Objectives

Board

Dr. Karine Kleinhaus

President and Founder

Dr. Kleinhaus is an Associate Professor at the School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences at Stony Brook University and studies reproduction and aging in the uniquely resilient corals of the northern Red Sea. She has been awarded grants from the National Science Foundation, the National Institutes of Health, and the Association of European Marine Biological Laboratories, has practiced medicine, and worked as a senior executive at a publicly traded biotechnology company. Dr. Kleinhaus strongly advocates for transnational cooperation in the study and conservation of the world’s remaining reefs. An avid diver, she hopes that her children will always be able to swim among thriving corals in a healthy ocean.

Diane Katz

Director and Secretary

Ms. Katz is a passionate supporter of sustainability work and the protection of natural habitats. She has worked on a local level in her community to teach the importance of environmental responsibility to children and adults and has held numerous active leadership roles at local and national non-profits. Ms. Katz’s volunteer commitments have largely focused on creating caring communities by instituting structures that facilitate the giving and receiving of support during crisis and times of need. Ms. Katz believes that caring for our planet is a natural extension of caring for our neighbors and ourselves.

Dr. Ali Al-Sawalmih

Director

Dr. Ali Al-Sawalmih directs the Marine Science Station (MSS) research institute in Aqaba, Jordan since 2018, and has been a marine researcher there since 2012. He is also an adjunct researcher at the Max Planck Institute MPIKG in Germany, where he studied marine calcification for five years after completing his higher education in Germany. His primary research interest is the impact of anthropogenic activities and climate change on marine environments. In addition, he focuses on coastal management and diplomacy in science, and studies the role of sustainable coastal development in mitigation of negative impacts of global warming on marine ecosystems.

Jennie Friedman

Director

Ms. Friedman has worked as an Audit Partner at KPMG since 2004 and provides financial statements audit services to clients in a range of industries. She has extensive experience working with public companies on a wide variety of projects including coordinating global audits, consulting on improvements to control procedures, and assisting and advising on filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Ms. Friedman is currently on the Board and Audit Committee at Orbis International, an NGO dedicated to preventing blindness, and has previously served on an array of other non-profit boards and executive boards.

Wendy Hassan

Director

Ms. Hassan is the Director of Salesforce Industries Training at Salesforce.com, Inc., a cloud-based software company. With years of experience in technology and management consulting, Wendy excels in technology, business operations, organizational management, and strategy analysis. Her three children have provided her with the impetus to take action to keep the world healthy and sustainable for their future.

History