2010 Board of Directors

Harry Simmons, President: Simmons is mayor of Caswell Beach, NC, and chairman of the Brunswick Beaches Consortium, a countywide sand management group. He is executive director of NC Beach, Inlet & Waterway Association, a coastal education and advocacy organization. Mayor Simmons is a member of the NC Coastal Resources Advisory Council and is treasurer of the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway Association. He was recently appointed to the National Sea Grant Advisory Board. He spent most of his first career as owner of Simmons Management Group, a music management firm and is still a voter for the prestigious Grammy Awards.

Tom Campbell, P.E., Vice President: President of Coastal Planning & Engineering in Boca Raton, FL, Campbell is an engineer who works with a variety of coastal communities. His national experience helping communities renourish their beaches brings hands-on knowledge of coastal engineering.

Tony Pratt, Vice President: Delaware’s shoreline and waterway administrator, Pratt oversees programs related to beach nourishment, beach construction regulation, coastal hazards mitigation and waterway management. He was a member of the National Research Council Committee on Beach Nourishment and Protection and the Heinz Center Panel on Risk Vulnerability and the True Costs of Coastal Hazards.

Russell Boudreau, P.E., Vice President: With 25 years of experience in coastal and ocean engineering and a registered civil engineer, Boudreau is an Associate Vice President and Principal Coastal Engineer with Moffatt & Nichol in Long Beach, California. His responsibilities have included planning, engineering and construction management for a broad range of beach nourishment, regional sediment management, wetland restoration, water quality and navigation improvement projects in the U.S. and throughout the Pacific Rim. He has a Master of Engineering degree from the University of California at Berkeley.

Phillip Roehrs, P.E., Vice President: As Water Resources Engineer, Roehrs leads the City of Virginia Beach’s Coastal and Storm Water Engineering Divisions. Programs under his supervision include beach replenishment, shore protection works, maintenance of navigation channels, storm water system improvements, storm water quality initiatives, and the City’s Pollution Discharge Elimination System Permit and National Flood Insurance Program. Roehrs is a past-president of the Virginia Shore & Beach Preservation Association and is a member of the American Society of Civil Engineers, the American Public Works Association and the Engineering Club of Hampton Roads.

Nicole Elko, Ph.D., Secretary: As the former Coastal Coordinator for Pinellas County, Elko managed five major beach nourishment projects along 35 miles of shoreline. She now operates her own consulting business that specializes in the management, funding, and public relations of major beach nourishment projects. Elko has a Ph.D. in Coastal Geology from the University of South Florida. She is familiar with coastal erosion issues on the west coast of Florida and has published several research papers on the performance of beach nourishment at erosional hotspots.

 Brad Pickel, Treasurer: Pickel is co-principal of Seahaven Consulting, a coastal and environmental consulting firm in Beaufort, SC. Prior to starting his own business in 2007, he was the director of beach management for the Walton County, Florida Tourist Development Council for seven years and oversaw beach restoration and maintenance activities for the 26-mile long shoreline. He received a B.S. in Marine Biology from Auburn University and M.S. in Marine Sciences from the University of South Alabama.

ASBPA board members:

Patricia C. Bates is Supervisor for Orange County’s 5 th District, and serves as co-chair of the Orange County Coastal Coalition, providing a means for governmental agencies and interested parties to collaborate in issues related to the coast. She serves on the Coastal Greenbelt Authority, a Cooperative Management Authority of Laguna Coast Wilderness Park and Aliso & Wood Canyons Wilderness Park. As a former State Assemblywoman, Bates received the California Coastal Coalition and the Southern California Wetlands Recovery Project’s Coastal Stewardship Award for her efforts to promote the preservation, protection, and restoration of California’s coastline. 

 Bob Battalio, P.E., is CSBPA president and principal of Philip Williams & Associates, Ltd., San Francisco. For over 20 years he has lead studies of coastal and estuarine processes, mapping of coastal hazards and designs restoration of natural aquatic ecosystems including beaches and coastal wetlands. Battalio provided coastal engineering and geomorphology for the Pacifica State Beach Restoration Project, winner of ASBPA’s America’s Best Restored Beaches Award in 2005. He holds a Masters of Engineering in Civil (Coastal) Engineering from UC Berkeley.

 Michael Bruno, Ph.D.: Dean of the School of Engineering and Science and Professor of Ocean Engineering at Stevens Institute of Technology, Hoboken, New Jersey, his research and teaching interests include ocean observation systems, coastal ocean dynamics, maritime security, and estuary and ocean water quality. Bruno serves as Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Marine Environmental Engineering; Secretary-General of the Pan American Federation of Coastal and Ocean Engineers; member of the Marine Board; the Transportation Research Board Committee on Marine Environment; and the New Jersey Beach Erosion Commission.

Michael Chrzastowski, Ph.D.: As a coastal geologist with the Illinois State Geological Survey, he is familiar with coastal erosion issues in southern Lake Michigan as well as the other Great Lakes. His work along the Chicago shoreline provides a strong background in the study of human influence on coastal change along urban coasts.

Dick Dewling, PhD.: Presently President of Dewling Associates, Inc., Environmental Engineers and Scientists, he previously served in senior management positions, including Regional Administrator, with the USEPA, Region II; and was the former Commissioner of the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection. While Commissioner, one of his primary concerns and focus was the improvement of coastal and ocean water quality, and the protection and enhancement of New Jersey's 127-miles of ocean shoreline and beaches. He is presently President of the Jersey Shore Partnership.

Michael Dombrowski, P.E.: President of MRD Associates, Inc. in Destin, Florida, he has more than 20 years’ experience with coastal projects and leads a talented team of engineers and scientists. His wide range of experience includes coastal processes, shoreline restoration, structures, and tidal inlets. Michael provides consulting services for the Florida Park Service and to local governments across the Gulf coast. He holds a Masters degree in Coastal Engineering from the University of Florida.

Scott Douglass, Ph.D.: A civil engineering professor at the University of South Alabama specializing in coastal engineering research, hee is the author of a book about beaches for laypersons entitled “Saving America’s Beaches: The causes of and solutions to beach erosion.”

Deborah Flack: As a coastal advocate from Tallahassee, Florida, Flack has been working with coastal communities for years to assist them in garnering state and federal support for their projects. As President, she represents the Florida Shore and Beach Preservation Association on the ASBPA board. She is a former head of Florida’s beach management program.

 Douglas A. Gaffney, P.E.: A coastal engineer, Gaffney is with Ocean and Coastal Consultants, Inc., with clients ranging from nonprofit organizations to the Federal government. Prior to OCC, he was a project manager with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. He has 20 years experience with numerous papers published on aspects of dredging and coastal engineering. Doug has a master’s degree from the University of Delaware and a bachelor’s degree from the United States Merchant Marine Academy. Doug is the president of the Northeast Shore & Beach Preservation Association.

Stephen Higgins: Broward County (FL) Beach Erosion administrator and assistant director of the Natural Resources Planning and Management Division, he has worked for Broward County in southeast Florida for 30 years as a land and hydrographic surveyor, coastal engineer, coastal manager and erosion control chief. Steve also serves as a Director and past Chair of the Florida Shore and Beach Preservation Association and is a member of the Steering Committee for the Clean Beaches Council’s Blue Wave Campaign.

Barry Holliday: Executive Director of the Dredging Contractors of America (DCA), nonprofit organization representing the nation's dredging and marine construction contractors, Holliday previously served for over 33 years as a civilian with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, retiring in 2006 as the Navigation Program Manager for the entire Corps command. Mr. Holliday serves on the Board of the Western Dredging Association, the National Waterways Conference, and the Marine Cabotage Task Force.

James R. Houston, Ph.D.: Director Research and Development of the Corps of Engineers and Director of the 2000-person Engineer Research and Development Center that includes all Corps R&D laboratories, Houston has a Ph.D. in engineering sciences from the University of Florida. He has published over 130 reports and papers and has received honors and awards including the Distinguished Presidential Rank Award, the FSBPA’s National Beach Advocacy Award and the ASBPA’s Morrough P. O’Brien Award.

Tim Kana, Ph.D. : Founder and president of Coastal Science & Engineering with offices in Columbia (SC) and Morehead City (NC), Kana has 30 years experience in coastal erosion projects and has written over 250 reports and publications relating to coastal processes, sediment budgets, beach nourishment, impacts of sea-level rise and coastal zone management. Dr. Kana has served as project director on more than 20 beach nourishment projects in the Carolina's including several inlet relocations.

John Lee Jr.: Mitigation Coordinator for Galveston County (TX) Office of Emergency Management and is a member of the ASBPA Executive Committee, Lee serves as Vice-President of the Texas Chapter of ASBPA, Secretary of the Galveston County Beach Erosion Task Force, and is a member of the Galveston Island State Park Advisory Committee. Lee has been involved in the protection of coastal resources for nearly 30 years and believes it is possible for everyone to participate in that process through partnerships and collaborative efforts.

Tom Linton, Ph.D.: Senior Lecturer Emeritus, TAMU at College Station, TX, He was formerly the Director of Research Ministry of Conservation, Melbourne Australia; Executive Director Office of Marine Affairs, State of North Carolina; and Commissioner of Fisheries State of North Carolina. Linton presently teaches at Texas A&M University at Galveston; Coastal Zone Management & Wetlands Management.

Larry McKenney: Vice President, Watershed Management, RBF Consulting, a planning, engineering, and survey company serving public and private clients, McKenney was previously the Director, Watershed & Coastal Resources Division, County of Orange in California. He is an attorney with experience in private and government practice related to natural resources. He graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy and served as an officer in the U.S. Marine Corps, from which he is retired.

Leslea Meyerhoff, AICP: Principal, Summit Environmental Group. Meyerhoff has 18 years of coastal project environmental planning and regulatory permitting experience with expertise in CEQA and NEPA compliance. Meyerhoff has managed beach nourishment, shoreline protection, lagoon restoration, and seawater desalination projects for a variety of clients. Meyerhoff has also worked as a legislative aide in both the California Assembly and Los Angeles City Council. Meyerhoff is the co-founder of the Harvey-Meyerhoff Consulting Group and holds an M.A. in Environmental Analysis and Policy from UCLA.

 D.T. Minich, CDME: A ppointed Executive Director of the St. Petersburg/Clearwater Convention & Visitors Bureau on April 30, 2007, Minich oversees all operations of the bureau, which has a staff of 36 and an annual budget of $25 million. He received his Certified Destination Management Executive (CDME) designation in 1998 from the Destination Marketing Association International (DMAI). He holds a Bachelor of Arts in History from the University of Kentucky.

Jerry Mohn: President of the Texas Chapter of the ASBPA, Mohn is also President of the West Galveston Island Property Owners Association; Vice Chairman of the Galveston County Beach Erosion Task Force; past Chairman and current Board Member of the Galveston Chamber of Commerce; Past Board member and Officer of the Rotary Club of Galveston; Board member of the Galveston Bay Foundation and the Galveston Historical Foundation; Co Chair of the ASBPA/G LO 2007 Fall Conference; and, Chairman of Chem One LTD.

M. Cameron Perry, P.E.: HDR | Shiner Moseley & Associates, Inc. A graduate of Texas A&M University Galveston with a B.S. in Maritime Systems Engineering, Perry spent nearly six years working in Florida and the Caribbean on various beach nourishment and coastal projects. In early 2004, Perry joined HDR | Shiner Moseley & Associates, Inc. in Corpus Christi, Texas as a coastal project manager and has been performing numerous shoreline protection, nourishment, numerical modeling, coastal design and marsh rehabilitation projects along the Gulf coast.

Robert N. Pinkerton, Jr.: Presently on his sixth term as Mayor of South Padre Island, Texas, Pinkerton has also served two terms as alderman prior to that. Robert has been involved in beach re-nourishment projects on South Padre since the mid to late eighties. He is also President of Island Services, a real estate, property management and condominium rental company on South Padre Island. He has resided on South Padre since 1973.

 Joan Pope: Program director for Civil Works with the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center, responsible for coordinating water resource-related research and development conducted by the Corps, Pope has worked nationally and internationally in coastal erosion control, geomorphology and engineering. Pope directed the development of the National Shore Erosion Control Development and Demonstration Program (Section 227) and edited the “Coastal Engineering Manual.”

David Revell, Ph.D.: A coastal scientist with 16 years of research and work experience along the Pacific Coast, Revell’s expertise includes vulnerability and coastal hazards mapping, sandshed management, sea level rise, marine conservation, and alternatives to coastal armoring. He received a Ph.D. from University of California, Santa Cruz examining coastal evolution and a M.S. from Oregon State University studying coastal erosion. He has worked for local, state, and federal agencies, including work with the Oregon Coastal Management Program on regional coastal hazards assessments. He has been an active member of the Surfrider Foundation for 15 years and a lifelong surfer.

Thomas W. Richardson - Deputy Director, Center of Excellence for Natural Disasters, Coastal Infrastructure, and Emergency Management. Headquartered at Jackson State University in Jackson, MS, and funded by the Department of Homeland Security, the Center is a partnership among nine universities, of which six are Historically Black. Its mission is to develop curricula and conduct studies that promote holistic, creative, and resilient solutions to the challenges of natural disasters in the Nation's coastal zone.

Todd Roessler: A lawyer at Kilpatrick Stockton LLP, he has extensive experience related to coastal and environmental issues. With respect to coastal law, Roessler's practice is primarily related to beach erosion and sand management issues. Before attending law school, he earned a Masters degree in marine sciences at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill where his thesis related to the effects of a federal navigation project on nearshore processes on an adjacent barrier island.

Greg “Rudi” Rudolph: As Carteret County’s (NC) shore protection manager Rudolph coordinates the county’s beach preservation program and manages its beach nourishment projects. He also serves as secretary to the county’s Beach Commission. Rudolph holds a M.S. in Coastal Geology and B.S. in Geology from East Carolina University, and a B.A. in Biology from UNC-Charlotte. He currently serves on the Advisory Board for the N.C. Sea Grant.

Charles Shabica, Ph.D., P.G.: President of Shabica & Associates, a coastal design and engineering firm established in 1984, specializing in urban coastal engineering and environmental management. As emeritus professor of earth science at Northeastern Illinois University, Shabica’s research interests focus on performance of coastal structures and effects on coastal ecosystems. Shabica is president of Great Lakes Shore and Beach Preservation Association.

 Gerard Stoddard: Chairman of the Long Island Coastal Alliance and president of the Fire Island Association in New York, Stoddard’s membership on the board not only brings geographical diversity, but a sense of what communications strategies need to be implemented to further coastal issues awareness.

Gary Vegliante: Instrumental in the creation of the Village of West Hampton Dunes, NY, in November 1993, Vegliante was elected mayor in March 1994. He has since been re-elected twice. Vegliante has been featured in national and local publications regarding municipal issues. He is an advocate of municipal home rule and has been involved in a series of successful landmark lawsuits concerning beach nourishment and management and protecting the rights of village sovereignty and constituents’ advocacy.

Michael P. Walther, P.E.: President, founder, and Principal Engineer of Coastal Tech based in Vero Beach Florida, Walther has over 25 years of practical experience in the national arena of beach and inlet management from planning to design, permitting and construction. As an avid surfer, beach user, and volunteer activist, Walther has personal familiarity with coastal resources throughout the nation.

Lee Weishar, Ph.D., PWS: A Senior Scientist with the Woods Hole Group since 1989, He has more than 30 years experience in the fields of oceanography, coastal engineering, sediment transport, ecological restoration, environmental impact assessment, and project/program management. Prior to joining the Woods Hole Group, he was employed by the USACE Waterways Experiment Station (now ERDC). Weishar specializes in coastal engineering and wetland/marsh restoration and the integration of biological, ecological, and hydraulic data into wetland restoration designs to ensure that the design will meet the restoration objectives.