Staff
Executive Director, Robbin Peach has a history of successfully managing teams, inspiring enthusiasm, and turning ideas into measurable outcomes. Most recently Ms. Peach co-founded and brought to UMass Boston, the Massachusetts Ocean Partnership – an $8.2 million public/private initiative that supported Massachusetts’ first-in-the-nation integrated multi-use ocean management plan, setting the stage for marine spatial planning in the United States. A concept that was recently acknowledged by Scientific American as one of the best ideas of the 20th Century.
Among other entrepreneurial accomplishments: she drafted the original administrative plan for the National Large Whale Conservation Fund, currently housed at the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation; founded and created an administrative structure for the Albatross Fund focusing on community involvement in marine resources of Galapagos; developed the largest cooperatively-owned artist live/work complex in the U.S.; spearheaded the first successful license plate program in Massachusetts (the “Right Whale Tail”), raising over $18 million for grants; and leveraged over $28 million worth of environmental assets for Massachusetts through “high engagement” philanthropy.
She has served on numerous boards concerned with development, planning and economic issues, a myriad of national marine-related task forces, and has consulted to state, private, and NGO sectors on issues of ocean governance. She is thrilled to be working with the talented staff and collaborators of CIOCS to bring about real change in the way we collaboratively do business to advance our shared understanding of security threats brought about by changing climates. (See Steering Committee bio for more information.)
Program Director, Deerin Babb-Brott brings over twenty years of experience developing innovative and successful solutions to management challenges in the coastal and marine environment, with expertise in government affairs and marine policy. Mr. Babb-Brott most recently served as Assistant Secretary and Director of the Coastal Zone Management Office at the Massachusetts Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs, where he led the planning team that developed the Massachusetts Ocean Management Plan. In addition, he led the state team that established Department of Interior wind energy development areas off the Massachusetts coast and negotiated the bilateral agreement with Rhode Island that facilitated the designation of the wind energy area off Rhode Island. Previously, he directed the environmental policy act office, where he was responsible for the environmental impact review of all major development projects in Massachusetts, including Cape Wind and offshore LNG terminals. His experience with those projects, which included evaluation of environmental and multi-sector socio-economic impacts, included negotiating $60 million in mitigation and directly informed development of the ocean plan.
Mr. Babb-Brott has also worked extensively in state coastal management issues, including port and harbor planning, protection of working waterfronts, dredged material management, and coastal development. He has served on numerous boards and commissions related to coastal and marine issues, and his work has been recognized nationally with NOAA’s Susan Snow Cotter Award for Excellence in Ocean and Coastal Resource Management and Vice President Gore’s Hammer Award for Reinventing Government, and regionally with the New England Environmental Business Council’s Paul G. Keough Environmental Award for Government Service.
Development Assistant, Tina Stanton brings a diverse background set of skills in fundraising, community organizing, and in scholarly research from her cross-disciplinary experience in nonprofits, industry, and politics. Prior to joining the CIOCS team, Ms. Stanton managed a DC Council race in Ward 1 of Washington, D.C., where she was responsible for the campaign’s fundraising, events, and operations, and served as Research Associate for Mitsubishi International Corporation with a focus on energy industry trends, particularly in international trade and US political developments. Ms. Stanton has also worked at the Women & Politics Institute assisting with events, research, academic programming, their academic journal, and the Young Women’s Leadership Board. Tina spent the 2012 election cycle working with a statewide election team at MassEquality, on behalf of non-partisan, pro-LGBT candidates and policies.
Tina spends her free time as a volunteer on behalf of political organizations and multiple city and state campaigns as well as an advocate for green science, mental health awareness, and women's issues throughout the Commonwealth. She is the 2012 Chair of the Greater Boston Young Democrats, an elected member of the Massachusetts Democratic State Committee, and an active volunteer with organizations such as the Massachusetts Women's Political Caucus, Boston GLOW, and MassEquality. Ms. Stanton received her Bachelor's degree in Political Science at American University in 2005.
