Meet the Team
We currently have volunteer leadership and other positions open. More info
Surfrider San Mateo County Core Team
Chair: Chris DeVry (chair@smc.surfrider.org)
Vice Chair: Mitchell Milligan (vicechair@smc.surfrider.org)
Treasurer: Ashley Gray (treasurer@smc.surfrider.org)
A high school teacher by day, Ashley likes to spend his free time surfing, playing all original music with Slack Tide Currents, and/or volunteering for Surfrider and the Marine Mammal Center's Rescue team. A decades long Surfrider member, Ashley joined the Executive Committee of the San Mateo Chapter as Treasurer in 2018, and thoroughly enjoys working alongside like minded friends promoting efforts to protect our oceans, beaches, and all of the creatures who enjoy them.
Secretary: Nora Sakiz (secretary@smc.surfrider.org)
Policy Manager: Kimberly Williams (policy@smc.surfrider.org)
Kimberly Williams currently serves as the Chapter Secretary and Policy Manager. She has volunteered with the Chapter in various roles since 2016. Kim has a professional background in renewable energy policy and environmental advocacy and has worked for leading environmental organizations. Originally from the East coast, she has lived in San Mateo County for over 20 years, and 15 of those on the coastside. In her free time you will often find her out on the water mostly sea kayaking (sadly she is a timid surfer), or mountain biking, hiking, volunteering, and supporting local organic farms.
Volunteer Coordinator: Lilly Hsueh (volunteercoordinator@smc.
Lilly grew up in southern California but now resides in Pacifica, and is a life-long lover of the ocean and California coast. All her life, she has had her heart in volunteering to give back to the community and help those around her. In her free time, she enjoys tending to her houseplants, hiking, watching her husband surf (safe and dry, from shore), and spending time with her two dogs on the beach.
Beach Cleanup Co-Leads: Grace Jimenez-Wong (beachcleanups@smc.surfrider.org), Marisa Torres, Nora Sakiz (secretary@smc.surfrider.org)
Ocean Friendly Restaurants: Sarah King (ofr@smc.surfrider.org)
Sarah's a coastal native that's been hopping from shore to shore across the country. Her dedication to sustainability and background in environmental policy have made her passionate about helping businesses make sustainable transitions. Sarah loves studying marine science (ask her about eels!), going on long hikes, and finding fun happy hours.
Plastics Policy Manager: Karen Madsen (plastics@smc.surfrider.org)
Karen lives in Montara and is an active coastside volunteer in the areas of marine and land conservation. In addition to her role as the Plastics Policy Lead for Surfrider (SMC Chapter), her other volunteer work includes: Naturalist, Fitzgerald Marine Reserve; Docent, Ano Nuevo State Park; Skyline Committee/Ambassador, Peninsula Open Space Trust; and Beach Watch Surveyor, Greater Farallones Association. Karen is committed to helping Surfrider advocate for legislation/ordinances that reduce single use plastics and address plastic pollution at the source. Karen came to care for conservation/environmental issues due to her love of the ocean and open spaces. She enjoys exploring tidepools, whale watching, sailing and learning about native California wildflowers.
Hold Onto Your Butts Coordinator: Meredith Kasyan (hotyb@smc.surfrider.org)
Meredith moved to the coast 3 years ago after retiring from 20 years of running her own non-profit theatre company in Redwood City. She threw herself into volunteering with several local non-profits, & found a passion for cleaning up our beaches and neighborhoods. Her parents were life-long smokers, so focusing on picking up cigarette butts was like coming full-circle from her childhood. When she's not picking up cigarette butts, she's running OceanCiders Cider Bar in the Pillar Point Harbor area.
Newsletter Coordinator: Rhianna Hixon (rhixon@smc.surfrider.org)
Member At Large: Britt Bensen
Britt joined the SMC chapter with a fundraising idea targeted at single use bottle returns in 2017. He's been the chapter's Fundraising Lead since that year and the Vice Chair since 2020. He's been leading the chapter in 2022 in the same position. He enjoys living a healthy lifestyle that consists of outdoor activities in the sun and water. Loves a cold plunge! Volunteering for Surfrider locally has been a valuable and enjoyable part of his life to give back to the community. Slow Food is a passion of his too and he's written about local food producers with sustainable practices.
OPEN POSITIONS
We are looking for passionate volunteers for our open positions! See current openings here or email volunteercoordinator@smc.