Dean LaTourrette is currently executive director of Save The Waves Coalition, a coastal environmental nonprofit with an emphasis on protecting the surf zone. He also was a founding board member, helping grow the organization from its infancy. He oversees projects and programs that impact coastal resources in dozens of countries around the world.
An accomplished writer, publisher, and marketing consultant, his writing has appeared in a variety of national and international publications, including Men's Journal, The Surfer's Journal, The Surfer's Path, Surfer Magazine, San Francisco Magazine and numerous others. His 2007 Men’s Journal article, “A Season in Hell,” about an American surfer wrongfully imprisoned for murder in Nicaragua, was chosen for The Best American Crime Reporting anthology that year. He co-founded Leisure Team Productions, a media and publishing company, where in addition to serving as president, he co-authored and released two award-winning non-fiction titles. He also has over 15 years marketing experience, working for a variety of companies in technology and financial services, along with an MBA from the University of Washington.
Dean's passion for both the ocean and the environment began at an early age, surfing the waters around Santa Cruz, California. His first taste of surf travel was a three-month road trip down to Central America at age 19, and he's never looked back since. These days he lives and surfs at Ocean Beach, San Francisco, splitting time between battling walls of whitewater at "The Beach" and Save The Waves’ offices in Davenport, California.
