THE TEAM

Sean Brody was born and raised in San Diego, California where he grew up surfing the beaches of La Jolla. When he was 21 years of age he needed a break from the daily grind of college and he took off to surf and photograph his way around the world. This trip eventually lead to a career in surf photography, a plethora of world travels, and a position as staff photographer for Rusty Surfboards. Brody graduated San Diego State University with a degree in Communication and a minor in Hospitality, Tourism, and Recreation. Currently, in addition to his photography, Brody conducts research on sustainable surf tourism for the San Diego State University Research Foundation. It is Brody’s goal to combine his surf photography trips with surf philanthropy and, in addition, to be able to study the interaction between surfers and wave rich communities. In 2010 Brody founded the Surf Resource Network to help change lives in surf communities across the globe.

Jess Ponting, Ph.D. (UTS 2008) Dr. Ponting specializes in the use of sustainable tourism for community development. He has been particularly active as a researcher/consultant in equatorial Asia-Pacific, most recently as member of the World Commission on Protected Areas, and as a consultant for Fiji’s Tourism Master Plan. His areas of interest include sustainable tourism, surfing tourism, cross cultural interactions in tourism, the social construction of tourist spaces, and volunteer tourism. He is currently researching peak experiences in surfing tourism, hermeneutic circles of representation and surfing tourism, volunteering as a decommodified tourism experience, and the interface between traditional systems of reef resource ownership and sustainable marine tourism in the Pacific Islands.

Greg has been a lifelong resident of San Diego, and has always had an affinity for travel, the outdoors, and philanthropy. Greg is a graduate of the music department at San Diego State University, and when he’s not performing around San Diego with his band, he’s creating design products for the web, print & more. Greg is very proud to be part of Surf Resource’s mission to create positive change for coastal communities in need and is passionate about spreading sustainable travel policies within the surf community. He is also the Marketing & Design Director a Safari Surf.

Doug van Mierlo was born in Columbus, Ohio in 1991. At the age of 3, his family relocated to San Clemente, California, where he currently resides in the summer. During the school year, Doug attends San Diego State University where he plans on majoring in business marketing. When not studying, he enjoys surfing competitively on the SDSU surf team as well as in the Pro Jr. series. He claimed a California State Champion title in the NSSA College division in 2010 and recently took 2nd in the Nation in 2011. Doug is currently interning here at Surf Resource and is loving every moment of it.

Rissa Walters grew up in San Diego, and recently graduated from UCSD with a degree in International Studies-Political Science. Walters interest in the non-profit sector began after a trip to Kilimanjaro, Tanzania in 2005 with Cross Cultural Solutions, sparking her passion for traveling and the exploration of diverse cultures. She has since volunteered with the International Rescue Committee and hopes to one day work hands on with developing communities.

Chris Kluesener is a surfer, entrepreneur, and philanthropist. Born and raised in a small barrier beach community in Long Island, NY, Chris maintains a hearty appreciation for the natural world. Kluesener recently graduated from the University of North Carolina at Wilmington with a degree in Entrepreneurship and Business Development with a Minor in Leadership Studies. After having visited coastal communities around the globe, Chris noticed the trend of similar quality-of-life issues among many of the regions he had been. Lack of clean water and proper sanitation seem to be the most common of hurdles for coastal communities to jump over on the road to sustainable development. Chris is excited to be a part of SURF RESOURCE NETWORK, and looks forward to addressing these and many other issues that plague coastal communities worldwide.

Rachel Dorfman moved to San Diego, California in 2006 in order to pursue her love for surfing and her passion for learning about and protecting coastal marine ecosystems. Rachel studied Environmental Law and Policy at the University of San Diego School of Law, where she interned with, and later worked, for San Diego Coastkeeper. She has also served on the Executive Committee of the San Diego Chapter of the Surfrider Foundation, and has been a volunteer with the organization since 2007. Rachel is currently pursuing her M.S. in Marine Biology at San Francisco State University, where she will be conducting research on the impacts of environmental changes on marine communities. She is very excited to bring her expertise to the Surf Resource Network Team and will be helping to identify and respond to the threats facing marine communities around the world.

Jason Kent grew up in Southern California surfing Malibu and the entire California coast. His work with major surf and retail companies has allowed him to surf some of the best waves in the world. A graduate of the University of Redlands with a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Management specializing in environmental sustainability, Kent uses his education and experience in business, along with his deep passion for surfing and the environment, to help Surf Resource Network develop projects around the globe.