Washington, D.C. – Ocean Conservancy is proud to announce the recent appointment of Denise Godreau to its Board of Directors. Members of the Ocean Conservancy Board bring their collective expertise and influence to the mission of protecting our ocean from the greatest global challenges.

“Ocean Conservancy is delighted to welcome Denise Godreau,” stated Janis Searles Jones, CEO of Ocean Conservancy. “Her deep personal connection to the ocean—beginning with a childhood spent out on the water with her family in Puerto Rico as well as a storied career as a branding and marketing leader at world-class organizations—will be invaluable to our efforts to win more hearts and minds for the ocean.”

For over four decades, Ocean Conservancy has built a reputation for pursuing science-based conservation solutions. It has also created global civic action opportunities like the International Coastal Cleanup™ (this year on Saturday, September 18) to encourage individuals to help stem the tide of plastics and trash into our ocean. Ocean Conservancy works with communities from Alaska to Florida, from Washington D.C.’s Capitol Hill to working waterfronts in Indonesia.

“The ocean has always been my “true north,” primarily because my father, who was a sailor, ingrained a deep love and responsibility for the ocean in all his children—it was part of the DNA of our family,” said Godreau. “Serving on Ocean Conservancy’s Board of Directors enables me to honor his legacy.”

Her family’s favorite sailing destination was Culebra, a small island off the eastern coast of Puerto Rico, where her father, Guillermo Godreau, played an important role in championing Puerto Rico’s first no-take marine reserve. Canal Luis Peña Marine Reserve was formally designated in 1999. Today, the reserve is among the island’s most popular snorkeling spots, thanks to its beautiful beaches and vibrant marine wildlife.

“Our ocean faces many urgent challenges, and I’m excited to help accelerate and elevate the impact Ocean Conservancy is making,” she added.

Godreau is currently an executive-in-residence with KSL Capital Partners. She started her career at Procter & Gamble and later held senior marketing leadership positions at Walt Disney World Resort and Holiday Inn Club Vacations. One of her most memorable roles was being part of the inception team at Baha Mar Resort in The Bahamas, where she was an early advocate for the resort’s conservation programs, including the creation of an artificial reef and marine sanctuary.  Godreau holds a bachelor of science in economics from the University of Pennsylvania and an MBA from the Harvard Business School.

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Ocean Conservancy is working to protect the ocean from today’s greatest global challenges. Together with our partners, we create science-based solutions for a healthy ocean and the wildlife and communities that depend on it. For more information, visit oceanconservancy.org, or follow us on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram.