Orvel Founder, Mateo Velez

October 4, 2020

Another inspiring story on the American Shoreline

On this episode of Sea Change, Jenna Valente welcomes Mateo Velez, Founder and Executive Director of Orvel, a nonprofit organization working to raise awareness about plastic pollution and other environmental problems in low-income and underserved coastal communities.  

Show Transcription
This transcription was generated by a computer. Please excuse any errors.
Jenna Valente

A passion for conservation and appreciation for the natural world was engrained in Jenna at a young age. Her father was in the Coast Guard. This meant she always had the fortune of living near the ocean, including Hawaii, Washington State, and Maine. Both of her parents encouraged her to spend the majority of her time outside. As a result, she finds that she is most comfortable barefoot and exploring the coast, countryside, or mountains. Her favorite thing about the ocean is the sheer power of it all. Jenna joined the American Littoral Society as the Healthy Oceans Coalition Coordinator from the Chesapeake Research Consortium where she was a member of the communications staff and focused on building the brand of the program and ensure the health of the Chesapeake Bay. Jenna completed her Executive Master of Natural Resources from Virginia Tech in 2015 and also has her Bachelors in Communication and Journalism from the University of Maine.