June 27, 2023. The Friends of the Elephant Seal Board of Directors is pleased to announce that it has recently named Haley Ramos, MAIOP as Director of Operations. Her responsibilities include coordinating effective operating, marketing, and financial management strategies for the Friends of the Elephant Seal organization.
“Haley brings qualifications and expertise to help grow the Friends of the Elephant Seal into an even better, more successful organization that creates an enduring impact in-promoting safe and responsible marine wildlife viewing and stewardship for our ocean.” said Board President, Kathleen Curtis.
Prior to joining the staff, Ramos served in positions in marketing, hospitality, retail and non-profit management. She will lead efforts to build organizational capacity that will advance the organization’s short and long-term goals. Ramos added, “Becoming a core part of this organization truly excites me in what lies ahead for Friends of the Elephant Seal and what we share with the world through education and stewardship.”
As a native of Los Osos, California, Ramos brings strong ties to the Central Coast and a network of relationships with community businesses and organizations. She holds a Bachelors of the Arts in Marketing Communications and an Art minor from California Lutheran University and a Master of the Arts in Industrial and Organizational Psychology from the Chicago School of Professional Psychology.
The Friends of the Elephant Seal, a non-profit organization formed in 1997, in San Simeon, California, provides education about elephant seals and other marine life and to teaches stewardship for the ocean off the central coast of California. With a million visitors per year to the Elephant Seal Viewing Area, the organization reaches a global audience in providing educational, scientific, historic and scenic opportunities, while fostering safe and respectful viewing of elephant seals and marine life along the Central Coast of California.
Over 100 volunteers serve an important function in assisting federal and state wildlife agencies in the protection of elephant seals. Friends of the Elephant Seal is a a cooperating association with California State Parks and works closely with partners including California State Polytechnic University, University of California Santa Cruz, the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary, the Marine Mammal Center, and the Piedras Blancas Light Station Association.