BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Jack O'neill

Jack O’Neill (1923-2017), Founder

Jack was the developer of the surfing wetsuit and founder and Chairman of O’Neill Inc., located in Santa Cruz, California. Jack O’Neill’s concern for the environment led him to search for a way to give something back to the ocean which gave him and his family so much.

The O’Neill Sea Odyssey, created in 1996 provides a hands-on educational experience to encourage the protection and preservation of our living seas and communities. Jack O’Neill, resided in Santa Cruz just steps from the Monterey Bay prior to his passing in 2017.

Tim O'neill

Tim O’Neill, Board President

Tim O’Neill has been a surfer and sailor for most of his life, learning to surf and sail at age five. Tim graduated from Soquel High School, and worked at the O’Neill surf shop both during and after his years at Soquel High. Tim started running the Team O’Neill catamaran when it was launched in 1983. He received his 100 ton skipper’s license in 1992. Tim also serves as President of Team O’Neill and is in charge of the O’Neill fleet. He lives in Santa Cruz with his wife Lisa O’Neill, and his sons Riley and Connor and daughter Bridget.

Bridget O'neill

Bridget O’Neill, Board Chair

Born in San Francisco and raised in Santa Cruz, Bridget O’Neill serves as Vice President for International Design for O’Neill, Incorporated. In this capacity, Ms. O’Neill serves as an officer for the company and oversees all design of products and clothing for O’Neill’s licensees.

Mike McCabe

Mike McCabe, Board Vice-President and Treasurer

Mike is a partner in the CPA firm McCabe & Totah, LLP, located in San Jose, California. He was born in Dublin, Ireland and spent the majority of his early years in Pennsylvania, Indiana and Ohio before moving to San Jose to attend Santa Clara University. He graduated from Santa Clara in 1978 and spent 15 years with one of the national accounting firms leaving in 1993 to open his own practice with several other CPA’s. Mike is married, has 5 children and enjoys camping and scuba diving.

Jim Thoits

Jim Thoits

Jim currently works for his Palo Alto-based family business, Thoits Brothers. Inc., which manages properties held by their corporation. Jim attended San Jose State University and Moss Landing Marine Laboratories where he got his BS in Marine Biology and Chemistry. He has worked for environmental firms both as a biologist, chemist and a laboratory director. As an avid sailor, he has cruised throughout the Pacific, been involved in offshore racing and has owned boats in the Santa Cruz Harbor since 1971. He was elected to the Santa Cruz Port Commission and is serving his second 4 year term. He served on the O’Neill Sea Odyssey Leadership Team, and was a member of the Santa Cruz Lighthouse Committee during the initial phases of conception through construction. He grew up in the Palo Alto area but has resided in Santa Cruz since 1971. He is married to his wife Debbie and they have two teenage daughters.

Seth Gustafson, PhD

Dr. Seth Gustafson

Seth is an Assistant Professor in the Environmental Studies program in Applied Environmental Sciences at Cal State Monterey Bay. Prior to moving to the central coast, he taught and researched at universities in the UK, Germany, and New Zealand. At CSUMB, his research and teaching are mostly focused on community engagement and interdisciplinary approaches to environmental history, problems, politics, and solutions. He completed his MA and PhD at the University of Georgia and earned a BA in History from Grove City College. Seth and his partner Kat have three young kids and are often hiking in Fort Ord or enjoying time on the coast together.

Nicholas P. Petredis, Esq.

Nicholas P. Petredis, Esq., Board Secretary

Nicholas P. Petredis, Esq., Board Secretary, is an attorney in private practice in the Silicon Valley. He received his law degree from Temple University School of Law after completing an M.A. in Planning & Public Administration from Pepperdine University and a B.A. in Political Science from Salem College. Prior to entering law school, Nick was an officer in the U.S. Marine Corps serving as a Naval Aviator. A resident of Palo Alto, he is
the past Chair of the Palo Alto Airport Commission, advises several
non-profit organizations pro bono and is a Director on the
Board of the San Jose Medical Research Foundation.

Megan Goddard

Megan Goddard

Megan is a long time resident of Santa Cruz County and she grew up in Aptos and currently lives in the City of Santa Cruz.  She is a lifelong explorer and has traveled to 60+ countries for work, tourism, and scuba diving. She has an educational background of Water Resources, Watershed Science and GIS mapping to the CWC Board. She obtained a Masters and PhD from Clemson University with research specifically examining the impacts of land use change on water quality in small urban watersheds and has a BS from UC Davis in Environmental Resource Sciences.
 
Megan brings years of work experience as a mapping expert and program management. She has been an employee of Google since 2006 with roles ranging from GIS mapping, Accessibility and creating accessible products for people with disabilities. She currently is a program manager for Google Maps. 

Lynda Tran DDS, FAGD, MBA

Lynda Tran DDS, FAGD, MBA

Lynda studied neurobiology at UC Davis, pursued dentistry at UCSF School of Dentistry, and concurrently received an MBA from the University of San Francisco. Born in San Jose, Lynda and her brother would frequently visit Santa Cruz as soon as she received her driver’s permit. She feels fortunate to be able to call Santa Cruz her home and is focused on serving her community. Lynda has dedicated her practice of dentistry to providing the highest quality of care while also making a commitment to environmental sustainability, becoming one of the first green dental practices in Santa Cruz. This commitment led her to join One Percent for the Planet and establish a long-standing partnership with O’Neill Sea Odyssey. In her free time, Lynda enjoys spending time with family, running, hiking, and surfing. You can find her zooming around town on her e-bike, often with her two girls in tow!

Robert Bremner

Robert Bremner

Rob is the owner of Essential Surf Company LLC, an internet retailer and also manages a family investment partnership. He is a longtime member of the Santa Cruz County Planning Commission and has recently been appointed to the Board of Trustees of the Sutter Maternity and Surgery Center. Before that he served for nine years on the Board of Directors of the Community Foundation of Santa Cruz County. He received his BS degree in Accounting from San Francisco State University. Rob was born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area and has resided in Santa Cruz with his wife Nancy since 1982. They have three teenage daughters.

Brad Boardman

Brad Boardman

In 1995, Brad Boardman’s plans to become a high school English teacher were re-routed by a summer substitute job at a school for students with autism.  That experience captured his heart, leading him to dedicate the years since to serving this very special community. Along his career path, Brad held positions ranging from substitute teacher to executive director, giving him a very deep understanding of the non-profit work experience and how critical leadership and mission are to success. Brad looks forward to combining his love of teaching, serving others, and his life-long fascination with the ocean to support the O’Neill Sea Odyssey mission.  He lives in Santa Clara with his wife, Flo, their daughter, and an assortment of badly behaved pets.

Katie Fairbairn

Katie Fairbairn

Katie Fairbairn serves as the Executive Vice President and Chief Administrative Officer of Santa Cruz Community Credit Union, a grassroots CDFI dedicated to supporting underserved communities and promoting financial literacy. Before moving to Santa Cruz in 2020, she spent over 30 years in K–14 education in Mendocino County, including a decade as Executive Director of the Mendocino College Foundation, where she led fundraising efforts and managed assets exceeding $11 million.

A seasoned nonprofit and board leader, Katie has served on the boards of Mendocino Community Health Clinics and the Greater Ukiah Chamber of Commerce. She also co-founded 100+ Women Strong Inland Mendo, a giving circle focused on uplifting local grassroots organizations. Katie is passionate about volunteering and supporting causes that make a meaningful difference in people’s lives. Outside of work, she enjoys gardening, walking her dogs, and embracing her roots as a proud country girl.