ASBPA welcomes new Executive Director

The ASBPA Board of Directors is pleased to announce that Derek Brockbank has joined ASBPA as our new Executive Director.

Over the past years, ASBPA’s Board of Directors, Executive Committee and Transition Committee have been wrestling with how best to advance ASBPA and our mission of preserving our coast. It was determined that the organization needed both a Managing Director (the new title for Kate and Ken Gooderham whose function will not change) and an Executive Director.

The Executive Director will focus on building relationships and partnerships with national and regional organizations, expanding ASBPA’s visibility, developing an organizational strategic plan, increasing membership and revenue and assisting with the two conferences among other functions. This new position comes about through a repurposing of ASBPA’s advocacy budget in response to recent changes in how Congress funds coastal projects, including bans on earmarks and smaller appropriations.

The next step begins on April 15 when Derek Brockbank joins ASBPA as its Executive Director. He has been an organizer and led conservation campaigns around the country and in Washington D.C. He currently resides in D.C., which will help facilitate ASBPA’s mission of combining science and policy. His focus has been on climate change adaptation and restoring natural resources, most recently directing a campaign to restore the Mississippi River Delta and Coastal Louisiana through a coalition of conservation organizations including National Wildlife Federation, National Audubon Society and Environmental Defense Fund.

“With this strategic move, ASBPA is signaling it wants to take a more active role in the coastal conversation nationwide,” said ASBPA President Harry Simmons. “As we work hard to achieve our national coastal goals, it is crucial that new and improved policies be backed by real science. That is something ASBPA has believed since its founding almost 90 years ago. We believe Derek will bring a unique and valuable set of skills to our effort.”

“Whether from Katrina, Sandy or the next big storm, American coasts are taking a beating, and our beaches are where many people see this firsthand,” said Brockbank. “As sea level rise and increased storm intensity exacerbate coastal erosion and related problems, ASBPA is poised to show how coastal communities can weather the storms and thrive in an era of change. I’m proud to be joining a fantastic organization, whose mission has never been more critical than right now.”

Brockbank, a DC resident, grew up in New York City and the beaches of Long Island, and lived along the Lake Michigan beach while at the University of Chicago getting a degree in political science and environmental studies.

Brockbank will be writing a monthly column in “Coastal Voice,” will be a speaker at the National Coastal Conference in New Orleans, and he will be an active participant in ASBPA committees. His email address is derek.brockbank@asbpa.org. Please join the Board of Directors in welcoming him.

Our mailing address is:
ASBPA
5460 BEAUJOLAIS LANE
Fort Myers, Florida 33919

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