
Development and Outreach Manager
Madison joined the Operation Surf team as a Financial Development Intern during the summer of 2021. Being from Fairfield, CA, Madison did not grow up surfing or near the ocean, however, she found peace wakeboarding and spending summers near the local lakes and rivers. After moving to San Luis Obispo for college, she took up surfing during her second year and never looked back. She first heard about the organization when she was slack-lining under the Avila pier during the February 2021 week-long program. After talking with the team, she began her internship that June. While experiencing her first week-long program and getting to know the local OS6 participants, she was able to see first-hand how powerful the ocean can be on an individual’s journey of healing. The water has always been a comforting place for her, so the concept of ‘Blue Mind’ easily resonated and made her even more excited for the opportunity to share her love for the ocean and surfing with veterans. Not long after her internship ended, Madison transitioned into the role of Interim Operations Manager and successfully planned both the March 2022 OSSC and May 2022 OSCC programs. She graduated from Cal Poly in 2022 with a BS in Business Administration with a concentration in Financial Management and a BA in Spanish. She has loved her journey with Operation Surf and the opportunity to work in many different areas of the non-profit world. She is stoked to begin this new role of Development and Outreach Manager, and to continue learning and changing lives, “one wave at a time.”