Annual Members Meeting and Discovery Island Ribbon Cutting Recap

Members Make It Happen 

On Saturday, October 17, members of the Agua Hedionda Lagoon Foundation gathered at the Discovery Campus for our Annual Members Meeting and the official ribbon cutting of Discovery Island. Thirty two voting memberships were represented as we ratified, re-elected and elected our Board of Directors, celebrated a year of impact, and looked ahead to what comes next for the lagoon and the people who love it. Thank you to Señor Grubby’s for providing the breakfast bar and to Peak Dentistry, our Campus Coffee Sponsor. 

Our 2026 Board of Directors 

Members voted on the following board members: 

• Ratified: Laurie Gonzalez, Anne Master, Christina Nichols, Ray Pearson and Mike Stoliker 
• Re-elected: Frank Ortega and Taylor Sais 
• Newly elected: Jenna Dotson and Michael Metts 

We extended a heartfelt thank you to Julie Gibbs for her two years of leadership as Chairwoman. Julie continues on the board as our Immediate Past Chairwoman. 

We also welcomed our new executive slate: 

• Chair: Frank Ortega (previously Vice Chair) 
• Vice Chair: Michael Metts 
• Treasurer: Steve Baker (returning) 
• Secretary: Vinit Ahooja (returning) 

A Year of Impact and a Look Ahead 

Members reviewed our Annual Impact 2026 report, then turned to the future of our educational programs and our niche: exceptional environmental education. A few highlights: 

• Accreditation: Our certification with the American Camp Association is in process. 
• Little Agua Learners: We are assembling our licensing documents for the Little Agua Learners Licensed Preschool. 
• City designation: We received a designation letter from the City of Carlsbad expanding our business classification from travel serving visitor commercial and gift shop to include education. 
• Fire safety: We completed the fire inspection updates required for licensing. 
• The David C. Copley Foundation: We were invited to apply for the foundation’s invitation only grant in January. 
• Nordson: Big cheers to Nordson for supporting our Academy for Environmental Stewardship with $25,000, and for their partnership with us throughout the year. 
• Rincon Band of Luiseño Indians: The Rincon Band of Luiseño Indians has made a three year commitment at the $5,000 Community Partnership level. 
• California Climate Action Corps: AHLF is proud to be a host site for the California Climate Action Corps, a State of California program. We welcomed a new fellow for the year and look forward to welcoming a winter fellow in January. 

Thank you to the many community partners who make our work possible. 

Celebrating Our Board 

Rookie of the Year: Anne Master. Anne jumped in from day one. She has shown up to every event and took on the review and editing of our bylaws. The updated bylaws are now available on our website. 

Board Member of the Year: Frank Ortega. Frank volunteers twice a week on campus and on the trails, and no job is too dirty for him. One moment stands out: on one of the hottest days of the year, Frank helped carry a refrigerator up 17 flights of stairs. All in the name of service. Thank you, Frank! 

Discovery Island Is Officially Open 

The Carlsbad Chamber of Commerce joined us to cut the ribbon on Discovery Island, our newest exhibit space at the Discovery Campus. We were honored to receive a proclamation from Senator Catherine Blakespear’s office marking the occasion. 

Kent Zapata shared remarks as we officially announced the opening. Kent is supporting one of Discovery Island’s featured exhibits, Jennifer Muller’s Water Lab, with a pledge of $5,000 a year for two years. The Water Lab honors the memory of Jennifer Muller, whose passion for clean water and STEM education continues to inspire young engineers, scientists and environmental warriors. 

The Water Lab will be an interactive water station where visitors and students watch water move through different substrates. It will also host Watershed Wednesday talks as part of our Discover and Learn series. 



Will You Join Us? 

Our members make it happen. Our goal is to reach 1,750 annual members by June 30, 2027. To get there, we need 18 new members a week. Become a member, renew, or give a membership to someone who loves the lagoon as much as you do. Will you join us?