Our Board
OAR is made up of a dues-paying membership base and a dedicated group of volunteers. The organization is governed by a non-paid board of directors which holds regular meetings open to all members. OAR supports itself through membership dues, grants, donations, sale of promotional items and proceeds raised by The Big Bend Saltwater Classic fishing tournament.
Board Members
Alan Richardson, OAR Board Director for 2010-2011, has been a member of OAR since 1994. He joined the OAR Board as board member in 2007, after serving in numerous positions (including Chairman in 1997 and 1998) with the Big Bend Saltwater Classic, the sister non-profit fundraising organization to OAR. Alan has been active in the Big Bend fishing and diving community since the early eighties, and also volunteers his boat when needed for OAR Research Dive Team activities. Alan graduated from FSU in 1990 and is a commercial real estate agent when not volunteering for OAR.
Lynda Tiefel joined OAR and the RDT in 2007, and holds Advanced Open Water and Rescue Certification. She is a registered nurse, has earned Oxygen First Aid for Scuba Diving Injuries and is an American Heart Association Instructor for Basic Life Support. Lynda is the BLS instructor for the OAR RDT. Her hobbies include underwater photography and reef building.
Karen Gotti joined OAR in 2001, has been a member of the RDT since 2002 and has served as Board Treasurer since 2008. Karen’s SCUBA certifications include Nitrox, Research Diver, Underwater Naturalist and Rescue Diver. She received her MA in Linguistics from the Julius-Maximilians Universitaet Wuerzburg in 1996.
Billy Solberger joined OAR in 2009 and became a Board Member that same year. He has been an avid diver for 15 years and angler all his life. He received his SCUBA certification with SSI and has additional certifications in Nitrox and Dive Con; he is also certified as a Research Diver with NAUI. Billy is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with an MSW [1982] and BSW [1981] from FSU.
Tony Murray joined OAR in 2009, becoming a Board/RDT member that same year. Along with a BS in Biology in 1982, he is a SCUBA certified Research Diver. He is a USCG Licensed Captain and runs ecotours in St. Marks and also began the Big Bend Coastal Conservancy/Director. He has written numerous marine/fishing articles for magazines. His professional career focuses on environmental education/sustainability and he has worked with DEP performing Hazardous Waste Site Assessments throughout the State of Florida; specializing in pollution/water quality. Tony is an Assistant Boy Scout Leader and an avid outdoors enthusiast, canoeing/backpacking regularly with scouts/family.
Della Betz joined OAR over 20 years ago and has been actively involved with the Big Bend Saltwater Classic fundraising event, ever since. She served on the BBSC Board of Directors and received the award as its Most Valuable Volunteer in 2004. She became an OAR Board Member in 2010. She is an active angler and frequently visits OAR reefs, commenting that they remain “incredibly productive.” She is grateful that she has never actually landed any of the porpoises that feed on hooked red snapper over OAR’s deepest reef. Della received her BS from FSU in Human Sciences in 1977.
Guy Weeks has been a certified SCUBA diver since 1986. He is an avid diver and has SCUBA certifications from YMCA (Open Water), PADI (Nitrox) and NAUI (Research Diver). He joined the OAR - RDT in 2009 and the OAR Board in 2010.
Rob Buda joined OAR in 1996 with a passion for SCUBA diving and saltwater. He received his SCUBA certification in 1991 and continued additional training in Scientific Diving Methods, Rescue, Dry Suit, Surface-Supplied, Nitrox, Divemaster, and Instructor. He graduated in 1992 in Biology from FSU. He currently holds the position of Research Dive Team Coordinator with OAR. Rob works for the Florida DEP in the Bureau of Beaches and Coastal Systems as a project manager for beach restoration projects.
