Monique Bär, Jena King and Jean Weiss Join Oceana's Board of Directors

WASHINGTON, April 13, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Oceana, the largest international organization dedicated to ocean conservation, is pleased to publicly announce the addition of Monique Bär, Jena King and Jean Weiss to its board of directors. These distinguished philanthropists and ocean advocates join Oceana's diverse board of accomplished individuals from various fields including business, academia, philanthropy and the arts.

"We are honored to welcome Monique, Jena and Jean to our board of directors at a time when protecting, preserving and restoring the world's oceans matters more than ever," said Oceana CEO Andy Sharpless. "We're looking forward to tapping into their diverse backgrounds and expertise to further Oceana's mission to save the oceans and feed the world."

Monique Bär is the founder and president of Arcas Foundation, a Swiss organization committed to promoting equal work opportunities for marginalized communities. With degrees in engineering as well as supervising and coaching, Bär has advised a number of business and nonprofit organizations.

"Oceana campaigns for concrete policies that will protect the oceans and help restore abundance. This model has led to nearly 200 significant policy victories and the protection of more than 3.5 million square miles of ocean — an impressive track record," said Bär. "I am proud to be joining the board of such a proven, successful organization."

Jena King founded the Jena and Michael King Foundation with her late husband in 1999. The foundation has supported the efforts of 78 environmental and humanitarian nonprofits. As an advocate for the environment and human health, King is also a founding member of C.O.A.C.H. for Kids, an organization that provides medical assistance to underserved children.

"We are all tied to the sea — it is home to much of our planet's life and inextricably linked with our own history. If we want a healthy planet, we need to restore the oceans. I am excited to work with Oceana so that our children and grandchildren can experience the wonder of healthy, biodiverse oceans," said King.

Jean Weiss is a philanthropist with a business background in training and development. She worked for The American Funds, a member of The Capital Groups Companies. Weiss' connection to Oceana began the day the BP Deepwater Horizon Oil rig blew up and destroyed the marine life, fishing industries and way of life in her hometown on the Louisiana Gulf Coast.

"Oceana has been a leader in the fight against dangerous offshore oil drilling activities, both in the United States and around the world," said Weiss. "Protecting the U.S. Arctic and Atlantic from offshore oil drilling and exploration are major accomplishments, and I am excited to join Oceana's efforts as a member of the board of directors."

The board of directors is responsible for establishing organizational strategy, budgets, and the direction of Oceana's campaigns. Since 2001, Oceana's directors have taken a science-based approach to creating policy changes around the world. Under the guidance of its board of directors, Oceana works to save the oceans and feed the world by winning policy victories that restore fisheries in the world's most productive fishing nations. Just 29 countries and the EU are responsible for 90 percent of the global fish catch, and effective policy change in these countries could restore healthy, vibrant oceans capable of providing a nutritious seafood meal every day for more than a billion people.

A full description of Oceana's Board of Directors and their affiliations can be found at http://oceana.org/about-oceana/leadership/board-of-directors

Contact: Alex Armstrong, [email protected], 202-467-1957

SOURCE Oceana

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