Dean was a founding board member for Save The Waves, helping grow the organization from its infancy. An accomplished writer, publisher, and marketing consultant, his writing has appeared in a variety of national and international publications, including The Surfer's Journal, The Surfer's Path, Surfer Magazine, Men's Journal, and numerous others. He co-founded Leisure Team Productions, a media and publishing company, where in addition to serving as president, he co-authored and released two award-winning non-fiction titles. He also has 15 years marketing experience, working for a variety of companies in technology and financial services, along with an MBA from the University of Washington.

Dean's passion for both the ocean and the environment began at an early age, surfing the waters around Santa Cruz. His first taste of surf travel was a three-month road trip down to Central America at age 20, and he's never looked back since. These days he lives and surfs at Ocean Beach, San Francisco, splitting time between battling walls of whitewater at "The Beach" and the Save The Waves offices in Davenport.