Meet Vicki Nichols Goldstein of Inland Ocean Coalition

Today we’d like to introduce you to Vicki Nichols Goldstein.

Vicki, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
The Inland Ocean Coalition (IOC) began as the Colorado Ocean Coalition in 2011. I founded the organization after a family move to landlocked Boulder, Colorado in 2009. The Coalition’s original goal was to inspire and empower Colorado citizens to protect the health of our ocean through education and community involvement.

Having spent most of my life working to protect the ocean, I started looking for organizations in Colorado that had an inland ocean focus. To my surprise, there were none. I consulted with colleagues and found inspiration in their support for a new initiative—an Inland Ocean Movement. In early 2017, growing interest from inland communities in the work being done in Colorado prompted the transition to the Inland Ocean Coalition, which now supports 13 chapters nationally.

I love my work as the Executive Director of the Inland Ocean Coalition and it is truly a culmination of my coastal ocean conservation experience and leadership opportunities that I had throughout my career. Living as an ocean advocate in Colorado confirms my belief that you don’t have to see the ocean to protect it.

Has it been a smooth road?
It has been a difficult road. When I started this effort, I assumed that funding would be easy and that people would understand the importance of addressing ocean issues throughout the country. But, I found that it was not the case. It has taken a real focus and dedication to keep working on ocean and watershed issues from Colorado and continuously exploring opportunities for financial support.

Additional struggles included a total lack of understanding that ocean protection needs to be universal. I always say that you don’t have to see the ocean to protect it, and I think that more and more people are starting to believe it. As Dr. Sylvia Earle says, “No ocean, No us”.

Creating and maintaining volunteer Inland Ocean Coalition chapters throughout the country has been more challenging than anticipated. It is exciting when a chapter forms, but people’s lives change and move on. We are putting a lot of organizational energy into chapter development and growth.

So, as you know, we’re impressed with Inland Ocean Coalition – tell our readers more, for example what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
Our ocean is in crisis, and its protection can no longer be seen as only a coastal issue. The mission of the Inland Ocean Coalition is to create an inland movement that builds land-to-sea stewardship through our vision of encouraging individuals and communities to take an active role in improving the impacts and relationships between the inland, the coasts, and the ocean. By engaging individuals and communities that want to be part of the solution, we build chapters, lead campaigns, and deliver programs that have a direct positive impact on our watersheds, coasts, and ocean.

The reason that the Inland Ocean Coalition is both important, relevant, and critical is that inland legislators are making decisions every day on the future of our ocean, climate, and waterways. Both Republican and Democratic leadership from inland states serve on a variety of committees and subcommittees on the Hill including Appropriations; Energy and Water Development; Natural Resources; Science, Oceans, Fisheries, and Weather; Water, Oceans, and Wildlife; and Fisheries, Water, and Wildlife, and more. By building ocean constituents in key inland districts, we will have the power to influence ocean, water, and climate policy throughout the U.S.

Ocean and climate issues need to be addressed on many levels—coastal and inland, as well as at the grassroots and federally. Our unique niche allows us to work with chapter members and supporters to convey to our Congressional leaders that all of us have a stake in ocean protection and that protecting our ocean is key to mitigating the impacts of climate change. In essence, we build community-based ocean conservation constituencies throughout the country. The Inland Ocean Coalition is actively working on issues that allow us to utilize our disproportionate influence in inland areas where there is no opposition from constituencies like saltwater fishermen and offshore oil companies.

Let’s touch on your thoughts about our city – what do you like the most and least?
I love Boulder and Denver. We are surrounded by mountains, lakes, and reservoirs and it is easy to get into nature. I love to paddleboard in the summer and ski in the winter. I also enjoy the urban and hip feel of the two cities including the nightlife and the restaurants. I don’t like the traffic and the air pollution.