San Diego Coastkeeper

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday, December 2, 2004

Press Contacts
Bruce Reznik	(619) 851-9997 (cell)
Linda Sheehan	(510) 770-9764

Linda Sheehan to be the New Executive Director of the California Coastkeeper Alliance

SAN DIEGO, CA – California Coastkeeper Alliance (CCKA) is proud to announce the addition of Linda Sheehan as Executive Director. Ms. Sheehan brings to the Alliance over fifteen years of experience on environmental issues, with a focus on protecting California's coast and ocean. Most recently, Ms. Sheehan was the Director of The Ocean Conservancy's Pacific Regional Office, where she oversaw efforts to revitalize marine fisheries, restore clean coastal waters, conserve marine wildlife, and protect ocean ecosystems. Ms. Sheehan has achieved notable success in protecting the health of coastal and marine waters off California by working to pass landmark legislation to control polluted runoff, improve coastal water quality monitoring, and curtail the introduction of harmful invasive species into coastal habitats.

"We are thrilled to bring aboard such an incredible advocate for the coast," commented Bruce Reznik, President of the California Coastkeeper Alliance. "Linda Sheehan will be a tremendous voice for the Waterkeeper movement in California."

"Waterkeeper groups such as the Coastkeeper Alliance work to protect their local communities and the waters they use for drinking, recreation and their livelihood," added Ms. Sheehan. "Waterkeepers also enable local communities to become better involved in decisions made about their waterways and their magnificent coast. I am proud to have the opportunity to help the California Coastkeeper Alliance ensure better water quality and ocean health statewide."

Ms. Sheehan holds a B.S. in chemical engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, an M.P.P. from the University of California, Berkeley's Graduate School of Public Policy, where she was a Berkeley Policy Fellow, and a J.D. from the University of California's Boalt Hall School of Law. Ms. Sheehan holds appointments to the state Oil Spill Technical Advisory Committee and the national Invasive Species Advisory Committee; she also serves on the Alameda County Local Agency Formation Commission, a regional planning agency.

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About California Coastkeeper Alliance
The California Coastkeeper Alliance is a coalition of five Southern California Waterkeepers organized to preserve, protect and restore California's coast by providing advocacy and expertise on clean water in the State Capitol, managing regional programs and serving as a resource to the member organizations. Our member organizations are Santa Barbara Channelkeeper, Ventura County Coastkeeper, Santa Monica Baykeeper, Orange County Coastkeeper and San Diego Baykeeper.