Coastkeeper Staff

Garry W. Brown Executive Director & Coastkeeper

Garry Brown is president and chief executive officer of Orange County Coastkeeper, a non-profit organization he founded in 1999 to protect and preserve our local marine habitats and watersheds. Through Coastkeeper, Garry has helped to establish new wetland areas and to protect others being threatened by pollution or development. He’s negotiated solutions to runoff and pollution issues that have threatened our watershed and ocean. He’s a relentless advocate for cooperative solutions, but will litigate when boardroom discussions fail to bring results. Under Garry’s leadership, Coastkeeper has become a tried and trusted ward of our fresh- and saltwater ecosystems through education, advocacy, restoration, research and enforcement.

Garry comes from a long background of building public-private partnerships. After earning a B.A. in Government from the University of Redlands, he served for five years as an assistant city manager, ten years as an advocate and executive director for trade associations in the real estate and building industries, and twice as president of a chamber of commerce. In 2001, he founded the Orange County League of Conservation Voters. In 2006, he published the first issue of “Coastkeeper Magazine.” These varied experiences brought him an extensive and pragmatic understanding of both state and local government and the politics that drive them. A native of Orange County, Garry is committed to expanding Coastkeeper’s presence as a proactive, results-driven organization that uses coalition building and partnerships to find effective solutions to the environmental problems that impact our communities and watersheds. Coastkeeper Gardens, located at Santiago Community College; and SmartScape, a model program for creating sustainable landscapes, are key projects that further this mission. Currently, Garry serves on numerous Boards of Director and governmental advisory committees, including:

• Orange County Coastkeeper- Board President
• California Coastkeeper Alliance- Board Vice-President
• National Waterkeeper Alliance- Board member
• SAWPA’s One Water One Watershed- Steering Committee
• Chairman of OCTA’s Environmental Clean-up Allocation Committee
• The Green Institute for Village Empowerment (GIVE)
• Vote the Coast, Board Chairman
• Port of Los Angeles/Long Beach OSPR Committee
• National Water Research Institute’s Advisory Panel for the GroundWater Replenishment System
• Ocean Defenders Alliance, Board Member
• C.A.R.E.-California Artificial Reef Enhancement Foundation- BoardMember
• American Green Power, Board member

Ellen A. Orange Brown Associate Director

Ellen co-founded Orange County Coastkeeper with her husband Garry in 1999.  As the Associate Director, she provides operational leadership and is responsible for organizational development, fund development strategy and implementation, and financial and administrative oversight.

Ellen hails from Greensburg, Pennsylvania, where she developed a wealth of expertise in hospital administration, public relations, and business and financial management.  She has called Orange County home since 1980, and is an active member of the community, contributing her time and talent as Treasurer to the Broadmoor Association in Huntington Harbour where she resides.

Ray Hiemstra Associate Director of Programs

Ray has a B.A. in Geography (1998) and a certificate in Environmental Studies (2000) from California State University Long Beach.  Ray has been the Project Manager for several projects contracted by the Regional Water Quality Control Board, including:

• Santa Ana River Citizens Water Quality Project (319h) 2001-2004
• Rhine Channel Remediation Alternatives Project (Prop 13) 2004-2006
• Orange County Watersheds Citizen Monitoring Project (Prop 13) 2004-2006
• Newport Bay Marinas Metals Study, 2006-2007
• Newport Bay Stormdrains Study, 2007-present
• Orange County Nurseries Water Quality Improvement Project, 2007-present

Ray participates as a Chairman of the City of Huntington Beach Environmental Board, and Board Member of the Port of Los Angeles Harbor Safety Commission.  He is a lifetime resident of Orange County, and a 20-year resident of Huntington Beach.  Ray works hard and plays hard, whether he’s riding motorcycles, hiking, fishing or relaxing to the tunes of Jimmy Buffet.

Colin Kelly Staff Attorney

Colin earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from the University of Oregon in 2003 and a Juris Doctorate from Whittier Law School in 2009.  Colin’s responsibilities at Coastkeeper range from supervising our Legal Internship Program, advocating our position at regional meetings, and developing strategies for our legal actions.  Prior to accepting a position with Coastkeeper, Colin was the two-time President of the Environmental Law Society and one of six recipients of the 2009 Dean’s Citation Award at Whittier Law School. When he is not at Coastkeeper, Colin enjoys spending time with his friends and family, enjoying the beach, visiting friends in Oregon with his wife, and attending Oregon football games.

Briana Madden Education Director

Briana graduated Summa Cum Laude from UC Santa Barbara in June 2004, with a B.A. degree in Comparative Literature- Emphasis in Environmental Studies.  Briana’s responsibilities at Coastkeeper include coordinating and leading high school field trips, curriculum development, speaking at community events, maintaining the Coastkeeper website and writing grant proposals.   As a guest scientist for the monthly Marine Life Survey at Newport Bay, Briana tests water quality, leads the mud sampling station, and educates citizens on the connection between urban runoff and health of marine life in the Bay.  When away from Coastkeeper, she also works at her family’s Irish Pub, Silky Sullivan’s.  These are a few of Briana’s favorite things: surfing, SCUBA diving, books, concerts, dancing, ice cream and Ireland.

Amanda Bird Marine Restoration Coordinator

Amanda earned her Bachelor of Science Degree in Conservation Biology from Arizona State University in May 2008, gaining experience in the associated fields of Marine Biology, Coastal Resource Management, terrestrial and marine Habitat Restoration and Management, the Ecology of Caribbean and Pacific coastal marine habitats, and biotic communities of the Southwestern United States and Northwestern Mexico. She performed research within the Marine Protected Areas of South Caicos, Turks and Caicos Islands as part of a study abroad component of her education while at ASU and worked with Rick Ware of Coastal Resources Management, Inc as a Research Technician in his surveys and restoration of eelgrass in Newport Bay. At Coastkeeper, Amanda is responsible for coordinating activities and assisting in high school field trips, research and curriculum development for the WHALES program and the Newport Back Bay Eelgrass Project, and other related projects. In her free time, Amanda enjoys the So Cal diving scene, snowboard trips to Utah and Colorado, and summer barbecues.

Taylor Debevec Education Coordinator

Taylor received a B.S. in Biology from UC San Diego in June 2009 where she also minored in Environmental Studies.  She has over 7 years of experience volunteering and working for aquariums that allowed her to coordinate summer camps, manage volunteers, and be a naturalist on whale watch cruises.  She did habitat conservation work in the Northeastern U.S., rehabilitated sick and injured marine mammals in Southern California, and taught students about coastal and marine ecosystems at an outdoor education program in South Carolina.  She also spent a year living in Italy! At Coastkeeper, Taylor is responsible for assisting in the coordination and facilitation of school field trips, research and development of the WHALES program, and other related projects.  When she’s not teaching students amazingly cool things about the world of water, you might find her hiking, playing cards, traveling, doing yoga, or cheering loudly for the Lakers.

Pamela Crouch Director of Communications & Marketing

At Coastkeeper, Pamela delivers our message to the community through publicizing our programs and events in order to increase recognition and support for the organization. Prior to joining Coastkeeper, Pamela spent time learning from her mentor and providing support for Mesa Water District’s communications department. A summer internship at Conservation Strategy Group in Sacramento, inspired Pamela’s goal to work for an environmental non-profit. Pamela graduated Cum Laude and Phi Beta Kappa from UC Irvine earning degrees in political science and drama with a minor in global sustainability.  Pamela has traveled to 16 countries, enjoys spending time with her friends & cats, as well as indulging in the microbrew culture.

Trisha Deshmukh Director of Development

Trisha is responsible for managing the organization’s corporate and foundation relations, major gifts, and membership program.  Prior to this role, Trisha served as the Director of Development at The Ecology Center, a nonprofit educational organization.  She possesses 8 years of experience in the nonprofit sector, and has worked for organizations in California and New York, leading fund development initiatives and managing educational programs.  She earned a Master of Public Administration specializing in public and nonprofit management from New York University, and a Bachelor of Arts degree from UC Berkeley. In her spare time, you’ll find Trisha hiking at El Moro Canyon, making ice cream, or buried in a book… but not at the same time.

Matt Trostad Garden Coordinator

Matt is a true City of Orange native.  He attended Fullerton College and has been in construction and engineering for 10 years.  Matt is very excited to be part of our garden team, and constructing one of Southern California’s largest demonstration gardens.  Matt states that the garden is the most beatiful and unique job sites he has ever worked on.  In his sparetime, Matt is an avid surfer and enjoys spending time with his dog, Ziggy.

Inland Empire Waterkeeper Office Staff

Rachael Hamilton Project Manager

Rachael recently moved back to her hometown of Riverside after working as a naturalist in the Cayman Islands where she led environmental education programs for Jean-Michel Cousteau’s Ambassadors of the Environment program at the Ritz-Carlton. She graduated with a B.A. in Environmental Studies from UC Santa Barbara in 2005, and continued with graduate work at Cal State San Bernardino. In 2006, she received her M.A. in Environmental Education and completed her Master’s project, titled “Interpretive Programs for Ecotourism.” When not working at Inland Empire Waterkeeper as a Project Manager, some of Rachael’s favorite things to do are: watch funny movies with her sisters, take walks with her husband and their dog Spartacus, and summer barbecues with friends and family.