STAFF & CREW

TRACEY WEISS
Tracey Weiss is a non-profit Executive Director with 16+ years of experience in environmental education. She uses her passion for environmental education to inspire and engage youth and their adults to take stewardship of California’s natural world. Tracey excels in executive leadership, grant management, fund development, strategic vision and engagement, Board management, and developing pathways to better engage students in environmental education.
Working on a regional and statewide scale, Tracey possesses in-depth knowledge and experience in leading both the complex day-to-day operations of an organization as well as guiding its vision, growth, and financial reserves. Tracey currently is affiliated with the California Association for Environmental and Outdoor Education (AEOE) network, and California Marine Sanctuary Foundation. Tracey is thrilled to join the O’Neill Sea Odyssey team and looks forward to getting out on the water and seeing the joy on the faces of the participating students.

Tim O'Neill
Tim 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 and received his 100 ton skipper’s license in 1992. Tim also serves as President of Team O’Neill, is the Board President of O’Neill Sea Odyssey, and oversees the Team O’Neill fleet of ocean-going vessels. He lives in Santa Cruz with his wife Lisa O’Neill, his sons Riley and Connor, and daughter Bridget.

Abby Newman
Abby Newman started at O’Neill Sea Odyssey (OSO) in 2015 as an Instructor/Deckhand and transitioned into the Program Manager role in 2021. She was drawn to the OSO program for the opportunity to engage and motivate the next generation of ocean stewards to make conscious choices on land that affect our health and oceans. Abby has two master’s degrees in Marine Biodiversity and Conservation from the Scripps Institution of Oceanography at the University of California, San Diego, and Social Work from San Jose State University. Abby’s background in environmental justice and advocacy, policy development, and climate resiliency has forged a career path of fighting for healthy communities.

Mike Egan
Born and raised in Fresno, California, Mike’s connection to the ocean began while spending time at his family’s summer home in Santa Cruz. He has lived on the Central Coast since 1982. Mike attended Bullard High in Fresno, and Orange Coast College near Newport Beach, California, where he raced sailboats. Mike worked for O’Neill Yacht Center for five years, holds a 100 ton skippers license, and has been skipper of the Team O’Neill Catamaran for 27 years. He is married to his wife Jill and has two grown children, Ashley and Zachary. An avid fitness enthusiast, Mike runs marathons and participates in Spartan races in his free time.

Liz Murphy
Liz arrived at OSO after working as a deckhand on the Team O’Neill catamaran. She is an avid sailor and in the middle of a journey to learn all things boats. She’s passionate about the stewardship of the land and the ocean. She has a BA in literature from UCSC and a professional background in HR, finance, and development.

Darci Shea
Darci Bogdan was born in Santa Cruz, CA, was raised on a sailboat, and as a teenager, sailed from the west to the east coast of the United States. This upbringing inspired her to pursue a maritime career and she has been working as a captain for a little over a decade. Not only does Darci have a passion for captaining boats, but she also has a degree in Illustration from Savannah College of Art and Design and creates handmade cloisonné jewelry inspired by nature and conservation.