Jody Kennedy
Washington Policy Manager
A staff member first drew me to Surfrider. I was coordinating a committee of volunteers advising local government on marine resources programs, policies and projects in Washington's San Juan Islands. Surfrider was active on the committee and outspoken for a new approach to coastal management-- one where coastal communities and ocean users are engaged in research, stewardship, and decision making for the coast. In the San Juans, we tested this approach and saw the positive difference engaged community members make on the ground. Because of this success, I left the San Juans and went to work with the Surfrider Foundation, launching a similar initiative on Washington’s Pacific Coast. Originally from Colorado, I have always spent much of my free time recreating in the outdoors. I used to think nothing could be better than fresh powder on the chutes at Mary Jane, but then I caught my first wave off the Washington coast.
