Nik’s passion and mission is to provide coastal communities with the tools they need to be effective in valuing, protecting and managing their own natural resources. During his tenure as Executive Director / CEO at Save The Waves Coalition, he has taken the organization from a two-person operation to a team of twelve, with projects protecting surf ecosystems in 11 countries. He was responsible for creating strategic partnerships with groups like Conservation International, and as well as launching innovative conservation solutions like the Save The Waves Mobile App.
He was recently recognized by the Mulago Foundation as a Henry Arnhold Conservation Fellow for 2019-2020 and as a runner-up as a Pritzker Environmental Genius from UCLA. Before joining Save The Waves, Nik created professional training programs in conservation leadership , worked as a consultant in ecotourism development in coastal communities and built innovative programs focused on water resource issues in California’s Central Coast. In addition to his role as CEO of Save The Waves, he is an adjunct professor at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies, teaching environmental non-profit management.