Meet our Board...
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What makes our organization truly exceptional? It's the unprecedented fusion of expertise that guides our mission.
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Our board represents a groundbreaking convergence of U.S. veterans, distinguished marine biologists, certified medical professionals, and world-class safety and media specialists. This remarkable leadership team weaves together the strategic precision of military service, cutting-edge scientific insight into marine ecosystems, critical medical expertise for dive safety and emergency response, and thousands of hours of proven underwater safety experience.
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Our veteran directors bring mission-critical thinking and leadership skills forged through service to country, while our marine biologists translate complex research into actionable conservation strategies. Our certified medical professionals ensure the highest standards of dive safety and emergency preparedness, bringing essential healthcare expertise to our underwater operations. Every board member has accumulated thousands of dives across the planet's most spectacular and challenging marine environments—from vibrant coral reefs in tropical waters to the towering kelp forests of temperate seas. They combine their deep passion for diving with professional mastery in dive instruction, safety protocols, and medical response capabilities.​
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Together, they're establishing new benchmarks for ocean protection and preservation.
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Joe Gonzalez
Founder
Kara Biery a seasoned 30+ year veteran in the healthcare and nonprofit sectors.
Holding a Master of Health Administration (MHA) and certification as a Certified Dementia Practitioner (CDP), she has dedicated her career to enhancing individual well-being through community-focused services. In 2020, Kara transitioned her experience into entrepreneurship by building on her passion for service she founded Island Life
Concierge LLC in 2025. Beyond her professional endeavors, Kara is involved in volunteerism and fundraising for causes close to her heart. Her dedication to community service and her multifaceted expertise make her a trusted figure in the Florida Keys region
Kara Biery
Director of Communications
Michael Goldberg has been a professional scuba diver for over 25 years and avid diver for over 30 years.  After a 12-year career in finance and an 8 year stint learning the scuba industry in the British Virgin Islands, Mike and his wife moved to Islamorada from Virgin Gorda and started Key Dives in 2004.  With over 10,000 dives he has seen just about everything – from diving with humpback whales to the tiniest of nudibranchs to reefs with close to 100% coral coverage. Sadly, he has also witnessed the loss of over 95% of our corals.  This devastating loss has inspired Mike to create an avenue for recreational divers and the local Keys community to help rebuild our ailing reef.
Michael Goldberg
Director of Ecological Purpose
Paula Souza
From Corporate Cubicles to Coral Reefs: Paula's Underwater Odyssey
Born on Portugal's sun-drenched coast, Paula's destiny was intertwined with the ocean from her first breath. As a child, while other toddlers were taking their first steps on land, Paula was already drawn to the mysterious depths of the sea, spending countless hours exploring tide pools and dreaming of life beneath the waves.
Two decades ago, in the vibrant waters of Venezuela, Paula took her first plunge into what would become not just a passion, but a way of life. Though her initial career path led her through the structured world of
Paula DeSouza
Directtor of Operations
Dan Orr retired from the positions of President of Divers Alert Network (DAN) and Chairman of the Board of International DAN after 23 years helping DAN focus on its worldwide diving safety mission. Prior to coming to DAN, he worked and taught recreational diving in a retail store, developed and implemented course curricula in the academic environment as part of two university diving programs, collected data and supervised research efforts in the field of science diving. Dan was certified as a US Navy diver and tested diving equipment for military contractors. As a diving industry consultant, Dan provides consulting expertise on diving safety to a number of companies
Dan Orr
Director of Safety