Board of Directors and Staff
The Coastal Quest Board wishes to acknowledge Kathy Randlett’s long-standing service, since 2021. She served as Treasurer during this time, seeing the organization through exponential growth. She was an astute advisor and key supporter of the organization and its values. Her wonderful spirit and love of the coast will continue to inspire us to protect and restore the coast for people and nature.
A memorial donation can be made here.
Board of Directors
Board President: R. Peter "Chip" Mallari
R. Peter “Chip” Mallari is an avid ocean lover with family roots in Hawaii. Chip is a devoted surfer and musician who understands the value of healthy coastal and ocean communities. He joined Coastal Quest in 2010 and brings extensive legal and advising experience.
Chip is a consultant and technology attorney based in Silicon Valley. He has managed and/or participated in the sales, finance, business and corporate development, licensing, intellectual property, marketing, human resources, and facilities and operations of technology companies, either in house or as a consultant. Currently, Chip works as a consultant for start-up companies in a variety of sectors including business technology, social media, music/musical instruments, and athletic apparel. Previously, Chip was the senior director of worldwide legal affairs for Fonality, Inc., a VoIP and unified computing company. Prior to that, he served as managing attorney for IronPort Systems, a company focused on email and web security.
During his time at IronPort, the company’s revenues grew from $30 million a year to over $500 million a year; IronPort was purchased by Cisco Systems, Inc. Prior to IronPort, he was senior corporate counsel at Verisity Design, Inc., a company focused on semiconductor chip design; Verisity was purchased by Cadence Design Systems. Chip performed a wide variety of tasks with IronPort and Verisity (similar to his role at Fonality), with the added role of managing and/or participating in the merger and subsequent integration activities of IronPort into Cisco and Verisity into Cadence, respectively.
Chip started his legal career as a corporate associate at Fenwick & West LLP, a law firm based in Silicon Valley. His practice focused on technology companies, representing both companies and investors in venture capital financings in excess of $250 million, mergers and acquisitions in excess of $7 billion, and public offerings in excess of $550 million. He earned his Juris Doctor from Santa Clara University and a B.A. in political science from the University of California, Davis.
Board Vice President: Cat Kuhlman
Cat Kuhlman was appointed by California Gov Jerry Brown in 2012 to serve as Deputy Secretary for Ocean Policy and Ocean Protection Council Executive. Until she retired in 2016, she provided the vision to lead agencies toward the shared goal of healthy ocean ecosystems and a sustainable future for oceans and those who rely on them to make their living. Her work spans the west coast where she built productive collaborations with neighboring states by identifying common priorities and approaches that serve across political borders. Key to her success, both within California and beyond, was positioning science to inform sound policy goals and decisions, and providing open, transparent processes that led to durable outcomes. Critically, Cat reached out to tribal peoples, fishermen, industry and others to ensure the broadest input and created a stronger understanding of the impacts of climate change on ocean systems and policy options to combat them.
Prior to this role, Cat led the North Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board where her work at preserving critical headwaters earned her national recognition and multiple awards. Here too, her success derived from fair, open and informed processes where science served as a common denominator. Cat has also served in various capacities within the US Environmental Protection Agency, addressing complex water resource management issues across jurisdictions and national borders. Known as a staunch advocate for resource stewardship and a problem solver who seeks equitable solutions, Cat continues to be sought after for her expertise at working on the intersection of the Clean Water Act and marine resource management. When she’s not working Cat and her husband are avid travelers, exploring waterways and coasts throughout the world.
Board Secretary and Interim Treasurer: Jen Sokolove
Jen Sokolove leads the program team at the Water Foundation, which drives grantmaking strategy to secure safe water for people, restore and sustain freshwater ecosystems, and build climate resilience. As a member of the senior management team, she helps implement the foundation’s overall mission and works closely with the CEO to engage new partners, develop campaign strategies, and grow field capacity. Jen has been working on sustainability for more than two decades, with a focus on community-based conservation.
Prior to joining the Water Foundation, Jen led grantmaking at the Compton Foundation around movement-building and narrative in climate change, reproductive justice, and peace and security. She first joined Compton to advance its environmental programs on fresh water, climate, and rural conservation in the western United States, as well as sustainable food systems and art for social change. Before Compton, Jen worked on a variety of community-led conservation projects in California, Montana, and the Pacific Northwest. She serves on the boards of the Story of Stuff, EcoAdapt, and the Biodiversity Funders Group, and the advisory board for the Doris Duke Conservation Scholars Program at UC Santa Cruz. Jen received a PhD in Environmental Science, Policy, and Management from UC Berkeley.
Board Member and Executive Director: Tegan Hoffmann
Tegan Hoffmann has over 25 years of experience in coastal and ocean conservation and resource management and is one of Coastal Quest’s founding members and the Executive Director of Coastal Quest. After 15 amazing years founding and leading Blue Earth Consultants, both independently and under the ERG umbrella, she left to focus on fulfilling the Coastal Quest vision and mission. Tegan has deep experience working on domestic and international projects, focusing on building climate resilience, and achieving sustainable resource management and conservation goals.
Tegan has extensive know-how designing, developing, and launching projects, programs, and institutions for private foundations, public agencies, and nonprofit organizations. She has authored several publications and received numerous awards and research grants for her work on conservation, resource management, and building local conservation capacity in the Wider Caribbean, Southeast Asia, and the Pacific, from such organizations as National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s STAR Fellowship, the University of California’s Pacific Rim Research Program, and the U.S. Indonesia Society. She has developed and conducted several trainings in the Wider Caribbean and Indo-Pacific regions for hundreds of community stakeholders on conservation and resource management issues, and has taught several courses at the University of California. Tegan graduated from the University of California, Berkeley, and holds Ph.D. and master’s degrees in geography and a B.S. degree in conservation resource studies.
Board Member: Laurent “Lo” de Janvry
Laurent “Lo” de Janvry has over 20 years of leadership experience in higher education external relations, much of which was at UC Berkeley and most recently as the Senior Associate Dean of External Relations for the Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability, the first new school at Stanford University in over 75 years. At Stanford Lo oversaw all aspects of branding, marketing, communications, events, and fundraising for the school, and hosted presidential dignitaries, industry executive leaders, and numerous school launch and opening events. Before that, he led the college relations and development team at the University of California, Berkeley, College of Chemistry, where he helped raise $110M of the college’s total $160M for the Light the Way Campaign for Berkeley. Throughout Lo’s career, he has been recognized for his ability to launch and implement innovative programs, foster high-performing teams, and leverage data analytics and performance metrics to drive revenue growth. Lo is passionate about advancing climate sustainability and equity solutions through education, research, and philanthropy. Lo currently serves as the Chief Development Officer for the UC Berkeley Goldman School of Public Policy.
Lo grew up in Berkeley, where he went through the public school system, including graduating from UC Berkeley with his BS in Economics. After working for Arthur Andersen in their environmental consulting practice, Lo went on to obtain his MBA with an emphasis on marketing and strategy from the USC Marshall School of Business. Lo has experience working as an operations manager for Mars & Co./KalKan Foods, marketing manager for Del Monte Foods, and as a brand strategy consultant for Prophet Brand Strategy. Lo has worked as an independent consultant developing predictive donor models and conducting alumni and donor market research for several universities, including the University of Melbourne, Tulane University, and Santa Clara University. Lo has played competitive sports, including soccer for Teams USA in Europe and the Soviet Union and for the USA Senior National Squad and Junior National Team, where he was awarded the 1988 Most Valuable Player of the Year. Lo has traveled, lived, worked, and competed in over 50 countries and is excited to apply his professional and personal experience in support of Coastal Quest’s mission to develop more resilient coastal solutions.
Board Member: Sapna E. Thottathil
Sapna E. Thottathil, PhD is the Deputy Director of Sustainable Pest Management in California’s Department of Pesticide Regulation within the California Environmental Protection Agency. Previously, she held leadership roles in the University of California, managing the Center for Climate, Health and Equity, and leading ESG reporting and sustainability policy implementation for the Office of the President. She has also worked on environmental policy for multiple organizations, from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to Health Care Without Harm, and taught courses on global environmental politics for graduate and undergraduate students.
Sapna holds a PhD in Geography from UC-Berkeley, where she was a Fulbright Fellow, an MSc in Environmental Change and Management from Oxford University, and a BA in Environmental Studies and International Studies from the University of Chicago, where she was a Udall Scholar. She is the author of India’s Organic Farming Revolution: What it Means for Our Global Food System and editor of Institutions as Conscious Food Consumers: Leveraging Purchasing Power to Drive Systems Change. She is also proud to have served on and advised many Boards and organizations, including Pesticide Action Network and My Green Lab.
Sapna lives in Oakland, California with her husband and three children. In her spare time, she enjoys raising chickens, identifying wildflowers and birds, hiking the high Sierras, and playing the piano with her kids.
Board Member: Allison Bahen
Allison Bahen is a Director in Operational Finance overseeing planning, analysis and reporting at Southern California Edison. She has held various finance roles at Edison International and Southern California Edison since 2015, including positions in investor relations, treasurers and operational finance. Prior to joining Edison International, Allison was the Director of Investor Relations at Huntington Ingalls Industries based in Newport News, VA. Allison has a background in financial services as a fixed-income research analyst performing in-depth due diligence and credit analyses and investing in high-yield bonds and leveraged loans for a group of Corporate Credit CDO Funds at GSC Group in New York City. Prior to GSC Group, Allison worked as an investment banking analyst in the Leverage Finance group at Deutsche Bank. Alison brings to the Coastal Quest Board, over 20 years of experience in corporate treasury, operations, and financing and a passion for building resilient coastal communities. Allison has served on several boards, including a coastal sailing nonprofit, where she led fundraising and finance to support critical programming.
Allison is a Virginian native and graduated with a BS in Commerce with a concentration in Finance and Accounting from the University of Virginia. She gained a love for the coast while spending summers sailing on Chesapeake Bay and more recently exploring Southern California beaches and tidepools with her family.
Staff
Executive Director: Tegan Hoffmann
Tegan Hoffmann has over 25 years of experience in coastal and ocean conservation and resource management and is one of Coastal Quest’s founding members and the Executive Director of Coastal Quest. After 15 amazing years founding and leading Blue Earth Consultants, both independently and under the ERG umbrella, she left to focus on fulfilling the Coastal Quest vision and mission. Tegan has deep experience working on domestic and international projects, focusing on building climate resilience, and achieving sustainable resource management and conservation goals.
Tegan has extensive know-how designing, developing, and launching projects, programs, and institutions for private foundations, public agencies, and nonprofit organizations. She has authored several publications and received numerous awards and research grants for her work on conservation, resource management, and building local conservation capacity in the Wider Caribbean, Southeast Asia, and the Pacific, from such organizations as National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s STAR Fellowship, the University of California’s Pacific Rim Research Program, and the U.S. Indonesia Society. She has developed and conducted several trainings in the Wider Caribbean and Indo-Pacific regions for hundreds of community stakeholders on conservation and resource management issues, and has taught several courses at the University of California. Tegan graduated from the University of California, Berkeley, and holds Ph.D. and master’s degrees in geography and a B.S. degree in conservation resource studies.
Senior Director: David Chai
David brings deep experience in politics, policy, management, and systems change. He served in President Clinton’s White House; worked on Al Gore’s presidential campaign, senior staff to former US Ambassador to China Gary Locke, a variety of policy roles for the governors of California, Washington, and Pennsylvania; and he served in senior management positions under the mayors of New York Michael Bloomberg, San Francisco Gavin Newsom and chief of staff to Oakland Mayor Ron Dellums. In addition, David has worked in the private sector for Cisco Systems former CEO John Chambers; UC Berkeley’s former Chancellors Robert Birgeneau and Nicholas Dirks; Gavin Newsom’s Gubernatorial Campaign; and was one of the main architects of building the Alice Waters Institute at UC Davis, a consortium of programs designed to teach sustainable organic cooking, regenerative agriculture farming and carbon sequestration best practices and improving K-12 school food systems in California.
David graduated from the University of California Berkeley with a BA in Sociology.
When not at work David enjoys the myriad of activities that comes with raising three wonderful children – Swimming daily (Open water when possible) and eating delicious food.
Director Communications & Outreach: Sadie Waddington
Sadie joined Coastal Quest in October 2022 bringing 16 years of experience working with local and global environmental NGOs. She is passionate about building meaningful partnerships and working closely with diverse communities.
During her tenure as a Bay Area sustainable business leader, Sadie worked with environmental non-profit, government agencies and community organizations to advance their mission and provide impactful solutions. She is skilled in strategic planning, identifying key resources, and driving multi-faceted projects to fruition. Sadie feels strongly that collaboration and the sharing of ideas brings about long-lasting, meaningful solutions that better meet our community’s needs.
For the last 5 years, Sadie has been working with diverse partners to engage Bay Area community in Climate Resilience awareness. She developed and implemented complex community engagement strategies to drive support and capacity for the protection of the San Francisco Bay. Through community outreach, stakeholder engagement, volunteer management, project management, and communications strategies, Sadie amplified the work of dozens of local organizations and elevated their impact.
Sadie has a strong foundation in project management and philanthropy and is passionate about building inclusive, collaborative outcomes for protecting the coastal areas from the impacts of climate change.
Sadie holds a B.A. in Art History from the University of California, Los Angeles and a M.A. in Coastal Zone and Natural Resource Management from San Francisco State University. Sadie lives with her family in the Bay Area and enjoys sharing the joys of tide pooling.
Director: Natalie Bartel
Natalie joined Coastal Quest in February 2023 with 6 years of experience in environmentally focused project management. Natalie brings expertise in technical writing, outreach, and stakeholder engagement, along with a passion for nature-based adaptation solutions, coastal ecology, and water quality issues. Having worked in environmental education, energy resource management, GIS, and environmental consulting, Natalie has extensive experience coordinating with stakeholders, creating solutions that benefit communities, and effectively communicating about environmental issues.
Most recently, Natalie managed municipal streetlight LED conversion projects, where she oversaw project implementation, outreach, urban design, and economic modeling. These projects helped cities decrease their carbon footprint dramatically and save millions of city dollars.
Natalie holds a B.S. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology from University of California, Santa Cruz, where she assisted in research on elephant seal and sea lion population dynamics, and a M.S. in Environmental Management from University of San Francisco where she completed a master’s project synthesizing and comparing the benefits of blue carbon sequestration methodologies. She loves invertebrates (marine and terrestrial), biking, and bad horror movies.
Director: Emma Koeze
Emma has over 6 years of experience in the environmental field and a passion for nature-based solutions, conservation finance, and capacity building. Previously, Emma brokered wind turbine parts across the global marketplace, managed a regenerative farm and ecotourism business, helped build a successful climate-smart farming program across the US, and worked to conserve California watersheds through the Contra Costa Resource Conservation District.
Emma brings expertise in project management, technical writing, applied research, fundraising, multi-stakeholder engagement, and sustainability issues.
Emma received her B.S. in International Business Administration and her M.S. in Global Business and Sustainability, both from the Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University.
Emma is a lifelong learner of Mandarin, Spanish, and Dutch. She enjoys rock collecting, strolls in her neighborhood, and spending time with her cat, Betty White.
Director of Finance and Grants Administration: Kiran Jadhwani
Kiran joined Coastal Quest in February 2024, bringing over six years of dedicated experience in the nonprofit sector. Kiran comes to Coastal Quest from OneReef Worldwide, where she was instrumental in operational excellence, overseeing a diverse range of responsibilities, including operations, budget management, meticulous bookkeeping, human resources administration, and organizational governance.
Her proficiency extended to financial management, where she methodically managed and recorded receipts and grant invoices in QuickBooks, ensuring adherence to regulatory standards. Kiran also played a pivotal role in the monthly closure of books, demonstrating precision and efficiency in reconciling any discrepancies. Furthermore, she provided invaluable support to external vendors during the annual audit, ensuring seamless processes and adherence to auditing standards.
Kiran’s academic achievements include an MBA with a specialization in Project Management, reflecting her strategic acumen and leadership skills. Guided by her deep-rooted belief in the interconnectedness of a healthy mind, body, and environment, Kiran is passionately committed to environmental preservation and community advancement.
Beyond her professional commitments, Kiran derives fulfillment from her role as a Pilates enthusiast and instructor. Her dedication to fostering holistic wellness transcends workplace boundaries as she commits personal time to empowering individuals through the transformative practice of Pilates.
Finance and Operations Manager: Zareen Ahmed
Zareen brings over 4 years of experience in operations and financial operations. Her professional journey is marked by experience in the environmental nonprofit sector where she grew her expertise in a multitude of different responsibilities in finance and operations, ranging from bookkeeping, account reconciliation, workplace operations and office management. This background has equipped her with a robust understanding of the financial intricacies and operational challenges faced by nonprofit organizations.
In addition to her experience in the nonprofit sector, Zareen has a diverse portfolio of work experience that spans public relations, marketing and general administrative work. This multifaceted skill set allows her to approach problems from various angles and develop comprehensive solutions.
Zareen is passionate about environmental and public policy, driven by a deep interest in the creation of sustainable and equitable communities. She has a B.S. in Community and Regional Development from the University of California, Davis and is a native of the Bay Area. Outside of her professional life, Zareen enjoys a variety of hobbies including reading, watching movies and practicing the Indian classical instrument, sitar, which allows her to stay connected to her South Asian culture and heritage.
Project Manager: Lilja Lamkin
Lilja brings skills in project management, research, sales, and customer service to Coastal Quest. She has experience in sustainability, law, and the public sector.
Lilja graduated with honors from the University of California, Santa Barbara with a B.S. in Environmental Studies. While going to school, she volunteered both in the Riparian Invasion Research Laboratory and the Cheadle Center for Biodiversity and Ecological Restoration. Upon graduation, Lilja led the sustainability department at Trentadue Winery and gained valuable experience in event coordination.
Overall, Lilja is a self-starter and team player who is passionate about environmental justice.
Project Manager: Scott Borsum
Scott brings a passion for coastal systems and experience from a broad range of coastal projects. He has conducted coastal resilience research along all three U.S. coastlines and at global scales. His work includes extensive monitoring and restoration, population genetics, participation in stakeholder workshops and community outreach, and evaluation of marine resource policy and permitting. Collectively, these experiences provide him with a diverse and unique perspective on coastal communities.
Scott began his coastal career in California, earning an A.S. in Mathematics and Science from Allan Hancock Junior College and a B.S. in Marine Biology from the University of California, Santa Cruz, where he engaged in outreach, animal husbandry, and intertidal and subtidal monitoring. His graduate research broadly covered the management, restoration, and harvesting of oyster resources, culminating in an M.S. in Natural Resource Management from Delaware State University and a Ph.D. in Interdisciplinary Ecology from the University of Florida.
His graduate research focused on developing sustainable management solutions for coastal communities dependent on oyster harvesting and evaluating policy shifts related to oyster aquaculture in the Gulf of Mexico. Most recently, Scott conducted monitoring and restoration of critical seagrass nursery habitat in San Francisco Bay.
Program Coordinator: Alexandra Stella
Alexandra blends her scientific research background with her passion for policy and community engagement in the hopes of promoting data-driven and informed decision-making. Her past work largely focuses on species’ responses to climate change and their ability to adapt. Alexandra brings a strong background in project management, grant writing, and stakeholder engagement, along with experience in data analysis and technical writing. She excels at synthesizing complex scientific information and effectively communicating it to diverse audiences, supporting partners with navigating complex environmental challenges.
Alexandra brings 4 years of experience in scientific research and environmental decision-making to the Coastal Quest team. She earned a B.S. in Environmental Studies with minors in Marine Biology and Political Science at the University of Southern California (USC). At USC, she developed an interdisciplinary approach to addressing environmental issues while investigating the scientific, social, political, and economic factors that impact an ecosystem and/or community. She continued her studies, receiving a M.S. in Marine Science at Moss Landing Marine Laboratories (San Jose State University). Her graduate research aimed to understand the impacts of low oxygen (hypoxia) on juvenile flatfish, especially in their ability to respond to a predator.
To connect her scientific background to real-world applications, Alexandra participated in a California Sea Grant State fellowship. She was partnered with the Delta Stewardship Council where she was exposed to the challenges facing the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. As part of her fellowship, she explored multi-species habitat assessments and suggested recommendations for improving such management strategies in the Delta.
In her free time, she enjoys hiking along the Malibu coast, trying new restaurants, and attending indie/alternative concerts!