Honoring a Water Warrior in Southern California

Mark Gold, a stalwart of Southern California’s environmental community, and someone who built the influential, Santa Monica-based non-profit, Heal the Bay, into a local powerhouse, announced yesterday that he’s leaving after 23 years to take a position as associate director of the UCLA Institute of the Environment and Sustainability.

Mark’s departure is, if you pardon the pun, a watershed in Los Angeles—he’s been a unique figure on the local scene, someone who has made sustained contributions that add up to an impressive slate of accomplishments.   Mark is unique.  He was Heal the Bay’s chief scientist, fundraiser, executive, and he was an accomplished communicator, a go-to source for local reporters and (at times to my chagrin) a good quote.  

Mark played “multiple positions,” and Heal the Bay, its members, and the public at large were the beneficiaries.   He built Heal the Bay into a highly respected part of the local community; if you asked random people on the street to name a local environmental group, many would say Heal the Bay.  That’s mostly because of Mark.  He had enormous credibility with regulating agencies that make the decisions on water quality issues statewide.  They had their staffs, and they also had Mark.  Often, at the end of hearings, Mark would be recalled to answer scientific questions, with his answers carrying great weight—sometimes, it seemed, more weight than the opinions offered by the agency staff itself.  

Personally, Mark’s departure has made a real impact on me.  I have worked with Mark since I started at NRDC more than fifteen years ago, particularly closely in the days before I assumed the leadership of NRDC’s national water program.   Mark and I were both in our late 20s when we began working together, and it’s amazing to me that we are, ahem, a little (okay a lot) older now.   A lot of years have passed.  During that time, we had moments of competitiveness, some spirited conversations about how to achieve our shared goals, me leading the local NRDC water team, and Mark Heal the Bay.  Mostly, we appreciated and relied on what we each brought to many shared battles aimed at improving and enforcing the environmental frameworks that too often were not keeping local waters clean and safe.  

Mark carried a huge load at Heal the Bay for decades, and he did it for the love of the work.  Those of us who worked with Mark, and have done similar jobs, have a special appreciation for what it takes to do what Mark did for almost a quarter-century, doing the policy work, spreading the word, keeping the lights on. 

One of the best things you can say about someone is that their life’s labor made a positive difference.   Mark will make many more contributions at UCLA and beyond.  But I will already say based on his work at Heal the Bay that his work has made that difference.  His work benefited everyone who cares about the ocean in Southern California, and California (including those who opposed his efforts).   

Mark, congratulations on a great run.  And thank you.