Meet The Team
Certified lifeguards, skilled watermen and women, and mentors who make the ocean feel like it belongs to every kid who shows up.
The People Steering The Ship
Chris Ragland
Founder / Executive Director
Lauren French
Program Manager
Heather Newman
Director of Development
Kai Karamitsos
Field Operation Lead
Kimiko Russell-Halterman
Curriculum Advisor
Mentors Your Kids Will Love & Trust
Mostly UCSB students — certified lifeguards and skilled watermen and women, close enough in age that a ten-year-old can picture themselves as an ocean steward.
Lucy Jones
Lead Coach
Charlotte Block
Lead Coach
Cassandra Kellum
Lead Coach
Roxanna Braganca
Coach
Kayla Mclaughlin
Coach
Mary Holtam
Coach
Matt Navarez
Coach
Audrey Engelsgjerd
Coach
Keiara Harvey
Coach
Taylor Platz
Coach
Alden McCabe
Coach
Sarah Breen
Coach
Sacha Perlson
Coach
Ruby Scott
Coach
Reese Raygoza
Coach
Maliya Coler
Coach
Minami Cramer
Coach
Marko Maramica
Coach
Bella Bawarshi-Hurdis
Coach
Ryan Waters
Volunteer
What Our Coaches Say
The kids don't remember the drills. They remember that someone believed they could paddle out on their own. That's the job.
Lucy Jones
Lead Coach
Meet Our Advisors
Scientists, educators, and community leaders who help shape our programs and partnerships.
Becca Tucker
Director of Corporate Engagement
Blue Whales and Blue Skies
Guy Walker
Trustee
SB County Board of Education
Laurel Baroth
Director of Research and External Partnerships
Stanford Medicine, Dept. of Epidemiology and Population Health
Dr. Rae Wynn-Grant
NBC Co-host
Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom: Protecting the Wild
Erica Zollett
Executive Director
Greti U. Croft Center for Undergraduate Environmental Leadership, UCSB
David Pellow
Dehlsen Chair of Environmental Studies
UC Santa Barbara
Dr. Michelle Paddack
Lecturer
Santa Barbara City College
Megan Kenny Feister
Founder and Director
Waypoint Strategic Consulting
Chase Brewster
Project Scientist
Benioff Ocean Science Laboratory
Katie Abbott
Treasurer
Santa Barbara Surfrider Foundation
Cooper Freeman
Alaska Director
Center for Biological Diversity
Sachiko Lamen
Sanctuary Advisory Council Coordinator
NOAA Office of National Marine Sanctuaries
Want To Make An Impact On The Coast?
We're always looking for certified lifeguards and ocean-loving mentors to join the coaching team.
Join Us