My name is Jason Maddox and I am the founder of The Sand and Sea Foundation, a 501(c)3 & 1101.01 Nonprofit founded in Puerto Rico and Dedicated to the preserving of our Oceans and our Shoreline.
I grew up on the floor of a dive shop since I could walk, I went to school on the Atlantic Ocean, I went on vacations to the Caribbean Ocean, I went to Work on the Pacific Ocean, I was married back on the Caribbean Ocean, Had Children on the Pacific Ocean, And now live with my Family On the Caribbean Ocean in Puerto Rico. As you can see the Ocean is my life. And I created The Sand and Sea Foundation to protect this way of life for our next generation and those that come after it.
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Jason Maddox Founder & Chairman Jason Maddox is a life long Ocean Explorer and conservationist. Jason was part of the 2005 Titanic Exploration with the explorers club and the History Channel's documentary the Titanic, Missing Pieces. The Maddox family owned and operated Mar-vel Underwater Equipment, the oldest underwater diving company in America. He attended undergraduate school at the University of Colorado Boulder and studied engineering, physics, and journalism. His studies took him to ocean engineering and exploration studies in Australia through his lab work at the University of Colorado. His graduate education was at Babson College in entrepreneurship and Harvard University in entrepreneurship. Jason likes to spend time with his family on the beach, in the water, and on the boat. He enjoys, Surfing, Sailing, Boating, Diving, Spearfishing, Fishing, and E Foiling. Jason@TheSandandSeaFoundation.com 855-462-3369
Mariel Figueroa López is a native Puerto Rican. Her passion is living around the Sand and the Sea. She received her Juris Doctor degree from the Interamerican University of Puerto Rico School of Law She has a MA in School Psychology from the Universidad Ana G Mendez Mariel is the President and CEO Farmacia Candelero, LLC President and CEO of FC Business Development, LLC Vice-President and CEO of Farmacia Las Campiñas, LLC She Serves as the Secretary of The Palmas Academy Board of Trustees & Secretary of Coopharma Supervising Committee As well as Secretary of The Sand and Sea Foundation. Mariel@TheSandandSeaFoundation.com
CEO at Underwater Forensic Investigators, LLC & President/Owner of American Diving Supply, Egg Harbor Township New Jersey. Commercial, Military, Public Safety Diving and Marine Lifesaving Equipment. CEO and Owner of MAR-VEL International (Pennsauken, NJ-San Diego, CA) from 1993-2008. MAR-VEL was one of the major suppliers to the US and Foreign militaries for Marine Lifesaving, Diving and Tactical products. After selling MAR-VEL in 2008, I had been consulting to the Diving industry as well as the Solar industry. Served on Association of Diving Contractors Executive Committee/ Board of Directors (Treasurer) 1995-2006. Re-elected to ADCI board 2013 and currently serving in that position. CO-Pilot MIR-2 Submersible. I was a member of the 2005 Titanic Expedition. This was an International expedition to dive to the Titanic, two and one half miles down to film the ship wreck for the History Channel's show, "Titanic's Final Moments, the Lost Pieces". A number of books have been written about the expedition. Member of The Explorers Club. tom@thesandandseafoundation.com
Jose A. Quiñones is an Attorney and retired United States Coast Guard Commander, who served at Embassies for the Department of State, and numerous tours with the Department of Defense Joint Forces Command. His legal experience centered in areas of homeland/national security, energy, maritime and environmental law. Mr. Quiñones has served as a force readiness/response and operational planning Liaison Officer, integrating and coordinating numerous assets from State, Department of Defense, Department of Homeland Security (FEMA) and Non-governmental Agencies (NGO’s). He has led numerous responses as a Statutory Federal on Scene Coordinator Representative (FOSCR), man-aging allocated responsibilities with relief resources for a variety of natural and man-made disasters. His career awards include two (2) Defense Meritorious Service Medals, a USCG Meritorious Service Medal, two (2) Joint Service Commendation Medals, two (2) USCG Commendation Medals, USCG achievement Medals, National Defense Medals, and a Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, along with various meritorious team and unit awards. He is a U.S. NORTHCOM “plank holder”, managing their integration to Federal/State/Municipal stakeholders. Previously, Mr. Quiñones held a variety of leadership positions; including, Director of Auxiliary for the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) Seventh District, Diplomat and Military Attaché to the U.S. Embassy Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, and the Greater Caribbean. As the Chief of Maritime Contingency Planning, Force Readiness and Incident Management Response Team at the USCG San Juan, PR Sector, Commander Quiñones was responsible for developing and implementing strategic response plans related to maritime security, port security grants, training exercises, mass rescue operations, and response to terrorist attacks, pollution, catastrophic disasters, and HAZMAT releases. He also managed the operational readiness of U.S. Coast Guard Cutters, and other response assets, providing maritime security, count-er narcotics and immigration Operational responses within the Greater Caribbean. As the Senior Investigating Officer for the USCG Marine Safety Office San Juan, P.R., Commander Quiñones conducted numerous high-profile maritime casualty (Deaths/Groundings/Collisions) investigations, including personnel actions following white-collar crimes (fraud). Commander Quiñones also worked as a Marine Vessel Inspector. He served as coordinator to develop a prosecution team with foreign legal assets, in coordination with the U.S. Department of Justice, resulting in prosecution of numerous Human Smugglers/Traffickers. As the Chief of Waterfront Facilities and Waterways Management at the U.S. Coast Guard Marine Safety Office in Miami, FL, Commander Quiñones coordinated multi-agency strike force operations and supervised various security and inspection teams dealing with oil, refineries, nuclear waterfront facilities, controlled cargoes and explosives. Commander Quiñones graduated Cum Laude from the University of Puerto Rico, Mayagüez Campus, with a B.S. in Biology. He completed a Juris Doctor degree at the Interamerican University School of Law. He holds a Certification in Health Law from the NSU Shepard Broad Law Center and is admitted to practice law before the Puerto Rico District, Appellate and Supreme Courts; the U.S. District Court for the District of Puerto Rico; and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit. He also has served as pro bono legal counsel with environmental, immigrations and health law matters. JoseQ@thesandandseafoundation.com
David Hurwitz brings over two decades of experience in investment banking, asset management and real estate development. Mr. Hurwitz was a director of Donaldson, Lufkin and Jenrette and Credit Suisse First Boston in investment banking. During his tenure, Mr. Hurwitz acted as lead banker on the placement of over $1.5 billion of private equity securities in a variety of industries. While acting as a leader of the group, the private placement team raised in excess of $5 billion in private equity and equity-related securities for private and public companies, earning the top ranking for private equity on Wall Street for four consecutive years. After leaving CSFB, Mr. Hurwitz joined hedge fund SC Fundamental and soon became a partner and lead portfolio manager. SC enjoyed top tier performance among hedge funds beating the S&P 500, after all fees and expenses, over its entire 27-year history. In 2019, Mr. Hurwitz joined family-owned Maxxam Inc. to help oversee the development of Palmas Del Mar, including residential, retail, hotel, medical and school developments. David Hurwitz received a B.A. in political science from Duke University in 1990 and received an MBA with high honors and was named a Sord Scholar from the University of Texas in 1993. Mr. Hurwitz was a founding board member of KIPP: New Jersey, a system of charter schools now serving nearly 7,000 inner city students. David@thesandandtheseafoundation.com
It was overwhelming experience for the 20 of us to partake in the drive with so many like minded citizens.
Alex
Jason has tons of knowledge on marine ecosystem. Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge along with stories.
Jessica
