Hi y’all! My name is Sam Burton and I joined the Surfrider team in 2026 as the Southeast Regional Manager to support and grow the chapter network in Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia.
I grew up in Laguna Beach, CA where I developed an early love for the ocean. My childhood was filled with countless beach days, playing in the waves, building sandcastles, looking for sand crabs, soaking in the sunshine, and dusting sand off of my toes in beach parking lots. However, alongside my enjoyment of the ocean I also developed an early awareness of coastal degradation by witnessing firsthand the impacts of pollution on coastal ecosystems and communities. These experiences shaped my commitment to environmental advocacy and a deep passion for protecting the ocean.
This commitment has continued to strengthen throughout my academic and professional pursuits. While attending Wheaton College in the western suburbs of Chicago, IL, I studied Theology and Environmental Science which sparked a passion for addressing the connection between ocean health and human health outcomes. I also became the campus Garden Coordinator after only a few short months of volunteering at the community garden. I learned so much being thrown into that role about volunteer organizing, building sustainable programs, and of course nurturing thriving gardens! Learning to garden was also a transformational experience for me. Gardening further confronted me with the fact that we are intrinsically connected to and dependent upon the land and seas for our every need. I already had a deep love for the planet, but this realization made caring for the planet even more magical!
After graduating, I was eager to pursue a career which would allow me to confront environmental injustice. I began my career in the nonprofit sector in San Luis Obispo, CA working as a Regional Manager with One Cool Earth, an environmental education organization. At One Cool Earth, I led and trained educators and volunteers delivering environmental education programming across diverse school sites, built relationships and partnerships with community members, and developed operational systems to approve program consistency, data tracking, and reporting. I also got to teach twice a week in two different elementary school gardens! Working with public schools was deeply inspiring and the students and teachers gave me a lot of hope for the future!
At the same time, this experience also opened my eyes to see the gap between policy and policy implementation at the local level. This led me to North Carolina, the state I now call home, to pursue my Master’s in Public Policy at Duke University’s Sanford School of Public Policy. As a public policy student I have sunken my toes deep into the intricacies of environmental policymaking and implementation by focusing on the political economy of environmental policy at all stages in the policy process. I also got to put on my teaching hat once again serving as an Economics Teaching Assistant and Climate Change Communications Fellow for undergraduate and graduate students which was a lot of fun!
Since moving to the Southeast, I have cherished the opportunity to confront environmental injustice issues from the policy level. I especially loved the chance to work with the North Carolina Sierra Club as an Environmental Policy Fellow where I helped organize and mobilize volunteers to influence state-level fossil fuel policies, coordinated direct engagement with legislators, and conducted policy analysis on climate and energy issues. Working with the North Carolina Sierra Club Chapter made me so eager to stay in the Southeast and continue to work with the amazing environmental advocates in this region. The South is an exciting and important place to do this work because there is a lot of room to improve environmental policies but there is also no shortage of ocean lovers!
Growing up down the street from Surfrider’s headquarters and being a member of the organization for many years, working at Surfrider has been a long-time dream of mine. When the Southeast Regional Manager role opened up, I could not have been more stoked for the opportunity to support the cause which has driven me throughout my entire life and career. Now settling into my role, my excitement only continues to grow as I meet all of the driven and inspiring volunteers who make Surfrider happen in the Southeast region! I look forward to supporting the Surfrider mission and awesome chapter network across the Southeast always with the oceans, waves, beaches, and all who call this earth home in mind! If you ever want to chat about coral reefs, plastics, discuss your favorite beach read, or anything related to Surfrider’s mission, please don’t hesitate to reach out!