The Politics of Conservation

Dr. David Wilmot, Co-Founder and President, Ocean Champions

Tuesday, December 5

6:00pm-7:30pm

McGowan Building, Room 102

Free, Open to Public, No registration required

Presented by the Center for the Blue Economy

About the Topic: David Wilmot, Ph.D., President and Co-Founder of Ocean Champions, brings over thirty years of experience in ocean science, environmental policy, non-profit governance and fundraising, and political advocacy to Ocean Champions. Ocean Champions, a 501(c)(4) organization, with a connected political action committee (Ocean Champions PAC) is the first national organization of its kind focused solely on oceans and ocean wildlife. David will discuss what the politics of conservation means and how Ocean Champions has achieved legislative and electoral success over the past decade. “Ocean Champions is the political power that we have needed in the marine environmental community for decades.” Elliott A. Norse, Ph.D. President, Marine Conservation Biology Institute.

About the Speaker: David Wilmot brings over thirty years of experience in ocean science, environmental policy, non-profit governance and fundraising, and political advocacy to Ocean Champions. David received his MS and BS from the University of Georgia where he also Co-Founded Students for Environmental Awareness. David traveled to the west coast to study the recently discovered deep-sea hydrothermal vents and received his PhD in marine biology from Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California, San Diego. David continued his environmental work while at Scripps (worked with 2 fellow graduate students to ban Styrofoam on campus and local beaches) and it became clear his passion was advocacy. A National Sea Grant Marine Policy Fellowship at the National Research Council’s Ocean Studies Board helped David better understand ocean policy and the workings of Washington, DC. Next came the jump to advocacy with service as the Executive Director of the Ocean Wildlife Campaign (OWC) where for eight years he worked to build this coalition of six national and international organizations into the leading voice for the conservation of large ocean fishes. David has authored or co-authored numerous ocean science and conservation articles. David lives with his wife and two boys in the Santa Cruz area where they spend lots of time on and in the ocean. When he is not enjoying the ocean, or remodeling his house, David trains in the martial arts and has earned the rank of black belt in Shorinji-Ryu Karate-Do.

Related Links: Ocean Champions (https://www.oceanchampions.org/)

Lecture Location: The McGowan Building is located at 411 Pacific Street, Monterey, CA, 93940, on the campus of the Middlebury Institute of International Studies. Attendees will enter through the glass doors from Pacific street, and room 102 is located inside to the right. The McGowan Building is indicated as #20 on the campus map. Access the campus map at http://www.miis.edu/admissions/visit/campusmap.

Parking: Parking is available in any Middlebury Institute campus lot after 5pm or on the street (time limits on surrounding streets end at 6pm).

Questions: Contact Rachel Christopherson at the Center for the Blue Economy at cbe@miis.edu or 831-647-6615 x1.