ED ALMANZA

Ed Almanza is a professional environmental planner with special interest in the conservation of natural resources. His professional work focuses on implementing the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and the science of habitat management. He has authored dozens of environmental documents for local municipalities in Orange County. Mr. Almanza has a strong interest in the role of science in public policy formation, particularly in the area of natural resource conservation. He was instrumental in developing a scientific research program to support long-term management of multi-species preserves for the Natural Communities Conservation Program (NCCP). He is Laguna Ocean Foundation’s project manager for the Aliso Creek Estuary Restoration Project and coordinates the Laguna Coast Shorebird Survey. Mr. Almanza earned a Master’s Degree in Geography at UCSB with a thesis that analyzed methods for monitoring water quality of Mono Lake, California. A native southern Californian, Mr. Almanza first moved to Laguna Beach in 1971.

CYNTHIA LOVE

Cindy Love is a communications creative director by profession, native coastal Californian, environmental advocate and a Laguna Beach resident for more than 30 years. In addition to the ocean and nearshore ecology, her focus is on habitat conservation, restoration and reintegration of native and endemic species into our communities.

CANDICE BURROUGHS

Candice Burroughs is a 30+ year resident of the Laguna Beach area and is currently a real estate professional with Berkshire Hathaway Home Services California Realty. She is also a Certified Meeting Professional with extensive experience in the hospitality industry. She has had many opportunities to serve the community on both the local and regional level where she shares her passion for ocean, seniors, and the arts. She has been a student of gerontology and has been involved in the development of senior and affordable housing projects as well as many educational events for seniors and their families. Candice is the mother of two adult children and in her free time enjoys being on or in the water.

LAUREN HARPER

Lauren brings to the LOF Board her background in grant writing and project management. Currently, Lauren oversees the daily management of LACI’s Energy Programs and grants and assists in the further development of energy initiatives to advance clean technology innovation in Southern California. Before joining LOF, Lauren worked in administrative affairs and operational management at Columbia University and championed a collaborative grant program – overseeing the project management awarded projects – at Houston Wilderness. Lauren holds an MPA in Environmental Science and Policy from Columbia University and a bachelor’s degree from the University of Houston focused on Environmental Sciences & Systems. Lauren enjoys birding and hiking in her free time.

MORGAN JUST

Morgan Just has spent the last 17 years traveling the world as a world-winning skimboard champion, flowboarding professional, and wake surfing professional. Today, as a Laguna Beach native and real estate professional partnered with the Stanaland Group, Morgan continues teaching skimboard camps and lessons locally and internationally, to spread his passion for the sport and inspire the youth of the next generation. He continues to give back to his community in many different avenues, including serving on the board of the Laguna Ocean Foundation.

FRANCES NAUDÉ

Frances Naudé is a Laguna Beach native, proud resident, and committed protector of the beaches and oceans of the world. She has been involved in environmental conservation efforts since she was 8 years old. In addition to grassroots preservation and hands-on volunteer work, Frances now defends our coasts primarily through her specialized skills in marketing, outreach, and public relations. Separately from her environmental work, Frances is a small business owner in the health and wellness sphere and feels honored to get to serve the Earth and the people who live here.

JIM KEMPTON

Jim Kempton is a well-known pioneer in the surf & action sports industry, an author, editor, film writer and historian. He was a founding member for the San Onofre Foundation and served as its CEO. 

He was Editor and Publisher of Surfer Magazine, Group Publisher for TransWorld Publishing, and Director of the Quiksilver Crossing setting up programs for the brand around the globe. He also served as Director of Billabong, and is currently the President of the California Surf Museum where he has served for the last 10 years. He wrote and co-produced the film Big Wave Guardians which won the Oceanside International Film Festival for Best Screenplay, and received awards at the Dana Point Film Festival, Maui Film Festival, and other film festivals worldwide.  He was awarded the California Arts Award of Excellence in Editorial Writing, and has written hundreds of articles and columns. He is the author of four books: Women On Waves which won the Southern California Book Festival’s award for Non-Fiction; We Surf Then We Eat; Surfing the Manual; and The San Onofre Surfing Club.

Jim is a graduate of United States International University Kempton with an MBA in International Business and a BA in Journalism, and studied in England, Hawaii and California. A world traveler who has surfed or lived in over 30 countries, Kempton was born on Guam, growing up and learning to surf in the South Pacific. He lives in San Clemente with his wife and 3 children.

MIKE CAPOBIANCE

Mike has over 25 years of experience in developing and managing key partnerships for a wide range of organizations in both the corporate and nonprofit sectors, He currently is the Founder and Principal Consultant of The Funding Mix, a consulting firm specializing in building sustainable solutions for nonprofits. He holds a Master’s of Public Administration in Non-profit Administration from Baruch College in New York City.

At The Funding Mix, Mike provides fundraising and earned income strategies with supporting operational assessments to ensure his clients have the right systems for growth. He draws from his expertise in increasing revenue through sales, major gifts, and organizational data, as well as his experience in leveraging content platforms to improve skills and knowledge for students and educators. He has raised millions of dollars for organizations ranging in size from start-ups to established multi-national companies, such as ACT, MIND Research, Mouse, New Leaders, Power My Learning and Scantron.

For over 30 years (summer seasons) he was an Ocean Lifeguard for the Jones Beach Lifeguard Corps in Long Island, NY. During his “off” time he is an avid  trail and road runner, mentor and environmental advocate. After spending most of his life living on Long Island, Florida and New York City, Mike moved to California and now resides in Laguna Beach.

ANNE DABB

Anne Dabb teaches in the Philosophy Department and the Environmental Studies Program at California State University, San Marcos. Her specific areas of focus include: climate justice, climate change policy and planning, sustainability, environmental ethics, and bioethics, with particular interests in the complex intersections of power, gender, and social hierarchies.

Anne has also directed international education programs for several organizations, including Clemson University in South Carolina.

In addition to her academic work, Anne has worked extensively in the nonprofit sector—in the US and abroad—with an emphasis on strategic planning and development. She co-founded a globally focused NGO based in Austria and Germany that partnered with women-led community organizations on projects related to accessing and protecting water resources and provisioning and maintaining sanitation systems.

Anne has lived, worked, and taught in several countries, including Austria, Canada, Croatia, Germany, India, Turkey, and the United States.

ANdrea STOCKERT

With more than 15 years of unscripted television experience, award-winning Producer/Director Andrea “Drey” Stockert has worked on hundreds of hours of television content for networks such as TLC, Discovery, Animal Planet, Speed Channel, Food Network, Showtime and Netflix. She has served as a Director, Producer and Showrunner on such successful reality television series as The Aquanauts, Here Comes Honey Boo Boo, My First Home, Inside West Coast Customs, Bake or Break and School of Chocolate as well as co-create the Modern Myth Television.

Drey Stockert is a Master Scuba Diver Trainer and was inducted into the Women Divers’Hall of Fame in 2001. She is the co-founder of ‘The Ocean Lab’, a non-profit which is committed to bringing live-streaming ocean science expeditions into classrooms all over the world with traditional and 360 video formats.

Drey did her first night dive at Shaw’s Cove in Laguna Beach in 1990 and still considers Laguna’s reefs to be the best on the planet. She lives in South Laguna with her two daughters, Sailor and Aurora.