Silver Spring, Md. – July 24, 2025 – The National Marine Sanctuary Foundation proudly announces the appointment of the Honorable Tim Gallaudet, PhD, Rear Admiral, U.S. Navy (ret) and CEO of Ocean STL Consulting to its Board of Trustees.
Adm. Gallaudet is a visionary strategist in building connections to bring together different sectors towards common missions. His network bridges ocean science and discovery luminaries, heritage and preservation champions, service and naval intelligence professionals, technology startups and ocean enterprise ventures.
As CEO of Ocean STL Consulting, Adm. Gallaudet serves as a strategic advisor for a variety of technology startups, research institutions, and philanthropies. He is the former acting Under Secretary for Oceans and Atmosphere and Assistant Secretary of Commerce and acting and Deputy Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Under his leadership, Gallaudet steered the agency, managing our national marine sanctuaries and coastal waterways, fisheries, weather satellites, weather services, and environmental research. He oversaw the agency’s Blue Economy strategies and activities to advance marine transportation, sustainable seafood production, ocean exploration and mapping, marine tourism and recreation, coastal resilience, and spearheaded the development and execution of the NOAA science and technology strategies for Artificial Intelligence, Uncrewed Systems, ‘Omics, Cloud, Data, and Citizen Science.
Prior to NOAA, Gallaudet served for 32 years in the U.S. Navy, completing his career in the Pentagon as the Navy’s chief oceanographer, meteorologist, hydrographer, navigator, and senior liaison officer to the NOAA Administrator. He also has served on numerous Boards and Advisory Panels, including Force Blue, the Advisory Council for Project Recover, the Director’s Council for Scripps Institution of Oceanography, and the White House Ocean Research Advisory Panel, among others.
“Admiral Gallaudet brings a breadth of accomplishment and visionary leadership as a staunch advocate for America’s public waters and we are excited to have him be a member of the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation Board of Trustees,” said Laura Zagar and Dawn Rodney, Co-Chairs of the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation Board of Trustees, in a joint statement.
“We are honored to welcome Admiral Gallaudet to the Board of Trustees at a pivotal time for the future of America’s national marine sanctuaries. His leadership at NOAA and across the defense, technology, and scientific communities exemplifies the bold, forward-thinking approach we need to secure a vision of innovation and stewardship of our most treasured waters. His deep understanding of how to unite national security, economic growth, and ocean health makes him an invaluable guide as we accelerate public-private partnerships in marine sanctuaries and enterprise-level opportunities nationwide,” said Joel R. Johnson, President and CEO of the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation.
As we celebrate the 250th anniversary of our Nation and the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation’s 25th anniversary showcasing 25 years of marine sanctuary community and stewardship, Adm. Gallaudet’s contribution to the Foundation through his leadership and influence in marine science, exploration, stewardship, heritage, and technology advancement will open new ventures to deepen marine sanctuaries partnerships, enrich communities, and propel innovative technology hubs that advance the Foundation’s mission to protect America’s public waters.
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The National Marine Sanctuary Foundation, established in 2000, is the official non-profit partner of the National Marine Sanctuary System. The Foundation directly supports America’s national marine sanctuaries through our mission to protect species, conserve ecosystems and preserve cultural and maritime heritage. We accomplish our mission through community stewardship and engagement programs, on-the-water conservation projects, public education and outreach programs, and scientific research and exploration. The Foundation fosters innovative projects that are solution-oriented, scalable and transferable, and develop strategic partnerships that promote the conservation and recovery of species and their habitats. Learn more at marinesanctuary.org.
Contact: Shannon Colbert
Senior Vice President, External Affairs
202-870-0387