Jeff Ardron, Co-Founder and President
Dr Jeff Ardron has for more than 30 years worked in environmental governance, marine science, planning, and conservation, with experience in a wide range of sectors –governmental, inter-governmental and non-governmental, private, research and academia. He has co-founded two NGOs, three international initiatives, served on boards for several others. He has more than 55 papers in the peer-reviewed literature, as well as co-authoring a textbook on marine policy. He conceived and currently leads the Commonwealth Blue Charter programme for the Commonwealth Secretariat, London.
Rodolphe Devillers, Vice President
Dr Rodolphe Devillers is a marine Geographer interested in the use of geographic information sciences and remote sensing in marine conservation. He is senior research scientist at the French national research Institute for Sustainable Development IRD. His research interest includes systematic conservation planning, marine conservation and marine protected areas, seabed mapping and benthic habitat mapping and marine ecology. His research ranges from theoretical questions like the role of spatial scale in marine ecology, to applied research supporting ocean conservation and management done in collaboration with various government organizations (Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Parks Canada, Geological Survey) and NGOs (e.g. WWF).
Norma Serra Sogas, Secretary
Norma has been with PacMARA Program since 2011, organizing an leading Marxan trainings. Late in 2022 Norma become a Board Member taking on the secretarial. Norma works as an Environmental Analyst with Transport Canada. Previously, Norma worked as a Research Associate with CORAL Group at University of Victoria. She holds a MSc from University of Victoria, and an Advanced GIS degree from Spain. She is originally from Barcelona, Spain, but now lives in beautiful Victoria, British Columbia, with her husband and daughter.
Norma can be contacted at nserra(at)pacmara.org
Dr Heather Coleman is a scientist with the NOAA Deep Sea Coral Research and Technology Program. She is also a specialist in marine conservation and resource use planning, focused on bridging the gap between multi-disciplinary marine science and policy-making. Heather also acted as PacMARA’s Senior Science & Policy Advisor, identifying, designing, and directing innovative programs and projects to inform decision-making, primarily around marine spatial planning (MSP). In her years with PacMARA, Heather has built capacity and expanded resources available to conservation planners and managers by strategically developing and co-leading our internationally-recognized Marxan and systematic multi-objective planning training program from its inception, which operates around the world with 13 trainers in both English and Spanish.
Event Kenk, Treasurer
Evert Kenk has recently retired from the Provincial Government, as its Chief Resource Information Officer for the Natural Resource Sector, and as the Executive Director of GeoBC, where he was responsible for delivering information services to natural resource sector ministries and their business and public clients. Evert experience includes providing strategic provincial direction, advising legislation, setting policy and standards, leading organizational change, establishing needed governance, and delivering and operating land-related information systems. Evert, a Registered Professional Forester, brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to the PacMARA team.
Andrew Lewin, Board Member
Andrew Lewin is a Marine Spatial Ecologist, founder of Speak Up For Blue, and the President of Spatial-Conserve Inc. He specializes in the conservation of coastal habitats. Andrew has worked in the Arctic, Atlantic, and Gulf of Mexico participating in various projects such as water quality studies, sediment quality studies, fishery and benthic invertebrate studies, and marine mammal surveys.
Mark Zacharias, Board Member
Dr Mark Zacharias is currently a special advisor with Clean Energy Canada after a 25-year career with the British Columbia public service where he most recently served as deputy minister of environment and climate change strategy. Mark also holds adjunct faculty appointments at the University of British Columbia Institute for Oceans and Fisheries and the University of Victoria Department of Geography. Mark holds a PhD in zoology from the University of Guelph and has published extensively, including Marine Policy: An Introduction to Governance and International Law of the Oceans (2014, 2019) and Marine Conservation Ecology (2011).