Chad is the Chief Executive Officer of Surfrider, the world’s largest grassroots network dedicated to protecting the world’s oceans, waves and beaches, through approaches that integrate coastal recreation with conservation. He grew up on the coast surfing, swimming and fishing, and it wasn’t until grad school that he realized he could combine his passion for science and protecting the environment with his love of the ocean. With Surfrider, Chad appreciates that protecting the environment needs more than science and government – it needs people! Chad completed his Doctorate on the Economics of Coastal Recreation and Surfing to help ensure that oceans, waves and beaches are valued appropriately. He also helped to establish the field of “Surfonomics,” which applies natural resource economic approaches to value the material and financial benefits of surfing.

www.surfrider.org