INNOVATION REEF & WILDLIFE CONSERVANCY - Key Persons
David Burnell is an entrepreneur with a lifetime of professional experience, and significant business accomplishments. He has served at the executive level for small, and multi-billion dollar enterprises, and founded, developed, and sold companies within the supply chain community.
David grew up in the farmlands of Connecticut where he developed a solid work ethic, and thirst for entrepreneurship. He hopes to influence his five grandchildren with a respect, and urgency for habitat protections, environmental causes, and social awareness.
David has traveled throughout the world both personally, and professionally. His time abroad has enriched his cultural awareness, and ability to communicate effectively. He enjoys time in vast ecosystems, including jungles, mountains, and the ocean. From gorilla tracking in Uganda, scuba diving in the Galapagos, to the Sierra Nevada mountains, and Bayou of Louisiana, David loves, and cherishes every moment in the wilderness. He is also an avid reader, trail runner, scuba diver, and tennis player.
Heske is a game changing and awards winning business leader with a consistent record of transforming new businesses for rapid expansion. He brings more than 25 years of investment management, Impact, and leadership experience to the industry and his individual accomplishments include building and leading several wealth management organizations in California.
Prior to joining Newday as CEO, he ran the Private Client business for Stone & Youngberg, LLC a leading responsible public finance organization which was acquired by Stifel Nicolaus & Company in 2010. Doug was previously President and CEO of Nollenberger Capital Partners, Inc. (NCPI), a San Francisco-based broker/dealer and registered investment advisor. He was instrumental in developing NCPI's wealth management business and orchestrated the firm's sale to Sterne Agee in 2011. Prior to NCPI, he was the California Regional Director of Piper Jaffray, and a member of the firm's Operating Committee. During his thirteen years with Piper Jaffray, he launched the firm's wealth management business in San Francisco, led significant growth for the business across California, and created the firm's impact and responsible investment platform.
He has served on the Executive Committee of the Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association's (SIFMA) Western District since 1996 and was acting chairman from 2002-2004. He has been a member of SIFMA's Regional Wealth Management Round Table and has served on FINRA's District 1 Committee.
In addition, he is a past board president of The Edgewood Center for Children and Families, where he was a board member for eight years. He served for nine years as a Board Director for Safe and Sound (formerly the San Francisco Child Abuse Prevention Center), and is currently a board trustee for the Oakland Museum of California, and Board Director for the Georgie Badiel Foundation.
Fiona Hurlow-Silk is a passionate animal-lover and driven conservationist. She plans to study Astronomy, Environmental Science, and Studio Art. Fiona is David Burnell's youngest granddaughter and the inspiration for INNOVATION Reef & Wildlife Conservancy. Currently, Fiona is working on artwork to support the conservation efforts of IRWC.
When Fiona was 10 years old, she and her grandfather, David, joined the Blue Iguana Conservation Tour in The Grand Cayman Islands. Fiona was inspired by the care for the animals and pitched her grandfather the idea of starting a non-profit so they could support more animals, and many conservation related causes. Great idea from a young mind! Her grandfather did, in fact, start a non-profit called, Animals Rule, Inc., (Fiona's idea inspired by the late, great Steve Irwin) which ultimately morphed into, INNOVATION Reef & Wildlife Conservancy.
Hanne Irish-Hurlow is an active member of the community and is a passionate activist for environmental reform and justice. She is a dedicated worker focused on bettering this planet for every living being.
Hanne has volunteered and worked with many organizations focused on educating younger communities, specifically about the importance of sustainability. She enjoys working with kids and finds great value in educating younger generations about the importance of environmental reform and justice.
Hanne graduated from the University of California - Santa Cruz in 2023 with a double major in Environmental Studies - Global Environmental Justice and Film/Digital Media Studies. She hopes to use her education to create conservation documentaries that bring greater awareness to the larger community about sustainability and environmental justice.
She is currently working as the Environmental Projects Coordinator at a non-profit that serves the San Jose area. They focus on job-training for conservation related careers.
Hanne has had the opportunity to promote healthy habitats though volunteering across the coast of California, Hawaii, Costa Rica, Cayman Islands, and even Borneo. She enjoys hiking, swimming at the beach, volunteering with kids, and is deeply passionate about the wellbeing of all wildlife.
Jeff Hurlow is a creative executive with over 25 years of experience in advertising, design, and branded entertainment. Jeff has extensive experience as a creative director and user experience designer, building powerful interactive experiences at Napster, Yahoo, FlipGloss, and AOL.
At Vimeo, the world's leading professional video platform, Jeff developed the Vimeo Brand Studio where he collaborated with a large network of filmmakers to create award-winning branded content films for top-tier brands and negotiated content partnerships with The New York Times.
A major portion of Jeff's time is spent developing films, interactive experiences, and communications for NGO and non-profit organizations including CRS, Azure, UC Berkeley, Taube Philanthropies, and Blue Harvest in El Salvador. His goal is to apply his talents in communications, film, and design to impact-oriented projects to improve the greater global community.
Jennifer Irish is a dedicated educator. She is an 8th Grade Head Class advisor and teacher. She is the lead 8th Grade History and 7th Grade Human Development instructor at Westridge School in Pasadena, CA.
She is a self described history nerd and enjoys biographies and documentaries, as well as vacations that include any historical site. She enjoys hiking, swimming in the ocean and being outdoors. She loves nature and all things in the natural world and has a great desire to protect and preserve the beauty of our world for all future generations, which she has passed onto her two daughters.
Joanne Hurlow is a lifelong advocate for animal welfare, and wildlife protections. Her household always includes a variety of animals, from guinea pigs, hamsters, rabbits, and fish, to her current furry residents, two rescued Great Pyrenees, who have become a loving part of her family.
Joanne enjoys traveling and always makes it a priority to explore local wildlife sanctuaries, and learn about endangered species. She's passed this love on to her daughter who, through her passion for animals, started an Animals Appreciation club in the 4th grade, which ultimately received high praise, and endorsement from school administration.
Joanne passed the California Law/Bar exam in 2003, and is currently Corporate Counsel for a global internet security provider.
Joanne is an avid runner, loves the outdoors, enjoys fitness, and along with her family, appreciates time at the beach. She is committed to protecting the environment, and will work actively in an advisory role on the board.
Pauline Burnell is a world traveler, wildlife warrior, and accomplished entrepreneur. She has traveled throughout the world, explored 6 continents, and has dedicated her life to family, animal welfare, and the protection of habitat.
Pauline grew up in Hong Kong, where she incorporated a generous, and determined work ethic into a successful business career, and a lifetime of entrepreneurship. She is fluent in English, and Chinese(Cantonese), and is passionate about protecting animals from abuse, and addressing extreme habitat degradation worldwide.
Pauline enjoys exercise, dancing, hiking in the wilderness, and spending time with her family. Innovation, Reef and Wildlife Conservancy is important, and she feels a special, and personal dedication to its cause.