Staff

Mitch is a native Californian with a love for all things ocean, wave & beach-related.  As an activist, he a.) strives to raise awareness of how our everyday choices affect the ocean & planet, and b.) advocates for sensible environmental policy at a local level.  His ultimate goal is to see good environmental stewardship become mainstream, even “cool.” Mitch previously led the Rise Above Plastics committee, where he helped achieve several policy victories and expanded the Ocean Friendly Restaurants program. He also served as Vice Chair of the Executive Committee before being hired on as staff. When not fighting the good fight, Mitch is usually dancing around on roller skates, catching waves, or generally acting like a giant manchild.  But don’t let the goofy exterior fool you; the dude is dead serious when it comes to protecting the ocean for future generations to enjoy!

Julia is a graduate of UCLA, and has been working with the Surfrider Foundation since 2007, including a venture as the General Manager of Surfrider Australia. She grew up surfing in San Diego, giving her a passion to protect the coastline for future generations.

Gabriela M. Torres is a native of San Diego.

Gabriela received a B.S. in International Business from the University of San Francisco, an undergraduate institution that focuses heavily on social justice and community. She graduated from California Western School of law and spent her first years out of law school working for a dispute resolution firm in Madrid, Spain working primarily on commercial matters before various arbitration tribunals in Madrid, London, Geneva and New York. She then moved to London where she opened a boutique practice and continued to focus on dispute resolution before completing a Masters of Law in International Environmental Law and Sustainability at Kingston University London where she graduated with the highest distinction. She wrote her dissertation on the impact of CEQA on California’s environment.

Gabriela is an attorney with a focus on environmental protection.

In September 2017, Gabriela joined Surfrider Foundation San Diego to work on the policy aspects of the No Border Sewage Program. Gabriela has played a significant role in raising awareness of the severity of the crisis at the US/Mexico border, advocating for clean water with key policy makers and creating positive change in both Southern California and Baja communities.

Gabriela is fluent in Spanish.