The Coastal Expeditions Foundation Announces New Programs & Development Manager Carissa Venable Bishop

The Coastal Expeditions Foundation’s Board of Directors announced today that it has hired Carissa Venable Bishop as the organization’s  first Programs & Development Manager.

Bishop, a Lowcountry native, joins the Coastal Expeditions Foundation team with a background in conservation, education and program development. For seven years, she developed her skills at Zoo Atlanta, working in various education and conservation roles before her move back home to Charleston. During her tenure, Bishop increased the zoo’s conservation funding and implemented new conservation initiatives that deepened their impact with partners locally and globally.  Bishop received a bachelor’s degree from the University of Georgia.

Now that she is back in the Lowcountry, Bishop is driven to protect the natural places she has been connected with since childhood.  This, coupled with her previous experience in Hilton Head as a kayak guide, makes her a seamless fit with the mission of the CEF.  Her position will allow the organization to effectively implement programs and communicate the work being done by the foundation with our community, donors and sponsors.

She joins Karen Monahan, Executive Director of the Coastal Expeditions Foundation.

Monahan has been a leader in the non-profit realm since 2014 when she shifted her focus from brand advertising to non-profit management, leveraging her skills in marketing and communications towards environmentally and socially responsible causes.

In 2014, Monahan led marketing and public engagement for Darkness to Light. She then transitioned to the South Carolina Aquarium where she was the Director of Marketing, Communications and Sales where she championed storytelling and raised the conservation profile of the organization. In 2022, Karen’s love for conservation, environmental education, and community engagement brought her to The Coastal Expeditions Foundation where she now serves as Executive Director.

Karen received her master’s degree in design and technology and BFA in fine art from Parsons School of Design, New School University.

Kari Whitley Crolley, member of the Coastal Expeditions Foundation board, said, “Chris and I have always thought about this foundation as a heart path, and we’ve been able to use that as a way to attract the right people. We founded the CEF in 2018 as an immediate need to participate in the re-building of Crab Bank, and for the first few years we were operating reactively.  To have Karen, and now Carissa, we see the impact of our efforts through wildlife conservation and environmental education expanding tremendously.  We’re on the right path with this incredible team.”

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About the Coastal Expeditions Foundation:

Since 2018, the Coastal Expeditions Foundation has worked to protect wild places in the Lowcountry and make them accessible to all. The Coastal Expeditions Foundation is a 501(c)3 charitable organization. Learn more at www.coastalexpeditionsfoundation.org.