Pacific Marine Mammal Center Elects New Board Members

Submitted by the Pacific Marine Mammal Center:

The Board of Directors of the Pacific Marine Mammal Center announced the election of their 2013 executive committee to serve on the board at the 42 year old Laguna Beach non-profit organization. The executive team consists of Linda Wolcott-Chair, Robb Mead-Vice Chair, Nancy Bushnell-Treasurer and Vicki Tales-Secretary. Additional board members include: Carolyn Berndt, Ruben Flores, Mary Ferguson, Kathryn Burton-Gray and Ken Frank. Executive Director Keith Matassa says, “The staff at PMMC is pleased to have such a dedicated and forward thinking group of individuals serving on our board. We look forward to working together for the benefit of PMMC.”

Linda Wolcott, an art major from Illinois, has been a resident to California for over 20 years. After discovering a love for marine life and the ocean environment, she participated in expeditions to the island of St. Croix to help save the endangered Leather Back turtles and has participated in many sailboat races through the Women’s Ocean Racing and Sailing Association in Newport Beach. Linda is currently serving in her fourth year on the Board of Directors.  She is an ocean conservationist and is dedicated to educating the public on how to preserve our oceans for the present and future generations.

Robb Mead has been a resident of California for over 30 years. He joined the PMMC Board of Directors in 2011 and is involved in many organizations focused on the preservation of the ocean environment. As an avid scuba diver, Robb’s love for the ocean has inspired him to commit his time to working on advocacy issues involving various animal welfare causes and to educating students and the members of the public on conservation.

Nancy Bushell was born in Columbia and has been a Laguna Beach resident for 35 years. She obtained her Master’s Degree in International Management and is fluent in Spanish. Nancy has been involved in her local community for many years, supporting causes such as Laguna Playhouse, LCAD, Friendship Shelter and more. She has a passion for the marine environment, and enjoys taking a daily swim in the Pacific, scuba diving, cooking, and traveling. She currently serves on the board at Pitzer College and is in her second term as a Board member at Pacific Marine Mammal Center.

Vicki Tales’  love for animals began when she was a child in Belgrade, then Yugoslavia, where she organized her friends to feed, groom and care for and find homes for homeless dogs.  As a teen , she lived in Paris, Montreal, San Francisco and for the last 32 years in Laguna Beach.    Vicki has a bookkeeping business and with her husband owns JEEPS R US.  She was a volunteer since 1996 and on the Board of Directors for 7 terms.  She volunteered her bookkeeping services, started a gift shop and our first Fundraising Committee. Some of her hobbies are off roading in the desert, and photography.

About Pacific Marine Mammal Center:

Established in 1971, Pacific Marine Mammal Center is among the forerunners in marine mammal rehabilitation science.  The only organization of its kind in Orange County, PMMC responds to approximately 300 marine mammal rescue calls each year.  Pacific Marine Mammal Center is a non-profit organization with a mission to rescue, medically treat, and rehabilitate pinnipeds and cetaceans that strand along the Orange County coastline due to injury or illness; to release healthy marine mammals back to their natural habitat while preserving species diversity; and to increase public awareness of the marine environment through education and research. 

Pacific Marine Mammal Center is located in the large red barn at 20612 Laguna Canyon Road.  The Center and gift shop are open to the public from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. daily.  For more information about memberships, educational programs, volunteer opportunities, or to make a donation, please contact Pacific Marine Mammal Center at 949.494.3050 or visit us on the web at www.pacificmmc.org.