Gisselle is an environmental scientist who graduated from UCLA and is currently pursuing an M.S. in Engineering, Sustainability, and Health at the University of San Diego. She is also fascinated by GIS technology and drone piloting, choosing to study it on her free time at local community colleges. The beach is her sanctuary, a place of peace and escape from life’s chaos, fueling her deep commitment to safeguarding our coastlines from pollution and degradation. As a first-generation daughter of Mexican immigrant parents, she hopes to inspire others like her to persevere and achieve the unimaginable, believing that every voice matters in the pursuit of a better world and a universally improved quality of life. In her free time, you can find her enjoying horror movies at her local theater, feeding her nail polish addiction, and treasuring every moment spent with her friends, family, and, of course, her wiener dog, Onyx.

Surfing sparked Felipe’s deep connection to the ocean, and ever since, he has been fully dedicated to its conservation and protection. Originally from Brazil, Felipe is currently pursuing a bachelor’s degree in Sustainability at Santa Monica College. His diverse background includes experience in sales and hospitality, but his primary experience is as a Surf Instructor. He loves sharing his passion for surfing with others while emphasizing the importance of preserving the ocean and its ecosystems.

Tayler is a graduate student at the University of Southern California. Fight On! Born and raised in west Los Angeles, she’s had a deep affinity for coastal living from an early age. Her professional venture into environmental policy and outreach came after a pivot from tech to pursue a path that more closely aligned with her values and academic research— focusing on climate risk communication and the sociological dynamics of environmental NGOs. She quickly found a home at Heal the Bay. An adept communicator, Tayler manages Heal the Bay’s flagship beach programs, heading projects that advance sustainable living, equitable water quality, and conservation sciences. In her free time, she watches Shrek, tends to her onion farm, and forces her introverted partner to do extroverted things with her. She loves singing and dancing but is not very good at either.

Stephanie takes an interdisciplinary approach to solving environmental problems. To her, truly sustainable solutions are equitable for all, dynamic and resilient to change, and based in nature. You may have seen Stephanie previously out on the beach, leading Heal the Bay’s cleanups. Stephanie pursued her Bachelor’s Degree in Environmental Studies at Wellesley College and received her Master’s of Science in Regenerative Studies from Cal Poly Pomona’s Lyle Center. As a SoCal native who has lived on both coasts, Stephanie is proud to say the West Coast is the best coast. After graduate school, she took a slight hiatus from the non-profit sector and became an Anheuser-Busch Craft Master Brewer at Golden Road Brewing in Los Angeles, California. What the beer industry and total watershed health have in common is a strong demand for protected water quality and people who care deeply about the purity and consistency of what pours out of their tap. Now, when she’s not working to protect our watersheds, you may find her at the barn with her horses or enjoying a local beer with her wife and pups.

Kayleigh (she/they) is Heal the Bay’s Senior Manager of Outreach and is proudly from Lynwood, CA. She earned her BA in Chicana/o Studies and LGBTQ Studies from UCLA in 2016. With 10 years of organizing experience, her commitment to social justice has played out in a variety of spaces – from organizing with fellow students at Santa Monica College to prevent the privatization of general education courses, to organizing closely with youth of color on environmental justice issues in Southeast LA, to supporting girl-identified youth at the coolest rock camp of all time, Chicas Rockeras de Sur Este Los Angeles. She is a volunteer with Latino Outdoors and partakes in water recreation with Queer Surf. In their spare time, she likes going to restaurants, reflecting on water justice’s connection to her environmental work, cooking for loved ones, taking up new skills like fly fishing, going on walks around the LA River, and hanging out with her pet babies Penny and Oats.

Nancy leads our watershed team and serves as the Watershed Coordinator for the South Santa Monica Bay through LA County’s Safe Clean Water Program. Through her role in this program, she works alongside communities, agencies, cities, and various organizations to achieve better water quality outcomes with stormwater capture projects that have multiple benefits. Protecting public health and the environment go hand in hand, and she’s passionate about working towards sustainable solutions that will make LA more climate resilient. Working at Heal the Bay since 2012, she continues to educate local community members, protect our watersheds, and connect our technical work with our outreach programming. While spearheading our campaigns, Nancy earned her Master’s Degree in Water Resource Engineering at LMU, with a certificate in Sustainability. Having grown up in the South Bay, you can find her spending her free time on the volleyball courts or in the water body surfing.