Derek Brockbank, Executive Director: He has been an organizer and run conservation campaigns around the country and, for the past 10 years, in Washington, DC. His focus has been on climate change adaptation and restoring natural resources, most recently directing a campaign to restore the Mississippi River Delta and Coastal Louisiana through a coalition of conservation organizations including National Wildlife Federation, National Audubon Society and Environmental Defense Fund. He grew up in New York City and the beaches of Long Island, and ran along the Lake Michigan beach while at the University of Chicago, getting a degree in political science and environmental studies.
Nicole Elko, Vice President: Elko’s consulting business in Charleston, South Carolina specializes in beach preservation adovacy, research and management. Elko has a Ph.D. in Coastal Geology, and 16 years of experience in the coastal field. She has managed or assisted with 20 beach nourishment projects along the U.S. East and Gulf coasts. Elko has authored 8 peer-reviewed journal publications. She teaches a Beaches 101 course to regulators and elected officials in the Carolinas and is the Executive Director of the South Carolina Beach Advocates.
Kate Gooderham, APR, CPRC: Managing Director for ASBPA and President of Gooderham & Associates, Inc., a Fort Myers public relations consulting firm established in 1986. Currently she is Vice President of Professional Development for the Southwest Chapter of the Florida Public Relations Association (FPRA). Gooderham is past chair of FPRA’s Counselor’s Network, past president of the Southwest Chapter, past accreditation chair, 2001 Member of the Year, 2005 and 2011 PR Professional of the Year and 2015 Lifetime Achievement Award winner. She was accredited in 1999 and became a certified public relations counselor in 2008.
Bill Hanson: V.P. Great Lakes Dredge & Dock Company. He holds a BS in Ocean Engineering from Texas A&M University, and currently serves on the TAMU Board of Industry Advisors and the TEES Board. He serves on the USACE Coastal Engineering Research Board and is Vice Chair of the NOAA Hydrographic Services Review Panel. As an ACOPNE Diplomate of Navigation Engineering he also serves on the COPRI Board of Governors; Federal Advisory Panels – DOC International Trade Advisory Committee; DOC Supply Chain Management.
Gary Jones: As Director for the County of Los Angeles Department of Beaches and Harbors, he is responsible for 30 miles of non-contiguous coastline in Los Angeles County, including Marina del Rey, the largest small craft harbor in the U.S. Jones has 25 years of experience in real estate, development and urban planning. Educated in Great Britain, he received his B.S. degree in Biology from Southampton University and his M.S. degree in Real Estate Studies from De Montfort University in Leicester.
Tim Kana, Ph.D.: Founder and president of Coastal Science & Engineering (Columbia SC), Kana has 30 years’ experience in coastal erosion assessments and has written over 250 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 25 beach nourishment projects in the Carolina’s and New York, and is the 2015 recipient of ASBPA’s Morrough P. O’Brien Award.
John Lee Jr.: Founder and Managing Director for Coastal Strategies Group LLC, retired from the Galveston County Engineers Office with over 33 years of service to the county, Lee serves on the ASBPA Board of Directors and in Texas, John is Vice-President of the Texas Chapter of ASBPA, and Secretary of the Galveston County Beach Erosion Task Force. He has been involved in the protection of coastal resources throughout his career and believes it is possible for everyone to successfully participate in that process through partnerships and collaborative efforts.
Collin O’Mara: President and CEO of the National Wildlife Federation (NWF), America’s largest wildlife conservation organization. Under O’Mara’s leadership, the NWF is protecting wildlife ranging from bison to monarch butterflies, ensuring healthy waters and sustainable habitats, defending public lands, advancing environmental education, and connecting people with the great outdoors. Prior to the NWF, O’Mara led Delaware’s Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control, where he led numerous regional clean air, clean water, youth recreation, and habitat restoration efforts. Preceding that he was a primary architect of the City of San Jose’s Green Vision.
Mark Osler: Serves as an Associate Vice President for Michael Baker International where he leads the firm’s national Coastal Science and Engineering practice. His 15 years of professional experience have centered around the computer modeling of coastal hydrodynamics with a focus on the impacts of climate change, coastal flood hazard analysis and probabilistic risk assessment. He has worked with clients throughout the Atlantic, Gulf, Pacific and Great Lakes coasts, as well as in Alaska and Antarctica. Osler holds a Bachelor’s Degree from Lehigh University and a Master’s degree from the University of Delaware’s Center for Applied Coastal Research.
Joan Pope: Joan Pope: In 2012, Joan retired from US Army Engineer Headquarters after a career with the Corps involving a variety of practicing coastal geology and engineering, research, and management positions. At the time of her retirement she oversaw the Corps water resource research and development Program. During her career she directed several major projects including the development of the Coastal Engineering Manual, the National Shore Erosion Demonstration Program, and Regional Sediment Management. Since retiring she has been employed as a consultant with the Corps.
Tony Pratt, President
Tony Pratt is the Administrator of the Shoreline and Waterway Management Section within the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control where he oversees programs related to beach nourishment, beach construction regulation, coastal hazards mitigation, waterway management, and flood mitigation.He was a member of the National Research Council Committee on Beach Nourishment and Protection, and the Heinz Center Panel on Risk Vulnerability and the True Costs of Coastal Hazards. He served elected office in Lewes, a coastal town in DE, four years of which were as Deputy Mayor. He currently serves on the Advisory Board to the Department of Homeland Security Coastal Resilience Center of Excellence based at UNC, Chapel Hill.
Phillip Roehrs, P.E., Executive Vice President
As Water Resources Engineer, Roehrs leads the City of Virginia Beach’s Coastal and Storm Water Engineering Divisions. Programs under his supervision include beach replenishment, shore protection works, maintenance of navigation channels and marine facilities, storm water system capital improvements, storm water quality initiatives, and the City’s National Flood Insurance Program. Roehrs is a past-president of the Virginia Shore & Beach Preservation Association and is a member of the American Society of Civil Engineers, the American Public Works Association and the Engineering Club of Hampton Roads.
Julie Dean Rosati: A Research Hydraulic Engineer with the Coastal and Hydraulics Laboratory, Engineer Research and Development Center, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Rosati has 30 years’ experience in coastal and inlet sediment transport, developing regional sediment budgets, and applied coastal studies. She received a B.Sc. from Northwestern University in 1984, and M.Sc. from Mississippi State University in 1988, both in Civil Engineering. She received her Ph.D. in Oceanography from Louisiana State University in 2009, and is Program Manager of the Coastal Inlets Research Program.
Peter Seidle, P.E.: Coastal Engineer for Applied Technology & Management, West Palm Beach, FL, Seidle has worked on numerous coastal projects in the U.S. and Caribbean. He has worked on feasibility studies, project design and permitting, and construction phase services for several projects ranging from beach nourishments to marinas to wetland restorations. His coastal engineering expertise includes shoreline analyses, sediment budget analysis, numerical modeling, wave analyses, etc. He received a MS in Coastal Engineering from University of Florida.
Aram Terchunian: Terchunian is a nationally-renowned coastal geologist and environmental scientist with First Coastal Corporation in Westhampton Beach, NY specializing in helping owners and municipalities enhance and protect their coastal assets. Aram’s specialties include coastal resiliency, wetlands management, nature based shoreline stabilization, coastal regulatory compliance and endangered species. A widely recognized expert in the national media, Aram provides a unique, practical perspective on how to prepare for and survive super storms and their devastating effects on our coastal communities. Aram received his BS in Environmental Science and Resource Management/Geology from Lehigh University and his MS from the University of Delaware.
Reuben Trevino: He has been an Eagle Scout since age 15 his experiences led to his concern for preservation and restoration of the great outdoors, and more specifically our coastal areas. Trevino participated in multiple research projects while earning a BS and Masters in Biology. He is a certified TX Master & Coastal Naturalist, and former member of the TX Sea Grant Advisory Committee. He worked for the City of South Padre Island from 2008 – 2015 managing their Coastal Resources Program. In February 2016 he began his accepted a position with the Galveston Park Board of Trustees as the Director of Operations.
Michael P. Walther, P.E., D.CE.: Vice-President of Coastal Tech – G.E.C., Inc, based in “mostly beautiful” Vero Beach Florida. Walther has over 38 years of practical experience in the national arena of beach and inlet management from planning to design, permitting and construction. As a professional engineer, avid surfer, beach user, and volunteer activist, Walther is familiar with coastal resources and policy throughout the nation.
Lee Weishar, Ph.D., PWS, Secretary
A Senior Scientist with the Woods Hole Group since 1989, He has more than 35 years’ experience in the fields of oceanography, coastal engineering, sediment transport, ecological restoration, environmental impact assessment, and project/program management. Prior to joining the Woods Hole Group, he was employed by the USACE Waterways Experiment Station (now ERDC). Weishar specializes in coastal engineering and wetland/marsh restoration and the integration of biological, ecological, and hydraulic data into wetland restoration designs to ensure that the design will meet the restoration objectives.
Ken Willson: A client program manager for CB&I (formerly CPE) in Wilmington, NC. Since 2003, he has assisted coastal clients in Massachusetts, Virginia, North Carolina, Florida, and Louisiana. His broad knowledge base of geology, engineering, environmental science, policy, and finance has allowed him to assist numerous clients with designing, permitting, and constructing a wide array of beach and inlet management projects. He earned a BS and MS in Geology from the University of North Carolina at Wilmington, and a Coastal Engineering Certification from Old Dominion University.