AltaSea at the Port of Los Angeles said Friday that philanthropist and entrepreneur Wendy Neu has joined its board of trustees, effective Jan. 1.
An entrepreneur and philanthropist, Neu is a grassroots community organizer and activist who brings decades of knowledge and experience on environmental boards. She is the chairman and CEO of Hugo Neu, a company that invests, builds and manages businesses in industries such as recycling and real estate.
AltaSea at the Port of Los Angeles said it is dedicated to accelerating scientific collaboration, advancing an emerging blue economy through business innovation and job creation and inspiring the next generation, all for a more sustainable, just and equitable world.
Neu is also a trustee of the Natural Resources Defense Council, one of the world’s largest nonprofit environmental organizations, which works to protect the world’s natural resources. She also serves on the boards of the New York/New Jersey Baykeeper; the Brennan Center for Justice at NYU School of Law; and the Basel Action Network.
Milken Institute’s Matt Horton will also join the board. Horton offers a wealth of experience in public policy and business growth to the board and has an extensive history in addressing economic growth and resiliency across Southern California. He is currently a director at Milken Institute’s Center for Regional Economics and California Center, where he analyzes the dynamics that drive job creation and promote industry expansion.
“We are thrilled to have Wendy and Matt join our board of trustees as AltaSea and our campus continues to grow,” AltaSea CEO and President Terry Tamminen said. “Wendy has decades of leadership experience with major organizations that span the globe, and Matt has extensive knowledge of workforce development and expansions of economic sectors. Both Wendy and Matt will play critical roles as we build out our campus and expand the blue economy.”
During the past 18 months, AltaSea has secured $24 million in local, state and federal funding commitments. In March 2022, AltaSea opened USC’s Nuzhdin Aquaculture Lab and Holdfast Aquaculture Lab. AltaSea has also been a hub for the national discussion about effective and sustainable use of ocean resources.