Leading an Evolving Organization Author: Jun 1, 2021 It all started when surfers had trouble parking to gain access to the waves. That same summer, high bacteria counts spiked, closing beaches on Aquidneck Island, home of Newport, Middletown and Portsmouth, R.I. The result was a new grassroots organization speaking out for access to clean ocean water. Almost as an afterthought, the group ran a beach cleanup, which sparked community engagement and became a defining feature of Clean Ocean Access, a nonprofit that now raises and spends $1 million annually. Dave McLaughlin was a surfer who co-founded the group and is now its executive director. He says Aquidneck Island’s challenges offer a small-scale opportunity to test initiatives in outreach, education and solving real-world issues with programs like marina trash skimmers and shrink-wrap recycling.