Introducing New Board of Advisors Members (2 of 3)

By Angel Braestrup — Chair, TOF Board of Advisors

The Board approved an expansion of the Board of Advisors at its meeting last fall.  In our previous post, we introduced the first five new members.  Today we are introducing an additional five dedicated individuals who have agreed to formally join The Ocean Foundation in this special way.  Members of the Board of Advisors agree to share their expertise on an as needed basis.  They also agree to read The Ocean Foundation’s blogs and visit the website to help us ensure that we remain accurate and timely in our sharing of information.  They join the committed donors, project and program leaders, volunteers, and grantees who make up the community that is The Ocean Foundation.

Our advisors are a widely traveled, experienced, and deeply thoughtful group of people.  This means, of course, that they are also overwhelmingly busy.  We cannot be grateful enough to them, for their contributions to the well-being of our planet, as well as to The Ocean Foundation.

Barton Seaver, For Cod & Country. Washington, D.C.  Chef, author, speaker and National Geographic Fellow, Barton Seaver is on a mission to restore our relationships with the ocean, the land and with each other—through dinner. He believes food is a crucial way for us to connect with the ecosystems, people and cultures of our world. Seaver explores these themes through healthful, planet-friendly recipes in his first book, For Cod & Country (Sterling Epicure, 2011), and as host of both the National Geographic Web series Cook-Wise and the three-part Ovation TV series In Search of Food. A graduate of the Culinary Institute of America and executive chef at some of D.C.’s most celebrated restaurants, Seaver is known for his devotion to quality, culinary innovation and sustainability. In Fall 2011 StarChefs.com presented Barton with the “Community Innovator Award,” as voted by over 1,000 chefs and culinary leaders worldwide. Seaver works on ocean issues with National Geographic’s Oceans Initiative to increase awareness and inspire action.

Lisa Genasci

CEO, ADM Capital Foundation. Hong Kong  Lisa Genasci is the CEO and founder of ADM Capital Foundation (ADMCF), established five years ago for the partners of a Hong Kong-based investment manager. With a staff of eight, ADMCF provides support to some of Asia’s most marginalized children and works to combat intransigent environmental challenges. ADMCF has built innovative initiatives involving holistic support to slum and street children, water, air pollution, deforestation and marine conservation. Before working in the non-profit sector, Lisa spent ten years at the Associated Press, three as a correspondent based in Rio de Janeiro, three on the AP foreign desk in New York and four as a financial reporter.  Lisa holds a BA degree with High Honors from Smith College and an LLM in Human Rights Law from Hong Kong University.

Toni Frederick is an award-winning Caribbean Journalist and News Editor based in St. Kitts and Nevis.  An Archaeologist by training, Toni’s decades long interest in heritage preservation naturally evolved into a passion for environmental conservation.  Lured into a full time career in radio ten years ago, Toni has used her position as a broadcaster to raise awareness of environmental issues through programs, features, interview segments and news items.  Her areas of particular interest are watershed management, coastal erosion, coral reef protection, climate change and the related issue of sustainable food security.

Sara Lowell has worked for over ten years in marine science and management. Her primary expertise is in coastal and ocean management and policy, strategic planning, sustainable tourism, science integration, fundraising, and protected areas. Her geographies of expertise include the West Coast of the United States, the Gulf of California, and the Mesoamerican Reef/Greater Caribbean region.  She serves on the board of the Marisla Foundation.  Ms. Lowell has been at the environmental consulting firm Blue Earth Consultants since 2008, where she works to improve the effectiveness of conservation organizations. She holds a Master’s in Marine Affairs from the School of Marine Affairs at the University of Washington.

A graduate of the Business Administration School at the Universidad Latinoamericana in Mexico City, Patricia Martínez Ríos del Río has been Pro Esteros CFO since 1992.  In 1995 Patricia was the elected leader for the Baja Californian NGOs in the first Regional Advisory Committee formed by SEMARNAT, she has been a liaison among NGOs, SEMARNAT, CEC and BECC on NAFTA, RAMSAR Convention, and many other national and international committees. She represented Pro Esteros in the International Coalition for the Defense of Laguna San Ignacio. In 2000, Patricia was invited by The David and Lucille Packard Foundation to be part of the advisory board to design the Conservation Plan for Mexico. She was also member of the advisory board to design the Fund for the Conservation of the Gulf of California.  Patricia’s commitment and professionalism have been critical to the success of Pro Esteros’s activities and many other conservation programs.