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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Since 1999, Duane Silverstein has been the executive director of Seacology, an international non-governmental organization with the sole focus of preserving islands – their fragile habitats, vanishing species and historic 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. Duane was instrumental in creating and heading the Goldman Environmental Prize, which has been dubbed the “Nobel Prize of the Environment” by National Geographic and news media around the globe. Silverstein has met with presidents of the United States, Secretaries-general of the United Nations, kings, heads of state, and indigenous chiefs throughout the world on behalf of the environment. His work has been covered in media such as Time Magazine, The San Francisco Chronicle, and The New York Times. Articles he has written have appeared in over a dozen international publications. In 2009 he was selected by a public vote as a national 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 esteemed Jefferson Award for Public Service. In giving Silverstein a 2010 Coastal Hero Award, Sunset Magazine called Silverstein a “superhero of the deep.” In early 2012, he was invited to give the closing speech on the state of the Earth’s islands for the prestigious TEDx conference in South Africa’s Cape Town. Widely considered one of the world’s foremost experts on islands, he is a National Fellow of The Explorers Club. Silverstein attended both Stony Brook and Columbia Universities, later receiving a Masters in Public Policy at the University of California, Berkeley. |
Accounting Manager
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Kevin comes to Seacology with 14 years of nonprofit accounting experience. He is a CPA and earned a Masters of Accountancy from Golden Gate University. Kevin’s first experience with nonprofits was living for over three years in Phnom Penh, Cambodia serving as a volunteer for an international relief and devlopment organization. More recently Kevin has worked with a firm solely dedicated to accounting services for nonprofits. Kevin was born and raised in the central valley of California but has called the Bay Area his home for the last ten years. He loves spending his spare time with family either along the coast or in the mountains. After many years of being an “outside” accounting professional Kevin is pleased to be part of the Seacology team. |
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. |
Communications Assistant / Webmaster
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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. |
Program Manager
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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 represents District 2 on the Contra Costa County Planning Commission and also serves on the Crockett Recreation 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. |
Development Associate Tel: 510-559-3505 x307 |
Julie, having relocated from Chicago to the Bay Area, joined Seacology in May of 2012. She has several years of fundraising experience at nationally-renowned non-profit organizations, and was excited to find an environmental organization with a focus on island communities and conservation. A writing enthusiast, Julie has a Masters degree in English from DePaul University in Chicago. In her free time, she trains for marathons and ultra marathons, enjoys cooking, hiking, and cycling. She has experience in office administration, event planning, and fundraising projects. At Seacology, she helps draft and maintain funding requests and assist with development events. |
