• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content

Santa Barbara Channelkeeper

Keeping Watch for Clean Water

  • About
    • Our Mission & Vision
    • Our Team
    • Our Boat
    • Our History
    • Our Impact
    • About the Santa Barbara Channel
    • Financial Information
    • Contact Us
  • Our Work
    • Education
    • Community Engagement
      • Oil Spill Resource Guide
      • Trash Clean-Ups
      • Film Plastic Recyling
      • Water Conservation
      • Events
      • Volunteer
      • Action Alerts
      • Report Pollution
    • Field Work
      • Beach Water Quality
      • Stream Team
        • Water Quality Indicators
        • Stream Team Data Portal
        • Leydecker Archives
      • MPA Watch
      • Cruise Ship Monitoring
      • Ocean Acidification
      • Trash Clean-Ups
    • Advocacy
      • Polluted Runoff
      • Agriculture
      • Oil & Gas
        • Refugio Oil Spill
        • Oil Spill Resource Guide
        • Platform Decommissioning
        • Legacy Oil Wells
        • Offshore Fracking
      • Ventura River
      • Plastic
        • Film Plastic Recyling
      • Marine Protected Areas
        • MPA Watch
      • Water Supply
        • Desalination
        • Conservation
    • Enforcement
      • Ventura River
      • Offshore Fracking
      • Agriculture
      • Sewage
      • Ojai Quarry
      • Halaco
  • Take Action
    • Donate
    • Volunteer
      • Watershed Brigade
        • Watershed Brigade Event
        • Watershed Brigade Monthly Challenge
        • Watershed Brigade Corporate Challenge
      • Stream Team
      • MPA Watch
      • Trash Clean-Ups
      • Events & Outreach
    • Report Pollution
    • Subscribe to eNews
    • Action Alerts
    • Shop
      • Buy Channelkeeper Gear
      • Shop & Support Channelkeeper
    • Upcoming Events
  • Media
    • Press Releases
    • Blog
    • Newsletter Archive
    • eNews Archive
    • Video Gallery
  • Donate
A happy group of Santa Barbara Channelkeeper members jumping off the R/V Channelkeeper boat.

Our Team

The Channelkeeper crew is a super smart, savvy team of individuals who work together to achieve a common goal we’re deeply passionate about – clean water.

Ted Morton, Executive Director

Ted has more than 25 years of experience in ocean conservation policy and leadership. Ted previously directed The Pew Charitable Trusts oceans’ programmatic work at the federal level and directed a campaign at the Environmental Defense Fund to improve the international trade of coral reef wildlife. He served as the vice president of organizational effectiveness and operations at SeaWeb, director of operations at the Pew Institute for Ocean Science, and federal policy director for Oceana. As policy director at American Oceans Campaign, he was instrumental in the 2000 passage of legislation that strengthened water testing and public notification programs nationwide. He has also led several ocean and clean water advocacy coalitions throughout his career.

He holds a bachelor’s degree in political science from Furman University and a Juris Doctor from the University of Georgia School of Law. Ted grew up in Atlanta and in his free time, he enjoys traveling, running, hiking, swimming, and cheering on the Georgia Bulldogs.

Penny Owens, Education & Community Outreach Director

Penny Owens has led Channelkeeper’s education programs since she joined our team in 2004. She also manages Channelkeeper’s single-use plastic reduction initiative and our MPA Watch program. Prior to her work with Channelkeeper, Penny worked as an educator for several organizations and as a research diver in California’s kelp forests. She has a bachelor’s degree in Biology and Environmental Studies from UC Santa Cruz. Penny’s knowledge of marine and coastal ecosystems is a natural complement to her diverse field experiences in environmental education. In her free time, she enjoys being outdoors in the ocean, mountains, or among plants.

Ben Pitterle, Science & Policy Director

Ben Pitterle is Channelkeeper’s Science & Policy Director. Since 2006, Ben has supported Channelkeeper’s mission by developing and managing water quality monitoring programs, directing advocacy campaigns, and managing litigation and enforcement initiatives. Before joining Channelkeeper, Ben worked in the hazardous waste management and environmental remediation fields. He earned a Masters in Environmental Science and Management from UC Santa Barbara’s Bren School and a BS in Environmental Science from UC Riverside.

Molly Troup, Science & Policy Associate

Molly Troup joined the Channelkeeper crew in 2018. She assists with the development and implementation of Channelkeeper’s advocacy, monitoring, public education, and outreach activities. Molly has a Master’s in Environmental Science and Management from UCSB’s Bren School of Environmental Science and Management, a background in coastal planning, and a fierce drive to inspire new environmental stewards through her work at Channelkeeper. When she’s not in our creeks taking water samples or giving public testimony at hearings, Molly is out trail running in the mountains or paddle boarding along the coast.

Laura Sanchez, Communications Director

Laura is an accomplished communications professional who has led global marketing and communications teams in the renewable energy sector. As the former editor of Water Efficiency and Distributed Energy magazines, she has written extensively about water quality and resource conservation issues. She brings an abundance of strategic leadership, content development, and public relations expertise to support our communications initiatives. Laura earned her bachelor’s degree from Middlebury College in Vermont and began her editorial career in Copenhagen, Denmark. A multi-generation Carpinterian, Laura grew up hopping rocks in Rincon Creek and playing in the waves at Padaro Beach. Laura is excited to use her communications expertise to advocate for clean water and to benefit our local community.

We’re looking for a Development Director! 

Santa Barbara Channelkeeper is currently seeking a Development Director to join our team. Development Director candidates should be passionate about the mission and work of Santa Barbara Channelkeeper, enthusiastic about fundraising, and experienced in asking for financial support from a diversity of sources. Click here to learn more.

Board of Directors

Santa Barbara Channelkeeper has a dedicated and diverse Board of Directors with a wide range of professional backgrounds, including finance, law, business, real estate, marketing, non-profit management, fundraising, and science. They volunteer their time and expertise and provide significant financial support to the organization.

Brad Newton
President, Founder & Principal, Newton Geo-Hydrology Consulting Services

Karen Telleen-Lawton
Vice-President, Principal, Decisive Path Fee-Only Financial Advisory

Walt Wilson
Treasurer, Business Owner (retired)

Kathleen Rogers
Secretary, Writer/Editor

Mimi DeGruy
Filmmaker and Writer

Ken Falstrom
Attorney (retired)

Sherry Madsen 
Vice President of Development, Planned Parenthood (retired)

Hank Mitchel
Retired

Nick Mucha
Environmental Programs Manager, Patagonia

Jeff Phillips
Senior Federal Government Fish and Wildlife Biologist

Sarah Preston
Special Gifts & Events Officer, Cate School

Bruce Reitherman
Conservation Manager, Land Trust of Santa Barbara County

John Simpson
Owner, The Shopkeepers

Robert Warner
Professor, UCSB Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Marine Biology (retired)

Advisory Council

In addition to our Board of Directors, Santa Barbara Channelkeeper also has an Advisory Council which provides technical expertise, advice, recommendations and support to the Board of Directors, assists with fundraising, facilitates connections to key organizations and individuals, and serves as ambassadors for Channelkeeper in the community. Most of our Advisory Council members are former members of our Board of Directors.

David Anderson
Attorney, Land Trust for Santa Barbara County (retired)

Michael S. Brown
Principal, Brown & Wilmanns Environmental Consulting

Michael Crooke
Professor, Graziadio School of Business and Management, Pepperdine University

Dan Emmett
CEO, Douglas, Emmett & Co

Rae Emmett
Educator and Naturalist, Channel Islands Naturalist Corps

Steven Gaines
Dean, Bren School of Environmental Science & Management, University of California Santa Barbara

Holly Sherwin
Educator

Jack Stapelmann
Boat Builder and Philanthropist

Carla Tomson
Creative Design Consultant

Robert Wilkinson
Professor, UCSB Bren School of Environmental
Science and Management

 

Contact Us

714 Bond Avenue
Santa Barbara, CA 93103
info@sbck.org
(805) 563-3377

Subscribe to eNews

© 2022 Santa Barbara Channelkeeper | Website by Mission Web Marketing
NAVIGATION
  • About
    • Our Mission & Vision
    • Our Team
    • Our Boat
    • Our History
    • Our Impact
    • About the Santa Barbara Channel
    • Financial Information
    • Contact Us
  • Our Work
    • Education
    • Community Engagement
      • Oil Spill Resource Guide
      • Trash Clean-Ups
      • Film Plastic Recyling
      • Water Conservation
      • Events
      • Volunteer
      • Action Alerts
      • Report Pollution
    • Field Work
      • Beach Water Quality
      • Stream Team
        • Water Quality Indicators
        • Stream Team Data Portal
        • Leydecker Archives
      • MPA Watch
      • Cruise Ship Monitoring
      • Ocean Acidification
      • Trash Clean-Ups
    • Advocacy
      • Polluted Runoff
      • Agriculture
      • Oil & Gas
        • Refugio Oil Spill
        • Oil Spill Resource Guide
        • Platform Decommissioning
        • Legacy Oil Wells
        • Offshore Fracking
      • Ventura River
      • Plastic
        • Film Plastic Recyling
      • Marine Protected Areas
        • MPA Watch
      • Water Supply
        • Desalination
        • Conservation
    • Enforcement
      • Ventura River
      • Offshore Fracking
      • Agriculture
      • Sewage
      • Ojai Quarry
      • Halaco
  • Take Action
    • Donate
    • Volunteer
      • Watershed Brigade
        • Watershed Brigade Event
        • Watershed Brigade Monthly Challenge
        • Watershed Brigade Corporate Challenge
      • Stream Team
      • MPA Watch
      • Trash Clean-Ups
      • Events & Outreach
    • Report Pollution
    • Subscribe to eNews
    • Action Alerts
    • Shop
      • Buy Channelkeeper Gear
      • Shop & Support Channelkeeper
    • Upcoming Events
  • Media
    • Press Releases
    • Blog
    • Newsletter Archive
    • eNews Archive
    • Video Gallery
  • Donate