Board of Advisors

The Seawater Foundation has a distinguished international group that advises it on scientific, political, and commercial matters, to assure the rapid dissemination of our scientific work and maximize the value of the Foundation’s efforts.

Chairman
Dino DeConcini

Dino DeConcini was born in Tucson Arizona. After graduating from Georgetown University School of Foreign Service and the University of Arizona Law School he served in the US Army Judge Advocate General Corps. Dino practiced law in Tucson and was a Tucson City Attorney. For ten years he was partner and vice president of an international business development firm; after which he became Director of International Research Cooperation for the US Department of Transportation.

In 1972 Dino became Chief of Staff to Governor of Arizona and later a shareholder/partner in DeConcini, McDonald, Brammer, Yetwin and Lacy until 1994. Appointed by the Clinton White House as Executive Director of the US Savings Bonds Program, he later joined the Consumer Federation of America working in financial education until his retirement in 2002. His retirement is our gain because he works harder than ever for the Seawater group and other worthwhile efforts.

Before “retirement” Dino, who speaks fluent Spanish, took time to study French, Chinese and his family language, Italian. He has served on the boards of the Apollo Group, Arizona Public Service Co. and Cochise Airlines, and was Chairman of the Arizona Commission on the Arts. 

Europe

Christer Salen

A principal of the Salen Foundation in Sweden, Christer has supported research work at the University of Arizona for 20 years.  He established the Seawater Forests Initiative-Netherlands Ltd.  The Netherlands entity will be utilized in Europe for the development of seawater forests in developing regions of the world with financial and logistical support provided by interested European governments, industry and individuals.

Anthony Simon

Anthony Simon was recently retired from Unilever Bestfoods where his last position was President Marketing Unilever Bestfoods and a member of the Unilever Bestfoods Board, the third largest food company in the world.  He is an informal advisor to the President of the World Business Council on Sustainable Development and deeply involved in the ecological and economic balances that the planet needs.

Japan

Kokichi Asayama

Editorial Director of Tokyo Gas & Electric’s renowned intellectual and environmental journal ILLUME, read by the top 5000 executives in Japan.

India

Dr. M.S. Swaminathan   

Dr. Swaminathan's early work in India, sponsored by the Rockefeller Foundation, was a major part of what is known as the Green Revolution and bought the world 30 years of time to avoid economic collapse due to inadequate food production the final third of the last century. His M.S. Swaminathan Foundation in Chennai, India, addresses today’s environmental and food challenges in India and throughout the world.

Africa

Dr. Abraham Medhane

Dr. Abraham Medhane is one of Eritrea’s leading businessmen.  He has been supportive of the Foundation’s efforts since DDF began its assistance to Eritrea the fall of 1998.

Arabia

Dr. Mohammad Alshaikh

Former Minister of State of Saudi Arabia, Mohammad has been designated by the University of California at Berkley as its most distinguished international alumni.  He originated Project Green, of an environmental project for the country of Saudi Arabia during his tenure as Minister of Municipal and Rural Affairs.  He continues to work on environmental issues in the Kingdom and is also developing plan for an initiative to counter international terrorism.

United States

J. Blanton Belk

Mr. Belk is the Founder and Former Chairman of the Board of Up With People.  This well-known institution has contributed substantially to international understanding.  Blanton is currently working on an expansion of those ideas in cooperation with the University of Arizona and international institutions.

Dr. A. Richard Kassander

Dr. Kassander is past Vice President for Research of the University of Arizona, was one of the principal persons responsible for the movement of the University of Arizona from a little-recognized research institution to today one of the leading publicly-owned research institutions in America.  He was a consultant to the National Science Foundation, the Office of Technology Assessment of the U.S. Congress, and many other such institutions.

Ruth McCormick Tankersley

Ms. Tankersley serves as President of the Board of Trustees of the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum.  Bazy has founded educational institutions in the United States from primary grades through high school, is active in supporting university programs, and is the founder of the Strawbale Forum, an annual intellectual retreat held in Northern Arizona at a conference center she built on her ranch in northern Arizona.

Dr. Richard Farson

Dr. Farson, psychologist, author and educator, has led a number of organizations noted for innovative programs in human affairs.  He is the founder of the Western Behavioral Sciences Institute in La Jolla, California, which currently operates one of the world’s leading Internet intellectual exchanges, International Leadership Forum.

Robert L. Schwartz

Mr. Schwartz founded the Tarrytown Conference Center and the Tarrytown One Hundred.  He currently writes on a number of social and environmental issues.