Kama Dean

Kama Dean Fitz is a Meridian Affiliate based in Denver, Colorado specializing in sustainable fisheries and seafood, multi-stakeholder collaboratives, and conservation philanthropy. In her time with Meridian, Kama has worked to support a Mexican Ocean Commission, focused on raising awareness of and spurring action to support healthy oceans in Mexico. She is also working to build and manage the Small Scale Fisheries Funders group, a collection of mainly philanthropic donors dedicated to supporting equitable and resilient small scale fisheries across the globe. This work centers on ensuring economic equity, food and nutritional security and meaningful representation in management decisions for traditionally marginalized coastal communities.

Kama’s work has largely focused on Latin America, particularly Mexico, Cuba, Ecuador, Chile, and Peru. Previously, Kama was a Program Officer with the Walton Family Foundation where she oversaw the Foundation’s sustainable fisheries work in Mexico, Peru, and globally. Kama began her career in Mexico as Co-Founder and Executive Director of Pro Peninsula, a nonprofit organization dedicated to strengthening community-based conservation throughout the Baja California peninsula. During her time working in Mexico, Kama has been instrumental in the formation and development of several campaigns and movements working to secure the future of Mexico’s fisheries, including Impacto Colectivo por la Pesca y Aquacultura Mexicana, the #PescaConFuturo campaign, and the fishermen-led conservation network Grupo Tortuguero de las Californias.

Kama lives on an urban farm in Denver with her husband, son, two dogs, dozens of chickens, and thousands of bees. When not working, Kama spends her time in the mountains skiing, biking, and fishing. While her professional and academic passions lie in the oceans, her heart resides in the mountains.