ABOUT CLEAN MIAMI BEACH

meet the team

Sophie Ringel Executive Director & Founder

Jennifer Byington Senior Community Engagement Manager

Bill Bigelow Program Manager

Veronique Van Engeland Social Media Manager & Marketing Coordinator

Christian Hampton Impact & Engagement Manager

Board of Directors

President Sophie Ringel

Vice President Katie Luddy

Treasurer Yunasi Ramos

Secretary Drew Danzeisen

Director Ray Breslin

Director Conor McMullen

Director Priya Chandel

President Sophie Ringel

Sophie Ringel is the founder of Clean Miami Beach, a non-profit organization dedicated to hosting weekly cleanups with the goal of removing trash and raising awareness about the detrimental effects of plastic on our fragile ecosystem.

Born in Germany, she relocated to Miami in 2016, where she later married alocal resident. Despite holding a degree in graphic design, Sophie's true passion lies in addressing environmental concerns, particularly focusing on sustainability and preservation efforts.

Her commitment to environmental advocacy intensified as she walked along the shoreline and witnessed vast amounts of trash and pollution, especially singleuse plastics. This experience sparked her inspiration to establish a weeklybeach cleanup initiative. To date, Clean Miami Beach has conducted 316 cleanups, inspiring and educating 12,600 volunteers, resulting in the removalof 96,818 lbs of debris from Miami Dade County’s beaches, parks, and waterways.

In recognition of these endeavors, Clean Miami Beach and Sophie Ringel have received media coverage from esteemed outlets such as ABC, CBS, and FOXnetworks, Miami Herald, the Miami New Times, Voyage Miami Magazine, and manymore. Their efforts have also received international acclaim across various countries in Latin America and Europe. Furthermore, Clean Miami Beach's and Sophie Ringel's dedication led to winning the Better Beach Award bythe Miami Beach Chamber of Commerce in 2022, along with Sophie's nomination as "Badass Woman of the Year" by the Miami Chamber of Commerce in thesame year. She was honored with the Unsung Hero Award by the City of MiamiBeach in 2020 and the Citizen Impact Award by the Collins Park Neighborhood Association in 2019. This recognition resulted in a proclamation by Commissioner Alexander Fernandez, designating July 1st to July 7th as"Clean Beach Week" to honor Clean Miami Beach in 2022. Clean Miami Beach has made a lasting impact on marine and terrestrial life in SouthFlorida, while also raising awareness about single-use plastic and other unsustainable practices within the community. With each passing week, CleanMiami Beach continues to inspire citizen involvement and contribute countless man-hours towards the restoration and protection of our beautiful and unique ecosystem. Sophie’s infectious enthusiasm serves as a driving force, motivating local communities to adopt more sustainable habits and lifestyles.

Vice President Katie Luddy

Katie has been an active board member and volunteer to the non-profit, Clean Miami Beach. She is an active board member with the City of Miami Beach Sustainability Committee. Katie holds a Bachelor’s in Art History andStudio Art from the University of Miami. She is currently employed with Spearmint Energy, a renewable energy company based in Miami, FL.

Treasurer Yunasi Ramos

Yunasi Ramos, serving as the Treasurer for Clean Miami Beach, has been instrumental in steering the organization towards its goal of environmental conservation.

With over two decades of operations and management expertise, Yunasi has played a crucial role in the organization's growth since its inception. Yunasi envisions Clean Miami Beach as a catalyst for significant environmental change, reflecting his dedication to making a lasting impact in the community and beyond.

Secretary Drew Danzeisen

Originally from Las Vegas, “Good Crazy” Drew is the founder of The PickleballHouse, an exclusive, pop-up pickleball + networking experience surrounding major events in sports + entertainment.

Created in January of 2023, TPH launched with its first event 3-weeks later in Phoenix for Super Bowl weekend bringing together athletes, execs, and sports/lifestyle brands. Just a few months later they took over the 19th floor in downtown Miami for F1 weekend partnering with local charities including Miami Heat OG Udonis Haslem's UD Foundation + Clean Miami Beach and closed out the year in New York City for US Open finals weekend. Prior to launching The Pickleball House Drew comes from a 10-year background in the global sportsindustry working multiple roles in marketing/events for the Olympic Games (Rio & Pyeongchang), Super Bowl, NBA & NHL China Games, MLB, NBA, League of Legends All-Star, Esports, and multi-sport properties. Drew somehow graduated from San Diego State University with a Bachelor of InternationalBusiness w/ Chinese.

Director Ray Breslin

Ray Breslin moved to Miami Beach in 1998 to enjoy early retirement after working as a engineer at Xerox, managing a commercial Photo Finishing Lab, and working both as a Realtor and a Travel Agent in Rochester, New York.

Retirement just wasn't in his DNA and living off the investment properties purchased in Miami Beach not fulfilling. He first complained to the City about the poor condition of the streets and the lack of sidewalks in his neighborhood, now resolved. He was then invited to partake in the first Leadership Academy sponsored by the City and an activist was born. He joined the Collins Park Neighborhood Association formed by a fellow leadership academy graduate and has headed that organization for the past 18 years and is lovingly referred to as the "Mayor of Collins Park" which he quickly adds, has no term limits. He is a graduate from the City's Community Emergency Response Team (CERT), the Citizen's Police Academy and the Advanced Citizens Police Academy.

The Collins Park Neighborhood has become the Art and Cultural Epicenter of Miami Beach largely do to the efforts of Mr. Breslin's activism and oversight. Over the years he has been asked to sit on many boards at the City including Sister Cities, Parking and Transportation, Cultural Arts Council and the Historic Preservation Board. Clean Miami Beach is the only Board Mr. Breslin sits on that is not City related and his connections with local businesses as well as City Management make his contributions as a board member valuable.

Director Conor McMullen

ConorMcMullen is the Founder and CEO of Lucid Project, an agency known for its creative approach to curating impactful brand experiences with a conscious touch.

Drawing from his own experiences in the hospitality and retail industries, Lucid Project has worked with organizations like The WhartonSchool, Bacardi, Beneath The Waves, Billy Reid, WeWork, among others.Beyond his professional endeavors, Conor is deeply committed to preserving our natural resources, particularly the health and cleanliness of our coastlines. An active supporter of Clean Miami Beach from its early days, Conor believes in the powerof leveraging community efforts to make a difference. Looking ahead, he’s excited about the future of innovative sustainability, keeping our planet clean, and is committed to helping the Clean Miami Beach community grow.

Director Priya Chandel

Priya Chandel is the former Executive Director of Bye Bye Plastic USA, a global non-profit with a mission to eliminate single-use plastics from the music industry.

ByeBye Plastic and Clean Miami Beach have worked together since 2021, co-creating cleanups inspired by music and the need for sustainability awareness. Priya has since started pursuing her passion in the wellness space and is apracticing Ayurvedic Wellness Counselor. Priya has a BA in interdisciplinary studies; emphasis in business, hospitality management and international studies from the University ofMissouri.