Ritz-Carlton Presents Lifetime Achievement Award to Jean-Michel Cousteau
The Ritz-Carlton brand presented its Lifetime Achievement Award to ocean-diving explorer and environmentalist Jean-Michel Cousteau at a formal affair held on Saturday, November 11, at the Ritz-Carlton Bacara.
The brand celebrated all things Cousteau, from his Ocean Futures Society to the Ambassadors of the Environment, along with the brand’s programming in environmental concerns. VIP brand managers who work directly with Cousteau attended, as well as A-List sponsors, namely Cutler’s Spirits, Rusack Winery, Por La Mar Nursery, Five Star Events, Westerlay Orchids, Visit Santa Barbara, and SB South Coast Chamber of Commerce.
Seen at the event were Cousteau and his partner Nancy Marr; Marr’s son Misha with his wife Olivia and children Rigby and Violet; Chumash Elder Julie Tumamait-Stenslie; Cousteau’s long-time diver-photographers Carrie Vonderhaar and Matthew Ferraro; Jim Knowlton, Cousteau’s producer and director of photographyfor over 20 years; Don Santee, Director of Expeditions for OFS and Cousteau Society for more than 30 years with his wife Hillary; Charles Vinick, OFS Board of Directors member and Executive Director of the Whale Sanctuary Project with his wife Susan Venable; Radio Talk Show Host Dr. John Westerdahl; Manuel Lazcano of Diventure T.V.; SB Channel Marine biologist and oceanographer Holly Lohuis; Heal the Ocean’s Hillary Hauser and Harry Rabin; SB Channelkeeper Education and Outreach Director Penny Owens; Ritz-Carlton Bacara GM Steve Janicek, Director of Sales and Marketing Gretchen Walker,and Global Brand Marketing Manager Hilary Crist; Ritz-Carlton Maui Kapalua GM Andrew C. Rogers; and Visit Santa Barbara CEO Kathy Janega-Dykes.
The program started with a champagne reception, followed by a formal vegetarian cuisine dinner, speeches and four very inspiring ocean videos of whales, ocean exploration, the Cousteau diving history from tanks through drone usage, and our Santa Barbara Channel ocean wildlife. Janicek welcomed the guests, highlighted Cousteau’s collaboration with the brand’s environmental family programming and thanked the sponsors. He then read the Ritz-Carlton Santa Barbara’s Tribal Land Statement acknowledging the indigenous tribal elders whose land the hotel sits on. He introduced Chumash Elder Julie Tumamait-Stenslie who gave a moving blessing, talked about the Native people’s belief to speak and protect all nature, and thanked Cousteau for his life’s work in doing so. She asked him to play a Native American beaded and decorated rattle instrument while she sang a tribal blessing song.
Next Cousteau thanked everyone for being there and supporting his organization’s work. “When I look into the eyes of children, I will never stop working for them in preserving the oceans and ocean wildlife, and to educate the children to continue to do the same. If you protect the ocean, you protect yourself; it is vital to all life on Earth.”
He acknowledged the work of Holly Lohuis in the Santa Barbara Channel as an environmental steward; she is an oceanographer, educator, and marine biologist. Due to her efforts and Ocean Futures, the Santa Barbara Channel has been named the 9th global Whale Heritage Area by The World Cetacean Alliance. Cousteau was then presented with a Lifetime Achievement Award by Janicek and Rogers. The evening programming concluded a standing toast to Cousteau. Then it was time to dance, with Cousteau taking the lead on the dance floor with Tumamait-Stenslie, and others joining.
