I like to call the staff at San Diego Coastkeeper the “green flash.” Its spark attracted me to this position. To get a green flash, you must have the perfect mix of all of the elements working together at the exact moment. And when you get that, it’s beautiful.
In Coastkeeper’s case, it’s even more beautiful when you consider the conditions it has survived over the past year. The staff has bonded, maybe even blossomed, during a year of lengthy transitions, hard economic conditions and raw reality checks. I don’t care which organization you are, that’s hard.
It’s even harder as we say goodbye to two members of our family. Coastkeeper’s green flash will not be the same without Advocacy Director Gabriel Solmer (who served San Diego for eight extremely passionate years) and Assistant Controller/Grants Manager Victor Vazquez. We are thankful for their accomplishments on the behalf of our region and look forward to celebrating them over the next few weeks as they wind down and transition their work.
We recently identified three core programs that will provide the primary focus for the organization. They are Environmental Protection, Scientific Research and Community Engagement. I made the difficult decision to restructure our work and staff to align with these core objectives, reduce redundancy with other organizations in the region and set us forth on solid financial footing. We will share more specifics about the organization’s transition in the New Year.
I believe that we cannot continue doing things the same way and expect different results.
That’s why 2012 will usher new collaborations, an infusion of technology, new members of our board and groundbreaking projects. We look forward to also sharing these with you in the New Year—it’s going to be a good, albeit tough, year.
As I pointed out in a recent blog, the future rests in our ability to protect and restore fishable, swimmable and drinkable waters in San Diego. Funding will continue to be a priority to make this essential work a reality, and you play a pivotal role. Please take a moment to reflect on what that means to you and your family and make a donation today so that The San Diego Foundation can match it (only until 7 p.m.).
We offer huge amounts of gratitude for our supporters who continue giving to Coastkeeper on a regular basis—you are a part of the green flash.
Together with you, we are San Diego Coastkeeper. We are your ever-vigilant watchdog protecting your waters from polluters. We are resilient. And we will survive.
I know this news is difficult, and you may have lots of questions. Please feel free to email or call me (contact info below). You can also reach out to our development director, Megan Baehrens,
([email protected], 619-758-7743 x103) or our board of directors president, David Welborn. Otherwise, we will continue to update you on our transition as we head into 2012.
Thank you, and warm wishes this holiday season,
Gale Filter
