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About TMA BlueTech

Developing the inventors and entrepreneurs of the future

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Get to know us

TMA BlueTech™ is the non-profit industry association and cluster organizer for the San Diego ocean and water technologies community. Its tag line is Promoting BlueTech and Blue Jobs®.

We bring education, policy and technology resources together to promote innovation and economic development in the Blue Economy. We create a strong “Blue Voice” via unique events, information sharing, national and international outreach, networking, research, and workforce development.

We believe that in order to promote sustainable, science-based Ocean and Water industries, the BlueTech community must collaborate with all members of our society.  Diversity and inclusion is critical to the success of the planet and the BlueTech industry.  As an organization, we seek to recruit, develop and retain the most talented people from a diverse candidate pool that possess the required skills, experience and education to succeed.  We support efforts of our member companies and partners to select from a diverse candidate pool.  As part of our ongoing efforts, we encourage diversity within our internal practices, the voices we feature and amplify, and the partners with whom we engage.  We encourage presenting companies to help provide a diverse speaking panel during BlueTech Week.

Our mission

We believe in creating BlueTech and Blue Jobs by promoting sustainable, science-based ocean and water industries.

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Our Vision

Promoting the economic development in the  Blue Economy allowing it to flourish and provide the foundation for sustainable growth, and international outreach which fortifies global networks spanning the breadth and depth of the oceans.

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National and International Outreach

TMA BlueTech promotes collaboration in the region combined with active national and international outreach.

TMA team

Matt Classen, Executive Director

mclassen(at)TMABlueTech.org

Matt Classen joined TMA BlueTech as the Executive Director in September 2021. He has worked with small, medium, and multinational organizations in a wide variety of sectors in areas as diverse as communications, corporate strategy development, project management, sports sponsorship, organizational change management, and corporate culture development. One of his proudest professional highlights was co-producing an award-winning documentary that was filmed in both the US and Myanmar. He sits on the board of directors of two nonprofits, is a dual citizen of the US and Germany and speaks four languages.

Virginia Casey, Program Manager

vcasey@tmabluetech.org

Virginia Casey is TMA BlueTech's Program Manager and has over 25 years of experience as a communication professional in both the nonprofit and international sectors. Virginia brings experience in advocacy, lobbying, and community outreach to managing BlueTech's events and government relations efforts and is excited to help build awareness of the Blue Economy's vital role in our future. In her spare time, Virginia enjoys playing padel, participating in a local running club, and enjoying life in San Diego again after many years in much less inviting climates.

Michael Jones, TMA & TMAF President

MBJones(at)TMABlueTech.org

Michael Jones is President of TMA and TMA Foundation. He founded TMA in 2007 after noticing that San Diego has a strong cluster of maritime technology companies. His background is finance and international relations, having spent 8 years as a commercial lender and 31 years as an investment banker. He is an angel investor, member of the Board of Directors of the Maritime Museum of San Diego, and a member of the Board of Governors of the Southern California Coastal Ocean Observing System (SCCOOS). Michael speaks five languages and travels extensively.

Martin Kwon, TMA BlueTech Intern

mkwon@tmabluetech.org

Martin Kwon joined TMA BlueTech this year as a student intern through the Korea WEST program. He is a senior at Dongyang University studying Airline Service and Business Administration. He has studied Marketing and Tourism in course classes and is greatly interested in the Maritime industry. He has a passion for learning about sustainable energy and international trade matters.

Board of directors

President

Michael Jones

TMA BlueTech™ and

TMA Foundation

CFO

Rick Hotz

Partner

Considine & Considine

Partner

Chad Ensz

Partner

Dentons US

Alex Halterman

Director of Technical Program Development

Quartus Engineering

Andre Doerfer

Senior VP Maritime Technologies

ION Geophysical

Dave Abrams

CEO

Training Resource Limited Marine Institute

Dennis Calvert

President

BioLargo

Jack Pan

CEO

Ocean Motion

Jim Bertsch

Marine Program Manager

Solar Turbines

Jim Mullen

CEO

Earthwise Sorbents

Joao Metelo

Clean Energy Leader & Executive

Global Infrastructure Partners

Linda Kurokawa

Director

Miracosta Community College

Mark Gundersen

CEO

Marine Advanced Robotics

Matt Classen

Executive Director

TMA BlueTech

Michel Boudrias

Associate Professor, Environmental & Ocean Science

University of San Diego

Nate Sachdeva

Strategic Partnerships

SDUSD, Office of College, Career & Technical Education

Richard Hine

COO/CFO

ThayerMahan Inc

Sean Newsome

Director of Business Development

Deep Trekker

Xavier Martinez

Business Partnerships Specialist

San Diego Workforce Partnership

Yi Chao

Founder & CEO

Seatrec

Jim Bertsch

Marine Program Manager
Solar Turbines

Orianna Bretschger

CEO
Aquacycl

Jordan Cousino

President & CEO
Cardinal Point Captains

James Espino

President
Gnostech

Bill Kikendall

President
Teledyne RD Instruments

Linda Kurokawa

Director
MiraCosta Community College

Scott Marchand

Vice President
Programs
San Diego Workforce Partnership

Joao Metelo

CEO
Principle Power

Dennis Calvert

President
BioLargo

Gwen Nero

Director of Corporate Affiliates
UC San Diego Scripps Institution of Oceanography

David Pasquini

Consul
UK Government Office,
San Diego

Dave Gentle

VP, Business Development
BMT Scientific

Nate Sachdeva

Strategic Partnerships
San Diego Unified School District

Drew Stephens

Ocean Industry Manager
Esri

Dean Wakeham

President & CEO
XST, Inc.

Josh Wells

CEO
Planck Aerosystems

TMA BlueTech supports the
UN 2030 Sustainable Development Goals