Dennis Takahashi-Kelso

Dennis Takahashi-Kelso leads Ocean Conservancy’s Gulf of Mexico Restoration work. He was Alaska Commissioner of Environmental Conservation at the time of the Exxon Valdez spill. When the tanker Exxon Valdez ran aground in 1989, spilling nearly 11 million gallons of crude oil into Prince William Sound, Dr. Takahashi-Kelso was on board within hours to begin enforcing clean-up standards. For the next two years, he worked with affected communities, in the state legislature, and in Congress to strengthen oil spill prevention and response laws. Dr. Takahashi-Kelso has covered every aspect of ocean conservation, including public service in natural resources management, university teaching, research on fisheries and environmental policy, and environmental grant making. In addition to his doctorate in Energy and Resources from the University of California Berkeley, Takahashi-Kelso also holds a law degree from Harvard University.