Watsonville, CA – Watsonville Wetlands Watch announces the election of Athena Barrios and David Harrah to its Board of Directors. The new appointments bring to nine the number of directors now serving on the board that guides the operations of the Central Coast environmental organization.
Athena Barrios is a Central Coast native, born in Watsonville, who has pursued her love of marine biology since early childhood. She attended Pajaro Valley High School and served as a Wetlands Steward for two years mentoring younger students. After high school, Athena continued volunteering as one of the youngest docents at Watsonville Wetlands Watch while she earned her degree at the University of California Santa Cruz. She also volunteers with the Sea Otter Research and Conservation group at the Monterey Bay Aquarium. Athena plans to pursue graduate studies in Marine Coastal Management and Policy. Her long-term goal is to be a bridge between the scientific community and the diverse set of people living in the Monterey Bay area, especially the underserved Latino community, and to help close the large gap she sees in the scientific information reaching Spanish speaking residents.
David Harrah is a retired computer industry public relations manager with a long-time interest in environmental issues. David retired in 2008 from the corporate public relations staff at Hewlett Packard Corporation in Palo Alto, California. During his 20 year press relations career, David also managed public relations for Java Software at Sun Microsystems, VLSI Technologies, and Apple Computer. He was a senior vice president at Edelman Public Relations Worldwide and served on the corporate press relations staff at IBM. He spent 6 years as a systems engineer and marketing representative for IBM in New York City. David received his B.A. degree from Columbia University and his M.A. from Columbia University Teachers College. He is the co-author of Conservation/Ecology: Resources for Environmental Education from Scarecrow Press.
Debbie Diersch, Chairman of the Board, Watsonville Wetlands Watch said, “The election of Athena Barrios and David Harrah to the Watsonville Wetlands Watch Board of Directors adds new skills and experience to the governance of our organization. Athena is not only the youngest board member ever, but also among the first graduates of the Wetlands Steward program, so she brings first-hand knowledge and understanding to our decision-making. David’s long career in corporate public relations and early work in the field of environmental education will help us communicate to the Central Coast community about our projects and programs.”
About Watsonville Wetlands Watch
The mission of the Watsonville Wetlands Watch is to protect and restore the land, the waters, and the wildlife of the Pajaro Valley wetlands and adjacent uplands; to educate our youth to value nature and its ecosystems; to help the public appreciate the unique beauty and importance of this irreplaceable natural treasure. Watsonville Wetlands Watch is a trademark of Watsonville Wetlands Watch in the United States.
For more information please visit the website at www.watsonvillewetlandswatch.org.