Biography

Calla Allison, Chief Executive Officer of the MPA CN, has nearly two decades of experience effectively integrating social collateral with localized marine resource management. In 2008, while working as the City of Laguna’s Marine Protection Officer, Calla was selected to represent Orange County MPA Council (OMPAC) as a member of the Marine Life Protection Act Initiative’s (MLPAI) South Coast Regional Stakeholder Group. After the MLPAI process, Calla took on the role of OCMPAC Director. Seeing the benefits of this collaborative approach to local coastal resource management inspired Calla to approach the California Natural Resources Agency, CDFW, and RLF about applying the OCMPAC model to the rest of the state. In 2012, a pilot project was initiated under OPC and the MPA CN was born.

Biography

Claire grew up in Southern California and knew from a young age that she wanted to be a marine biologist. She actually fell in love with the ocean in Abalone Cove, which is now a state marine conservation area, and she still loves tidepooling there today. In addition, Claire enjoys recreating from beach combing to diving all along the California coast.

She has worked for the Multi-Agency Rocky Intertidal Network (MARINe), Laguna Ocean Foundation, as well as Orange County Coastkeeper before joining MPACN. She is passionate about the research, restoration, and monitoring happening throughout the California coast including in our marine protected areas. In addition, she is an American Cetacean Society Whalewatch Naturalist, an Aquarium of the Pacific Sea Turtle Monitor, and sits on a few steering committees and working groups all connected to the marine environment. Although her world is filled with wonderful marine organisms, her heart lies most deeply associated with getting students, particularly women of diverse backgrounds, into marine science. She wants everyone to know they have a place along our coast, regardless of where they come from.

She began her education at California State University, Long Beach where she did the CSU Catalina Semester at the Wrigley Marine Science Center. After completing her Bachelor of Science degree in marine biology she went on to Cal Poly Pomona for her Master of Science in biology. Her master’s thesis research was actually in the tidepools of Costa Rica, creating community composition records of seaweed and invertebrates at 35 sites on both the Caribbean and Pacific Coasts. Although she loved her time there, she openly admits that California’s cold waters and kelp forests have always felt like home and is glad to be working to connect more people to our local waters.

Biography

Aubrie calls Southern California home. She spends nearly every day exploring nature, especially during her ocean adventures like diving and sea cave kayaking. Aubrie is excited to bring her passion for marine conservation to the MPA Collaborative Network and dive deeper into California’s network of MPAs!

She has worked with various non-profit organizations, including Surfrider Foundation, leading and coordinating members and volunteers. She worked as a California Sea Grant Fellow (2017-18) as the Resource Protection Specialist at the NOAA Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary where she led programs to reduce the threat of ships strikes to whales and collaborated with lobster fishermen to remove lost gear and other marine debris from the Channel Islands. She is an advocate for engaging youth, including as a Naturalist at Jean-Michel Cousteau’s Ambassadors of the Environment Program.

She holds Bachelor and Master of Science degrees from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo (Cal Poly) where she majored in Biological Sciences with an emphasis on Marine Biology and Fisheries. Aubrie’s thesis explored the inner workings of the stress response in intertidal mussels due to oxygen deprivation. The learn-by-doing attitude she practiced at Cal Poly translates into all of her career pursuits.

Biography

Michael James is a highly skilled and experienced professional land surveyor and licensed unmanned aerial pilot. With over 15 years of experience in surveying and a passion for the ocean, he has been able to combine his expertise and love for the environment through his work with the California Marine Protected Areas Collaborative Network as their Geospatial Mapping and Technology Specialist. He has a deep understanding of technology and has been building computers since the age of 13. Michael currently works as a Senior Transportation Surveyor at Caltrans but is able to spend his days off contributing his skills to the CN, traveling across California to map MPA boundaries and developing a web app to help track MPA signs status statewide.

Biography

Michelle is a seasoned professional with over 25 years of experience in marketing, communications, and community outreach. Throughout her career, she has been on a mission to drive meaningful change and foster connections within communities.

Beyond her marketing expertise, Michelle is driven by a profound passion for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. This passion inspired her to create “When East Meets West,” a cultural blog site dedicated to bridging the gap between diverse cultures and highlighting the shared human experience. Through compelling content and engaging narratives, Michelle actively strives to inspire a better world by celebrating both our differences and our commonalities.

Growing up in the vibrant mosaic of Southern California, Michelle developed a deep-seated commitment to ocean conservation. Her dedication to preserving our coastal environments for future generations is evident in her tireless efforts to raise awareness and advocate for sustainable practices. Michelle firmly believes that our beautiful coastal environment is a precious gift that should be cherished and safeguarded for the benefit of all.

In her new role as AAPI Coordinator, Michelle is committed to leveraging her extensive experience, cultural insights, and dedication to environmental preservation, along with her passion for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, to make a lasting impact on our community.

Biography

Cianna Carrillo Walker-Flom (she/her/ella) is an equity and inclusion consultant who is driven by her passion for social justice, community organizing, equitable food access, and youth empowerment. Since 2016, she’s partnered across sectors to develop sustainable equity and inclusion strategy and programs. Cianna specializes in integrating DEI principles at the foundational level to develop equitable infrastructure that support an inclusive and thriving organizational culture.

She’s supported a range of organizations as they navigate their DEI journeys including small, nature-based nonprofits to startups in the high-tech space. Outside of her work in DEI, Cianna can be found on a trail with her humans and dogs, at a local playground, or building community on Mvskoke land where she currently resides. She has a BA in Sociology from San Francisco State University and a MA in International Sustainable Development from Escuela de Organización Industrial in Madrid, Spain.

Biography

Kayleigh Wade (she/they) 𓆝 is a first-gen queer Mexican-American born and raised on Tongva Land. With familial roots in Baja California, the coast is something she cherishes with all her being. She comes to the MPA Collaborative with years of experience in environmental work, first as the Southeast Los Angeles Youth Organizer with Communities for a Better Environment, and then through her current role as the Senior Manager of Inland Outreach with Heal the Bay. In her spare time, she volunteers with Latino Outdoors and Queer Surf, likes going to restaurants, spends time reflecting on water justice’s connection to her environmental work, reading extremely specific nonfiction, loves cooking for loved ones and taking up new skills like fly fishing, and hanging out with her pet babies Penny and Oats.

Biography

Mike Sutton is a respected environmental conservation leader with extensive experience managing nonprofit organizations, influencing public policy, advocating for natural resources, and guiding successful philanthropic efforts. His distinguished career has ranged from work with the National Park Service to senior conservation roles at the World Wildlife Fund, the David & Lucile Packard Foundation, the California Fish & Game Commission, Monterey Bay Aquarium, and National Audubon Society. Mike received his BS in Wildlife Biology at Utah State University; did graduate studies in Marine Biology at the University of Sydney, Australia; and, received a law degree with honors from George Washington University’s National Law Center. He joined the Prize in 2018.

Biography

Jocelyn Garovoy Herbert is a Senior Program Officer with Resources Legacy Fund, where she serves on the Oceans Coasts and Fisheries team and leads the organization’s Hawai’i work. She works with philanthropic foundations, natural resource management agencies, conservation and community organizations, and policy and communications consultants to develop and implement strategies to advance ocean conservation. Previously, she practiced land use law and litigation in the Kailua-Kona office of Cades Schutte LLP, where she also served as a commissioner with the Hawai’i County Public Access, Open Space, Natural Resources Preservation Commission, and was President of the Hawai’i Island Land Trust.

Biography

Sara Lowell is a long-time ocean philanthropist and board member of the Marisla Foundation. She also is the Foundation’s Marine Conservation Program Director and oversees efforts to create marine protected areas, advance sustainable fisheries, and protect coastal lands in California, Hawaii, Baja California, Chile, and the broader Pacific.

Biography

Phyllis Grifman is the Executive Director of the USC Sea Grant Program. Her background in marine and environmental policy informs her work administering the NOAA Sea Grant Program at the University of Southern California. As Executive Director of the USC Sea Grant program, she manages the program’s research, outreach, and education portfolios, in addition to working with stakeholders at state, local, and federal levels. Her responsibilities include improving public awareness of Sea Grant mission and accomplishments and developing programs and partnerships to foster the connections between science and policy. Phyllis received her B.A. and M.A. (Political Science) from the University of California Santa Barbara. Her major interests include marine policy development and implementation, and public education.

Biography

Greg MacGillivray has been producing and directing award-winning films for more than 50 years. He started making films when he was just 13 and later partnered with Jim Freeman to form MacGillivray Freeman Films in 1966. He loves the continual chess game of making a film, where each move affects every element. Today, he has more than 60 films to his credit, including over 40 IMAX productions. A passionate ocean conservationist, Greg and his wife Barbara founded the MacGillivray Freeman Films Educational Foundation, a non-profit public charity dedicated to educating and inspiring the public through giant-screen films and science education programming about the need to take action to protect the world’s ocean. Greg also serves on the Board of Directors for The Great Park in Orange County and Sylvia Earle’s Mission Blue, as well as the Laguna Playhouse and Laguna Art Museum.