Washington, DC – U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) today applauded the selection of Susan Sherman as the inaugural Executive Director of the Marine Debris Foundation. The nonprofit foundation was established by Whitehouse’s Save Our Seas 2.0 law, the most comprehensive legislation ever passed by Congress to address the plastic debris crisis.
“I wish Susan Sherman well as she becomes the inaugural executive director of the Marine Debris Foundation,” said Whitehouse, who co-founded the bipartisan Senate Oceans Caucus to find common ground in responding to issues facing the oceans and coasts. “I look forward to seeing the Marine Debris Foundation support our bipartisan efforts to clean up the harmful plastic waste polluting our oceans.”
The Marine Debris Foundation’s role is to encourage, accept, and administer private funding in support of the mission and activities of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Marine Debris Program. The Foundation also assists state, local, and tribal governments, foreign governments, organizations, and individuals in mitigation efforts and support other federal actions to reduce marine debris.
Sherman has deep experience leading and growing philanthropic organizations. While Executive Director of the Shenandoah National Park Trust, she grew a startup organization from a fiscally sponsored entity and one-person shop into a successful, independent partner to the National Park Service. She has helped launch several nonprofits, including the Blue Ridge PRISM, a cooperative invasive species management organization, and WellAWARE, a community-based initiative that breaks down barriers to health care in historically underserved communities.
The Save Our Seas 2.0 Act was signed into law in 2020. The bipartisan legislation was also sponsored by Senator Dan Sullivan (R-AK), and built on the success of the Senators’ original Save Our Seas Act, which became law in 2018.
Meaghan McCabe, (202) 224-2921
