International Seakeepers Society welcomes new CEO

by Media Services on 27 Apr 2010 Following a unanimous board decision, the International SeaKeepers Society is pleased to welcome Dean C. Klevan as its new President and CEO.

Klevan joins SeaKeepers following a distinguished career in the financial services industry. Most recently, he was the President of the Coral Gables Trust Company, an institution he helped to found. Klevan also served in senior positions with Morgan Stanley, Merrill Lynch, and Citicorp in the United States and abroad. He brings a business perspective to the challenges faced by a not-for-profit in today’s weakened economic environment.

Dean is an active advocate for ocean preservation. He currently serves on the Board of Trustees of the Guy Harvey Ocean Foundation. He has previously served on the advisory committee of the Pew Institute of Ocean Science and the School of Ocean Science at Nova Southeastern University. An avid sports fisherman and diver, he is keenly aware of the crises faced by the oceans today.

Chairman Michael T. Moore stated, “Speaking for SeaKeepers Board of Directors, we are thrilled to bring Dean onboard to lead the Society into a new era. SeaKeepers has reached a critical stage in its development and is poised to play a vital role in the understanding of global climate change. We believe that Dean, with his exceptional leadership skills and unique business expertise, is the person to guide the Society there.”

“We are given the responsibility of being the stewards of the world’s resources for the next generation. None is more sensitive or more important than the oceans and its inhabitants,” Dean said. “SeaKeepers allows us to gain critical knowledge on the state of our seas and provides this at no cost to the global scientific community. The selfless contribution of its members is a real reminder that a few can make the world better for many. I am excited to join, and look forward to the next generation of the Society.”

Dean has a history of philanthropic involvement. He serves on the Planned Giving Council at the University of Miami. He has previously served on the Boards of Trustees of the Historical Museum of Southern Florida and Plymouth Congregational Church and has been a mentor at the University of Miami. Dean served in the U.S. Army obtaining the rank of Captain.

Dean is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania and the Wharton School of Business. He resides with his wife, Christy Starr Klevan, in Coconut Grove, Florida.

The International SeaKeepers was founded in 1998 by a small group of yacht owners who were horrified by the deteriorating conditions of the seas. Their initial mission was to develop a compact, automated and cost-effective ocean and atmospheric monitoring system to install aboard their yachts, providing data to scientists on the health of the world’s oceans. Its innovative SeaKeeper 1000™ is now deployed in more than 45 locations around the world, including yachts, cruise ships, ferry boats, buoys and piers. Inquiries and orders for additional SeaKeeper 1000 units now numbers more than 20.

More at www.seakeepers.org