Board of Directors
Captain Jim "Homer" Holm
Founder
Operations Director
Captain Jim "Homer" Holm has been U.S. Coast Guard licensed since 1979, working for over 30 years in the maritime trades on various configurations of sail and motor craft including private luxury yachts, grand prix racing sailboats, marine research vessels, square-rigged training ships and fast rescue boats.
Captain Holm has crossed the Atlantic Ocean, sailed into the Mediterranean, North and Caribbean Seas, transited the Panama Canal, crossed the Pacific Ocean from California to Hawaii and back numerous times, and voyaged among many Pacific islands including Hawaii, French Polynesia, Fiji, Vanuatu, Australia, New Zealand and the Marshall Islands.
Captain Holm’s management experience includes developing and operating acclaimed non-profit marine education programs for clients including O’Neill International and the Monterey Bay Aquarium, serving over 50,000 kids and 5,000 adults over the last fourteen years. He has also been a successful fundraiser for people with Autism.
As Co-founder and Director of Operations for “The Clean Oceans Project”, Captain Holm is tasked with identifying and developing the technologies that will play a key role in removing destructive plastic marine debris from the world’s oceans.
Captain Holm feels extremely fortunate to reside on the beautiful central coast of California where an abundance of marine education resources and an awareness of environmental issues has provided him the perfect platform to share his knowledge and passion for the health of the sea. He is excited to discuss marine environmental and educational issues and invites inquiries through your favorite medium.
Bob Lee
District Attorney
County of Santa Cruz
Bob Lee was elected Santa Cruz District Attorney in 2002. He began his career as a prosecutor in 1985 as an Assistant District Attorney in Monterey County. He then joined the Santa Cruz County District Attorney's Office in 1988 where he worked as Assistant District Attorney for 14 years. He has also been a member of the Special Prosecution Unit, Supervisor of the Preliminary Hearing and Superior Court Felony Team, and lead attorney in charge of Child Molestation and Adult Sexual Assault Prosecution.
A native of Santa Cruz, Bob is the youngest of four brothers. Graduating with academic honors, Bob obtained his Bachelor of Science in Public Administration in 1980 from the California State University at Sacramento, and his Juris Doctorate in 1984 from the University of Santa Clara.
Bob's interest in The Clean Oceans Project, and their work to remove plastic pollution in the North Pacific Gyre, stems from a lifetime of living near and enjoying the Pacific Ocean. Currently he resides in Santa Cruz with his wife Barbara.
Rob Mazurek
Strategic Planning
Robert Mazurek started Conservation Planners in 2005 in order to fill a vital need for independent, strategic, and full service conservation planning. He has 10 years of proven experience creating adaptive and dynamic plans to achieve sustainable ocean ecosystems in mixed-use environments. He has over 20 years experience in marine science communications focused on educating decision makers and the general public.
Recently, Robert developed a communications plan, a "lessons learned" report, and a comprehensive funding strategy for the Monterey Bay Sanctuary Foundation's successful MPA Education and Outreach Initiative.
Robert has also spent the past three years advising the Resources Legacy Fund Foundation and the California Department of Fish and Game in the implementation of California's Marine Life Protection Act. Specifically, Robert took the lead on creating a statewide management planning framework and regional partnership protocols for the state's network of marine protected areas, which will be the largest in the world.
Previously, Robert was the Management Plan Coordinator for the Elkhorn Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve and spearheaded every aspect of the agency's conservation assessment and goal development. Using these new goals, he created an integrated program strategy, a five-year action plan, and a ten-year management plan. He then successfully guided this plan through a complex two-tiered Federal/State environmental review process.
Robert also spent six years at the Monterey Bay Aquarium and helped design and launch the Aquarium's nationally successful Seafood Watch Program. As part of this effort, he analyzed and evaluated the sustainability of fisheries throughout the world, worked with fishery scientists and fishermen to create a marketplace for sustainable seafood, and helped lead the program's communications and outreach effort.
Robert is the former Deputy Director of communications for California State University, Monterey Bay and was in charge of all internal communications and science-related external communications. He has written dozens of articles in magazines such as Popular Science, New Scientist, and the Smithsonian.
For over eight years Robert has served on the Executive Committee of the Monterey Bay Sanctuary Foundation's Board of Directors. He was also recently appointed vice-chair for the City of Santa Cruz Water Commission.
Lisa Rose
Executive Director
Friends of
Long Marine Lab
Seymour Marine
Discovery Center
UC Santa Cruz
Lisa started at UC Santa Cruz's Long Marine Laboratory 19 years ago as Executive Director of the Friends of Long Marine Lab with an annual budget of $60,000, two employees, and education program housed in trailers. She worked on the 6.2 million dollar capital campaign to build the Seymour Marine Discovery Center ten years ago with a current budget of 1.2 million, twelve employees and numerous student assistants and UCSC interns.
Prior to that she worked in the banking industry, culminating in positions as regional operations manager for the Northern California region, Branch Manager, then Assistant Vice President. Over the past 22 years in Santa Cruz she has served on the board of directors for the Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History, Santa Cruz Conference and Visitors Council, New Horizons School for Homeless Children, and Women's Education Success (WES) at Cabrillo College. She has been a volunteer and/or consultant for Rising International, Shared Adventures, Save Our Shores Coastal Clean-up, Special Olympics, and Habitat for Humanity.
Lisa strongly believes that ocean pollution, and specifically the marine plastics issue, is a significant threat to the health of our oceans and is pleased to be working with The Clean Oceans Project.
Zelda Tallman
Research Coordinator
Zelda comes from a large family and was raised in Northern California. As a child, she developed a love for the ocean and marine life during family vacations every summer in Capitola, California. Zelda gained an early appreciation for the concepts of social justice and taking collective responsibility. Her parents were activists, participating in the Civil Rights movement as well as the United Farmworkers movement. Zelda’s father was the first official doctor for the United Farmworkers Union and her parents helped to open the very first clinics to serve the workers on the Central Coast. She grew up on picket lines and marches and was taught the importance of taking a strong stand and speaking out in order to bring about positive social change.
After receiving a Bachelors Degree in Philosophy from University of California at Santa Cruz, Zelda went on to get a law degree from Santa Clara University School of Law. She feels passionately about the study of law and how its application can be used to honor and protect the most valuable and vulnerable of our resources; people, animals, and the earth. Zelda has worked as a criminal investigator, enjoys doing research and writing, has been trained in mediation, and recently worked as legal counsel for the California Alliance to Stop the Spray. She brings passion, commitment and a love of learning to the project.
Zelda lives near the beach with her husband Jonathan and their son, Ethan Ocean.
