Surfrider San Francisco's mission-work is driven by our chapter's dedicated volunteer program leaders.
Meet Surfrider San Francisco's Program Leads
The Surfrider Foundation is a non-profit grassroots organization dedicated to the protection and enjoyment of our world's oceans, waves, and beaches through a powerful activist network. There are 80 chapters and 100 youth clubs in the Surfrider network. The San Francisco Chapter is one of the most active chapters in the Surfrider network.
Surfrider's work is largely made possible by the work of incredible volunteers on our Executive Committee, Program Leadership team, and Core Volunteer network.The programs are where the work gets done. Our program leaders leverage our robust volunteer base to run successful campaigns and work toward the Surfrider mission.
Debra Leow
She/Her, Art & Education Lead
Debra connected with Surfrider at an Ocean Beach Cleanup in 2015 and discovered her tribe of passionate, fun, and smart earth- loving activists. As an artist and parent, the Message in a Bottle Art & Education Program resonated deeply with her. Her goals for the program are to empower artists and creators, wee and elder, to express their love for the ocean, our need to protect it and educate and inspire the public into action.
Debra loves birds and hates plastic. She's passionate about textile reuse and raising awareness about microfiber pollution. She knows that the only antidote for doom-scrolling is pushing up your sleeves and diving into action.
Kyle Leftridge
He/Him, Blue Water Task Force Lead
Kyle, a San Francisco native, grew up surfing and exploring the Bay Area’s Pacific waters. He’s committed to educating and raising awareness about water quality and safety for fellow ocean enthusiasts in our community.
Amanda Ejups
She/Her, Blue Water Task Force Lead
Amanda, originally from Michigan, has lived in San Francisco for the past few years. Her time growing up around the lakes sparked a lasting appreciation for waterways. She is dedicated to empowering volunteers to become citizen scientists while learning about local waterways and the environmental challenges they face.
Ash Harrison
She/Her, Beach Cleanup Lead
Ash grew up right outside of Yosemite National Park. She continued her interest with park advocacy moving from mountains to oceans, joining the clean up team in 2022. She enjoys running, thrifting, dogs and advocating for safer and cleaner recreational spaces.
Melanie Napholz
She/Her, Beach Cleanup Lead
Hyla Wallis
She/Her, Beach Cleanup Lead
Hyla is a Michigan-native, California-convert who loves hiking, biking and generally exploring the outdoors. She has been a long-time volunteer with Surfrider and is a passionate participant in various service groups in SF. Professionally, she has worked in People/Talent Operations (Tech) for over a decade+ and is excited to apply her program and project management expertise to Surfrider.
