Please scroll down for complete bios of our Board of Directors
Board of Directors
-
Ian Koblick
FOUNDER & CHAIR
-
Dr. Neil T. Monney
VICE CHAIR
-
Bob Russell
TREASURER
-
Dr. Kathleen McCue
SECRETARY
Please scroll down for bios of all members of our Board of Directors
-
Les Burke
DIRECTOR
-
Tonya Koblick
DIRECTOR
-
Craig Mullen
DIRECTOR
-
David Stone
DIRECTOR
-
Carl Taylor
DIRECTOR
-
Shawn Tolley
DIRECTOR
Ian Koblick, Founder and Chair
Ian Koblick pioneered undersea living in the 1970s as an Aquanaut in the Tektite I undersea living project in the Virgin Islands. At the conclusion of Tektite I, Ian became a project manager of Tektite II, while serving as a special Assistant to the Governor of the VI. In that role he helped manage the science missions, including the first all-female crew in an undersea living project.
Buoyed by the success of Tektite, Ian established Marine Resources Development Foundation (MRDF) in 1970 and was invited by the governor of Puerto Rico to create an undersea living program dubbed Puerto Rico International Undersea Laboratory (PRINUL). Ian designed the sophisticated undersea lab of PRINUL, called La Chalupa, and managed the program from 1971 to 1976.
In 1976, Ian moved MRDF to Broward County, Florida and began working with the US Department of Commerce on the creation of a national ocean program. In 1981, MRDF acquired The Golden Venture, a 147-foot research vessel equipped for undersea exploration and used it to locate and uncover artifacts from the sunken Spanish galleon Nuestra Senora de Atocha.
Ian and his partner Dr. Neil Monney found and re-acquired the La Chalupa habitat used in PRINUL and converted it into the world’s first undersea hotel, Jules Undersea Lodge. Since its opening in 1986 Jules has hosted over 10,000 guests including astronauts, marine scientists, celebrities and heads of state. Ian and Neil donated the habitat back to MRDF, and Jules served as a research platform for a NASA sponsored mission in 1992, “La Chalupa-30.” In 1996, Ian joined up with his old friend and Mercury astronaut, Scott Carpenter and they developed the “Scott Carpenter Man In The Sea Program,” which ran until 1999. Ian served on the US/Japan committee for natural resources from 1972-1985 and currently serves on the selection committee for the Astronaut Hall of Fame.
HONORS AND AWARDS
2021 Diving Pioneer Award , Historical Diving Society
2008, 2009, 2011, 2012 Carried the Explorers Club Flag
1997 - Medal of Honor, The Daughters of the American Revolution -
1993 - Who's Who in Diving
1991 - Who's Who in Leading American Executives
1991 - Recipient of the NOGI Award for "Distinguished Service"
1991 - board Member of "Sea Space Symposium"
1989 - 1994 - American Men and Women of Science
1986 – Explorers Club Lowell Thomas Award for Underwater Exploration
PROFESSIONAL AND HONORARY SOCIETIES
Explorers Club Member FM 78
Blue Key National Honor Fraternity (Academic)
Phi Kappa Tau Fraternity, Beta Omega Chapter
Omicron Theta Epsilon (Honorary Biological Science Fraternity)
PUBLICATIONS
Living and Working In The Sea, James W. Miller and Ian G. Koblick, 1995 Five Corners Publication
The Koblick Chronicles A Short Recollection of the Tektite I and II and La Chalupa Adventures, 2023
Consulting Editor, NOAA Diving Manual - Second Edition, 1979
Dr. Neil T. Monney, Vice Chair
Dr. Monney was professor and director of ocean engineering at the US Naval Academy for 11 years. He has served the Secretary of Commerce as Senior Policy Advisor for Ocean Science & Engineering. He has consulted for the US Congress, the US State Department, the National Academy of Engineering and the US/Japan Committee of Natural Resources. Dr. Monney was Editor of Marcel Decker, Inc. publications on ocean science and engineering with over thirty papers published. He received his BS from the US Naval Academy, his MS in Civil Engineering from the University of Washington, and his PhD from the University of Washington.
Bob Russell, Treasurer
Always an advocate of small business, Mr. Russell is currently an owner and Chief Financial Officer for several small to medium sized companies, the largest of which is a specialized transportation company serving the US and Canada. The other businesses include mining operations, real estate development, real estate rental, transportation and mining equipment rental, logistics, two restaurants, a specialty coffee roasting operation, and an EPA permitted composting facility. Russell graduated from Kent State University with a degree in management. Mr. Russell worked for a small CPA firm in Shaker Heights for a short time before leaving to start his own businesses.
Dr. Kathleen C. McCue, Secretary
Kathleen F. McCue, DNP, FNP-BC, IBCLC, is a doctorally prepared nurse practitioner in private practice in Bethesda, Maryland. Her background includes work with pharmaceutical corporations. She is currently on the faculty of George Washington University and has over thirty years of teaching experience, plus she has led research in the healthcare field. Dr. McCue is the owner of several businesses in the Washington, DC, area, including Metropolitan Breastfeeding, Metropolitan Doulas, and Littlebeam.
Dr. McCue is the author of three books and a co-founder of the Mon Reve Foundation, a non-profit foundation supporting education and healthcare in rural Haiti, where she also maintains a board position. She is chairperson of the Resource Committee for the International LC Association and active on the state and national level in enacting changes to healthcare and insurance laws.
Dr. McCue has traveled widely, is a avid, open ocean qualified SCUBA diver, an advocate for the health of the world's oceans and educating the public regarding the importance of maintaining a healthy ocean environment.
Les Burke, Director
Les Burke has been diving since 1980. Les was the eighth African American to complete the Navy's school for Deep Sea Diving and Salvage in Little Creek, VA. Famed US Navy Master Diver Carl Brashear mentored Les in the early years. As one of the Navy's elite Salvage divers, Les spent 33 years in the Navy. As a Navy Diver, he took part in several high-profile salvage operations. In addition to submerged aircraft, sunken ships, and personnel recovery, Les was involved in the Space Shuttle Columbia salvage. In the twilight of his career, he was asked to go to Iraq. He spent 18 months with the U.S. Army Special Forces, including a tour in Iraq.
Les founded Jr Scientists in the Sea - while living in Tallahassee - to provide exposure to any student who wanted to learn about our aquatic world. He brought youth from up north to meet, learn and dive with youth from Florida. After five years in the cold, Les moved back to Florida, where he focused on the Florida Reef Tract and the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary.
Les has been honored by the State of Florida for his youth-oriented prevention programming. He was a two-term Chair of the Jefferson County Juvenile Justice Council and was the Jefferson County Teen Summit founder. Also, Les serves on the Board of Directors for the Caribbean Center for Boys & Girls of the Virgin Islands.
Les holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Operations Management and a Juris Doctorate, both from Florida State University. He has completed all coursework for his Master's in Public Administration. He is a Department of State ICASS Executive, a certified mediator and curriculum developer, a State Certified Law Enforcement Officer in Florida, and a certified Master SCUBA Instructor.
Tonya Koblick, Director
Mrs. Koblick holds a BA and an MA in Biology from California State University. Her background includes: biological research in the field of entomology; ten years teaching science; environmental data coordinator for the Puerto Rico firm Laboratorio Analisis Ambiental; member of the Governor's Committee for "Virgin Islands and the Sea" Study; and staff member and program coordinator for the Discovery Center, a children's museum in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. Mrs. Koblick was the Secretary of the Foundation until 2018 and also was the Donations Coordinator for many years.
Craig Mullen, Director
A life long entrepreneur, Mr. Mullen has over 30 years experience in starting, growing and managing high technology businesses. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Western Illinois University in microbiology in 1966 and undertook graduate studies prior to becoming a Naval Officer during the Vietnam era.
In 1974 he joined Alcoa Marine, Inc., a subsidiary of the Aluminum Company of America (ALCOA), as Vice President of Operations. In 1980, he was part of a management team that purchased the subsidiary from ALCOA. Its name was changed to Eastport International, and Mr. Mullen served as its President from 1980 to 1993. Eastport International specialized in pioneering the use of robotic technology for undersea and land applications. Eastport also directed deep ocean operations for the US Government and numerous commercial clients and was adept in prototype product development. Mr. Mullen also co-founded Pressure Technologies, Inc. in 1989 and served as a Director until its acquisition by Carlton Technologies in 1998. Pressure Technologies specialized in the production of lightweight composite pressure vessels for aerospace, medical and defense applications.
In 1993, he negotiated the merger of Eastport with Oceaneering International. Asked to remain after the merger and grow its non-oil and gas business units, Mr. Mullen helped create the Advanced Technologies Group and served as its President until 1997, creating theme park robotics, undersea telecommunications and marine construction enterprise groups. The Advanced Technologies Group undertook client paid R&D, field operations, product development and manufacturing for NASA, AT&T, DARPA, US Navy, Universal Studios, Walt Disney, General Construction and many more. Mr. Mullen left Oceaneering in 1997 to form Sconset Ventures, Inc., a consulting and venture capital firm based on Nantucket Island, and joined Wastech International in 1999 as Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer. In 2003, he and Ian Koblick created an European non-profit, the Aurora Trust, to carry out marine archeology projects for foreign governments.
David Stone, Director
David Stone has been a highly successful trial lawyer in South Florida for more than thirty years. During that time he has represented thousands of clients in State and Federal Courts, mediations and arbitrations. Mr. Stone has developed significant trial, mediation, and arbitration experience in a variety of legal specializations including personal injury and wrongful death, product liability, premises liability, construction defects, professional liability and commercial litigation. He is frequently retained as co-counsel in cases involving issues of medical and legal malpractice, catastrophic injury, wrongful death, premises liability, product liability and business/commercial disputes. He has been on the Board of Directors since 2016.
Carl Taylor, Director
Carl Taylor is an accomplished healthcare professional with a diversified background covering all sides of the healthcare landscape. After a career in senior hospital leadership, he ventured into a role in space flight medicine at the Medical College of Virginia, before transitioning to become the Assistant Dean of the University of South Alabama College of Medicine. During that decade he led the development of early-stage remote patient monitoring, informatics driven case management and the design and launch of a pandemic support incident management software system now used by 100s of hospitals. Those efforts earned him two innovator of the year awards and a commendation from the US Senate.
His current role finds him as Regional Vice President for Humana in their Florida market. His role is to design, support, and advance the role of physicians in value-based strategies to meet the needs of Humana members across 3 lines of business-Medicare, Medicaid and commercial.
Carl also leads XCH a not -for- profit crisis technology company focused on assisting doctors and hospitals in responding to natural disasters and conflicts. XCH work includes ongoing support for the AIMs and design and creation of the Ukrainian Humanitarian Aid and Assistance System. His work in the Ukraine has received recognition including receiving the AAA Humanitarian of The Year Award for 2023.
Most recently Carl has spoken on a UN Panel for Seniors and Technology, given multiple national talks on the role of telehealth during Covid, Conflict Response in the Ukraine, and Supporting Physicians and Hospitals During Times of Crisis. His most recent talk was on Medical Innovation at the International Young Scientist Conference in Manila.
He is an associate member of the Royal Society of Medicine, and during 2022-2023 served on two HHS workgroups- The Role of Telehealth During Covid, and The Future of Medicine. Both work groups have now published their work.
Current research interest is in the use of AI created Digital Twins to improve medical training.
An avid diver, Carl accompanied Ian on multiple adventures including the Artic and the Atocha. He is sponsor of the Adam Taylor Memorial which funds the Caribbean Teachers Initiative at MRDF.
He holds a Bachelor of Science degree and a Juris Doctor with an Ocean Law concentration.
Shawn Tolley, Director
Shawn W. Tolley earned his Bachelors of Business Administration in Accounting and Finance from Florida State University in 1997. Mr. Tolley became a Certified Public Accountant in 1999, and worked for Mull & Associates and Berman, Swichkow, et al before forming his own firm, Shawn W. Tolley CPA, PA, in 2001. Locally, Shawn has served on the board of directors for the Good Health Clinic since 2005, and is currently President of Sandal Factory, Inc. (and related entities). Shawn gives many volunteer hours back to the community by assisting numerous local charitable organizations with their accounting, policies and procedures. He joined the Board in January 2019.