Board Members
Merlin Walberg, President
Merlin has always loved the ocean and in 2011 her dream of becoming a scuba diver came true. Being under the water makes her soul sing and she admits to talking to the fish and having them pose for photos for her!
Her skill as a leadership and organizational development consultant have been put to good use as DiverMojo came into existence in 2018. While on a dive trip, she mentioned going to Belize to a small island to participate in reef conservation and several others asked if they could come along. That became the first DiverMojo trip to Belize!
DiverMojo has always had conservation and service at its core, attracting divers who choose to give back as part of their adventures.
In 2022 a group of divers asked Merlin to create a Foundation so that they could continue to support ocean conservation efforts. Honored by the request, she worked with them to create the DiverMojo Foundation.
As a Master Scuba Diver Trainer, she adores to bring land beings into the underwater world, with an emphasis on safety and care for the ocean environment.
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Karen A. Blood, Treasurer
A born problem-solver, Karen launched and successfully managed multiple IT firms over the course of her career, identifying and mentoring imaginative and capable associates at every step. Concurrently, she served productively on many boards, primarily in leadership, bringing passion for each organization’s mission and delight in recognizing and developing opportunities to achieve the vision. Karen revels in discovering and sharing the beauty of the world through travel and diving. She hopes fervently that each of us realize our own power to protect our oceans.
Cindy Leacox, Board Secretary
Cindy has a passion for the planet and it’s inhabitants and a special place in her heart for the amazing under water world. This is exemplified by her photography and blogging related to simple eco-actions we can take to make small changes, improving the planets’ eco systems. Cindy is the Founder/Photojournalist of C.L.Wanderings; exploring the world to share with others. Additionally Cindy has significant corporate experience spanning advertising, marketing, digital product leadership and coaching.
Amanda Masters, Board Member at Large
Amanda is a free spirit that keeps a go-bag at the ready! She has worked with non-profits for over 30 years. An activist through and through, she has served on a dozen boards over the years. She is a passionate change maker, connector and problem solver. Ocean conservation and climate change are high on her list, and she looks forward to hearing about projects around the globe that are repairing the damage humans have made to our oceans and waterways. An avid diver, her work has taken her from the Pacific, Atlantic,Red Sea, Indian, Arctic, Caribbean, United States, South Africa, Australia and Galapagos!
Lynn Hovda, Board Member at Large
Dr. Lynn Hovda is a racetrack veterinarian with a passion for scuba diving and downhill skiing. Yes, an odd combination but both require a commitment to the sport and environmental change. Lynn first learned to dive in college, took a long hiatus to continue her veterinary training and raise a family, and returned to diving a dozen or so years ago. Since then she has been fortunate to travel and dive in many different countries and develop an understanding of the ecological and environmental changes caused in part by humans. Lynn focuses on the amount of trash found on the ocean floor and washed up on beaches, turning once pristine sites into garbage filled pools of stagnant water. If one really has a battle cry, hers is “Come on folks, we can do better…so much better!"
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Deborah Hatch, Director of Education
Debbie is a born teacher and public speaker. As the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Pinnacle Personnel Services, LLC., she has presented hundreds of seminars, world-wide, and has taught thousands of federal employees about their retirement benefits as well as financial literacy. She’s authored numerous blogs, newsletters, and handbooks; written curriculum and done 100% of the company’s marketing. She believes we need three things for a “successful” life: health, wealth (financial stability) and personal fulfillment (a reason to get up in the morning).
As she moves towards her own retirement, Debbie has been focusing on the personal fulfillment piece of that triad; giving back to the ocean she’s loved since watching Jacque Cousteau movies as a young child. She became a certified diver 30 years ago in the cold waters of Maine and has progressed to Dive Master – now seriously contemplating becoming an instructor. She’s taken the opportunity to dive all over the world and incorporates that with her love of teaching. She posts not only photos and write ups about her diving, the ocean, and local cultures but also always includes tips for how family and friends can be more conservation aware. She’s led dozens of beach clean ups, worked in coral nurseries, and written about the importance of caring for our reefs, aquatic animals and mangroves.
