IGFA - Staff

educational staff

		David Matagiese Education Director dmatagiese@igfa.org (954) 924-4247 Education History University of Hawaii at Manoa – Honolulu, HI B.S. in Global Environmental Science Nova Southeastern University Oceanographic Center – Dania Beach, FL M.S. in Coastal Zone Management David directs and supervises the planning, development and implementation of departmental programs and also administers and develops both short and long range plans for the Education Department. He acts as a liaison between the IGFA and academic and environmental communities and works with the local community, granting entities and other non-profits to seek funding for IGFA program support. He also develops the Education budget to include purchasing, revenue generation and fiscal accountability. In his free time Dave enjoys surfing, fishing, free diving, boating, spear fishing, hiking and traveling. His research interests involve near shore processes, coastal wetlands, estuarine environments and mass migrations.

		veronica woods Education manager vwoods@igfa.org (954) 924-4309 Education History Hollywood Hills H.S. – Hollywood, FL Graduated with Honors DeVry University Currently earning a B.A. in Business Administration As the Education Manager, Veronica manages all group, school, scout, camp and birthday program reservations for children and adults. Her responsibilities also include relaying program information including schedules and program availability, conducting school mailings, payment reconciliations, accounts receivables and payables, creating and editing documents, managing staff and maintaining a positive environment for others to learn and grow. Veronica also serves as the primary point of contact between school groups and the IGFA. Although she is not as passionate about the sport of fishing as her coworkers, Veronica does share the passion of instilling conservation in today’s youth and understands the importance of leading this movement through education. When she is not hard at work taking education program reservations at the IGFA, Veronica enjoys spending time with her family.

		jeff mackin education & volunteer coordinator jmackin@igfa.org (954) 924-4340 Education History Emory College of Emory University – Atlanta, GA B.S. in Biology Nova Southeastern University Oceanographic Center – Dania Beach, FL Pursuing M.S. in Marine Biology One of Jeff’s primary responsibilities is coordinating the IGFA Volunteer Program. As the Volunteer Coordinator, Jeff recruits, trains, and places volunteers throughout the organization. Jeff also coordinates the IGFA Adult Education branch including the very popular IGFA School of Sportfishing. He also instructs lab programs for school groups, conducts fishing clinics and travels to Outreach Events to represent the IGFA. When Jeff is not working at the IGFA he spends his time fishing salt and freshwater, diving, snorkeling, spear fishing, and also enjoys wildlife photography.

		Elaine Brewer education coordinator (954) 924-4335 ebrewer@igfa.org Education History Boston University – Boston, MA B.A. in Biology Nova Southeastern University Oceanographic Center – Dania Beach, FL Pursuing M.S. in Marine Biology As an Education Coordinator, Elaine is responsible for both the designing and implementation of the IGFA’s hands-on lab programs. She is the lead instructor for the IGFA and teaches lab programs both in-house at the IGFA and at outreach sites across South Florida. Elaine is also the lead counselor for both the Spring and Summer Fishing Camps at the IGFA. When Elaine is not hard at work for the IGFA, she enjoys deep sea fishing for a variety of pelagic species, shark tagging, diving, kayaking, nature photography and backpacking. She is also very interested in highly migratory species (HMS) research taking place, specifically research involving shortfin mako and yellowfin tuna.

		Joanna Olczyk education instructor Education History South Broward HS Marine Magnet program University of Miami – Coral Gables, FL Majored in Biology, Minored in Art Joanna teaches the IGFA’s hands-on lab programs for children and adults, leads birthday parties and scout programs and is one of the IGFA’s top wetlands guides. She also serves as one of the head camp counselors for the IGFA’s Summer Camp and has been with the IGFA for over 8 years. Joanna is an accomplished artist and serves as the resident face painter at each Free Family Fishing Clinic the IGFA hosts. Joanna’s interests include fishing, snorkeling, arts and crafts and hiking. When she is not at the IGFA, she can be found leading education programs in the Everglades.

		Ryan Ormston education instructor Education History South Broward HS Marine Magnet program Ryan’s responsibilities here at the IGFA include teaching lab programs, instructing fishing clinics, leading birthday parties and scout programs and he is also a counselor for the IGFA’s Summer Fishing Camp. Ryan has been with the IGFA for over two years and his dedication and knowledge of fishing is passed on to children in every program he leads. In his free time, Ryan enjoys every type of fishing and is an avid spear fisherman. He also hunts in both Florida and South Carolina for deer, turkey, boar and game birds. When he is not leading IGFA programs Ryan is also a mate on a head boat based out of Miami and coaches water polo for middle school children in Dania, Fl.

		Carmen Rodriguez education instructor Education History Nova Southeastern University – Davie, FL B.S. in Marine Biology Nova Southeastern University Oceanographic Center – Dania Beach, FL Pursuing M.S. in Marine Biology As an Education Instructor, Carmen main responsibilities include teaching lab programs, leading birthday parties and scout programs. Carmen is also a counselor for the IGFA’s Summer Fishing Camp. She is fluent in Spanish and has been with the IGFA for two years. In her free time, Carmen enjoys snorkeling, camping, rafting, fishing, marine life, ornithology and traveling. Carmen visits Peru every year where she serves as a guide for hiking and eco-tourism. She also teaches pre-K children at a local preschool and has a strong devotion to the marine environment.

		Lisa Morse Education Instructor Education History Saint Francis University – Loretto, PA B.S. in Biology with a Marine Concentration Nova Southeastern University Oceanographic Center – Dania Beach, FL Pursuing a M.S. in Marine Biology Lisa’s responsibilities include instructing educational lab programs both in-house and at outreach locations, leading birthday parties and scout programs. She has a strong desire to pass on her devotion towards the environment on to the students she teaches and has been with the IGFA for just over a year. Lisa enjoys freshwater fishing, hunting, coral reef ecology and is an avid scuba diver with Rescue and Master Diver certifications. Her areas of research include wetlands, pelagic zones, coral reefs and near shore habitats. When she is not working at the IGFA Lisa can be found working for the Broward County Sea Turtle Conservation Program, volunteering at Flamingo Gardens or leading hikes through the Everglades.

International Game Fish Association