WFCRC TEAM

Executive Director

head reef hugger

"I have always been an Earth scientist; I just did not realize it. In my youth I was intrigued by our oceans and questioned the logic behind our using the ocean as a dumping ground. I think that day is in sight and we need to reverse our thinking to become a solution rather than the problem." — Vic Ferguson

Assistant Director

Leslie has a BS in Business Administration from the  University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill and MA in Geological Sciences from the University of Texas, Austin. 

"Growing up in the Appalachian Mountains of western North Carolina, my parents instilled in me the love of land and water and the preservation of their beauty. As a geologist I have further developed my interest in preserving our earthly assets. I am honored to be associated with this worthy cause for the conservation of coral reefs."

Partner & Board Member

Shelby Thomas, M.S. is the Chief Executive Officer & Director of Research at the Ocean Rescue Alliance.

Specializing in marine conservation and restoration, she completed her masters in Marine Ecology and is currently completing her PhD in Marine Biology with the University of Florida. She is an environmentalist and marine conservation advocate who hopes to inspire others to protect our environments and has worked with various restoration projects including coral, sea grass, oyster, sea-urchin, and scallop restoration.

Board Member

Dr. Elena Keen has spent the past 15 years involved in the details of coastal zone management issues, taking an interdisciplinary approach through law, marine science, and community engagement. She completed her Ph.D. in Coastal and Marine System Science at the Harte Research Institute for Gulf of Mexico Studies at Texas A&M University in Corpus Christi, Texas.  She holds a master’s degree in Marine and Environmental Science from the University of the Virgin Islands in St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands.  She is currently a Principal at Elena Keen Consulting, LLC in Corpus Christi, Texas, which provides expert assistance on complex coastal zone management matters on a national and international level. 

Project Manager

Summer is a Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and marine conservation expert and enthusiast. She strives to educate others through the power of GIS as she believes it's the key for many, if not all, conservation solutions. Summer has her Masters in GIS Management and wrote her thesis on the 'Design and Development of a Shark Tagging Database' in an effort to develop more efficient methods in sustainable fishing and shark research. She has worked with National Geographic's partner, Allen Coral Atlas, to provide GIS technical support and educational material to international conservationists who utilize the Atlas' data. 

Advisory Board Member

As Founder and CEO of Marine Conservation Network, Kimberly started her passion for ocean and marine conservation as a teenager wanting to become a dolphin trainer. Her dad was a fisherman and took her boating nearly every weekend, and that is what motivated her to get involved with marine life and education. She received her marine biology degree and quickly realized that the oceans were under threat from plastic trash, overfishing, and lack of compassion for marine life. She initially began a company called “Sustainable Seafood Experience,” but

realized more coverage and education was needed concerning the many issues involving ocean conservation. She then incorporated MCN, Marine Conservation Network, as a 501(c)(3) and began a global effort to link all conservation organizations around the world.

Advisory Board Member

Sheila Nguyen is a graduate at University of Houston with a Bachelor in Geology with a minor in Geophysics. Currently, she is obtaining a GIS certificate and pursuing a graduate degree.

She loves earth sciences, from paleobiology, to geochemistry, and of course coral reefs. She joined World Federation for Coral Reef Conservation because there are many issues as a scientist she and her team can solve using advance geo-tools technology. With her extensive background in non-profit organization, she hopes to shed light on environmental issues and what can be done to help. 

Director of Operations

Ginger has a B.A.S. in Scientific Studies from Wayland Baptist University, Lubbock, TX and an M.S. in Marine Science from Unity College, Unity, ME. Since her youth, she has always had a fascination with

the ocean, especially sharks. However, she grew up in an area where no ocean was in sight and never met a marine scientist or stepped foot on a beach until she was an adult. In graduate school, she was

finally able to cultivate that passion by studying conservation of marine predators. Now, Ginger wants to advocate for women like her who are interested in marine science and need guidance to pursue their

passion in the field. “From coral reefs to apex predators, every organism in the ocean plays a crucial role in our marine ecosystem. No matter how close or how far you are from the ocean, we are connected to it one way or another. We must do our best to preserve and protect it and the life it gives us.”

Advisory Council Member

An EVP, An Award Winning, Internationally Acclaimed Humanitarian, UN, Private Sector and International NGOs Consultant– w/ 21 years of Customer Excellence, Integrated Marketing Communication, AI, PR, Ecommerce, Networking, experience in US, North America, EMEA, Asia. CEO & Founder - Namaskar Soul Leadership Development Org. based on Ancient Yogic Principle. 

Goals to serve as  Senior Executive, Board Advisor, Or in her field of expertise, Or To volunteer for any nonprofits she is affiliated with. 

Advisory Council

Vital team member at the Brisbane City Council Environment Centres. We promote and educate on sustainability and everything environment…. they have the Olympics in 2032 so aiming greener than ever.
Additional Team Member of Reforest Now Australia restoring rainforests, entertainment, empowering love globally. 

Empowering love, honouring nature.  guide, greet and interact with visitors, care for the bush, and help operate the environment centres. Making a difference by learning about Brisbane's flora and fauna and sharing this knowledge with centre visitors.

And long time support of WFCRC! 

Advisory Council 

Will Kraus is a Retired Global Head of Human Capital, Strategy in Talent Acquisition and Human Resources. He is passionate about optimizing and re-shaping high performing teams and subcultures. He is also a former Retired US Marine Serving in operations Desert Shield/Storm and Iraqi Freedom. Early in his career in the Marines he learned and trained to scuba dive for two years in the South Pacific (Okinawa) which forged his passion in coral reefs and became an advocate for marine environments and the sustainability of the marine ecosystem. Will is also an analogue B&W photographer with 11 international awards and was recognized as one of the top emerging international artists in media. 
In addition, Will sees his most significant impact for WFCRC lies in data management for a geodata base and acquisition of end users for The Beach and Coral Reef Registry.