Presenters

The 2024 keynote presentation is “The City and the Sea” by Dean Burke. You might know Dean though his Insta handle, “Tacoma And The Sea.” He has been documenting and sharing experiences about our local waters for more than a decade. Or you might also know him as the President & CEO of the Tacoma-Pierce County Tourism Authority. The line between his job and his life is blurred, as his love of this city and region is a full-time affair.

Dean has been a two-time TED speaker, featured on NPR’s THE WILD with Chris Morgan, is the co-founder of the SEVENTY48 race, and has paddled solo on a stand-up paddle board from Olympia to Victoria on Vancouver Island. He’s been featured in local news outlets and podcasts and is a well-known speaker at events like this one right here all throughout the Salish Sea. His photography has been celebrated globally through Ocean Culture Life at the UK’s Channel Islands and at local events like Ocean Fest and Port Townsends Art Walks. The Tacoma Rainiers even did a collab with him called “We R Tacoma and the Sea.” Next quarter his photography will adorn the cover of the UK’s “Daughters of the Sea” magazine.