Staff

Mitch is a native Californian with a love for all things ocean, wave & beach-related.  As an activist, he strives to raise awareness of how our everyday choices affect the ocean & planet, and 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. As Chapter Manager, Mitch’s #1 priority is empowering volunteers to protect what they love. When not fighting the good fight, Mitch likes to surf, paddle, roller skate, and hang out with his niece.  He’s also a big sci-fi nerd, but don’t tell anyone!

Roberta is a New England-born nature lover whose passion for all things living propelled her to the west coast to study Sustainability and Environmental Studies at San Diego State University. Her love for both marine and land animals has driven her career path towards ocean protection and conservation. If she isn’t swimming in the ocean, attending a beach cleanup, or snorkeling with the stingrays at La Jolla shores, Roberta can be found dancing around at a music festival.

As Policy Coordinator at Surfrider San Diego County, Laura focuses on advocacy that protects and preserves San Diego’s 70 miles of coastline. Laura previously managed climate adaptation programming at the San Diego Regional Climate Collaborative and received her MAS degree from the Scripps Institution of Oceanography. Laura loves to surf, dive, sail and explore the California coast.

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.