National Co-Chairs
Scott Carpenter
Norman Baker Tap Pryor
Eugenie Clark Andreas Rechnitzer
Sylvia Earle Stan Waterman

Executive Board
Cynthia Hancock
President/Co-Founder (1977)
Dane Hancock, Vice-Pres/Treasurer
Co-Founder (1977)
Lee Kalvaitis
Co-Founder (1979)
Secretary (1987)

Board of Directors
(Includes Executive Board)
Marcy Decker (2001)
Paulette Friedel (2006)
Paul S. Hammond (1993)
Joe Hessmann (1982)
Lee Kalvaitis (Co-Fd) (1979)
Big John McLaughlin (1983)
Marie Sigler (1987)

Mystic, National Marine Educators Conference 2002

Cynthia Hancock, president and co-founder of National Week of the Ocean, has a 33-year career as a public relations professional and turns her impressive experience towards marine education. Presently, she is responsible for marketing and public relations for the City of Hollywood Department of Parks, Recreation & Cultural Arts. Recognition of her achievements include being chosen as Woman of the Year in Communications (1980); chosen as the first recipient of the National Marine Educators Association's James Centerino Award (1984) for establishing National Week of the Ocean; and recipient of the first World of the Outdoors Award from the Broward County Girl Scouts (1996), a JC Penney Golden Award (1998) & a Hollywood Diamond Service Award (2005). Her nine years teaching experience serves as another benefit to National Week of the Ocean's educational goals. She created the Campus Event concept and teaching kit, the Outstanding High School Marine Student Award program, the National Week of the Ocean Community Awards program and the School Participation Banner award. She has served as festival sea-son chair for 26 of its 27 years.

Dane Hancock, professional engineer, is vice-president/treasurer and co-founder of National Week of the Ocean. As a private consultant for marine construction projects his expertise has been as far-reaching as Singapore, Bombay, Cairo and Australia. He is president of H&R Hydro-Pull, Inc. Dane also holds several U.S. Patents for an underwater pipelaying
method called the Hydro-Pull.

Dane's 40 years of marine engineering knowledge is very beneficial to National Week of the Ocean as he serves also as vp/ technology . His community activities include judging the Broward County Science Fair for 27 years, primarily as a finalist judge.

Secretary Lee Kalvaitis brings 38 years of science education experience to National Week of the Ocean. Recently she served as Senior Program Coordinator, Region V, Area Center for Education Enhancement based at Florida Atlantic University. In this position she assisted classroom teachers with model lessons and lab experiences.

She has since returned to middle school education at Parkway Middle School.
She has a doctoral degree from FAU in Curriculum & Instruction with an emphasis on science.

Lee's community activities include involvement and organization of the Broward County Science Fair and founding National Week of the Ocean's School Marine Fair which she has directed for 27 years. In fact the Hancocks selected Lee as their first recruit. Lee's memberships include the Florida & National Associations of Science Teachers and National Marine Educators Association. In addition to her many science education awards, Lee was Woman of the Year in Education (1983) and has earned several Decade of Caring for the Ocean Awards. She has developed a state-wide curriculum based on the Week of the
Ocean concept. Why? "My study shows that FCAT and state standards are satisfied by the
Week of the Ocean program. I'm extremely interested in educating young people to
protect the ocean for future generations. I don't want the beautiful ocean scenery
I enjoy as a snorkeler disturbed by careless people."

Joe Hessmann, owner of the Carved Sign Company, has served as chair of the county's Marine Advisory Board. As vice president of community relations for National Week of the Ocean he keeps us abreast of area marine issues. He served on the Greater Fort Lauderdale Chamber's Marine Task Force and on the Marine Advisory Council. If there is a marine issue affecting the life of the average citizen in Broward, Joe will be actively involved.
He spearheaded the National Week of the Ocean's fundraising and awareness project, the manatee burgee, which involved Jimmy Buffett. He has marched in our parades, setup our booths, decorated for the Boat Parade and helped build our Fiesta Tropicale Mardi Gras float. He has served on the board since 1982 and designed the School Participation banner award. Asked why he and his family are involved in our programs and he replies,
"Week of the Ocean devotes its time to educating young people on the marine environment. This is important to my family and myself. We are partners in a marine education endeavor which directly benefits our community. And there is no hidden agenda in our board's participation in the programs."

Marie Sigler, vice president community service, joined the National Week of the Ocean board in 1987 and has served as secretary and chairperson of the Sponsor a Reef Critter program. Her exuberance for ocean studies is evident as she involved her third graders at Pine Crest School in adopting reef critters and manatees and raising monies to support awareness programs for them. Her example spread across the campus and Pine Crest Lower School received the 1991 Week of the Ocean School Participation Award for the most involved school in Broward County.
She has received a Volunteer of the Year Award.

John McLaughlin brings dynamic marine-related experience to the National Week
of the Ocean advisory board, ranging from marine engineering to underwater cinematography and technical advising for the television and film industry. Big John, as he is known, has directed underwater footage for many award-winning commercials, acted as stuntman to James Bond, is a certified diving instructor and has 42 years experience as boat captain and in marine salvage and towing. The great diversity of his experience offers endless possibilities to benefit National Week of the Ocean. He enjoys speaking of his career experiences and the need to protect the ocean equally as well to elementary students or fellow divers. Most recently, he presented seminars at OceanFest. He has served as vice president of technology.

Paul Hammond is owner and president of Studio 41 advertising agency. As board member and vice president of communications he is responsible for our program books, website and graphic design. His projects have included logo design updates, festival program design and production, Fiesta Tropicale Mardi Gras float graphics and construction, poster production and website initiation, design and maintenance. He has received a Volunteer of the Year award and Community Marine Award. Paul is an avid boater and fisherman and fishes year round from the Northeast to the Caribbean. He is involved in Week of the Ocean because he cares for the ocean; he wants to assist in their marine awareness as they learn to respect the waters he loves and enjoys in the hope they will also someday give something of their experiences back.
He fishes for food and sport and believes in the catch and release concept.
He vows to continue to treasure our marine resources and work hard to protect them.

Board member Marcy Decker has 24 years in the Parks and Recreation field. In her current employment for the City of Hollywood's Parks, Recreation and Cultural Arts Department, she coordinated the first Youth At Risk Scuba Program in South Florida. Other projects have included working with McArthur High School in removing exotics, debris and planting natives at the City's only environment sensitive land area, Sheridan Oak Forest. She is a member of the Florida and National Recreation and Park Associations and recently promoted to Aquatics Supervisor. She enjoys educating teens about natural habitats, both land and water and why every action creates an action ie. dropping a soda can in the water or in a park and the cumulative effects. She relates her own personal experiences to them as a swimmer, WSI, lifeguard and advance open water scuba diver. She has joined National Week of the Ocean to seek partnerships in youth marine projects and to pass on information to ensure that the next generation have reefs to dive on and fish to swim with.

NATIONAL CO-CHAIRS (American ocean pioneers)

Scott Carpenter has chaired the National Week of the Ocean event since its inception
in 1984. He is both an astronaut and an aquanaut and thus has spanned both outer space and the ocean's depths.

Norman Baker lectures about his experiences as the navigator of
Thor Heyerdahl's voyage of the Ra.

Eugenie Clark, noted zoologist, has explored the vast depths of the ocean
to see creatures never photographed or observed before.

Sylvia Earle is an aquanaut as well as explorer known for close
encounters with marine mammals.

Tap Pryor was an early experimenter in aquaculture and
founded Sea Life Park in Hawaii.

Andreas Rechnitzer deep dove the Trieste with Jacques Piccard
and is a marine consultant.

Stan Waterman is known for his excellent underwater films which take
others vicariously into the ocean.

NATIONAL ADVISORY BOARD

Tom Callinan, marine educator, uses music to create environmental awareness. He chaired the National Week of the Ocean's Outreach Program for 20 years. His May performances added an important cultural element to the Festival Sea-son.

Jeff Sandler is also a noted marine educator known as Mr. Fish of the Mr. and Mrs. Fish Marine Education Program. He and his wife, Deb, teach children around the world about marine mammals and life in the sea with humor and colorful costumes.

Local Advisory Board

Dr. Raymond McAllister, author and professor emeritus of ocean engineering at Florida
Atlantic University. has been advisor since our group's inception.

Honorable Jim Naugle, mayor of Fort Lauderdale, has been a member and
advisor for many years.

The Week of the Ocean Festival and National Week of the Ocean are sponsored by
National Week of the Ocean, Inc.,a Florida-Chartered Corporation administered by a
citizens board of directors and granted a 501C3 Federal non-profit status.

It sponsors National Week of the Ocean (Annually in April), the Week of the Ocean
School Marine Fair & the Week of the Ocean Festival Sea-son
(Annually March - June), with festival events throughout Broward County.

The Broward County Week of the Ocean Campus Event,
School Marine Fair and Festival were pilot projects for National Week of the Ocean.

for more information call:
Cynthia Hancock, Co-Founder and President * 954-462-5573
or e-mail
nwoto@att.net

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