CMSF is proud to announce that former Superintendent of the Greater Farallones and Cordell Bank National Marine Sanctuaries, Maria Brown, has been elected to its board of directors. Maria is a highly respected voice in the marine conservation and national marine sanctuary communities, and will be an extremely valuable addition to our board.
Maria’s professional career has focused on marine protected areas. Since 2004, Maria served as the Superintendent of the Greater Farallones and northern portion of the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuaries. In 2012, she led the expansion of the Farallones sanctuary more than doubling the area protected. In 2021, the Cordell Bank National Marine Sanctuary was added to Maria’s portfolio making a total of 5,600 square miles of the North and Central California coast and ocean under her management until her retirement in 2025. She established NOAA’s Office of National Marine Sanctuaries (ONMS) Center for Collaboration on Climate Change in 2005 leading the first of its kind national and international center to develop models for marine protected areas as solutions to addressing impacts from and mitigating climate change.
Maria has built teams internally within the ONMS and with external partners. She cultivated a highly engaged and effective Sanctuary Advisory Council as well as led deep sea coral monitoring and restoration, kelp restoration, and reducing ship strikes to whales regional teams. Maria developed strong relationships with NOAA offices, state government agencies, fishing and Indigenous communities, the shipping industry and stakeholders. In addition, Maria has a strong track record of success working in the nonprofit sector, importantly including the Greater Farallones Association where she secured more than $10M in grant funds.
CMSF looks forward to benefitting from Maria’s experience, her detailed understanding of the National Marine Sanctuary system and her passion for working on behalf of a better future for our oceans and the communities that depend upon them.
