Executive Director

John Hansen is the Executive Director of the West Coast Ocean Alliance, serving as lead staff for WCOA since its formal inception in 2018, also serving as lead staff for regional ocean coordination efforts since 2013. Before that, John coordinated the West Coast Ecosystem-based Management Network, a non-profit project connecting coastal communities focused on new approaches to ocean management, and as policy staff at the Washington State Dept. of Natural Resources. John has a B.S. in Aquatic Biology from the University of California at Santa Barbara and a Master’s of Marine Affairs from the University of Washington. John lives with his wife and four children in Lafayette, CA.

Tribal Engagement Manager

Margaret brings together Tribal Nations on the West Coast and facilitates inter-Tribal solidarity and dialogues around health, uses, and issues of the ocean. She has over a decade of experience working with and for coastal Tribal Nations in Oregon to expand capacity, improve consultation responsibilities, protect lifeways and sacred places, and assert the inherent sovereignty of tribes. She has extensive experience reviewing large complex projects, analyzing and applying cultural resource protection regulation, and promoting accurate, appropriate, and meaningful Tribal representation. She advocates for mutual decision making and consensus based approaches to advance inclusion of Tribal expertise and perspectives. Based in Florence and Corvallis, Oregon, Margaret is a citizen member of the Confederated Tribes of Coos, Lower Umpqua and Siuslaw and has roots in the Siuslaw and Coos Bay areas where her ancestors lived since time immemorial.

Project Support Contractor

Carina Burroughs is a Project Support Contractor for the West Coast Ocean Alliance. Prior to this role, Carina was part of the first cohort of WCOA Fellows. Her fellowship was hosted by NOAA Fisheries and she supported a range of project coordination and planning tasks for NOAA Fisheries West Coast Region from 2023-2025. Carina has a bachelor’s in Marine Affairs and Ecosystem Science and Policy from the University of Miami and a master’s in Coastal and Marine Resource Management from the University Centre of the Westfjords.