys training in website design and development, exploring the Berkeley hills, and discovering new local restaurants. At Seacology, he is responsible for updating and maintaining the website, as well as assisting other members of the staff with various financial, fundraising, travel, dissemination, and other administration projects. |
Communications Assistant
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Henry was born and raised in Santa Fe, New Mexico, and came to California as an undergrad at UC Santa Cruz. He wrote for newspapers and magazines in the Bay Area and ended up at UC Berkeley earning master's degrees in Journalism and International and Area Studies. His work in the nonprofit world includes an internship with the AjA Project, an org bringing art education to refugee youth in San Diego, and volunteering at the human rights-related book series Voice of Witness. In his free time, Henry enjoys riding bikes, reading books, and drinking coffee. |
Development Associate
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Carynne joined Seacology in September 2009 after relocating to the Bay Area. Having worked at Oceana in Washington, DC, she was excited to find another organization with a focus on marine conservation. A lifetime environmentalist and outdoor enthusiast, Carynne studied English and Art History at Williams College in Massachusetts. In her free time, she enjoys hiking, rock climbing, and cooking. She has experience in legal assistance and office administration, as well as in grant writing and other fundraising projects. At Seacology, she helps draft and maintain funding requests and assist with development events. |
Program Manager/ Publications Editor
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Karen has been with Seacology since it became a staffed organization in 1999 and has been working in the international environmental movement for more than 16 years. She has experience ranging from small village-based organizations to world-renowned foundations and has worked with all aspects of non-profit administration and management, including grant making and writing, media communications, and financial accountability. Karen's primary responsibilities at Seacology include managing our field representatives in identifying and monitoring projects. She also manages Seacology’s computer network. Karen is a graduate of Hampshire College in Amherst, Massachusetts, where she received a bachelor's degree in Creative Writing. She has served on the board of directors of several organizations including the Crockett Community Foundation, and has been a long-time volunteer with the Point Reyes National Seashore Morgan Horse Ranch. She serves as an at-large member of the Contra Costa County Commission for Women, and represents District 2 on the Contra Costa County Planning Commission. In her spare time Karen enjoys making jewelry and swimming, and is a competitive trail runner. |
National Development Officer |
Susan's lifelong interest in wildlife preservation and the environment began while working with exotic animals for the entertainment industry in her early twenties. She traveled throughout and lived in Europe, South America, the Caribbean and Africa while working in theme parks, television and motion pictures. Susan returned to school and received a degree in French from San Jose State University, afterwards attending Santa Clara University's graduate business school. She then focused on marketing with firms in California's Silicon Valley, San Francisco and the resort coast of Carmel, Pebble Beach and the Monterey Peninsula. Susan's work with Seacology began in 2004 and brought together her passion for wildlife conservation, travel, foreign cultures and her skills for finding financial resources through marketing and public relations. Formerly Seacology’s Development Director, Susan relocated to the east coast and now serves as our National Development Officer, responsible for fundraising and donor outreach on the east coast and in other regions around the country. |
Accounting Manager
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Mary manages Seacology’s financial activities and coordinates with field representatives to implement projects. Mary has more than a decade of experience in various financial management and consulting engagements at both for-profit and non-profit organizations. She has a BA in Visual Studies from University of California, Berkeley and an MBA in Sustainable Management from Presidio School of Management. At Presidio, Mary worked on a number of environmentally, socially, and economically sustainable projects, including performing financial & marketing analyses of alternatives to bottled water and disposable coffee cups, as well as developing a business plan for a renewable energy solutions provider in Baja California Sur, Mexico. |
