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Meet the Team

Our SLO Chapter Executive Committee and Officers are dedicated to preserving our ocean, waves, and beaches.

Chair

neilNiel Dilworth is Chair of the Chapter Executive Committee and coordinates the Blue Water Task Force for the Chapter. He is an architect with his own practice in San Luis Obispo and and swims with the Avila Dolphins four times a week at Avila Beach, so he is intimately familiar with the need for clean and safe ocean water. He joined the Blue Water Task Force in 2012 because of his concern about the cleanliness of the water he was swimming in.  

Vice Chair

Brad Snook is Vice Chair of the Executive Committee and program coordinator for the Chapter's Know Your H20 program.  Previously, he served on the Executive Committee for over ten years, most recently as Chair. He focuses his Surfrider time on development of efficient, non-polluting water and wastewater plants and regularly provides recommendations to local public utilities. Brad is a key member of the currently active Dunes Alliance to better regulate off-road vehicle use. He is an articulate public speaker who advocates for Surfrider’s ocean conservation views in various public meetings. His college degree in meteorology enabled him to serve as a program manager for 16 years at a Silicon Valley company which performed real-time ocean meteorological forecasts and transmitted current data to merchant ships. He is currently an Account Manager at a specialty custom wire products corporation serving a worldwide market. He has surfed for 40 years starting in Orange County. 

Secretary

Taylor Gullikson has served as Chapter Secretary for two years.  She is also originator and Program Coordinator of the Chapter's Micro Plastics Task Force.  She has a BS in Biology from Cal Poly and is a grant writer for an environmental consulting firm.

Treasurer

griffn_ty_october_2022 copyTy Griffin is Treasurer and Chapter Administrator, assisting with the treasurer tasks, monthly meeting agendas and document management.  Ty has decades of experience in business management and financial accounting.

Ocean Protection Campaign Coordinator

Laura Pedersen is an avid scuba diver and marine protection/conservation advocate.   By day she’s a licensed psychologist working in the area, and after working with patients, she enjoys walking her two dogs and taking photos on SLO County trails. 

 
 
 
 

 Climate and Clean Energy Program Coordinator

Jake McNevin has had sand in his hair his entire life. He's been surfing California's coasts, walking its beaches, and ogling its sunsets as long as he could ogle. He enthusiastically embraces the outdoors to achieve his balance and passionately works as the Climate and Clean Energy program coordinator to help the outdoors achieve its own. Jake works with Surfrider to protect the oceans and coastlines from the impacts of climate change while also advocating for clean energy solutions. He has a professional background in particle accelerator engineering and business management with an education in mechanical engineering and physics.

 
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Ocean Friendly Restaurants Program Coordinator

Steve Moses is a long time surfer, an avid waterman, and is passionate about keeping our oceans clean. Steve is a graduate of the University of Southern California. He has also been leader of several outdoor groups including being the founder of OC Hiking which has 18,000+ plus members. He plans on walking the Camino de Santiago in 2025. 

 
 
 

Save the Avila Coast Coordinator

JiMiers bio picm Miers has been surfing, paddling, hiking, and enjoying California's beaches since 1978 when he set out to see every beach area in California.  He completed that quest a few years ago by hiking parts of the Lost Coast.   He has served the SLO Chapter for four years as historian, secretary, Vice Chair, and now Chair. 

Jim is Campaign Coordinator of the Save the Avila Coast campaign and represented the chapter on the Diablo Lands Working Group and the Diablo Decommissioning permit.  He is actively involved in evaluating potential impacts to the environment and coastal users from various proposed renewable energy projects including the Morro Bay Offshore Wind Farm and the Vistra Battery Energy Storage System in Morro Bay and how these projects may affect the proposed Chumash National Marine Sanctuary.  Jim has a law degree and a Masters in Environmental Policy and Management. Contact: jmiers@slo.surfrider.org