Board

Angel Island Conservancy has an active and passionate working Board of Directors with diverse experience in law, financial services, education, nonprofit administration, design thinking and project management. All share a passion for Angel Island and a commitment to its preservation.

Maxwell Haning, President

Maxwell Haning grew up in Wisconsin where he spent every moment he could on the state’s more than 15,000 rivers and lakes. His time on the water fostered within him a deep appreciation for nature and its preservation for future generations. After moving to the Bay Area and exploring many of the local state parks, Angel Island quickly became a favorite due to its natural beauty, deep history and ecological impact on the surrounding bay.

Maxwell has also embraced his love for water within his career. He is the owner of the largest independent marine dealer consulting agency in North America. His agency develops new products and services for boat dealerships across the United States and Canada and deploys them in tandem with an extensive training program. Maxwell uses his skillset to develop new and exciting ways to get more people to Angel Island and drive revenue toward the Conservancy’s goals.

Diane Appel, Vice President

As a native resident and avid hiker, biker, backpacker, and kayaker of the SF Bay Area, Diane Appel cares deeply about preserving Angel Island's natural environment and history while making it more accessible to visitors.
Diane has an extensive background in Biology with a BA in Botany and Ph.D. in Plant Pathology from UC Berkeley and is continuing her education in Natural History at Merritt College. She spent her early years in a lab researching fungal pathogens in the soil but switched gears to become a high school science teacher and volunteer, where she likes the challenge of creating interesting science programs for teenagers and adults both inside and outside of the classroom.

Her other volunteer activities include being a Docent for the East Bay Regional Park District/Big Break, organizing the local Scouting for Food program, helping to teach Wilderness & Remote First Aid, leading Boy Scout Outings, and presently, leading SF Bay/Sierra Club Backpacking trips.
In her free time, she enjoys being outdoors with her husband, two adult sons, and her dog, Charlie.

Brittany Haning, Secretary

Public Relations and advertising fanatic Brittany Haning brings to the Island 10+ years of in-house and agency strategic communications experience spanning light wines to deep tech for a range of B2B and B2C organizations. Leveraging lessons learned from wine giant Trinchero Family Estates and Fortune 50 companies HP, Microsoft and ADM, Brittany advises on strategic communications methods ideal for reaching and engaging with Island-goers.

When not debating the merits of the Oxford comma over a glass of Napa Cabernet, this University of Wisconsin-Madison Journalism School graduate can be found volunteering on the San Francisco Yacht Club’s Auxiliary Board, racing regattas around the Bay, taking in the sunshine on Angel Island or joining her husband Maxwell and their Golden Doodle on their boat near their home in Tiburon.

Drew Lipner

Drew is a visionary leader & entrepreneur with a passion for the maritime sector, as well as contemporizing & decarbonizing marine transportation. Following a successful career in media measurement & campaign optimization with InsightExpress, (and later WPP), Drew has returned to his roots on the water; a lifelong passion area.

As the Founder, Chairman & CEO of Maris, he aims to modernize and decarbonize marine public transportation through the use of zero-emission, fully-electric, hydro-foiling, carbon fiber, water-taxis and small-to-medium sized ferries. This dovetails perfectly with his lifelong presence on the water, as a Merchant Marine Officer, member of an America's Cup team, as well as being a decorated dinghy and offshore sailor. This transition is further supported by Drew's experience in leading (and eventually selling) InsightExpress to WPP.

With a deep understanding of the maritime industry and a commitment to cutting-edge innovation, he intends to partner with clients to design highly efficient (annually recurring costs as well as performance) and cutting-edge vessels. Said vessels will be whisper quiet, stable (i.e. virtually zero turbulence) and will feature world class comfort. Maris' vessels will offer contemporary design paired with Subchapter T, Jones Act USCG (regulatory and safety) compliance.

Frances Bellows

A native San Franciscan and a first-generation Italian American, Frances has always been drawn to the people side of history. The diversity of our local waterfronts drew her into volunteering at SF's Hyde St.Pier, the Maritime museum, and Camp Reynolds. For over 20 years she has developed and enjoyed costumed, Living History events that promote education and preservation.

Frances enjoys people, travel, and history. She looks for every opportunity to visit other places and to consult internationally. Her work covers industries from Maritime to Tech, with a specialty in strategy and risk.

As an educator, Frances creates curriculum and teaches business skills at the graduate level. Her favorite subjects are entrepreneurship, innovation, and business planning. She's a recognized specialist in Project Management, and Agile.

Frances deeply believes that volunteerism drives progress. It is exciting to see the support and fun that Angel Island folks enjoy at every event.

Rick Pogorzelski