Leadership

The activities of the Global Ocean Forum are directed by a distinguished group of ocean leaders from around the world and various sectors of the ocean community, including governments, intergovernmental and international organizations, and nongovernmental organizations.

INTERNATIONAL BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Richard Delaney has over 35 years of experience with the development and implementation of integrated coastal and ocean management plans and policies at all levels of government in the US and other countries. Formerly President and CEO of the Center for Coastal Studies in Provincetown, MA for 14 years, he was also the founding Director of the Urban Harbors Institute at the University of Massachusetts Boston where he provided leadership for the creation of the first Marine Spatial Plan in the US, among other things. He has served as the National Chair of the Coastal States Organization in Washington DC representing the views of the 35 coastal states, Great Lake states and US territories and their Governors on legislative and budgetary matters before Congress. Mr. Delaney has served on the Board of Directors of the Global Ocean Forum since 2002 and is currently the Board President. He has a BS in Political Science from Harvard, has completed graduate studies in environmental planning and landscape architecture at the State University of New York College of Environmental Sciences and Forestry and completed a Certificate Program for Senior Executives at JFK School of Government.

Miriam Balgos is Executive Director of the Global Ocean Forum and concurrent Project Manager-Capacity Development Specialist of a GEF-funded project on Building and Enhancing Sectoral and Cross-Sectoral Capacity to Support Sustainable Resource Use and Biodiversity Conservation in Marine Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction (Cross-sectoral Project). Formerly Associate Scientist at the College of Earth, Ocean, and Environment, University of Delaware, and the Program Coordinator of the Global Ocean Forum, Miriam led the Gerard J. Mangone Center for Marine Policy team in the organization and conduct of multi-stakeholder dialogues in integrated ocean and coastal management. Her research has focused on integrated ocean and coastal management, marine protected areas, marine areas beyond national jurisdiction, and climate change adaptation. She co-authored and contributed to various publications including “A Comparative Analysis of Ocean Policies in Fifteen Nations and Four Regions” and co-edited the “Routledge Handbook of National and Regional Ocean Policies.” Miriam received her a bachelor’s degree in fisheries and a master’s in marine biology from the University of the Philippines and a master’s in business administration and a doctorate in marine studies from the University of Delaware.

Vanessa Cicin-Sain Knecht is a results-driven leader with experience in developing new business and go-to-market strategies for FiscalNote (NYSE: NOTE), Uber (NYSE: UBER), BlueLabs and the British Embassy in Washington. A natural networker and community builder with a demonstrated ability to develop and retain networks across new and existing clients, develop innovative partnerships and increase brand awareness. Vanessa has broad-based industry and go-to-market experience with deep skills in start-up and high-growth companies, predictive analytics and artificial intelligence. Vanessa has been involved with the Global Ocean Forum in various roles since its inception in 2001.

David Freestone is a Professorial Lecturer and Visiting Scholar at George Washington University Law School in Washington D.C. He is the Executive Secretary of the Sargasso Sea Commission, established by the Government of Bermuda pursuant to the 2014 Hamilton Declaration on Collaboration for the Conservation of the Sargasso Sea, now signed by ten governments, that is working to protect this unique high seas ecosystem. The project was awarded the International Sea Keepers Prize in 2013. He is also founding Editor of the International Journal of Marine and Coastal Law (now in its 33rd year). From 1996-2008 he worked at the World Bank in Washington DC, retiring as Deputy General Counsel/Senior Adviser. From 2008-2010 he was the Lobingier Visiting Professor of Comparative Law and Jurisprudence at the George Washington University Law School. He was the Ingram Fellow at the University of New South Wales in Sydney in 2009 and has held visiting positions at the Fridtjof Nansen Institute (2014-18), University of Cape town (2016) and the Oxford University Martin School (2018). In 2008 he was awarded the Elizabeth Haub Gold Medal for Environmental Law.

Françoise Gaill is Emeritus research director at the CNRS and participated in 1968 and for more than 10 years in the first French oceanographic expeditions in the North Atlantic. Specializing in the fauna of aquatic organisms, particularly marine invertebrates and isolated cells, Françoise Gaill collaborated, for 10 years, on missions to explore the ecosystems of hydrothermal vents in the Pacific. Director of research at the CNRS, Françoise Gaill headed the environment and sustainable development department from 2008 to 2013. In 2013, she joined the scientific committee of the Tara Foundation and became vice-president of the Ocean and Climate Platform. Co-founder of the Fondation de la Mer, Françoise Gaill co-chairs the Specialized Committee for Maritime and Coastal Research of the National Council for the Sea and Coasts.

Marea Hatziolos is a marine ecologist and international development specialist with over 40 years of experience working at the intersection of marine conservation and sustainable development. She received her undergraduate degree in Biology from Wellesley College and earned a PhD in Zoology and Ecology from UC, Berkeley. Following postdocs in Mexico and at Yale University, Marea launched a life-long career in International Development after accepting an American Association for the Advancement of Science Diplomacy fellowship at USAID. Following a decade working with USAID, Marea joined the World Bank where she advocated for the need to incorporate coastal and marine sustainability concerns into the Bank’s operations and policies. There, she led the Bank’s early work on marine biodiversity
conservation, designed and led the Bank’s first transboundary marine program to sustainably manage the MesoAmerican Barrier Reef, raised awareness about the ocean’s central role in the global economy and the need for policy reform across key sectors to achieve higher and sustainable returns, and worked to incorporate rights-based management into climate resilience of vulnerable coastal communities. Since retiring from the World Bank, Marea remains engaged in ocean stewardship, including mentoring emerging ocean leaders and advising decision makers through her work on various boards.

Indumathie Hewawasam is President of Sustainable Oceans and Coasts LLC, a non-governmental agency with a mission of building capacity in developing countries to govern ocean and coastal resources in an environmentally and socially responsible manner. She was formerly a Senior Environmental Specialist at the World Bank with 22 years of experience designing and managing projects in partnership with public, private and community representatives. Her work at the World Bank primarily focused on marine and coastal management in the Africa region. Besides working at the World Bank’s Head Office in Washington, DC she was based in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania on an extended assignment in Tanzania, working in Tanzania, Kenya and Mozambique. assignment. Her work in Tanzania included support to the Government of Tanzania with formulating legislation and institutional building to promote sound governance of deep-sea fisheries, establishing and strengthening marine protected areas and supporting coastal communities to have sustainable livelihoods. Her post-World Bank experience of almost 10 years, included a position in The Nature Conservancy as Senior Marine Adviser working on the Coral Triangle Initiative in East Asia and the Pacific. As President of her company, she carries out consulting work for the World Bank and voluntary work for civil society organizations in Sri Lanka and the government of Zanzibar in Tanzania. She holds a doctoral degree in Marine Policy and is based in Washington, DC, USA.

Tony MacDonald is director of the Monmouth University Urban Coast Institute (UCI). He was previously the executive director of the Coastal States Organization (CSO) from 1998-2005. CSO, based in Washington, DC, represents the interests of the governors of the nation’s 35 coastal states and territories on coastal and ocean policy matters. Prior to joining CSO, Tony was the special counsel and director of environmental affairs at the American Association of Port Authorities, where he represented the International Association of Ports and Harbors (IAPH) at the International Maritime Organization on negotiations on the London Convention. Tony has also practiced law with a private firm in Washington, DC, working on environmental and legislative issues, and served as the Washington, DC, environmental legislative representative for the Mayor of the City of New York.

Peter Ricketts was appointed Acadia’s 16th President and Vice-Chancellor in April 2017, beginning his six-year term in July 2017. Dr. Ricketts earned his BA (Honours) degree in Geography at the University of Nottingham in 1974 and his PhD from the University of Southampton in 1982. He is internationally-recognized for his expertise in coastal zones and ocean management. Before his appointment at Acadia, Dr. Ricketts served as Provost and Vice-President (Academic) at Carleton University in Ottawa from 2009 to 2017, where he was also Professor of Geography and Environmental Studies. He has extensive experience as a senior university administrator, having also served as Vice-President (Academic and Research) at Nipissing University, in North Bay, ON (2006-2009); Vice-President, Academic and then President of Okanagan University College (2000-2005) in Kelowna, BC; Dean of Graduate Studies at Dalhousie University (1995-2000) in Halifax, NS, and the first Director of Research at Saint Mary’s University (1989-1994). Ricketts served two terms as President (1998-99 and 1999-2000) and one term as Vice-President (1997-1998) of the Canadian Association of Graduate Studies.

Philippe Vallette is an oceanographer by profession. He was formerly the Director General of the National Sea Centre NAUSICAA in Boulogne-sur-Mer, Co-Chair of the World Ocean Network, President of the World Festival of Underwater Pictures and Chairman of the International Aquariums Network steering committee. His vocation is to inspire people to regard differently the relationship we have, as humans with the ocean, and therefore to reach a better sustainable use of the ocean. In 2011, with NAUSICAA’s teams, he launched a new concept – the ‘Blue Society’. The campaign aims to create a society, which would use marine resources to create a healthy environment and opportunities for a new, sustainable economy and jobs in an ethical way. Based on the main pillars of sustainable development (economy, society and the environment), it also includes cultural and political aspects.

POLICY ADVISORY BOARD
The Policy Advisory Board (PAB) was formed in 2021 and was specifically charged to lead the development of the GOF strategic plan for 2024-2030. Members of the PAB are international leaders in their fields, including integrated coastal and ocean management, areas beyond national jurisdiction, blue economy and the ocean and climate, which are the four focal areas of the Global Ocean Forum. Most members, working at the global (52%), regional (27%), or national (21%) levels, are long-standing supporters of the Global Ocean Forum and its initiatives and represent intergovernmental (42%), governmental (6%), or civil society (52%) organizations with relatively equal gender representation (55% women; 45% men). The diverse composition and expertise of PAB members contributed to the identification of strategies that would best enable the GOF to take forward its mission of advancing the global ocean agenda, supporting an approach of sustainable development focused on healthy ecosystems, coastal peoples, and equity from a wide range of perspectives.