Board of Directors
Alicia Bihler
Alicia is an environmental consultant with experience in drafting landscape-scale conservation plans, and facilitating partnerships between local, nonprofit, state, and federal agencies. This includes work with USFWS, the Department of the Interior, and the US Air Force. Alicia holds an M.S. in coastal environmental management from Duke University, and a B.A. in integrative biology from the University of California at Berkeley. In her free time, Alicia enjoys climbing and hiking her local parks. 
Alexandra Connell (Treasurer)
Alexandra has a background in finance and public policy and has worked with a renewable oils company since 2011. She currently focuses on both upstream and downstream business and corporate development projects looking to commercialize triglycerides produced from algae. Alexandra has always been passionate about environmental issues and marine environments in particular. Alexandra holds an MBA from Harvard Business School and an A.B. from Princeton University. 
Rick Davenport
For over two decades, Rick has worked with a variety of public and private companies to enhance their executive compensation and benefit plans. Before founding his own firm in 2005, Rick worked with Marsh / Mercer, Clark Consulting, and MCG Northwest. Earlier in his career, he worked as Managing Partner at D/A Financial Group of California. Rick graduated from the University of California, Berkeley Business School in 1981. Just two years later, he earned his Chartered Life Underwriter and Chartered Financial Consultant designations from The American College. Rick has served on a number of nonprofit boards, including the Board of Regents at John F. Kennedy University, the Alta Bates Foundation Board, the Orinda Country Club Board, the HVIA Board, and the Berkeley Business School Alumni Board. In his free time, Rick enjoys both snow and water skiing with his family, photography, scuba diving, and perfecting his skills as a private pilot. 
Dr. Kerry Davidson
Kerry began her connection with MARE thirty years ago when she worked with Dirk Rosen at Deep Ocean Engineering as Marketing Manager. After working at Deep Ocean, she returned to school and obtained her Medical degree at University of California, San Francisco. She has been practicing medicine at Marin General Hospital since 2001, where she has served as Chief of Staff and the President of Marin Hospitalist Medical Group. Currently Dr. Davidson serves on the Board of Directors of Marin Medical Practice Concepts and the Marin General Hospital Board Building Committee and she previously served on the Hospital Board of Directors. A native Californian, Dr. Davidson has a lifetime love of the ocean and is committed to marine preservation. 
Don Disraeli, Ph.D.
Don holds a Ph.D. in Ecology from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. In 1983, he launched Kanaloa Seafood—a national distributor of environmentally responsible seafood—with his wife Randee, a former researcher at the Scripps Institute of Oceanography. Kanaloa Seafood is a sustainable seafood company that takes a scientific approach to fishery management and harvesting. The company is the only seafood company in North America that meets the ISO 14001 standards for sound environmental management. Don is also a vice-president at the California Fisheries & Seafood Institute and an advisor to Sea Grant, California. 
Margie Winkler
Marjorie, ACFRE, a fundraising consultant since 2005, has organizational leadership, development, and consulting experience spanning nearly 3 decades and 4 states working in the arts, education, low-income housing, and human services. With five years as an executive director, two as a symphony manager, seven as a development director, and thirteen as an internal consultant for a national organization, her passion became helping organizations figure out how to build successful fundraising programs. 
Marc Lopata
Marc is an engineer and entrepreneur with over 20 years’ experience in engineering, construction, development, renewable energy, and applied sciences. He currently owns two solar energy companies, one in the US and one in the Caribbean with the goal of clean energy solutions for communities that make electricity by burning diesel fuel. Prior to the solar-energy industry, Marc worked as a marine engineer for Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institution and other organizations. He also has been active on the boards and volunteering for environmentally focused nonprofits, including aquariums and environmental centers; with a focus on governance and finance. Previously he served on the Board of Directors for M.A.R.E. from 2004 to 2010. 
Dirk Rosen (Executive Director)
Dirk has over 25 years of deepwater engineering experience. He was president and director of Deep Ocean Engineering before selling the company in 2000. At DOE, he was project manager and test pilot for all three Deep Rover 1,000 meter-rated manned submersibles, and a designer/operator of the Phantom and Bandit ROV systems. At Hawkes Ocean Technologies he served as project manager for the 11,000 meter rated Challenger, a manned submersible designed to go to the deepest point in the ocean, the Marianas Trench. He recently retired from the board of Save the Bay, where he served for nine years. |
