The Coos Bay Chapter is kicking ass for their community and their local ocean, waves, rivers and beaches! Aiming to build on the great success of the Chapter's amazing founders Annie Pollard and Carmen Matthews, they've elected a new dynamic (and perhaps slightly derogatory ;) ) duo. They've got some big shoes to fill, but are up to the task! Meet the new Chair, Ian Rodger and new Vice Chair, Todd Buchholz!
Chair: Ian Rodger is a west coast native. He has a great passion for the beach and the environment. Ian currently holds a position at Southwestern Oregon Community College as the Campus Services director, where he works on campus sustainability initiatives and volunteer coordination. He has been a mortician and a teacher in the non profit sector. Ian has a big jolly laugh that is contagious and has been roping in new Surfrider members left and right with his positivity and steadfast devotion to making Coos Bay and its surrounding natural bounty an ever better place.
Vice Chair: Todd Buchholz, lover of our ocean's bounty in it's many forms, is a West Coast native. Todd's commitment to clean water and our aquatic resources led to a thirty year career as a Fisheries Biologist for several Federal and State agencies in Oregon and California as well as Past-President of the Oregon Chapter of the American Fisheries Society. Todd and his lovely partner Jean moved from the dry side of Oregon to Coos Bay in September of 2013. Soon after arriving in Oregon's Vista Del Mar,Todd and Jean participated in a Surfrider beach cleanup. They were so impressed by the fun bunch of people doing really good things for our beaches and bays that is was natural that they step up and help keep the good time rolling (Jean is the Chapters new Webmaster). When the tide is right, you can find them in their tandem kayak crabbing in the bay.
Onward and upward for Coos Bay Surfrider! For more information on how you can get plugged into all the great work the Chapter is doing, reach out to Ian or Todd, your new leaders.