Who We Are

Oscar Braun - Executive Director

Oscar Alejandro Braun, born 1943, and raised on the San Francisco Peninsula , was employed by Johnson & Johnson for 28 years in their health care professional products division. Oscar provided the vision and creation of  the DrSmiles Universal Self-Care Community That Your Doctor Prescribes. He is a highly trained retired professional open water instructor/research diver with over 41 years of experience (open/closed circuit & mix gases) with nearly 5,300 hours at depth all over the world. In 1995, Oscar launched the web's first online international dive travel guide ``Oscar Knows".

Oscar Knows Inc ., at the request of former U.S. Secretary of Commerce Ronald Brown, provided Save Our Bay aka California Watershed Posse, a private sector non-profit Coordinated Resource Management and Planning (CRMP) council, with initial start-up funding and continues to exclusively provide all online media and network solutions. Oscar holds an EPA certification for watershed stewardship and is considered an expert of the CEQA/NEPA environmental review process and environmental mitigation. As the Foundation Executive Director, Oscar is charged with leading the due diligence review of all proposed projects in the Coastal Zone of San Mateo County. He has lead the environmental review efforts for the Devil's Slide Hwy 1 Improvement Project, the unlicensed historic Johnston Ranch landfill in Half Moon Bay, the Lake Berryessa Visitors Service Plan and the SFO runway mitigation alternatives at the invitation of the SFO airport authority. His due diligence EIR review mission is to inform the public and its responsible officials of the environmental consequences of their decisions before they are made. 

Oscar is the co-founder of the Half Moon Bay Coastside Foundation aka www.SaveOurBay.org  as well as the Half Moon Bay Surfrider Foundation Chapter and its Blue Water Taskforce. He is Chair of the Coastal Family Alliance, Co-founder of the California Watershed Posse, Trails Director for the Coastside Horse Council, Secretary for the Higgins Canyon Homeowners Association, member of the HMB Coastside Chamber of Commerce & Tourist Bureau's Economic Sustainability Taskforce and collaborative member of the Sustainable Silicon Valley forum project. Oscar has provided the inspiration and leadership to incorporate the San Mateo County coastal Rural Lands into the township of Los Pueblecitos . He was Chair of Our Lady of the Pillar Pastoral Council from 2001 to 2006, a Knight of Columbus, Chair of the KC Coastside Farmers Market Development Committee in addition to Co-Chairing Our Lady of the Pillars Community Hospitality Ministry with his wife Andrea . In 2005, Oscar was appointed Co-chair of the $2 million Our Lady of the Pillar Capital Campaign "Preserving the Past and Embracing the Future". Oscar Knows is the publisher of an online news service "The Pebble.US" Rural Voice of California. Cell:650-867-5779 CWPosse@gmail.com

ANDREA S. BRAUN - CCST Director

Dr Andrea Braun's esteemed career as dentist and health care professional provides a platform on which she connects her love of biology and science to a deep understanding of natural systems. Having spent 30 years serving the Bay Area community, as a Naval officer and as a private practitioner, Dr Braun grew to understand the delicate balance that communities must find to successfully protect its natural surroundings and resources for future generations. She develops, supports and guides California Watershed Posse's philosophies and legacy projects. As a Co-Founder of Save Our Bay, Andrea chairs the Coastal California Sustainability Task Force. Its mission will raise the individual's awareness of their obligation to protect the natural systems that sustain our economy for the preservation of the families and the communities we all enjoy.

Joseph Shaughnessy - Communications Director

Communications Director Joe Shaughnessy grew up around the Great Lakes and calls California, "The first strange and foreign land I was sent by the U. S. Army." Joe began his five years of active duty service at Fort Ord, CA, representing his commander after-hours and triaging dental and oral surgery emergencies. Additional duties included working as a research assistant at Letterman Army Hospital, were Joe prepared tissue samples for biological transmission electron microscopy studies of the AIDS virus within tooth pulp. He was promoted to Sergeant and assigned NCOIC of the Oral Surgery Service of Landstuhl Army Regional Medical Center in Germany. Joe has traveled in much of Central and Eastern Europe and became conversant in German. Upon separation from the Army, he continued with his military obligation as an Army Reservist and also the California Army National Guard.  After cross-training to 91B60 (Field Medic), Shaughnessy led, supervised, and instructed thirty enlisted personnel that trained for combat operations and also responded to floods and fires throughout California.

In civilian life, Mr. Shaughnessy became the lead auxiliary and trainer in a premier Santa Clara practice and also participated in forensic odontology procedures. He is a CALAOMS Certified Surgical Technician and a California RDAEF (UCSF). More recently, Joe has represented Dr. Smiles Oral Systemic Laboratories (www.drsmiles.net) as Products and Services Manager.

It was during assignments to the multiple flooding events of the Sacramento Delta of the late 1990's that Shaughnessy developed an interest in California's lack of ability to manage water resources. His unit assisted in the precarious task of helping repair percolating levee systems that had been funded for repair three times, but had that funding diverted each time into the state general fund. He witnessed the state and local governments abusing National Guard manpower by including Guardsmen to place extensive sandbag structures in areas known ineffective, i.e. where a storm sewer had service openings on either side of the emergency structures and so would flood nonetheless. Local officials insisted the need of the citizenry to "feel" the National Guard was contributing to resolving their predicament actually trumped any true relief. Shaughnessy pulled his soldiers from such situations. Mr. Shaughnessy serves as the Communications Director of the Water For Fighting PAC www.WFFPAC.org  the California Watershed Posse affiliated political action committee. He is married and lives in San Jose, CA. Cell:408-461-1211 JFShaughnessy@comcast.net

Keith Impink - Creative Director

Keith Impink is a California based artist and designer specializing in high impact brand elements, marketing expertise, and creative services. Born and raised on the San Francisco Peninsula, Keith has been contributing designs and web based volunteer work to the San Francisco Peninsula Fire Safe Council since its foundation. His portfolio spans decades and presents a variety of art samples ranging from rock n roll concert posters to murals, banners, signs and portraits . Keith Impink has designed for Lynyrd Skynyrd, Bob Dylan, Neil Young, Steve Miller Band,Bonnie Raitt, The Doobie Brothers and dozens of music and entertainment legends. As an entrepreneur Keith has contributed to the startups of many companies, including co-founding Rock N Roll Tequila and serving for nearly a decade as its creative director.

John Plock - Environmental Review Director

John Plock is Save Our Bay's Co-Founder and chairs the Foundation Board of Directors. John is a registered Civil Engineer, is active in San Mateo County community affairs. He focuses on the protection of the Public Health and Safety. He is a member of the County's Community Development Committee and the Landfill Arbitration Committee of the Environmental Health Department.  He recently ran for an elective office on the Board of Directors of the Granada Sanitary District.

John is a former Public Works Director administrating 1800+ employees serving approximately 1,500,000 people. He has been an active Consulting Engineer registered in several states. In 1958 and 1959 lived in Tehran, Iran, where he was the Resident Partner/ Managing Director of an International Architectural-Engineering firm with offices in New York, Rome, Teheran, and Bangkok and traveled to clients in the Middle East, Africa, Asia and South America. For relaxation John enjoys providing the coastal communities with Yoga instructions.

Frank A. Iwama  - CWP General Counsel - Attorney at Law

Frank A. Iwama was born and raised in rural Suisun Valley, Solano County, California, where his family operated a small grocery store located on Rockville Road (Old U.S. Highway 40). Frank earned his Juris Doctor degree from Santa Clara University School of Law where he served as the Managing Editor of the Santa Clara Law Review, and received his undergraduate degree with great distinction from San Jose State University with a major in Business Administration and graduating with departmental honors.

Frank, with over thirty-five years experience as a licensed lawyer, was admitted to the State Bar of California in January 1970, and holds Martindale-Hubbell's "A-V" rating, the highest peer review rating for legal skills and ethics. He is admitted to practice law in all State courts in California, the U.S. Supreme Court, the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California, and the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California.
 
Early in his legal career, Frank served as Deputy Attorney General with the California Department of Justice in Sacramento, where he acted as legal counsel to several state governmental agencies in criminal, civil, and administrative law matters. His many government clients included the California Highway Patrol, Department of Motor Vehicles, Contractors State License Board, Department of Corrections, State Personnel Board and various licensing boards and commissions within the Department of Consumer Affairs.
 
In private practice for over twenty-five years, Frank initially started as a sole practitioner before being recruited and serving as senior partner with distinguished regional and statewide law firms in California. Frank specializes in civil law matters with expertise in negotiating and handling complex commercial transactions for business clients, from small start-ups to multi-national corporations. In addition, he has substantial experience in representing clients in administrative and governmental regulatory and licensing law matters. Frank has successfully handled numerous transactional and litigation matters for international Pacific Rim based clients, including serving as advisor on California trade issues for the Consulate General of Japan in San Francisco.
 
Frank has received numerous honors for his commitment to legal, civil rights, and community affairs. He was the first Asian American elected to serve as Vice President and member of the Board of Governors of the State Bar of California. Frank's participation in community affairs includes service as Vice President and Legal Counsel of the Japanese American Citizens League, member of the Board of Visitors of the Santa Clara University School of Law, and member of the Board of Directors of the Legal Aid Society of Northern California. He has volunteered substantial pro bono legal services to non-profit charitable organizations during his extensive legal career.
 
Frank resides in San Carlos, California, and is married to Mitsuko "Mimi" Iwama. They have two adult children, son, Kenneth and daughter, Mia. Frank's interests include research and writing, Japanese samurai strategy and history, and fishing..

Frank A. Iwama     e-mail: frankiwama@gmail.com
Iwama Law Firm
556 Fathom Drive
San Mateo, CA 94404-1005
Tel: (650) 393-4444
Fax: (650) 393-5066

Alan Studley  - Photographer / Videographer

Alan Studley has been in the adventure travel and diving industry since 1978. At the beginning of Alan's career, he was a SCUBA trainer certified for all levels of Scuba. Scuba diving all over the world, Alan has been able to build his library of photographs and video, while building a strong foundation and reputation in the photography industry. Alan provided Save Our Bay with his wonderful SOB otter images and has colloraborated with Oscar Knows on many projects worldwide.
 
Many of his photographs and videos have been published in international and domestic dive industry-related syndications, including magazines, Travel brochures, Dive equipment brochures, Fish I.D. books, Otter books, CDs, Film Festivals, and Television .

OnlineWildlife.com is ready to provide complete line of services for capturing and selling award-winning images and video for your trade-publication, broadcast segment, advertisement or any other project- worldwide.

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