Executive Director
Dwayne Oberhoff, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Dwayne has over fourteen years of experience both in quota and permit management and previously worked with the Morro Bay Community Quota Fund as their Quota Manager, annually managing over 8 million pounds of commercial fishing assets that the quota fund holds. Dwayne’s fourteen years of experience in quota and permit management is from his work with The Nature Conservancy, Monterey Bay Fisheries Trust and the California Groundfish Collective. He is the founder of Ecological Assets Management, Inc., (a consulting firm based out of Los Osos, California), and has previously worked for Lisa Wise Consulting, the California Department of Fish and Game, and California Polytechnic State University participating in a wide variety of biological and environmental projects and programs. Dwayne has a Masters of Biology from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo.
Board of Directors
ERIC ENDERSBY, PRESIDENT
Eric Endersby has served as Morro Bay’s Harbor Director since 2012, overseeing the department’s many responsibilities including lease and property management, providing and maintaining public facilities and ensuring public safety with the operation of the Harbor Patrol and seasonal Beach Lifeguards. Prior to 2012 he was the Harbor Operations Manager beginning in 2006, and before that Chief Harbor Patrol Officer beginning 1996. Prior to 1996 Eric was a Harbor Patrol Reserve Officer and worked full-time as a Maintenance Shift Supervisor and Aircraft Mechanic for American Eagle Airlines based in San Luis Obispo.
ANDREA LUEKER, Vice President
Andrea has over 27 years of municipal management and finance experience and served as the City of Morro Bay’s City Manager from 2008 to 2014. She is a member of the International City/County Management Association, California City Management Foundation, Women Leading Government, the Morro Bay Rotary Club, founding Board Member of the Morro Bay Community Quota Fund, Board member of the Morro Bay Chamber of Commerce and Board member of Project Surf Camp. Andrea was also instrumental in forming the Morro Bay Community Foundation, a 501 ©3 which provides funding for disadvantaged children to participation in recreational activities. Andrea also spends some of her time working at California Polytechnic State University as a lecturer in the Recreation, Parks and Tourism Administration Department. Andrea has a Bachelor’s degree from Colorado State University and a Master’s Degree from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo.
Capt. Jeremiah O’Brien
Capt. Jeremiah O’Brien is an active member and former president of the Morro Bay Commercial Fishermen’s Organization (MBCFO), a 501(c)(3) organizations chartered in 1972. From 2002 to 2012, Captain O’Brien served as president of the organization that has grown to over 100 members. Serving in this leadership position has given him significant experience and contacts with public agencies, other non-profits and the business community. In this capacity he provides direct connectivity with the needs and perspectives of the fishermen of Morro Bay. In addition, Capt. O’Brien has over 30 years of fishing experience in just about all the west coast fisheries and is one of the most widely recognized representatives of fishing in the state. In 2010 he supported a Morro Bay group that testified in front of congress on fishing issues. Capt. O’Brien continues to fish albacore, salmon and swordfish DGN.
Dr. Dean Wendt
Dr. Dean Wendt is the Dean of College of Science and Mathematics, a professor of Biological Sciences, and acting director at the Center for Coastal Marine Sciences at California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo. His research and teaching focuses on marine ecology and conservation. He is the founding Director of the San Luis Obispo Science and Ecosystem Alliance (SLOSEA), an organization of scientists, stakeholders, and resource managers working together on improving management of California’s marine resources. He served for two years on the Master Plan Science Advisory Team as part of the MLPA, and he currently serves on the Executive Committee of the Morro Bay National Estuary Program and on the board of the Central and Northern Ocean Observing System (CeNCOOS). Dr. Wendt earned his Ph.D. at Harvard University (1999) and conducted postdoctoral research at the Kewalo Marine Laboratory at the University of Hawaii, Manoa. He held an assistant professorship at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro before arriving at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo in 2002. He is also associate dean of Cal Poly’s College of Science and Mathematics.
Edward Backus
Edward Backus, Principal and Founder of the consulting firm Collaborative Fisheries Associates, LLC lives in Newport, Oregon. He worked at Ecotrust for 20 years, primarily as Vice President for Fisheries, directing the Community Fisheries program with marine and salmon initiatives from Alaska to California. He is founder and chair of the North Pacific Fisheries Trust, a community fisheries quota revolving loan fund, an Ecotrust subsidiary. Ed is co-organizer of the Community Fisheries Network, an emerging national peer group of locally based fisheries organizations working on stewardship innovation. He was co-founder and co-director of the State of Salmon Program with the Wild Salmon Center. He has worked on community economic development teams with Enterprise Cascadia (now Craft 3), an Ecotrust founded organization. He is past-chair of the board at the Prince William Sound Science Center (AK), a board member of the Alaska Sustainable Fisheries Trust, and a conservation committee member of the Sea Change Investment Fund. Ed received his M.F.S. from the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies and a B.S. in wildlife biology from the University of Vermont, School of Natural Resources.
Chris Kubiak
Mr. Kubiak is a third generation California commercial fisherman that has fished on the West Coast since the late 1970s. During his tenure he has developed relationships with many fishermen and fishery managers and is well respected in the industry. Mr. Kubiak was also a founding member and Director of the Central California Joint Cable/Fisheries Liaison Committee (CCJCFLC) and is currently the Liaison Officer/Executive Director of the CCJCFLC. In 2008, Mr. Kubiak assisted and collaborated on the “Exempted Fishing Permit to Fish Trawl Permits with Longline, Trap, Pot, and Hook-and-Line Gear in a Community Based Fishing Association off the Central California Coast.” From 2010 to 2013, Mr. Kubiak was the Executive Director of the Central Coast Sustainable Groundfish Association, a California Nonprofit Fish Marketing Association. Also from 2010 to 2013, Mr. Kubiak collaborated with numerous partners to form and operate an overfished species risk pool, the “California Groundfish Collective.” Mr. Kubiak has participated in the PFMC process and has attended nearly all their meetings as a representative of the local fishing community since 2013.