President, Heal the Bay

Mark Gold is President of the environmental group Heal the Bay and was Executive Director from  1994 to 2006.  Heal the Bay is an environmental group dedicated to making Southern California coastal waters and watersheds, including Santa Monica Bay, safe, healthy and clean.  Mark received his Bachelors and Masters in Biology and his doctorate in Environmental Science and Engineering from UCLA.   

Mark has worked extensively over the last 20 years in the field of coastal protection and water pollution. In particular he has worked on research projects on urban runoff pollution, DDT and PCB contamination in fish, and the health risks of swimming at runoff contaminated beaches.  He created Heal the Bays Beach Report Card, and has authored or co-authored numerous California coastal protection, water quality and environmental education bills.  He served on the USEPA Urban Stormwater Federal Advisory Committee. Currently, Mark is a vice chair of the National Estuary Programs Santa Monica Bay Restoration Commission and was vice chair of the California Ocean Science Trust, and he sits on numerous other environmental and water quality boards and task forces.