Leadership

Dr. Barone is a jointly-appointed Associate Research Professor within the Rutgers University Department of Marine and Coastal Sciences (DMCS), Center for Advanced Infrastructure and Transportation (CAIT), and Department of Geography. He holds Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Marine Science and Instructional Technology from Stockton University and a PhD in Physical Geography from Rutgers University. Dr. Barone has nearly 15 years of experience addressing coastal zone management and resilience issues related to beach-dune storm vulnerability, maritime transportation, coastal floodplain mapping, and beneficial use of dredged material. He utilizes spatial data analysis, remote sensing, and coastal modeling techniques to solve complex coastal problems and present solutions to various audiences. Dr. Barone is also a Certified Floodplain Manager (CFM) and Geographic Information Systems Professional (GISP).

Marc Beyeler is an experienced coastal and environmental planner and senior manager with many years’ experience managing professional, technical and administrative staff and staff teams, addressing a broad range of environmental planning projects and programs, many involving facilitation, program planning and stakeholder and public outreach. Marc currently serves as the Executive Director and Science Director for the Beach Erosion Authority for Clean Oceans and Nourishment (BEACON) in Ventura, California. BEACON is responsible for regional sediment management and coastal adaptation planning along the California Coast in Santa Barbara and Ventura counties. Marc was a long-time senior executive at the California State Coastal Conservancy and has taught and conducted research at the University of California, Berkeley and Santa Cruz.

Derek Brockbank is Executive Director of Coastal States Organization (CSO), which represents the nation’s Coastal States, Territories, and Commonwealths on ocean, coastal, and Great Lakes issues. With two decades of experience in Washington DC on coastal adaptation policy and organizational development, Derek is connecting state coastal management programs with federal agencies and resources in order to address the greatest coastal challenges facing society. Derek previously served as Executive Director for the American Shore & Beach Preservation Association (ASBPA) where he led the strategic planning and outreach, government affairs, and development goals of the nation’s leading organization advocating for beach and coastal restoration. Prior to starting with ASBPA, Derek worked as campaign director for a coalition effort to restore the Mississippi River Delta and Coastal Louisiana, and was part of a gulf-wide campaign to pass the RESTORE Act, securing billions of dollars for Gulf Coast restoration. This followed up on his work with National Wildlife Federation on climate adaption. Derek grew up in New York City and got his coastal education from an early age playing on the beaches of Long Island, and kayaking and fishing in Peconic Bay.

Program Manager of the National Regional Sediment Management Program at the USACE Engineer Research and Development Center in Vicksburg, M.S, she received her Masters and Ph.D. at the University of South Florida in 2011 and 2014, respectively.  Her Bachelor of Science degree in Geosciences was completed at Virginia Tech in 2007.  Her dissertation research focused on the sediment characteristics and morphological impacts of the nearshore placement of dredged material in Fort Myers Beach, Florida and Perdido Key, Florida.

Mr. Gandy is Deputy Executive Director of the Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority of Louisiana. Greg has over 25 years of experience in the development and implementation of effective, efficient coastal protection and restoration projects in the northern Gulf of Mexico. Over a decade of his experience included work as a project manager for the State of Louisiana successfully leading multidisciplinary, multi-agency teams through the planning, design and implementation of coastal restoration projects. He was the program manager responsible for the development and initial implementation of the Louisiana Coastal Impact Assistance Program (CIAP) Plan in Louisiana which was the first state to have their CIAP plan approved, the first state to have CIAP grants awarded, and the first state to construct coastal restoration projects using CIAP funding. 

Ms. Garvey is the president of the California chapter.  She is a Coastal Engineer for Moffatt & Nichol in Long Beach, California.  She has worked on and led a variety of coastal projects involving dredging, beach nourishment, wetlands restoration, shoreline protection, marinas, regulatory permits acquisition, water and sediment quality analysis, habitat mitigation, and monitoring of projects. Prior to joining Moffatt & Nichol, Ms. Garvey was an Engineering Director at Boeing, where she managed several large, technically complex space systems projects. 

A geological oceanographer with more than 15 years of research and management experience on coastal and oceanography topics. His interests include coastal processes, sediment transport, and the protection of ocean resources. He has extensive history conducting technical work and project management on many West Coast projects as a federal scientist, state policy manager, and environmental consultant. He was the first Coastal Program Manager for California State Parks and is now at NOAA’s Office of Coastal Management as the National Estuarine Research Reserve System Science Collaborative Program Manager.

Karina Johnston is the Science Director for The Bay Foundation, a non-profit organization based out of Los Angeles, California, and is the Director of Programs for Loyola Marymount University’s Coastal Research Institute. Karina is a coastal marine scientist with expertise in implementing nature-based solutions to improve coastal resilience from climate impacts such as sea level rise and erosion, specifically through beach and dune restoration projects. Karina has led implementation of several beach and dune restoration projects in Los Angeles, and is currently pursuing her PhD at the University of California, Santa Barbara. She has extensive experience studying and rehabilitating coastal ecosystems including beaches, dunes, wetlands, and kelp forests. She is also a Certified Ecological Restoration Practitioner and Board Certified Environmental Scientist.

Founder and president of Coastal Science & Engineering (Columbia SC), Kana has 35 years’ experience in coastal erosion assessments and has written over 300 reports and publications relating to coastal processes, sediment budgets, beach nourishment, impacts of sea-level rise and tidal inlet sediment dynamics. Dr. Kana has served as project director on more than 30 beach nourishment projects in the Carolina’s, Georgia and New York, and is the 2015 recipient of ASBPA’s Morrough P. O’Brien Award.

Dr. Donna King is the Commissioner of the Foss Park District in Chicago, Illinois.

Jon K, Miller, Ph.D.is a Research Associate Professor of Coastal Engineering at Stevens Institute of Technology in Hoboken, NJ.  He earned his Bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering from Stevens, and his Masters and Ph.D. degrees in Coastal Engineering from the University of Florida.  Jon currently serves as the New Jersey Sea Grant Coastal Processes Specialist, Director of the New Jersey Coastal Protection Technical Assistance

President of the Texas Chapter of the ASBPA, Mohn is also President of the West Galveston Island Property Owners Association; Chairman of the Galveston County Beach Erosion Task Force; Past Chairman and current board member of the Beach Maintenance Advisory Committee of the Galveston Parks Board; past Chairman and Board Member of the Galveston Chamber of Commerce, Board Member and Past Chair of the Community Liaison Committee of the Galveston National Laboratory at UTMB; Co-Chair of the ASBPA/GLO 2007 Fall Conference; Past President and current Chairman of the Endowment Committee for the Ronald McDonald House of Galveston; and Chairman Emeritus of Chem One LTD.

Lindsey Precht is Assistant Director of the Environment & Sustainability Department for the City of Miami Beach, Florida.

Coastal Engineer for Applied Technology & Management, West Palm Beach, FL, Mr. Seidle is a project manager with over 20 years of experience providing domestic and international clients with effective shoreline and inlet solutions. His expertise is in multiple shoreline (beach nourishment, groin, breakwater and jetty) and inlet (sediment budget, sand bypassing, navigation maintenance dredging) projects. He is familiar with the state-of-the-art numerical models, coastal processes analysis techniques and project management tools. He is knowledgeable of Florida’s and federal regulations and processes.

Bret Webb, Ph.D., P.E., D.CE. is a Professor of Coastal Engineering at the University of South Alabama in Mobile, Alabama. Dr. Webb’s research focuses on the resilience of the natural and built coastal environments, and how natural shoreline stabilization directly translates to reduced vulnerability of the built environment. Dr. Webb has more than 15 years of experience in coastal engineering research and practice, is a registered Professional Engineer in Alabama and Florida, and is recognized by ACOPNE as a board certified coastal engineer.