BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Jack O'neill

Jack O’Neill (1923-2017), Founder

Jack was the developer of the surfing wetsuit and founder and Chairman of O’Neill Inc., located in Santa Cruz, California. Jack O’Neill’s concern for the environment led him to search for a way to give something back to the ocean which gave him and his family so much.

The O’Neill Sea Odyssey, created in 1996 provides a hands-on educational experience to encourage the protection and preservation of our living seas and communities. Jack O’Neill, resided in Santa Cruz just steps from the Monterey Bay prior to his passing in 2017.

Tim O'neill

Tim O’Neill, Board President

Tim O’Neill has been a surfer and sailor for most of his life, learning to surf and sail at age five. Tim graduated from Soquel High School, and worked at the O’Neill surf shop both during and after his years at Soquel High. Tim started running the Team O’Neill catamaran when it was launched in 1983. He received his 100 ton skipper’s license in 1992. Tim also serves as President of Team O’Neill and is in charge of the O’Neill fleet. He lives in Santa Cruz with his wife Lisa O’Neill, and his sons Riley and Connor and daughter Bridget.

Bridget O'neill

Bridget O’Neill, Board Chair

Born in San Francisco and raised in Santa Cruz, Bridget O’Neill serves as Vice President for International Design for O’Neill, Incorporated. In this capacity, Ms. O’Neill serves as an officer for the company and oversees all design of products and clothing for O’Neill’s licensees.

Mike McCabe

Mike McCabe, Board Vice-President and Treasurer

Mike is a partner in the CPA firm McCabe & Totah, LLP, located in San Jose, California. He was born in Dublin, Ireland and spent the majority of his early years in Pennsylvania, Indiana and Ohio before moving to San Jose to attend Santa Clara University. He graduated from Santa Clara in 1978 and spent 15 years with one of the national accounting firms leaving in 1993 to open his own practice with several other CPA’s. Mike is married, has 5 children and enjoys camping and scuba diving.

Nicholas P. Petredis, Esq.

Nicholas P. Petredis, Esq., Board Secretary

Nicholas P. Petredis, Esq., Board Secretary, is an attorney in private practice in the Silicon Valley. He received his law degree from Temple University School of Law after completing an M.A. in Planning & Public Administration from Pepperdine University and a B.A. in Political Science from Salem College. Prior to entering law school, Nick was an officer in the U.S. Marine Corps serving as a Naval Aviator. A resident of Palo Alto, he is
the past Chair of the Palo Alto Airport Commission, advises several
non-profit organizations pro bono and is a Director on the
Board of the San Jose Medical Research Foundation.

Robert Bremner

Robert Bremner

Rob is the owner of Essential Surf Company LLC, an internet retailer and also manages a family investment partnership. He is a longtime member of the Santa Cruz County Planning Commission and has recently been appointed to the Board of Trustees of the Sutter Maternity and Surgery Center. Before that he served for nine years on the Board of Directors of the Community Foundation of Santa Cruz County. He received his BS degree in Accounting from San Francisco State University. Rob was born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area and has resided in Santa Cruz with his wife Nancy since 1982. They have three teenage daughters.

James Beckett, M.D.

James Beckett, M.D.

Dr. Beckett has been a practicing dermatologist at the Santa Cruz Medical Foundation since 1978, and has been educating area residents about sun safety and providing skin cancer screening for 20 years. He was an Associate Clinical Professor of Dermatology at Stanford University School of Medicine for 25 years. Dr. Beckett also served as the Medical Director of the Santa Cruz Medical Clinic from 1982 to 2004.He received his Bachelor of Science degree from the University of California, Santa Barbara and his Doctor of Medicine degree from the University of California, Los Angeles School of Medicine. At UCLA he was elected to the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Society. His residency in dermatology was conducted at the Stanford University School of Medicine where he received a National Institute of Health (NIH) Fellowship in Dermatopathology.A recipient of the Health Caring Award from the William S. Graham Melanoma Foundation, Dr. Beckett currently serves on the boards of Santa Cruz Cancer Benefit Group, Santa Cruz Medical Clinic, Inc., Palo Alto Medical Foundation, and O’Neill Sea Odyssey.

Megan Goddard

Megan Goddard

Megan is a long time resident of Santa Cruz County and she grew up in Aptos and currently lives in the City of Santa Cruz.  She is a lifelong explorer and has traveled to 60+ countries for work, tourism, and scuba diving. She has an educational background of Water Resources, Watershed Science and GIS mapping to the CWC Board. She obtained a Masters and PhD from Clemson University with research specifically examining the impacts of land use change on water quality in small urban watersheds and has a BS from UC Davis in Environmental Resource Sciences.
 
Megan brings years of work experience as a mapping expert and program management. She has been an employee of Google since 2006 with roles ranging from GIS mapping, Accessibility and creating accessible products for people with disabilities. She currently is a program manager for Google Maps. 

Dr. Daisy Morales

Dr. Daisy Morales

Dr. Daisy Morales is the Live Oak district superintendent, serving Del Mar Elementary School, Green Acres Elementary School, Live Oak Elementary School, Ocean Alternative & Ocean Online schools, Shoreline Middle School and Tierra Pacifica Charter School. She received her bachelor’s degree in Spanish with a minor in business administration from San Jose State. Prior to entering education, she was a controller and chief financial officer of a nonprofit. She earned a master’s degree in education with a focus on curriculum and instruction, as well as her Multiple Subject Bilingual Cross-Cultural Language and Academic Development credential from San Jose State. She earned her doctorate in organizational leadership from Brandman University in Monterey. She has also previously served as assistant superintendent of educational services in the Salinas City Elementary School District, and taught various grade levels as well as high school Spanish. As an administrator, she has served in various capacities including curriculum and accreditation director, English language development coordinator, vice principal, principal and the director of English language learner services and migrant education. She resides in Santa Cruz in the community she is currently serving in.

Brad Boardman

Jim Thoits

Jim Thoits

Jim currently works for his Palo Alto-based family business, Thoits Brothers. Inc., which manages properties held by their corporation. Jim attended San Jose State University and Moss Landing Marine Laboratories where he got his BS in Marine Biology and Chemistry. He has worked for environmental firms both as a biologist, chemist and a laboratory director. As an avid sailor, he has cruised throughout the Pacific, been involved in offshore racing and has owned boats in the Santa Cruz Harbor since 1971. He was elected to the Santa Cruz Port Commission and is serving his second 4 year term. He served on the O’Neill Sea Odyssey Leadership Team, and was a member of the Santa Cruz Lighthouse Committee during the initial phases of conception through construction. He grew up in the Palo Alto area but has resided in Santa Cruz since 1971. He is married to his wife Debbie and they have two teenage daughters.