Cheryl Bricker

For more than 12 years, Cheryl Bricker has been gracing Heal the Bay with her time, energy, enthusiasm and charm.  Cheryl started at Heal the Bay as part of the Speakers Bureau team.  As Haan-Fawn, the Speakers Bureau manager at the time, said “There were so many aspects about Cheryl's personality that made me excited to have her as part our Speakers Bureau team -- she cares deeply about the environment, and is articulate, smart, incredibly reliable, and most of all, a LOT of fun to work with!”

Cheryl was such a great representative of the organization that we started roping her into all kinds of volunteer activities, ranging from beach cleanups, to managing groups of volunteers at special events, to escorting celebrities at benefit dinners.  Regardless of the type of event, you can always count on Cheryl to show up in style, with a great attitude and an infectious smile!  Cheryl Bricker shines, and not just because she’s always in orange. 

Heal the Bay has been so very lucky to have Cheryl as part of our team-- she brings a real spark to the crew and has been an inspiration to other volunteers and many people in the LA community.

Gordon Honda

The Aquarium staff compares volunteer Gordon Honda to a Swiss army knife – he is the all-purpose volunteer. On a typical Tuesday (his day at the Aquarium) Gordon will help the staff with the morning live food preparations for the afternoon feeding, set up for classes, and help teach the morning and afternoon classes. Once the Aquarium opens to the public in the afternoon, he feeds the animals, inviting the public to help feed fish heads to the sea stars in the touch tanks, and encouraging visitors to follow him as he moves from tank to tank.

Gordon has been volunteering consistently since 2001. He has spent 3,898 hours helping us out at the SMPA. Gordon, whose degree is in marine biology, first volunteered with the education department before he expanded his skills to include aquaristing and working with the public. He comes in before many of the staff, helps with all of the Aquarium's programs and sets up and cleans up programs before the staff even has a chance to think about getting it done.

Yvonne Brockwell and Madeleine Cray 

Yvonne Brockwell and Madeleine Cray are a mother-daughter team, dedicated to environmental work in the Santa Monica Mountains. They were trained as Stream Team volunteers in 2012 and since then, have been extremely consistent, dedicated, and enthusiastic volunteers in our monthly water monitoring events. Yvonne and Madeleine are always willing and excited to spend the first Sunday of the month getting up early, exploring our local streams, putting on waders to take water samples and measurements, and analyzing the samples in the lab. The data that they so carefully collect is used to determine the health of watershed and in making policy and management recommendations. 

They are thrilled to live in the midst of the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area (SMMNRA) and believe it is a privilege to get to volunteer within the parks system. And volunteer they do – Yvonne and Madeleine also volunteer with Heal the Bay’s MPA Watch program, Mountains Restoration Trust (invasive plant removal and native plant nursery), Treepeople (restoration), and Sierra Pacific Flyfishers/MRT (invasive crayfish removal). Yvonne and Madeleine logged 200 volunteer hours in the SMMNRA! We are so grateful to have them as members of the Stream Team!

Steve Cancian

As we develop our WAYS park project South Los Angeles, we’ve come to rely upon landscape architect Steve Cancian in numerous ways. Steve works with Shared Sapces and specializes in facilitating community-based design workshops.  He has a phenomenal capacity to empower and encourage community members to be a part of the design and visioning process.  Working with groups such as Los Angeles Neighborhood Initiative (LANI) and Los Angeles Neighborhood Land Trust (LALNT), he’s helped with many park projects in LA communities such as Koreatown, Boyle Heights, South LA and many other neighborhoods.  

Steve donated his time and expertise towards building WAYS park for the greatest benefit to the community. We are incredibly thankful to Steve for helping us build our park and for continuing to offer his invaluable support.

Says Urban Programs Coordinator Stephen Mejia: “Steve is just a great advocate for community building, extremely personable and able to make people feel welcome in English and fluent Spanish

Jim Cragg 

Jim Cragg's work with Green Vets LA is a great example of how protecting the environment and creating jobs go hand-in-hand. As the founder of Green Vets LA, an organization that provides veteran patients from the West LA VA hospital the opportunity to participate in a vocational therapy program sewing and assembling cloth reusable shopping bags.

Jim was introduced to Heal the Bay's work on plastic pollution issues when Meredith McCarthy ordered a custom Heal the Bay reusable shopping bag from Green Vets LA. Jim and the Green Vets quickly became a partner in our local and statewide single-use bag campaigns. Over the past few years, Jim and the Green Vets LA team have attended rallies in support of bans on single-use plastic bags, and have spoken in support of these measures at public hearings in Santa Monica, Los Angeles County and the City of Los Angeles. Jim has also travelled to Sacramento to speak to California legislators in support of a statewide plastic bag ban.  

In his own time, Jim also works on plastic pollution issues and is currently engaging with U.S. Congressional representatives to urge a ban on single-use plastic bags at Federal installations. Jim's dedication to the environment and the well-being of his veterans is truly inspiring and is proof that one person can make a huge difference.

Samuel Culbert

CUCLA Management Professor Samuel Culbert is known for his straight talk, in the classroom, in his writing and in Heal the Bay’s boardroom.  Sam has loyally served Heal the Bay since 1995, when he was officially elected to the Board of Directors.

In addition, he joined our Aquarium Advisory Board at the get-go,10 years ago. (We even remember Sam’s wife Rosella pitching in with a paint brush, helping spruce up some of the furniture at the Aquarium!)

A tireless cheerleader for the Aquarium, as well as a valued sounding board for Heal the Bay founder Dorothy Green, over the years we’ve all grown to consider Sam as a friend and trusted advisor.We honor him for his many years committed to our cause as a board member, volunteer, as well as a consultant. 

Sam asks hard questions, challenges convention and displays a no-nonsense candor. We are grateful for the many years he has served our team!

Joady Gorelick

"Those buckets have a microchip on them, so you better bring them back." Joady Gorelick at Nothin' But Sand.

Without Joady’s engaging sense of humor, keen eye for detail and forward-thinking problem-solving, our cleanups would not run as smoothly. Further, Heal the Bay events would not be as recognized in all of Southern California as some of the best-managed large public events in the not-for-profit sector, if it were not for volunteers like Joady. It is her reliability that allows the team to carry out those events month after month with little tweaks here and there. 

Joady volunteers regularly, alongside with her husband Jerry, as a beach captain at our monthly beach cleanups Nothin’ But Sand. She also site captains a site every year for California Coastal Cleanup Day. Joady is always in charge when she’s working a cleanup, not just because she knows what to do, but because she likes things done right – the first time.

Lili Jordan

When the students of Compton High School wanted to change the world, Lili Jordan answered their call.  Since 1996, Lili’s worked to form the school’s first recycling club, and steadily began a community movement reaching far beyond recycling alone.

In addition to campus improvements, such as an outdoor classroom, Lili has teamed up with Heal the Bay on several projects and infused our community and beyond with targeted, student-driven projects including beach clean ups, annual Day Without A Bag events at local grocery stores, Earth Day events, Compton Creek clean ups and tree adoption events.  Lili works tirelessly to give students the exposure, education and support they crave in order to improve the world they live in

Says Heal the Bay’s Secondary Education Coordinator Eddie Murphy: “Without Lili, Creek 101 would never have gotten off the ground in the beginning, and with her ongoing commitment to helping her students become environmental stewards, the future of Compton Creek looks bright and green!” 

Michael “Mickey” Kesterson

Michael Kesterson, fondly known around the Aquarium as Mickey, is the quintessential perfect volunteer.  For the past year and 3 months he has slipped into the Aquarium every Friday morning, hauled signs to the far ends of the pier, hung barriers, set up chairs and helped prep for students in every way, all without direction or prodding.  But that is just the beginning.  His warm smile and wry sense of humor make him a favorite with staff, fellow volunteers and children alike.  

His passionate energy for the ocean and for helping kids learn is truly evident as he leads groups around the Aquarium to various exhibits, as well as leading the education program outside on the beach exciting. Mickey is a true gift to the Aquarium and has helped educate and inspire thousands of children, whether he’s digging up sand crabs in the surf or answering questions about sea stars at the touch tanks.

Vicki Pasek 

Vicki's passion for the ocean and environment is evident the moment you meet her. Not only is she an enthusiastic volunteer at the Aquarium but also at Ballona Wetlands where she educates area students daily. As an educator, Vicki has a true gift for making students as well as adults feel welcomed and inspired. 

Also, Vicki is a tremendous help to the Aquarium and Heal the Bay whenever needed. She has been known to come in at a moments notice whether it is for a Micro Bio class, education class, Birthday party, Tabling event or Public Hours shift, we always know we can count on her with the appropriate smile and matching attitude. 

"Vicki is a very committed and devoted volunteer. She always comes into the Aquarium enthusiastic and ready to conquer the day whether it be for public hours, education programs, birthday parties or other tabling events for Heal the Bay. She really is such an asset to our mission," says Amanda Jones, Heal the Bay Education Specialist.

Brian Peña 

Brian is a problem-solver innovative and a delight to be around.  He has been a tremendously important member of the Aquarist team since 2011 -- taking on any task, completing work quickly and always with excellent results. His love of the Aquarium and the animals we exhibit is magnified in his work. He is loved by all who work with him and is respected by staff as well as fellow volunteers. 

Over the past year, Brian has been instrumental as a mentor, teaching many of the new in-coming class of Aquarist interns. Mediocrity is not in his vocabulary and he sets a tone of excellence with everything he does. His humor, charm and great smile is infectious. He is a great role model for all of us.

"You can always depend on Brian to get anything done and done right! Feeding animals, fixing an exhibit, traveling through time and space...nothing is impossible for Brian." said Jose Bacallao, the Aquarium's operations manager.

REI 

REI has been a strong corporate partner with Heal the Bay for more than a decade. For three years, they supported our Key to the Sea program, fostering hands-on environmental science education for students and teachers throughout Los Angeles. Additionally, they supported our Stream Team beginning in 2009, and last year, they stepped up their efforts tremendously. Not only did they generously support Stream Team and Nothing But Sand programs with a $15,000 grant, but they added another $45,000 grant to boost our volunteer program and outreach. Through their incredible support, we’ve been able to engage thousands of volunteers and continue to spread the reach of our programs.

Nathan Smith and Drew Porter

Over the years Heal the Bay has been buoyed by the volunteer support of sharp minds in the advertising community.  Southern California ad agencies have generously donated work that has been instrumental in spreading the word about clean oceans – from our iconic fishbone logo to our Sundance mockumentary The Majestic Plastic Bag.

More recently, we’ve been fortunate to partner with the El Segundo-based agency Team One.  Creative chief Chris Graves, Associate Creative Director Eric Arnold and account executives Drew Porter and Nathan Smith have spearheaded several campaigns for us—such as a two-page “fashion spread” in Los Angeles Magazine warning about the perils of plastic pollution and pre-screening spots at Laemmle movie theaters. Chris, Drew and Nathan are also local surfers, so they truly work to protect what they love.

Says Communications Director Matt King: “Toiling at a major ad agency is a high-pressure, high-stakes gig. So I’m a bit amazed at how Drew and Nathan remain so down-to-earth and humble. They care deeply about our cause, and that clearly shows in their work.”

Dulce Stein

From the moment you meet Dulce you know you have made a friend for life.  Dulce first came to Heal the Bay because she wanted to create a mural with an environmental message in her community.  She came to us for help, but little did we know how much she would actually help us! 

Dulce joined the Speakers Bureau team and began doing presentations on behalf of Heal the Bay to people in her community and beyond.  Her love for this planet and the environment is so contagious that she always manages to get others involved, including any of her four kids! 

As Dulce herself will tell you: “One day my children and the children of my children will stand united, strong and healthy to help Heal the Bay every day. This is my dream and I work hard at it each day.”

Says Speakers Bureau Manager Melissa Aguayo Amberg: “An environmental warrior, Dulce is one of the most caring people I have ever met.  She is incredibly kind, energetic and loves engaging her community and educating and empowering the people around her."

Douglas Wiita

A fourth-generation Californian, Doug Wiita sought volunteer work that would get him outdoors when he found our MPA Watch program.. “Wow, [that] fit the bill!” he says now. “I get to explore and hike our unique coastline (some of which I had never seen before even though I grew up here), all while earning some sort of karmic brownie points.” 

In his first year of volunteering in 2012, Doug completed the most MPA Watch surveys of all volunteers! The scientific data he collects along beaches and bluffs in Malibu and Palos Verdes is invaluable as we survey coastal and marine resource use. In his spare time, Doug also enjoys salt water fishing, one of many reasons he says he is a determined supporter of protecting our marine resources. 

Dana Murray, who manages Heal the Bay’s MPA Watch program, is happy to honor Doug because “he is a consistent, dedicated, and passionate volunteer and a true local ocean steward."